Greetings everyone! Numbers chapter 5. this chapter is reminder that God is Holy and can't have anything unholy in his presence. We can't totally understand God's holiness. Even those unclean from a disease or discharge were not able to be in the presence of God. Those who commit adultery were to face a punishment or consequences for their behavior. For those who sin against another person they were expected to confess their sin, take responsibility for their sin and make restitution for their sin. You know, there is hope for the unclean person, both physically and spiritually. There's Hope for the sinner, no matter what they do. Jesus came to this earth to hang out with the diseased person and hang out with sinners. Jesus brought Grace, mercy and love. He set the tone for us and acts as a role model for us to follow. He gave us a new commandment, love one another (John 13:34-35). Don't get me wrong, Holiness is still a priority but we all deserve love and forgiveness. Take Jesus with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). The scribes and Pharisees brought this woman before Jesus to stone her and asked what they should do. Jesus said let the person who is without sin cast the first stone. No one condemned her and all left her with Jesus. Jesus tells the woman, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Yes she committed adultery. Yes she was wrong. But yes she deserves love and forgiveness. Jesus wanted to give her that love and forgiveness and then called her to stop sinning.
Sin is still wrong but grace and mercy and love is offered in hopes that people will find value in who they are despite their sin. And how awesome it is when people realize they are sinners and then confess their sins before God asking for forgiveness and turning to a new life with Jesus, a new holy life that is pleasing to God. We won't be perfect, but daily confessing and surrendering to the Lord would result in a life-changing experience where Jesus conforms us more and more into his image so we look more and more like Jesus. We will love others with grace and mercy while not conforming to the same pattern that the world holds to. We will be different while not condemning others. We'll want to love and encourage others into a love relationship with Jesus. Some will accept and others will respond to our love with hatredness or persecution.
Thank you Jesus that you showed me grace and mercy and love and accepted me just as I was, a sinner. Thank you for this new relationship that I have with you. Thank you for helping me turn from sin and begin walking a more holy life, and a more loving life toward others. Help me to love people to you versus trying to condemn them to you. And when faced with hatredness and opposition, help me to persevere and not give in to the opposition. Help me not conform to the pattern of this world. Use me to impact lives for you, in Jesus's name, amen!
Pastor Blair’s comments today made me think more about how Jesus did not come to condemn just like we read in John 3:17. He came to save just like we see with so many people like Zacchaeus.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
God showed the Israelites and us His heart when He said that simply saying “I’m sorry” when we hurt someone is not enough. We need to make up for what we did. Restitution leads to restoration.
I used to struggle with sections like this one about the public trial of a woman suspected of adultery. The ceremony with the priest was designed to be so terrifying and convicting that the truth would come out. My struggle was not with the topic but rather with the fact that it was about how to deal with suspicions on a woman but not a man. When I stop and think about God’s heart – I know it’s not really about gender. This is an illustration. The woman is a picture of you and me. We’re the ones who have been unfaithful, even though our Bridegroom, our Lord, our Savior remains faithful still (2 Timothy 2:13).
Sarah – you are so right. In life, whenever I take myself out of the equation, everything gets simpler. It isn’t all about me … in fact, none of it is about me … it’s all about Him.
This chapter really demonstrates how our sin is NOT acceptable. If someone (in this case a woman) commits adultery, she is to be cursed with miscarrying children and a swollen abdomen. I know this has been brought up before, but I have noticed many times in the Christian Faith, we only focus on God’s love and mercy and forgiveness. We don’t pull out the Numbers 5 chapters, because imagining a God who curses women, does not fit the mold of mercy and love. But here’s the thing, I’ve noticed more and more that when God puts something on my heart to stop doing, a sin or idol to give up and I KEEP doing it, I FEEL depressed. I feel a fog in my mind and I can’t see clearly. It takes a serious toll on my mental health. This is not a curse from God, this is a curse from MY sin. Wasting our life here on Earth, not following the path that God is calling us to, continuing to live in our sin, will always result in a CURSED life. Not because of a curse from God, but because of how we were created by God, as humans, to love God and love others. We will never find complete satisfaction with every aspect of life. We will always be searching, yearning, wanting more, because we were made for Heaven and an Eternity with our Heavenly Father. The more we can leave behind the “promises” of society and the world, the more meaningful and blessed lives we will live. And when the time comes, we will be ready for our Savior and we will meet our Father, and hope we have live a life that he can say to us, well done my good and faithful one.