READING FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2024: NUMBERS 5, ACTS 9, PSALM 100 NUMBERS 5 The opening of this chapter briefly revisits some of the purity and personal damage regulations described in Leviticus. It states that those diagnosed with leprosy were required to live outside the camp. (See Lev. 13 on Aug. 23). Here it adds Israel was obeying this command. The next 10 verses review the process for making restitution to wronged countrymen (120% payback) and addressing the sin against God (a guilt offering). This was presented in Lev. 6 on Aug. 14. The process differs from our system because no incarceration was involved. Note that America has the world’s largest incarcerated population.
The big new issue in this chapter is the situation of the jealous husband. If the husband suspects his wife of unfaithfulness, he must take his wife and some barley flour to the priest. The priest mixes holy water with dust and tells the woman if she is innocent nothing bad will happen to her after drinking the water. If she is guilty, she will miscarry and her abdomen will swell. The woman agrees. Before she drinks, the priest uses the flour as a wave offering and then burns it on the altar. If she is guilty, not only will the miscarriage and swelling take place, but then she we receive the standard penalty for adultery.
Some are understandably concerned that this process unfairly targets women. Wendy Alsup has pointed out that in other so-called “trials by ordeal,” it would take a miracle for the suspected offender to be vindicated (e.g., Code of Hammurabi). In this case, it takes a supernatural result to prove she is guilty. David Guzik has argued that just because there is no similar trial mentioned for a suspected unfaithful husband, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t one. What we all can agree with is Jesus stood up for women when they were unfairly maligned. “Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:44-47). Remember that Jesus fulfilled the law. Nobody needs to drink dusty water anymore.
ACTS 9 Saul, in an excess of zeal to harm Christians, decided to go to Damascus to expand his terror against them. As he neared the city, Jesus intervened. May He do so today against those who seek to stop the Gospel from bearing fruit. In this case, a bright light from heaven put Saul on the ground, either in fear or humility. Then Jesus’s voice asked Saul why he was persecuting Him. Remember when others try to stop our ministry, they are in awful position of persecuting God the Son—not a good place to be. The blinded Saul, to his credit, immediately acknowledged this voice as the Lord’s and relinquished his effort to harm Christians.
READING FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 CONTINUED: ACTS 9, PSALM 100 Ananias, a believer in Damascus, becomes the first of several individuals to help move Saul from his confused and blinded state to eventually becoming God’s bullhorn to the Mediter- ranean world. Ananias obeyed, somewhat warily, God’s guidance to go to the appropriately named Straight Street to lay his hands on Saul. Already God had chosen Paul to share the Gospel widely. (Lord, choose some of us in Yorktown to share this good news with our family and friends.) Not only did Paul regain his sight, but he was filled with the Spirit and baptized.
Paul was a newborn babe in Christ. What does the text say about the years of seminary training he needed for evangelizing? It says he immediately began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Maybe it’s Satan’s trick to delay us through our perceived lack of preparedness. Better to listen to Nike than Satan: Just Do It. It says he got better at it as he went along and confounded the skeptics. As with Jesus, his very effectiveness prompted the Jewish opposition to conspire to stop him. Once again, other believers assisted Paul by learning of the plot and sneaking him over the wall to safety.
Paul left Jerusalem as a terrorist against Christians and now returned saying he was a Christian brother. The disciples at first didn’t buy it. Once again, a believer, Barnabus, was strategically used to vouch for Paul and bring him into the body. This led to an effective ministry with the Greek Jews, which once again placed Paul in danger. Now it was the Jerusalem Christians’ turn to save Paul and send him to Tarsus. We need each other.
Meanwhile, Peter wasn’t inactive. He traveled around the growing Christians groups through- out Judea, Gallilee, and Samaria. He healed a paralyzed man in Lydda. As a result, all who lived there and in Sharon (Lousie Luke’s hometown) were saved. In Joppa, Peter met with the good friends of Dorcas who had just died. She apparently was a member of the Joppa chapter of “Threads of Love;” Peter was shown garments she had made. Taking a page from Jesus(“Talitha, kum!” Mark 5:41), Peter sent others out of the room and told Dorcas to arise. She did.
PSALM 100 This is a Psalm primarily about God and secondarily about how we relate to Him. Four times “Yahweh,” translated as LORD, meaning the God of Israel, is used. One time “Elohim,” translated as and meaning God is used. Personal pronouns referring to one of these words are used ten times. That’s 15 references in five verses. Do we refer to God that many times in a week? What happens when he does this? He is really joyful (vs.1-2). He understands who he is in relation to God and eagerly follows Him (vs. 3). He doesn’t consider worship as drudgery or routine but thankfully and eagerly goes to God’s house. He knows God is good now and will be so forever, to him and to those of his children/grandchildren who love God. Let’s keep God top of mind and see how it affects our outlook, priorities, and children.
