Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 23:25 to Numbers 24:9.  This Scripture spans two chapters.  Here is are two links to the two chapters – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+23&version=NASB

and https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2024&version=NASB 

I quote the following verses in Numbers Chapter 24. 

“1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.  2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.  3 He took up his discourse and said, 

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;
4 The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,
5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6 “Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens beside the river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7 “Water will flow from his buckets,
And his seed will be by many waters,
And his king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 “God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.
9 “He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you,
And cursed is everyone who curses you.”  Numbers 24:1-9. 

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“Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.” comes from the covenant that God made with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. 

“1 Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;

2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  Genesis 12:1-3. 

Galatians Chapter 3 also refers to this blessing.  “Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.  Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.  The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.”  Galatians 3:6-8. 

And just like there is the contrast between the blessing and the cursing in today’s Scripture, there is the contrast between the blessing and the cursing in Galatians Chapter 3. 

“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse;  for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”  Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident;  for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”  However, the Law is not of faith;  on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Galatians 3:10-14. 

So, when we read today’s key sentence (“Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.”), the blessing and the cursing are not just about saying either nice words about Christians or bad words about Christians, but more importantly, the blessing arises when we have faith and build up faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, and the cursing arises when we live by the Law and raise up the Law.   

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law;  you have fallen from grace.  (The Curse)  For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. (The Blessing)  … I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view;  but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.  (The Curse)  …  I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.  (The Curse)”  Galatians Chapter 5:  Verses 4, 5, 10, and 12. 

“So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”  (The Blessing) Galatians 3:9.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 23:13-24. 

“13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them;  and curse them for me from there.”  14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.  15 And he said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the Lord over there.”  16 Then the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”  17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him.  And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”  18 Then he took up his discourse and said, 

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20 “Behold, I have received a command to bless;
When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
21 “He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;
Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a king is among them.
22 “God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23 “For there is no omen against Jacob,
Nor is there any divination against Israel;
At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob
And to Israel, what God has done!
24 “Behold, a people rises like a lioness,
And as a lion it lifts itself;
It will not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”  Numbers 23:13-24. 

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Reformed Doctrine “pounds the table” to proclaim God’s sovereignty, because the Bible  “pounds the table” to proclaim God’s sovereignty.  “Has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

When we understand more of God’s sovereignty, we will also trust God more:  “He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.”  

The imagery of “horns of the wild ox” conveys God’s focus, force, passion, and persistence.  God focuses on His chosen people as we seen in the devotion yesterday.  God’s force (sovereignty) insures that what God intends to do will be accomplished.  God’s passion is shown in Christ Who loves the church and gave Himself up for the church as a husband loves and is devoted to his wife.  God’s persistence is shown by His faithfulness and preservation of the saints despite their repeated unfaithfulness, rebellion, and other sins.    

God is for them! 

“God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.”  Numbers 24:8. 

“6 The Lord is for me;  I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.”  Psalm 118:6-9. 

“31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?  33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;  34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  36 Just as it is written, 

“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:31-39.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 22:36 to Numbers 23:12.  Today’s Scripture spans parts of two chapters.  Here are two link to the two chapters – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+22&version=NASB and https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2023&version=NASB 

I quote the following verses from Numbers Chapter 23. 

“5 Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”  6 So he returned to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab.  7 He took up his discourse and said, 

“From Aram Balak has brought me,
Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,
‘Come curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
8 “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
9 “As I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
Behold, a people who dwells apart,
And will not be reckoned among the nations.
10 “Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
And let my end be like his!” 

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me?  I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!”  12 He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”  Numbers 23:5-12. 

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We focus on the observation and blessing of Balaam:  “Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.”  

We see similar Scripture in the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:8-10. 

“8 “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance,
When He separated the sons of man,
He set the boundaries of the peoples
According to the number of the sons of Israel.
9 “For the Lord’s portion is His people;
Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.
10 “He found him in a desert land,
And in the howling waste of a wilderness;
He encircled him, He cared for him,
He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.”  Deuteronomy 32:8-10. 

These Scriptures and other Scriptures focus on the uniqueness and preciousness of God’s chosen people.  God singles and separates out His chosen people to be the sole recipients of His grace.  There is no common grace here nor support for the thought that “God loves everybody.”  

Like a husband only loves his wife, “… Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5:25-27.  

“1 But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you.
3 “For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your place.
4 “Since you are precious in My sight,
Since you are honored and I love you,
I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life.”  Isaiah 43:1-4. 

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  1 Peter 2:9-10. 

“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:22-24.  

“Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy;  and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”  Leviticus 20:26 

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself;  The Lord hears when I call to Him.”  Psalm 4:3.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 22:22-35.

“22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him.  Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.  23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field;  but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.  24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.  25 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again. 26 The angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.  27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam;  so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.  28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”  29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”  30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day?  Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?”  And he said, “No.”

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.  32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.  33 But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times.  If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”  34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me.  Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”  35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.”  So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.”  Numbers 22:22-35.

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There are those who are Godly who will warn us and try to get us back on the right way.  They may be a minister, elder, other member of the church, parent, sibling, other family relative, or friend.  Seek out the Godly!  Be with the Godly!  Listen to the Godly!

Don’t be like Balaam!  Scripture compares Balaam with the unrighteous who “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;  but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”  2 Peter 2:15-16.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”  Proverbs 12:15

“The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.”  Proverbs 12:26

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

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 22:15-21.

“15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former.  16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me;  17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me.  Please come then, curse this people for me.’”  18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.  19 Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.”  20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.”  Numbers 22:15-21.

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Balaam’s reply to the servants of Balak reminds us of the sovereignty of God.  Balaam may have been willing to satisfy Balak by cursing Israel for a number of different reasons.  Balaam may not have been a “fan” of Israel.  Balaam may have feared what Balak would do to him if he refused.  Balaam may have desired all the wealth that Balak could give him if he complied.  Balaam may have generally viewed cursing as not that difficult of a thing to do.  But, in summary, it is not a question of “would”;  it is a question of “could”.  “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.”  Verse 18.

God’s sovereignty, specifically over our enemies, should bring us comfort.

Here is some of what the Psalms states.

“Arise, O Lord;  save me, O my God!  For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.”  Psalm 3:7

“All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.”  Psalm 6:10

“I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.”  Psalm 18:3

“He delivers me from my enemies;  Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me;  You rescue me from the violent man.”  Psalm 18:48

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;  You have anointed my head with oil;  My cup overflows.”  Psalm 23:5

“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.”  Psalm 30:1

“For He has delivered me from all trouble, And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.”  Psalm 54:7

“Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;  This I know, that God is for me.”  Psalm 56:9

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;  You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.”  Psalm 138:7

Here is some of what the Heidelberg Catechism states.

Question 1.  What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer.  That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;  yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. 

Question 28.  What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence doth still uphold all things?

Answer.  That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from his love; since all creatures are so in his hand, that without his will they cannot so much as move.

Question 51.  What profit is this glory of Christ, our head, unto us?

Answer.  First, that by his Holy Spirit he pours our heavenly graces upon us his members;  and then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies.

Question 52.  What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?

 Answer.  That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven:  who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 22:1-14.

“1 Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.  3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous;  and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.  4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.”  And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.  5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt;  behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.  6 Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.  For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him.  8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the Lord may speak to me.”  And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.  9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”  10 Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, 11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land;  now come, curse them for me;  perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”  12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them;  you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”  13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”  14 The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”  Numbers 22:1-14.

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“10 The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”  Psalm 33:10-12.

The LORD nullified the counsel of Moab who tried to get Balaam to curse Israel.

But, the LORD also nullified the counsel of Israel who lived by works (not by faith) and who also rejected His Son Jesus Christ.

“Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;  for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”  And just as Isaiah foretold,

“Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity,
We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah.”

What shall we say then?  That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;  but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.  Why?  Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written,

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  Romans 9:27-33.

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;  nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but:  “through Isaac your descendants will be named.”  That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.  For this is the word of promise:  “At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”  And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;  for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”  Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

What shall we say then?  There is no injustice with God, is there?  May it never be!  For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”  So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”  Romans 9:6-18.

“The counsel of the LORD stands forever.”  The LORD chooses whom He will bless.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God;  you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  1 Peter 2:9.

And, the LORD chooses to bless those in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”  Colossians 1:19-20.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6.

“… in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Galatians 3:16.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1:7-12.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 21:10-35.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+21&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“21 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying, 22 “Let me pass through your land.  We will not turn off into field or vineyard;  we will not drink water from wells.  We will go by the king’s highway until we have passed through your border.”  23 But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border.  So Sihon gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.  24 Then Israel struck him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the sons of Ammon;  for the border of the sons of Ammon was Jazer.  25 Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages.  26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand, as far as the Arnon.”  …

“31 Thus Israel lived in the land of the Amorites.  32 Moses sent to spy out Jazer, and they captured its villages and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.

33 Then they turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei.  34 But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land;  and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”  35 So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him;  and they possessed his land.”  Numbers Chapter 21:  Verses 21-26 and 31-35.

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The LORD gave two victories to Israel in today’s Scripture.

Israel’s path was blocked by Sihon, king of the Amorites, who “gathered all his people and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel”.  Verses 21-23.  Israel struck Sihon with the edge of the sword and defeated and dispossessed the Amorites.

Then, Israel “turned and went up by the way of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people, for battle at Edrei”.  Verse 33.  “But the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land;  and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”  So they killed him and his sons and all his people, until there was no remnant left him;  and they possessed his land.”  Verses 34-35.

“7 God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will exult, I will portion out Shechem
And measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 “Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the helmet of My head;
Judah is My scepter.
9 “Moab is My washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe;
Over Philistia I will shout aloud.”

10 Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have not You Yourself, O God, rejected us?
And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?
12 Oh give us help against the adversary,
For deliverance by man is in vain.
13 Through God we will do valiantly,
And it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.”  Psalm 108:7-13.

“¹⁰ He smote many nations
And slew mighty kings,
¹¹ Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
¹² And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
¹³ Your name, O Lord, is everlasting,
Your remembrance, O Lord, throughout all generations.”  Psalm 135:10-13.

“14 Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away His judgments against you,
He has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
You will fear disaster no more.
16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not be afraid, O Zion;
Do not let your hands fall limp.
17 “The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”  Zephaniah 3:14-17.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Corinthians 15:56-57.

“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us;  and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”  Colossians 2:13-15.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 21:1-9.

“1 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.  2 So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”  3 The Lord heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites;  then they utterly destroyed them and their cities.  Thus the name of the place was called Hormah.

4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom;  and the people became impatient because of the journey.  5 The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.”

6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.  7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the Lord and you;  intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.”  And Moses interceded for the people.  8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard;  and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”  9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard;  and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.”  Numbers 21:1-9.

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It is a scary world.  Literal serpents were down there among the people of Israel.  Figurative serpents are down there among us today.  Our eyes fearfully and anxiously look down all around us.

But, there is a Savior up here, revealed in Scripture.  Lift up your eyes, look and believe.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;  so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.”  John 3:14-15.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Isaiah 41:10.

“Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath;  For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner;  But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.”  Isaiah 51:6.

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 20:14-29.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+20&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, “Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.  Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor;  and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar.  So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.”  So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.  After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top.  Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.  When all the congregation saw that Aaron had died, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.”  Numbers 20:23-29.

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Today’s Scripture and the name of this Book of the Bible (Numbers) remind us that our days are numbered and that God has set different kinds of limits (time and space etc.) as to what we can do.

“1 Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2 “Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3 “You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4 “Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 “Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.”  Job 14:1-5.

“12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

13 Do return, O Lord;  how long will it be?
And be sorry for Your servants.
14 O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”  Psalm 90:12-17.

Yes, there is hope!

As the foregoing Psalm 90:17 confesses, the Lord is “our God”, and thus, we can hope, pray, and expect His favor.

Question 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?

Answer.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;  who likewise upholds and governs the same by his eternal counsel and providence) is for the sake of Christ his Son, my God and my Father;  on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt, but he will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body: and further, that he will make whatever evils he sends upon me, in this valley of tears turn out to my advantage; for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.  Heidelberg Catechism.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 20:1-13.

“1 Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month;  and the people stayed at Kadesh. Now Miriam died there and was buried there.

2 There was no water for the congregation, and they assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron.  3 The people thus contended with Moses and spoke, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!  4 Why then have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness, for us and our beasts to die here?  5 Why have you made us come up from Egypt, to bring us in to this wretched place?  It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there water to drink.”  6 Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces.  Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them;  7 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

8 “Take the rod;  and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water.  You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.”

9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him;  10 and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock.  And he said to them, “Listen now, you rebels;  shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?”  11 Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod;  and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.  12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”  13 Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the Lord, and He proved Himself holy among them.”  Numbers 20:1-13.

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Moses was commanded to speak to the rock before their eyes, but he struck the rock twice with his rod.  Moses seemed focused on the people and on speaking to the people, more than he seemed focused on the LORD and on listening carefully to the LORD and obeying the LORD exactly.

When Moses struck the rock twice with his rod, water did come forth abundantly and the people and the congregation and their beasts did drink.

“All is well, that ends well.”  Right?!

No!!!

“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”  Verse 12.

Today’s Scripture teaches us that we should be focused more on God than on people.  We should be more focused on listening to God than speaking to people.  We should be more focused on obeying God than responding to people.

Today’s Scripture teaches us that we should believe in God and treat God as holy in the sight of all people.

Reformed Doctrine helps us do these things.

Reformed Doctrine focuses more on God and God’s work than on man, man’s works, and man’s alleged free will.

Reformed Doctrine focuses more on “listening” to what God states in Scripture is His work of salvation (the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”) than on what man wants to be the cause of his salvation (man’s works or man’s alleged free will).

Reformed Doctrine focuses more on obeying God by speaking the truth of God’s work of salvation more than on worrying what man may think of it and responding in a “seeker-sensitive way” to man’s natural aversion to God’s sovereignty and predestination.

Reformed Doctrine believes that God can totally and perfectly accomplish salvation by God’s grace alone.

Reformed Doctrine treats God as holy in the sight of all people:  “… who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?”  Romans 9:20-21.  Reformed Doctrine gives all the credit and glory to God for salvation, and it is not ashamed to defend God’s sovereignty.

In summary, so to speak in the language of today’s Scripture, Reformed Doctrine teaches that we don’t need to strike (use force or be dependent on our own powers of persuasion), we can speak (in dependence on God):  “… sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence”.  1 Peter 3:15.