Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 16:12-40.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2016&version=NASB

I only quote the following verses.

“20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.”  22 But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

25 Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, 26 and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.” 27 So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram;  and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones.  28 Moses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these deeds;  for this is not my doing.  29 If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.  30 But if the Lord brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the Lord.”

31 As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;  32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions.  33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol;  and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.  34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!”  35 Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.”  Numbers 16:20-35.

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“He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.”  Proverbs 13:20.

“Depart from evil and do good;  Seek peace and pursue it.”  Psalm 34:14.

“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;  He who watches his way preserves his life.”  Proverbs 16:17.

“17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
18 “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:17-18.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 16:8-11.

“Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them;  and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you?  And are you seeking for the priesthood also?  Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the Lord;  but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?”  Numbers 16:8-11.

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Moses points to jealousy as a cause of the grumbling and rebellion by Korah and his followers.  We too need to be careful that we don’t fall into the temptation of jealousy and grumbling.  Like Korah was jealous of Moses’ position, we can be jealous of another’s position.  Even today despite reading today’s Scripture and writing some first draft notes for today’s devotion, I later read the newspaper’s recommendations for judges in our judicial election races, and I felt a twinge of jealousy and had to subdue it.

We should not be jealous.  “Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.  Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”  1 Corinthians 10:10-12.

We entertain a twinge of jealousy, thinking it is innocent and justified.  But, it is not innocent nor justified.  It leads to grumbling and other sins.  Grumbling leads to outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, and envying.  These sins lead to rebellion as were written for our instruction in Numbers Chapter 16.

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21.

But, there is hope!

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man;  and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23.

Korah, listen to Moses!  Don’t be jealous!  It is enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them!     

Be “… content with what you have …”.  Hebrews 13:5.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:37-41.

“37 The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.  39 It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.  41 I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God;  I am the Lord your God.”  Numbers 15:37-41.

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Tassels, including a cord of blue, point us to the work of the Trinity, “accordingly” we will not break God’s commandments, but rather remember them and do them.  “… A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12.

God the Father puts His laws into our minds and writes them on our hearts.

““For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord:  I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts.  And I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”  Hebrews 8:10.

God the Son gives us understanding, so that we may know God and have eternal life.

“And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true;  and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life.”  1 John 5:20.

God the Spirit guides us into all truth.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;  for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak;  and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  John 3:16.

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you;  but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”  1 John 2:27.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:30-36.

“30 But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming the Lord;  and that person shall be cut off from among his people.  31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off;  his  guilt will be on him.’”

32 Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day.  33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation;  34 and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him.  35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death;  all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”  36 So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”  Numbers 15:30-36.

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As a quick introductory side note, although little is stated in the second paragraph of today’s Scripture about the man gathering wood on the Sabbath day, it seemed to me from the close proximity with the first paragraph and the severe punishment that this was a specific example of one who was doing something defiantly, blaspheming the LORD, and despising the word of the LORD.  That is why I included this second paragraph in today’s Scripture and did not set it aside for a separate devotion.

But, whether or not there is that connection, there is discipline in today’s Scripture that is the theme of this devotion (although no one now would advocate church discipline to include putting anyone to death).

Discipline is so important that it is considered as one of the three marks by which the true Church is known.

“…  The marks, by which the true Church is known, are these:  if the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin:  in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church.  …”  Article 29 of the Belgic Confession.

In Lesson 24 (concerning “The Church”) of the Essentials of Reformed Doctrine by Rev. H. Hoeksema, there are also the following two points:

“7.  What are the distinguishing marks of the church?
The pure preaching of the Word of God, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of Christian discipline. John 8:31, 47.

9.  What are the keys of the kingdom?
The preaching of the Word and the exercise of Christian discipline, by which the kingdom is opened and shut to believers and unbelievers. John 20:23.”

We should not also forget the preceding Scripture of unintentional sin (Numbers 15:22-29) and the forgiveness readily and fully given.  And, we also consider the separate classification of sin that received such severe punishment as being defiant, blasphemous, and despising the word of the LORD.

The purpose of this devotion is to generally and briefly cover the importance of discipline, particularly for those who are defiant, blasphemous, and despising the word of the LORD.  The purpose of this devotion is to not specifically cover all the sins that should be disciplined or the appropriate punishment.  I will close with only the following two specific examples in Scripture.

We see one reference to discipline in Galatians 1:9:  “As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!’

Another reference to discipline is in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2:  “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.  You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:22-29.

“22 ‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses, from the day when the Lord gave commandment and onward throughout your generations, 24 then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for a burnt offering, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.  25 Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven;  for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error. 26 So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error.

27 ‘Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering.  28 The priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven.  29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.”  Numbers 15:22-29.

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Today’s Scripture focusing on unintentional sin points us to the hope of God’s work within us as believers that first we are no longer slaves to sin, and second that when we do sin, our sins are forgiven.

First, consider the following Scripture that due to God’s work within us, we are no longer slaves to sin.

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”  Romans 6:17-18.

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”  1 John 3:9.

“Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  the one who practices sin is of the devil;  for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”  1 John 3:7-8.

Second, consider the following Scripture that due to God’s work within us, when we do sin, we are forgiven.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:5-9.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”  1 John 2:1-2.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:17-21.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where I bring you, then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to the Lord.  Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering;  as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up.  From the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord an offering throughout your generations.”  Numbers 15:17-21.

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Through God’s grace, we put God first.

First, we say a prayer before we eat.

First, we set aside our offering out of the income we receive.

First, we seek His kingdom and His righteousness.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:14-16.

“14 If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord, just as you do so he shall do.  15 As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations;  as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord.  16 There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’”  Numbers 15:14-16.

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Many churches form their worship services to be “seeker-sensitive”, that is, their primary goal is to make their worship services attractive to visitors, rather than pleasing to God according to His commands as to how He wants to be worshipped.

Today’s Scripture adds to the immediately preceding Scripture that worship services must be formed to fit God’s regulations for worship by adding that such regulations apply even to aliens (visitors). “There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’”  Verse 16.  “As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations;  as you are, so shall the alien be before the Lord.”  Verse 15.

Yes, we should be friendly to visitors.  But, we see many churches change not only the form of their worship service but their gospel to be attractive to visitors.

For example, Reformed churches know that predestination is repulsive to most men, so many Reformed Churches try to hide or minimize that part of the gospel.  They primarily promote that they are a “Bible-believing” church or they only emphasize their youth activities or other particular services to their congregation or their charitable services to others.  They may even eliminate altogether descriptive words in their name like “Reformed” to try to appear to be just a community church.  They minimize their Reformed Doctrine in their own web-site’s description of “Who We Are”.  In summary, they try to be like every other church.

By drifting toward being like every other church, these Reformed churches can lose their “Reformed” salt.  Matthew 5:13 provides this warning:  “You are the salt of the earth;  but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?  It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

And, the drifting can eventually turn into a deserting.

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  Galatians 1:6-10.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:4-13.

“4 The one who presents his offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, 5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;  7 and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to the Lord.  8 When you prepare a bull as a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to the Lord, 9 then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil;  10 and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

11 ‘Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats.  12 According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number.  13 All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord.”  Numbers 15:4-13.

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Why would the LORD care how the offerings were presented?  Doesn’t just the heart of the worshipper matter? 

The precise numbers of how God commands that offerings are to be made, all of these details in today’s Scripture, should cause us to conclude that God does care and does regulate how He is to be worshipped.

Reformed Doctrine recognizes that worship is all about God and His desires and His commands as to how He wants to be worshipped, and worship is not just about what makes us feel good.  Reformed Doctrine calls it the Regulative Principle of Worship.  Here is a link to a good article on it titled “The Regulative Principle of Worship (1)” by Rev. Griess Cory of the Protestant Reformed Churches in their publication Standard Bearer – http://standardbearer.rfpa.org/articles/regulative-principle-worship-1

“7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.”  Psalm 96:7-9.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 15:1-3.  The next devotion, God willing, will be July 20, 2014.  I am leaving tomorrow to hike for 7 days with my youngest son a section of the Appalachian Trail near Asheville, North Carolina.  Please pray for us.

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, then make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to the Lord, from the herd or from the flock.”  Numbers 15:1-3.

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It is noteworthy that so close to the time that the LORD announced His dreadful punishment that Israel would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until a whole generation would die in it, that the LORD gave this hope that they (at least the children and Joshua and Caleb) would still enter the promised land of Canaan “where you are to live, which I am giving you”.

At times, we too may feel that we are pilgrims wandering through a wilderness, but we can look to the LORD for words of hope and comfort.  And, this hope causes us to persevere through tribulations, and this hope does not disappoint.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character;  and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Romans 5:3-5.

Reformed Doctrine helps us believe.  Reformed Doctrine teaches us “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  There was nothing loveable about us in this our natural condition of “Total Depravity”.  We were hostile to God and dead in sin.  Like a rebellious Israel wandering in the wilderness, we were helpless.

And yet, “… while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man;  though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  Romans 5:6-11.

And so, when we read about the punishment of Israel in Numbers Chapter 14, and then come to the hope at the start of the next chapter in today’s Scripture, we can be reminded of words of hope and comfort not only in Romans 5:3-11 but throughout Scripture.

Reformed Doctrine teaches us that this hope and comfort are not based on us (how loveable we are or our performance).  This hope and comfort is based on God and His unfathomable love for us.