READING FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2024: NUMBERS 10, ACTS 14, PSALM 103 NUMBERS 10 No matter how wonderful the piano is, it must be admitted that the trumpet appears to be God’s chosen instrument for special occasions. The silver trumpet described here is more like today’s trumpets than the shofar or ram’s horn that we often associate with Jewish worship. The shofar was used for the Day of Atonement. The two trumpets served to communicate with this vast assembly of people. Here are the signals and what they signified:
- Both trumpets play—The entire assembly meets together.
- One trumpet plays—The leaders and division heads meet with Moses.
- The alarm is blown—The tribes on the east side start out.
- A second alarm is blown—The tribes on the south side start out.
- Both trumpets sound an alarm—Go to battle and get the Lord’s attention to save from enemies.
- Blow trumpets on these occasions—Times of joy, appointed feasts, first day of months, over offerings.
After all this preparation, the cloud lifts over the tabernacle and people move out. Some of us may have been members of our high school band and remember marching for the first time as freshmen. It was a thrill. How much more thrilling to walk in this procession of possibly millions of God’s people following the cloud of God’s presence leading the way? The good news is that even this spectacular scene pales compared with what still awaits us: “I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing”’ (Rev. 5:11-12).
As this great progression moves forward, we find Moses doing something as mundane as speaking with his brother-in-law. He convinces him to join the parade because his wealth of local knowledge would be helpful to Moses. Moses can honestly promise that the Lord will bless him if he comes along. Whom might we invite to join us as we go “Marching to Zion”? We can be equally certain that no one will regret walking/marching with the Lord!
ACTS 14 Even though Paul said he would turn to the Gentiles, he and Barnabus went first to the synagogue when they arrived in Iconium. That still might have been the best place to speak with folks with some interest in God, in this case, both Jew and Greek were present and believed. But those Jews who did not believe turned the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabus. They fought back spiritually by performing miraculous signs. Can God support our outreach with such signs today? We will never know until we start reaching out. Verse five says the entire city either sided with the Jewish disbelievers or Paul and Barnabus. To avoid violence, Paul and Barnabus moved to Lystra to preach the Gospel. Paul, noticing a lame man who had faith, healed him. This caused the crowd to mistake Paul and Barnabus for Greek gods. Unlike
READING FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 CONTINUED: ACTS 14, PSALM 103 Herod Agrippa, Paul and Barnabus immediately disclaimed such status and confirmed they were mere men. Then they made an interesting observation about God’s self-disclosure. Although many in Lystra might not have had access to God’s special revelation in the scriptures, they all witnessed God’s general revelation of God’s power and creativity through creation and God’s providence and goodness though providing them with food and joy. Now they were given opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. All was going well until Jewish enemies from Antioch and Iconium arrived to turn the people away from the Gospel, leading to Paul being stoned. (Note, this recalls Stephen’s experience, which Paul witnessed, and fulfilled Jesus’s prophecy: “I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name” Acts 9:16.)
After being dragged out of the city and left for dead, what did Paul do? He got right up and preached in Derbe before going back to follow up with the new converts in Iconium and Lystra. How do we follow up with new converts, visitors, and those recently baptized? They also shared some essential and hard-won wisdom: “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God” (vs.22). We must not mislead anyone about potential challenges of the Christian life. We have an enemy. Finally, they spent time in each church praying, fasting, and appointing elders. Note the appointment of elders/church leaders is so essential that it prompted fasting. These appointments require divine wisdom. When they got back to their home base in Antioch, they didn’t even mention opposition, but reported “all the things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” AMAZING.
PSALM 103:1-14 All the Psalms are great, but it is refreshing to read one with no desperate pleas for help. Maybe we aren’t all at a calm spot in life now, but let’s go with the Psalmist for a few moments. Thank God without any requests. Save those for later. Think with the Psalmist about all the benefits with which God bombards us. Remember all those sins you committed throughout life? Jesus took our guilt for them. Ever been sick before in life? It was God who made us better. Been in tough spots with seemingly no way out? God got us out of those jams. Experience any good times with friends and family? That’s all courtesy of the Lord. Don’t we feel renewed just contemplating all this? Even that feeling of renewal is a gift.
God’s attributes were made know to the Old Testament figures who in turn wrote them down for us. Thus, we can learn from them about God’s compassion and patience, but also learn that He won’t always be ignored or disobeyed without consequence. We haven’t deserved such kindness, but let’s respond to Him as we would to the perfect father. A father who knows us completely, yet totally loves us.
