Numbers 26; Psalm 69; Isaiah 16; 1 Peter 4
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 97: HOW IS THE WORD TO BE READ AND HEARD THAT IT MAY BECOME EFFECTIVE FOR SALVATION?
Answer: That the Word may become effective for salvation we must attend to it with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives.
Scripture: Proverbs 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 2:1, 3; 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; Psalm 119:11; James 1:21, 25.
Numbers 26
So 24,000 Israelites die by the plague in chapter 25 due to their worship of Baal. Now in chapter 26 God calls for them to take a census of the people and Moses learns that only Caleb and Joshua and himself remain from all the generation that wandered in the wilderness after the rebellion in chapter 14 where they refused to go into Canaan due to the bad report of the spies. Now the time has come! The only thing is that Moses also cannot enter. In Num 20:12 God declared that Moses and Aaron would not enter the land due to their sin. So now we are staged for the new generation to enter the promised land again (remember that Abraham was already there in Genesis 13:12 and Jacob took the family to Egypt in order to survive the famine). We learn in Num 20:11 that Korah’s sons did not die in the earth splitting open event so reviewing that text in chapter 16 shows that the sons of Dathan and Abiram (his cohorts in the rebellion) appeared to have been at their side and likely died but the sons of Korah are not explicitly stated to have been present. Good thing, since their lineage becomes part of King David’s praise band (Ps 42:title; etc.)!
Psalm 69
This Psalm is drawn upon by Paul (Rom 15:3, 11:9-10), and John (John 2:17, 15:25, ) and it depicts some occurrences in the death of Jesus (e.g., Ps 69:21). But the real meat seem to be verses 29 to the end. Praise and thanks are given to God and there is a sacrifice being spoken of that will be better than those blood sacrifices offered in the past. David surely speaks of offering thanksgiving (Ps 50:14) but those who see the sacrifice of Christ with humility will be glad and their hearts will be revived (Ps 69:30-32)…indeed! At Ps 69:35-36 there is reference to offspring inheriting the occupation of the City of God and it seems similar to enduring "for the joy set before him” (Heb 12:2) and this being the seeing of the offspring to come in Jesus' inheritance of the saints (Is 53:10-11).
1 Peter 4
Taking this chapter broadly I see the following main points. First a theme of the flesh suffering and dying and being afflicted but that the spirit of the man is entrusted to God and is blessed in the dying of flesh. Do not keep living in the flesh as you did…live no longer for human passions but for the will of God! Here we are called to a hope in God and a longing for God and a desiring of God and a focus upon God that is opposed to the world, rather than in love with it. 1 Pet 4:6 and 1 Pet 4:2 seem related to Rom 8:10 and Rom 7:25 in the mortal body only having sin and death to offer to us (prior to is glorification) but the spirit having the ability to live for God. Every person who hears the Gospel is a dead man walking (Matt 8:22; Eph 2:1; Col 2:13) but he can respond from a place of new birth by the Spirit of God (1 Pet 3:18; Eph 2:5; 1 Cor 15:22). Use your gifts for the time is short and the end is coming. Verse 11 urges the servant of the Lord to serve in the strength he provides and not to rely on his own abilities or cunning. He is to speak as one speaking the oracles of God and this cannot be done when he is filling thrust of the message with stories from his life or with current opinions or with news or with surveys or with other content that is not from the inspired Word of God. Expect the difficult trial and rejoice when you suffer because you share with Christ and you are thus united in a death like his and the promise is a resurrection like his (Rom 6:5) when his glory is revealed. Compare 1 Pet 4:13 with Romans 8:17. Do not suffer for ungodly behavior but suffer for no reason or for standing for Christ and know that your suffering is in accord with the will of God and entrust your soul to him for he is doing you good! Rom 8:28, Eph 1:11, Jer. 32:40-41. It seems there is no explicit promise in 1 Peter about suffering being God’s will (though surely part of his will in the form of discipline or teaching) when it is for unrighteousness (1 Pet 2:20, 3:17, 4:15) but surely we see that when suffering comes as a result of following God, this is God’s will (1 Pet 4:19)!
Soli Deo Gloria!
