A Beautiful Thing!
Psalm 68:28-35
28 Summon your power, God;
show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.
30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush will submit herself to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
33 to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
34 Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
Reflections: The psalmist recounts the sovereignty of the Lord, as they defeated their enemies and eventually would build the temple in Jerusalem. The purpose was to show the nations the glory of the Lord and His great power. Eventually this message would apply to the Gentiles coming to know Christ and becoming part of the Church. Ethiopia (Cush) and Egypt are mentioned as the two super powers that will come under the Lord’s sovereignty as an eventual sign of His reign over all the earth. This would be of great hope to the people of Israel in this prophecy to overcome these two foes.
Numbers 14
The People Rebel
14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? ” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. ”5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times — 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. ”26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall —every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years —one year for each of the forty days you explored the land —you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die. ”36 So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned! ”41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Reflections: This is a great reflection and summary chapter of all that is happening in the life of God’s people with great application for us today. God had made his promises to the 12 tribes of Israel, including the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. But 10 of the spies of the 12 saw only the obstacles of the giants, while only Joshua and Caleb believed and trusted that what God said He would do. Then, on top of it, the whole group of Israelites complained that they were going to die in the desert, even after seeing the miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea. Apparently those memories were gone, and shortly thereafter they were woefully discouraged and did not trust their leader.
The Lord is angry with them and wants to destroy them, but Moses intercedes on their behalf reasoning with God that if He destroys them, it would only make Him look bad in the eyes of the Egypt, who were already talking about God’s interventions to lead his people. Moses even reminds God of His character that He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love to those who love him. God relents in His wrath, but there are still consequences to the people who have grumbled and the spies who didn’t trust in God. They will wander in the wilderness and die there for 40 years, whereas Joshua (whose name is the root for Jesus) and Caleb and their tribes will possess the Promised Land. Also the children of those other tribes will also go into the Promised Land. So while there is forgiveness for their arrogance, there are also consequences including missing out on seeing God’s promises come to fruition. We see here that at the root of sin is not trusting God to do what He says. Where has God called you to step out in faith to have victory in your life over the giants in your life? Is your confidence in Him?
Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Reflections: Similar to the widow, today, a woman comes to anoint Jesus for the cross with an expensive bottle of perfume. We don’t even know her name, so humble is this act of service! Nard was used for anointing of the dead, and was apparently very expensive (equal to one year’s wages, let’s say 100,000 in today’s dollars). Then Jesus makes an interesting comment about the poor. He says, “You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime. But you will not always have me!”
Was Jesus advocating neglecting the poor? Of course not! Just like the widow who gave everything she had, Jesus is uplifting this woman’s extravagant and sacrificial gift. And given what He was about to do on the cross, a very appropriate response to Jesus. In Jesus’ words, “She has done a beautiful thing for me.” When we give of ourselves to the Lord in this kind of way it is “beautiful” to him. There is nothing that makes Jesus happier, than when we render unto him that which is of great cost to us in worship of him the giver of all good things, including the forgiveness of our sins.
What might you offer the Lord today in lieu of His great and inestimable gift for us?
You shall worship before the Lord your God; and you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given you and your house. Deuteronomy 26:10-11 (NKJV)
Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
Awesome God, we thank you for little things, for things we touch and smell and see and taste. In appreciating little things, help us to appreciate big things. May this one day, as it comes, be part of a life lived for you. Amen.
28 Summon your power, God;
show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.
30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush will submit herself to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
33 to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
34 Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
Reflections: The psalmist recounts the sovereignty of the Lord, as they defeated their enemies and eventually would build the temple in Jerusalem. The purpose was to show the nations the glory of the Lord and His great power. Eventually this message would apply to the Gentiles coming to know Christ and becoming part of the Church. Ethiopia (Cush) and Egypt are mentioned as the two super powers that will come under the Lord’s sovereignty as an eventual sign of His reign over all the earth. This would be of great hope to the people of Israel in this prophecy to overcome these two foes.
Numbers 14
The People Rebel
14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? ” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. ”5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”13 Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”20 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times — 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. ”26 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall —every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years —one year for each of the forty days you explored the land —you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die. ”36 So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the Lord promised. Surely we have sinned! ”41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Reflections: This is a great reflection and summary chapter of all that is happening in the life of God’s people with great application for us today. God had made his promises to the 12 tribes of Israel, including the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey. But 10 of the spies of the 12 saw only the obstacles of the giants, while only Joshua and Caleb believed and trusted that what God said He would do. Then, on top of it, the whole group of Israelites complained that they were going to die in the desert, even after seeing the miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea. Apparently those memories were gone, and shortly thereafter they were woefully discouraged and did not trust their leader.
The Lord is angry with them and wants to destroy them, but Moses intercedes on their behalf reasoning with God that if He destroys them, it would only make Him look bad in the eyes of the Egypt, who were already talking about God’s interventions to lead his people. Moses even reminds God of His character that He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love to those who love him. God relents in His wrath, but there are still consequences to the people who have grumbled and the spies who didn’t trust in God. They will wander in the wilderness and die there for 40 years, whereas Joshua (whose name is the root for Jesus) and Caleb and their tribes will possess the Promised Land. Also the children of those other tribes will also go into the Promised Land. So while there is forgiveness for their arrogance, there are also consequences including missing out on seeing God’s promises come to fruition. We see here that at the root of sin is not trusting God to do what He says. Where has God called you to step out in faith to have victory in your life over the giants in your life? Is your confidence in Him?
Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
14 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Reflections: Similar to the widow, today, a woman comes to anoint Jesus for the cross with an expensive bottle of perfume. We don’t even know her name, so humble is this act of service! Nard was used for anointing of the dead, and was apparently very expensive (equal to one year’s wages, let’s say 100,000 in today’s dollars). Then Jesus makes an interesting comment about the poor. He says, “You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime. But you will not always have me!”
Was Jesus advocating neglecting the poor? Of course not! Just like the widow who gave everything she had, Jesus is uplifting this woman’s extravagant and sacrificial gift. And given what He was about to do on the cross, a very appropriate response to Jesus. In Jesus’ words, “She has done a beautiful thing for me.” When we give of ourselves to the Lord in this kind of way it is “beautiful” to him. There is nothing that makes Jesus happier, than when we render unto him that which is of great cost to us in worship of him the giver of all good things, including the forgiveness of our sins.
What might you offer the Lord today in lieu of His great and inestimable gift for us?
You shall worship before the Lord your God; and you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given you and your house. Deuteronomy 26:10-11 (NKJV)
Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
Awesome God, we thank you for little things, for things we touch and smell and see and taste. In appreciating little things, help us to appreciate big things. May this one day, as it comes, be part of a life lived for you. Amen.
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