Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 11, 2023

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 31:48-54.

“Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, approached Moses, and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing.  So we have brought as an offering to the LORD what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”  Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, all kinds of wrought articles.  All the gold of the offering which they offered up to the LORD, from the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, was 16,750 shekels.  The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.  So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD.”  Numbers 31:48-54.

—————-

The LORD not only gained the victory for Israel, the officers reported “no man of us is missing.”  This was an astounding, miraculous victory that the LORD did for Israel.  

So, the officers wanted to make a freewill offering to the LORD beyond what was required.

This offering was in excess of what was required by the levy of a tax on the booty of one in five hundred of the persons, cattle, donkeys, and sheep in Numbers 31:28.  And, this offering was also in excess of what was required to make atonement in Exodus 30:11-16 of half of a shekel for each man, because there was only 12,000 sent to war against the Midianites according to Numbers 31:5.   

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But victory belongs to the LORD.” Proverbs 21:31.

“O sing to the LORD a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” Psalm 98:1.

Comments Off on “O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags:

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 10, 2023

“Honor the LORD from your wealth … So your barns will be filled with plenty” – “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 31:25-47.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2031&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “You and Eleazar the priest and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation take a count of the booty that was captured, both of man and of animal;  and divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation.  Levy a tax for the LORD from the men of war who went out to battle, one in five hundred of the persons and of the cattle and of the donkeys and of the sheep;  take it from their half and give it to Eleazar the priest, as an offering to the LORD.  From the sons of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys and of the sheep, from all the animals, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”  Moses and Eleazar the priest did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.”  Numbers 31:25-31.

——————-

We have heard the expression:  “Share the booty!”  

It is joyful to get booty, and we know it is a blessing from God to get the booty.  We should also be joyful in sharing the booty with the LORD Who has blessed us so that we could get the booty.  

Moreover, we have promises from God that when we so honor the LORD from our wealth, the LORD will continue to bless us with more booty.  

God loves a cheerful giver.   

“9 Honor the LORD from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”  Malachi 3:10. 

“Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”  2 Corinthians 9:7-8.

But, despite the reasonableness of sharing the booty with God and the promises of God, we are dead in sin.  We are ungrateful.  We are greedy.  We are selfish.  We do not trust God.

But, there is hope!

God has made us alive and has given us His Spirit!  God gives us the will to do His will!  God works within us!  God perfects the good work that He began in us!

“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.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:4-10. 

“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.

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6. 

Comments Off on “Honor the LORD from your wealth … So your barns will be filled with plenty” – “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 9, 2023

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us … sanctification” – “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 31:19-24.

“And you, camp outside the camp seven days;  whoever has killed any person and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves, you and your captives, on the third day and on the seventh day.  You shall purify for yourselves every garment and every article of leather and all the work of goats’ hair, and all articles of wood.”

Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded Moses:  only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead, everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity.  But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water.  And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.”  Numbers 31:19-24.

————–

Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on God’s provisions for purification for us.

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

“… 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.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:14. 

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”  Deuteronomy 7:6.

“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.

Comments Off on “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us … sanctification” – “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 7, 2023

“you shall not intermarry with them; … For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 31:9-18.

“The sons of Israel captured the women of Midian and their little ones;  and all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods they plundered.  Then they burned all their cities where they lived and all their camps with fire.  They took all the spoil and all the prey, both of man and of beast.  They brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went out to meet them outside the camp.  Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who had come from service in the war.  And Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women?  Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.  Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately.  But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.”  Numbers 31:9-18.

—————–

Today’s devotion will focus on 16 highlighted above and the general importance of marrying a Christian.  Numbers 25:1-9 covers what happened in the matter of Peor.  

“Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them;  you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons.  For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods;  then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.  …  For you are a holy people to the LORD your God;  the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”  Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and 6.

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers;  for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?  Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?  Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For we are the temple of the living God;  just as God said,

“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
“Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
And I will welcome you.
“And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Comments Off on “you shall not intermarry with them; … For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags:

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 1, 2023

“the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 31:1-8.  I am going on a vacation.  The next devotion, God willing, will be posted on July 7, 2023.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites;  afterward you will be gathered to your people.”  Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian.  A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”  So there were furnished from the thousands of Israel, a thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.  Moses sent them, a thousand from each tribe, to the war, and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war with them, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.  So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.  They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain:  Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian;  they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.”  Numbers 31:1-8.   

——————–

The LORD had recently “… spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ households, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel.”  Numbers 26:1-2.   “These are those who were numbered of the sons of Israel, 601,730.”  Numbers 26:51.  

So, it is very noteworthy that out of this 601,730 who “is able to go out to war in Israel” that Moses only called for 12,000 to fight Midian.  “A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”  Verse 4.  This equates to the use of only 1 out of 50.  

“When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them;  for the LORD your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.  When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people.  He shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today.  Do not be fainthearted.  Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”  Deuteronomy 20:1-4. 

Comments Off on “the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”

Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 30, 2023

“make no oath at all, … But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers chapter 30.

“Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the LORD has commanded.  If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word;  he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

“Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father’s house in her youth, and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand.  But if her father should forbid her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand;  and the LORD will forgive her because her father had forbidden her.

“However, if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself, and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand.  But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself;  and the LORD will forgive her.

“But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, everything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.  However, if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an obligation with an oath, and her husband heard it, but said nothing to her and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she bound herself shall stand.  But if her husband indeed annuls them on the day he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the obligation of herself shall not stand;  her husband has annulled them, and the LORD will forgive her.

“Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it.  But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations which are on her;  he has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them.  But if he indeed annuls them after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”

These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, as between a man and his wife, and as between a father and his daughter, while she is in her youth in her father’s house.”  Numbers chapter 30.

—————

But, there is hope!

Christ is the head of the church, and the church is subject to Christ, as wives are subject to their husband.  Ephesians 5:22-24.

So, Christ can annul vows made by the church like the husband can annul vows made by his wife in verses 8, 12, and 13 highlighted above in bold italic font, and, so to speak, Christ can annul vows made by the church through His word in the following and concluding Scripture.

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’  But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING.  Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’;  anything beyond these is of evil.”  Matthew 5:33-37.

Comments Off on “make no oath at all, … But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 29, 2023

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 29:12-40.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2029&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“12 ‘Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation;  you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days.  13 You shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire as a soothing aroma to the LORD:  thirteen bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old, which are without defect;  …

17 ‘Then on the second day:  twelve bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  …

20 ‘Then on the third day:  eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  …

23 ‘Then on the fourth day:  ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  …

26 ‘Then on the fifth day:  nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  …

29 ‘Then on the sixth day:  eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  … 

32 ‘Then on the seventh day:  seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs one year old without defect;  … 

35 ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly;  you shall do no laborious work.  36 But you shall present a burnt offering, an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the LORD:  one bull, one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect;”  Numbers 29:12, 13, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, and 35-36.

————————-

From the fifteenth day of the seventh month in which it was commanded that thirteen bulls be presented for a burnt offering along with other animals and drink offerings until the seventh day, one less bull each day was commanded to be presented.  On the eighth day, the bull, ram, and lamb offerings were substantially reduced and the offerings were finished.   

This seems odd and begs the broader question.  

Why are numbers so important?  What are some possible reasons for the LORD to command such details in numbers in the book of Numbers and elsewhere?

Numbers show God’s attention to everything and His sovereignty over everything.

Every number, every offering, and everything else glorifies God.

“… To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  2 Peter 1:1-3.  

“19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!” Psalm 103:19-22.

Comments Off on “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 28, 2023

“LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 29:1-11.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2029&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation;  you shall do no laborious work.  It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.  You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the LORD:  one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without defect;  also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil:  three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs.  Offer one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, besides the burnt offering of the new moon and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

‘Then on the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall humble yourselves;  you shall not do any work.”  Numbers 29:1-7.

—————-

It is interesting to compare the first day with the tenth day as highlighted in bold italic font above.  The first day is described as “a day for blowing trumpets” which seems to be a day of pride, and the tenth day is described as a day to “humble yourselves” which is clearly a day of humility.

At first thought, they may seem to be inconsistent.  But, as we meditate on these activities, we can believe that the “day for blowing trumpets” is to exalt God which is certainly not inconsistent with a day to “humble yourselves”.  

“2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:2-3.

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

Comments Off on “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 27, 2023

“Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 28:16-31.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2028&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“‘Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD’S Passover.  On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast, unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.  On the first day shall be a holy convocation;  you shall do no laborious work.  You shall present an offering by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD:  two bulls and one ram and seven male lambs one year old, having them without defect.  …  On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation;  you shall do no laborious work.

‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you present a new grain offering to the LORD in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation;  you shall do no laborious work.  You shall offer a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to the LORD:  two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs one year old;  and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil:  three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, a tenth for each of the seven lambs;  also one male goat to make atonement for you.  Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall present them with their drink offerings.  They shall be without defect.”  Numbers 28:16-19 and 25-31.

————–

There were similar offerings between the LORD’S Passover and Feast of Weeks.  I did not quote all the offerings for the LORD’S Passover.  For this devotion, I wanted to focus on the commands “you shall do no laborious work.”

The LORD’s Passover reminded Israel of God’s deliverance of them from their slavery in Egypt, summarized by deliverance from adversity. 

The Feast of Weeks reminded Israel of God’s deliverance of them to abundant harvests of “first fruits”, and the hope of the Promised Land, summarized by deliverance to prosperity.

But throughout both adversity and prosperity, Israel was commanded to trust the LORD and rest, summarized by the commands “you shall do no laborious work.”

When we face adversity, let us trust the LORD and rest.

“Thus says the LORD,
“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when it went to find its rest.” Jeremiah 31:2-3.

“7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.” Psalm 37:7-9.

“15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,

“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,
16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,”
Therefore you shall flee!
“And we will ride on swift horses,”
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.” Isaiah 30:15-16.

“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.” Hebrews 4:1.

When we face prosperity, let us trust the LORD and rest.

“The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.” Psalm 23:1-2.

“I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord GOD.” Ezekiel 34:15.

“11 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.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.

“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 127:2.

“Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalm 116:7.

Comments Off on “Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tags:

Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 26, 2023

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Today’s devotion comes from Numbers 28:1-15.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2028&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’  You shall say to them, ‘This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD:  two male lambs one year old without defect as a continual burnt offering every day.”  Numbers 28:1-3.

—————–

Our sins “very highly offend God, incur a deadly guilt, (and) grieve the Holy Spirit” as stated in the following article of the Canons of Dordt in the section titled FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints.

Article 5.  By such enormous sins, however, they very highly offend God, incur a deadly guilt, grieve the Holy Spirit, interrupt the exercise of faith, very grievously wound their consciences, and sometimes lose the sense of God’s favor, for a time, until on their returning into the right way of serious repentance, the light of God’s fatherly countenance again shines upon them.

We need something or some One to be offered to the LORD, so to speak, as “a soothing aroma” to the LORD.

The problem is that these things, animal and drink offerings, cannot truly soothe a/k/a appease a/k/a please the LORD.    

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.  …  For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”  Hebrews 10:1 and 4.

We need some One very special.

“and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”  Matthew 3:17.

“5 Therefore, when He (Christ) comes into the world, He says,

“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;
6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.
7 “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME
(IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME)
TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’” Hebrews 10:5-7.

“For by one offering He (Christ) has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:14. 

“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.

Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby. 

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.

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

Comments Off on “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Posted in Uncategorized

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories