October 7

Journey-through-the-Bible-with-us

READING FOR OCTOBER 7, 2024: NUMBERS 17, ACTS 21, PSALMS 105:16-25                                NUMBERS 17 This chapter is about establishing that Aaron, the head of the tribe of Levi, had been chosen by God to be His high priest, the representative of the people to God through the offering of sacrifices. God confirmed this truth to all Israel through a supernatural transformation of Aaron’s plain staff into a budding almond staff. None of the other staffs of the tribal leaders changed. For some reason, this supernatural display was what convinced the rebels that God had selected to work through Moses and Aaron as His chosen leaders. After so many other supernatural signs, why did this one convince them? All that can be said is that God alone knew what it would take to convince them and provided it. “Give to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know—for You alone know the hearts of all mankind so that they will fear You all the days that they live on the land which You have given to our fathers” (1 Kings 8:39-40).

When Jesus came to earth, even He did not expect the skeptics to believe Him based only on His own say so: “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true” (John 5: 31). Thus, Jesus gave His listeners four additional testimonies: 

  • John the Baptist--“You have sent messengers to John, and he has testified to the truth” (John 5:33).
  • Jesus’s Miracles--”The very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me” (5:36). 
  • The Father-- “The Father who sent Me, He has testified about Me” (5:37). 
  • The Bible-- “it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me” (5:39).

Although, these proofs were convincing for some, still not all believed then or believe today:  “’But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him” (John 6: 64). There is another testimony, though, not available in John 5-6 that we have and is the most important of all: The resurrection. “Of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Cor. 15:3-8).

This is convincing. Paul is writing this while the witnesses he mentions are still alive. They could have stepped forward to deny this claim. He mentions Jesus appearing before over 500 people at one time. Usually, 500 people don’t have group hallucinations. Still, some disbelieve. What could be the problem? At root it is a spiritual, not a factual, issue: “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (1 Cor. 4:4). No matter the proofs that are provided, unbelievers will keep raising objections. Bart Ehrman's main objection is that a resurrection can’t happen because miracles can’t be considered historical events. No amount of evidence can ever convince him, but God can.

READING FOR OCTOBER 7, 2024 CONTINUED: ACTS 21, PSALMS 105:16-25                                                        ACTS 21 Paul and company left Miletus on his voyage back to Jerusalem. At Patara they made a connection with a ship going to Tyre. During their seven-day lay over, they spent time with disciples who warned Paul “through the Spirit, not to set foot in Jerusalem.” Then when He arrived in Caesarea, Agabus said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”  So, is Paul disobeying the Holy Spirit in going to Jerusalem? Sounds dangerous. In Acts 19:21, it appears his decision to go to Jerusalem was Spirit-led. The Spirit also correctly revealed to these believers that persecution awaits Paul in Jerusalem. In their love for Paul, they sought to save him this pain, but as Paul later said, “I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  What’s more important to us, avoid pain and death or glorify the name of Jesus?  As Peter learned, it’s hard to know what we would do.

In Jerusalem, Paul updated everyone about God’s work throughout the Mediterranean world. They were pleased, but immediately told Paul thousands of Jewish Christians had heard he was teaching Jews to abandon all their practices. As you will recall, his point was Gentilesshould not be forced to keep the law. As a preemptive measure, the elders asked Paul to take a Nazarite vow and pay for four others to do likewise. Paul did, but before the time came to shave off his hair and be more identified as a Nazarite, some Jews from Asia spotted him in the Temple. This led to yet one more riot against Paul, from which he was saved by a Roman commander. Paul used his Greek to show he wasn’t an Egyptian terrorist, his citizenship of Tarsus to gain credibility, and his Hebrew to speak with the crowd. What can we use for God?

PSALM 105:16-25 This passage reconstructs the time of Joseph through Israel’s population explosion in Egypt. God determined there would be a famine in Egypt. Does God determine natural disasters today? Some would say that’s against God’s loving nature. Others would point to passages like this and say that, in the context of man’s fall, God employs such events to achieve his larger good.  This writer opts for the latter view and the literal truth of this text: “He called for a famine upon the land.”  For example, it seems God used the wickedness of Joseph’s brothers and Potiphar’s wife to position Joseph to be in prison.  This allowed him to be near Pharoah, the world’s most powerful person, just when he could be most impactful. In the meantime, the passage suggests these difficulties refined Joseph’s character. Is it crazy to think we have an amazing God who can orchestrate all these events, while allowing for human free will?  Joseph, a rejected brother imprisoned in a foreign jail, becomes lord over all of Pharoah’s house and teacher of all Egypt's scholars.  This allows Israel to be saved from famine and achieve stunning population growth without intermarriage with pagan nations.