Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 8:5-26.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+8&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.  Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting.  But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering;  for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel.  I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.  For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals;  on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.  But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.  I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”  Numbers 8:14-19.

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Today’s Scripture reminds us of God’s strong claim of ownership of us, His people. 

“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, being owned by God has its privileges.

“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.
5 “Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
And gather you from the west.
6 “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”  Isaiah 43:1-7.

“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?”  Romans 8:32.

In conclusion, our only comfort in life and death is that we are owned by God and belong to Him.

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.  Heidelberg Catechism.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 8:1-4.

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.’”  Aaron therefore did so;  he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.  Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold;  from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.”  Numbers 8:1-4.

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“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

Jesus is the “Light of the world”.  John 8:12 and John 9:5.  But, as God’s workmanship, we also are “the light of the world”.  Matthew 5:14.

“You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;  nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16.

In addition to God making us as “His workmanship” to give light, God positions us so that, in the language of Matthew 5:14-16, we are not put under a basket, but rather we are put on a lampstand to give light to all who are in the house.  We especially give light to those who are in the house of God.

We see in today’s Scripture that God instructed the lamps to be mounted, so that “the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand”.  Likewise, we are positioned by God so that our light will shine before men in such a way that they will see our good works and glorify God.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers Chapter 7.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+7&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“1 Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils;  he anointed them and consecrated them also.  2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes;  they were the ones who were over the numbered men). …

10 The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. 11 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

12 Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah;  13 and his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;  14 one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;  15 one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering;  16 one male goat for a sin offering;  17 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old.  This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.  …”  Numbers Chapter 7:  Verses 1-2 and 10-17.

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I quoted just the first offering on the first day by Nahshon the son of Amminadab, the leader of the tribe of Judah.  But, God thought it was important enough to list in precise detail in His Word the next eleven offerings by the next eleven leaders of the next eleven tribes of Israel, even though the offerings were identical.  Each of the leaders and each of the tribes were obviously different, but they offered the same offering.

The precise detailed listing of each offering even though they were the same over so many verses should lead us to consider that God does not want His worship to be “willy-nilly” or “anything goes”.  God wants His worship to be regulated according to His desires and His Word.  Today, each of the ministers of each denomination are obviously different, but that does not give them the excuse to fashion their worship service to their own desires to do anything they want.

And so, today, we again see Biblical support for the Regulative Principle of Worship in Reformed Doctrine.

Here is an article on it titled “The Regulative Principle of Worship (1)” by Griess Cory, in “O Come Let Us Worship” Volume 88/2012 Issue: 14, 4/15/2012 of the Standard Bearer, a publication of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America.

Here is a link to the article – – http://standardbearer.rfpa.org/articles/regulative-principle-worship-1

I quote the following part of this article:

“When John Calvin was asked to give his opinion regarding what were the most important issues in the Reformation of the church in the sixteenth century, he said this: “If it be inquired, then, by what things chiefly the Christian religion has a standing existence amongst us, and maintains its truth, it will be found that the following two not only occupy the principal place, but comprehend under them all the other parts, and consequently the whole substance of Christianity, a knowledge first of the mode in which God is duly worshipped; and secondly, of the source from which salvation is to be obtained.”1

So important is right worship, that to Calvin it was a more significant issue in the church even than the doctrines of salvation. This is so because salvation is a means to the end of worship. The church exists for worship. The church trains her members and their children so that there is worship. The church does mis­sions so that there might be worship where there was not worship before. Indeed, the chief end of man is to worship.

For this reason we have taken up a series on three great principles regarding the public corporate worship of the church. So far we have seen that public worship is a covenantal assembly gathered to meet with God. We have seen that God carries out that meeting as a dialogue between Himself and His people. Now we see that God is the one who in His sovereignty regu­lates what takes place in that covenantal assembly. He decides what brings Him glory and what will bring us into the experience of the covenant of grace. This is the regulative principle of worship.

The regulative principle of worship is the principle that God in His Word tells us how to worship Him. What God commands in worship must be done, and what He does not command in worship is forbidden. This principle arises first of all out of the second com­mandment. In the first commandment God commands us whom to worship—“no other gods but Me” In the second commandment God speaks to us about how to worship Him. Exodus 20:4: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

Negatively, the second commandment tells us we are not to worship Him by graven images. Israel was tempted by this. When they made the golden calf, they weren’t thinking that the actual calf was their god; rather they were attempting to worship Jehovah as represented by that calf. The issue was the mode and manner of worship. The calf was not a new god; it was a new way to worship Jehovah God.

God says in the second command, “I will not be wor­shiped that way.” The Heidelberg Catechism expands the application of the principle that God speaks to how He will be worshiped. The Heidelberg says it is not up to the imaginations of men how God will be worshiped, but rather He will be worshiped in no other way than He has commanded in His Word. He is the sovereign God and He determines how He will be worshiped.

We can state that positively as well. “Worship Me,” God is saying in the second commandment. “And worship me, the way I desire to be worshiped.” That’s the regulative principle—worship God in the way He wants; He’s the one being worshiped, after all. It’s for Him. Give Him what He desires. This is the question we are asking when we speak of the regulative principle of worship: what does God want in the worship of His name? When we come for this covenantal dialogue, what exactly does He want to take place? What are the elements of this dialogue that God requires? May we add different elements to the covenantal meeting?

When people deal with these issues concerning wor­ship, they often begin by asking the wrong question. Some begin by asking, “What will be the most appeal­ing to people? What will allow people to showcase their individual talents the best and make them feel most special? What will be the elements that are most like the culture around us? What will be the most fun for us?” Or on the other side of the coin, sometimes the first question people ask is, “What are our favorite songs from childhood? Or what have we always done?” But none of these questions address the essence of it.

The question first of all is, how does God desire to be worshiped? What does His Word say about the public worship of His name? In worship God speaks to us, and we respond in love for Him. He is the audience, not us. Therefore the question is, what does He desire from us? What will please Him? What brings Him more glory? …”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 6:22-27.

“22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace.’

27 So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”   Numbers 6:22-27.

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Do we really believe God will bless us?  Or, do we just wait and see? 

Do we really believe that God will fully bless us?  Or, do we just believe that the blessing will be “just” heaven? 

Do we treasure the benediction with eager open hands full of faith?  Or, do we just view the benediction as an unimportant conclusion to the worship service? 

Our belief that God will bless us is important.  It is an element of faith.  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6.

Our belief that God will bless us is so important that He interposed an oath.

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.  For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.  In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrews 6:13-20.

And, the consequences of unbelief can be severe.

“Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”  Hebrews 3:12.

“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.  For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also;  but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.”  Hebrews 4:1-2.

So, let us be encouraged.  Let us grow in knowledge and faith.  Let us take hold of the hope set before us.  Let us reach out eagerly for the benediction and promises of God with open hands full of faith.

“7 You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.”  Psalm 4:7-8.

“The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.”  Psalm 29:11.

“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,”  Ephesians 1:3.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28.

“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?”  Romans 8:32.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield;  The Lord gives grace and glory;  No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  Psalm 84:11.

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 6:1-21.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+6&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“1  Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes.  4 All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.

5 ‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head.  He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord;  he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long.

6 ‘All the days of his separation to the Lord he shall not go near to a dead person.  7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head.  8 All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord.   …

21 “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation.”  Numbers Chapter 6:  Verses 1-8 and 21.

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From time to time, we may have zeal like the Nazirite.  We may dedicate our self to God and separate our self to God, even like a monk.  But, any such faith in our own dedication and in our own separation and in our own general will-power in misplaced.

Our faith should be in God.  It is God Who sets apart.  It is God Who blesses His beloved, His chosen ones. 

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

“1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”  Psalm 127:1-2.

“12 Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.”  1 Chronicles 16:12-14.  See also Psalm 105:5-7.

“12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”  Psalm 33:12.

” “But now listen, O Jacob, My servant,
And Israel, whom I have chosen:
2 Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you,
‘Do not fear, O Jacob My servant;
And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
3 ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;
4 And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’
5 “This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
And that one will call on the name of Jacob;
And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the Lord,’
And will name Israel’s name with honor.”  Isaiah 44:1-5.

“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;”  1 Peter 2:9.

The promises of God are to and for His elect.  “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.”  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.  For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.  In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”  Hebrews 6:13-20.

“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. …”  Ephesians 1:3-4.

“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 9:23-24.

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:7-9.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 5:11-31.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+5&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and a man has intercourse with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act, 14 if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself, 15 the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity.

16 ‘Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the Lord, 17 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel;  and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.  …

27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness, and her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free and conceive children.

29 ‘This is the law of jealousy:  when a wife, being under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest shall apply all this law to her.  31 Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”  Numbers Chapter 5:  Verses 11-17 and 27-31.

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The consequence of secret adultery in today’s Scripture of the wasting away of the thigh reminds me of Psalm 32:3-4.

“3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.  Selah.”   Psalm 32:3-4.

But, there is hope!

“5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin.  Selah.”    Psalm 32:5.

“6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah.”  Psalm 32:6-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 5:5-10.

“5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the Lord, and that person is guilty, 7 then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged.  8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him.  9 Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his.  10 So every man’s holy gifts shall be his;  whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.’”  Numbers 5:5-10.

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The emphasis of today’s Scripture on restitution reminds me of the story of Zaccheus and how gladly Zaccheus offered restitution.  And yet, there is a surprise ending.

“He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through.  And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus;  he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.  Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.  When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”  And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly.  When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”  Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”  And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Luke 19:1-10.

Zaccheus was not saved, because he offered restitution, even way beyond what was required.

Zaccheus was saved, because he was one of the elect which Jesus meant by the phrase “son of Abraham”.  Zaccheus was saved, because Jesus was the Faithful One Who sought out and saved all of the elect who were lost.

We have a lot of duties, but we are not saved because we offer to fulfill those duties or even do in fact try to do them.

We read a lot of Scripture and go to church a lot, but we are not saved because we do so.

We may confess and make restitution, but God is the One Who seeks and saves, Who redeems and restores. 

“The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.”    Job 42:10.

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores His captive people, Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.”  Psalm 14:7.

“He restores my soul;  He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:3.

“The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.”  Psalm 41:3.

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”  Psalm 51:12.

“O Lord God of hosts, restore us;  Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.”  Psalm 80:19.

““At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together;  Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the Lord.”  Zephaniah 3:20.

“So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing;  and they glorified the God of Israel.”  Matthew 15:31.

Our faith is not in ourselves, but rather, our faith is in the Faithful One.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 5:1-4.

“1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person.  3 You shall send away both male and female;  you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”  4 The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp;  just as the Lord had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.”    Numbers 5:1-4.

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The physical defilement in today’s Scripture leads us too consider spiritual defilement and how such defilement causes us to be alienated from the holiness of God.

And, our spiritual defilement is not just a sickness, Reformed Doctrine summarizes our spiritual defilement as “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  We are not just sick;  we are dead in sin.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  Ephesians 2:1-3.

“remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12.

“… you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,”  Colossians 1:21.

In ourselves, we have no hope.  We are separate, alienated, and dead in sin.  But, in God, we have hope!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:4-8.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”  Ephesians 2:13.

“yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—”  Colossians 1:22.

Reformed Doctrine is pleased to proclaim this hope we have in God summarized by “TULIP”,  the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Article 7.   Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world, he hath out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will, chosen, from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of Salvation. 

This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than the others, but with them involved in one common misery, God hath decreed to give to Christ, to be saved by him, and effectually to call and draw them to his communion by his Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification and sanctification; and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of his Son, finally, to glorify them for the demonstration of his mercy, and for the praise of his glorious grace; as it is written:  “According as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved,” Ephesians 1:4,5,6. And elsewhere: “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called;  and whom he called, them he also justified;  and whom he justified, them he also glorified,” Romans 8:30.  Canons of Dordt FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE  Of Divine Predestination.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers chapter 4.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+4&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“4 This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

5 “When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it;  6 and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles.  7 Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it.  …

24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying:  25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform.  …

31 Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets, 32 and the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service;  and you shall assign each man by name the items he is to carry.  33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”  …”  Numbers Chapter 4:  Verses 4-7 and 24-26 and 31-33.

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“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.”  1 Corinthians 12:4-6.

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”  Colossians 3:23-24.

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Colossians 3:17.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13.

“… Christ in you, the hope of glory.  We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.  For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”  Colossians 1:27-29.

Last minute cruise.  Next devotion, God willing, will be next Tuesday, June 10, the day after my birthday.

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers Chapter 3.  Here is a link to this Scripture – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+3&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“1 Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.  3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.  4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children.  So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7 They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.  9 You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel.  10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

11 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine.  13 For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast.  They shall be Mine;  I am the Lord.”   …

39 All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the Lord by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names.  41 You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the Lord, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.”  42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the Lord had commanded him;  43 and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.

44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine;  I am the Lord.  46 For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49 So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites;  50 from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365.  51 Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”  Numbers Chapter 3:  Verses 1-13 and 39-51.

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Isn’t 22,000 close enough to 22,273? 

Moreover, you have 22,000 good Levites to swap for 22,273 ordinary firstborns.  Certainly, that is a fair exchange! 

I guess not.

“For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, you shall take five shekels apiece, per head;  you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.”  Verses 46-48.

Today’s Scripture leads us to consider “Limited Atonement”, the “L” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Many lazily and wrongly think that Christ died for all and that Christ did not die for anyone particularly but just for everybody.  They don’t care to reason that if Christ died for everyone then all would be saved.  They just like that comfortable thought that Christ loves everybody and that it is up to the individual man to determine for himself whether or not he will be saved by his own free-will.  They also don’t think it out that it may be a bad idea to put salvation in the hands of totally depraved men dead in sin.

But, today’s Scripture emphasizes the exactness of redemption.  22,000 is not close enough to 22,273.  There is an exact number of firstborns to be redeemed.

“For the redemption of his soul is costly, …”  Psalm 49:8.

Payment is due for exactly 273 souls.

“So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites;  from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365.  Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”  Verses 49-51.

Article 8.   For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.  Canons of Dordt SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE  Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.