Category: The Nation Israel

Lessons from the Ark of the Covenant #3

Saturday, May 22, 2021

“…[T]he ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;” (Hebrews 9:4 KJV).

What can we learn from the Ark of the Covenant?

Prior to Israel arriving at Mount Sinai and receiving the Ten Commandments, she escaped Egypt and challenged the LORD. Exodus chapter 16: “[1] And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt. [2] And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: [3] And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. [4] Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no….”

“[32] And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. [33] And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. [34] As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. [35] And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. [36] Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.”

The pot of manna was a reminder of Israel’s rebellion….

Lessons from the Ark of the Covenant #2

Friday, May 21, 2021

“…[T]he ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;” (Hebrews 9:4 KJV).

What can we learn from the Ark of the Covenant?

As today’s Scripture indicates, this wooden chest or box covered in gold contained: (1) a golden pot of manna, (2) Aaron’s rod that budded, and (3) the two stone tables or tablets of the Ten Commandments. These were memorabilia from three momentous events in Israel’s ancient history.

While Moses was on Mount Sinai communing with the LORD and receiving the Law to give to Israel, the Jews were engaging in false-god worship below. Exodus 32:15,16: “And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” Moses heard their partying, and when he descended, he beheld them dancing naked around a pagan idol! Outraged, he threw the stone tablets and they broke (verse 19)!

Deuteronomy 10: “[1] At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. [2] And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. [3] And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. [4] And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. [5] And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.”

The two stone tables were reminders of Israel’s rebellion….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Must we follow along in the Bible?”

Lessons from the Ark of the Covenant #1

Thursday, May 20, 2021

“…[T]he ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;” (Hebrews 9:4 KJV).

What can we learn from the Ark of the Covenant?

Exodus chapter 25: “[10] And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half [3.75 feet / 1.14 meters] shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half [2.25 feet / 0.69 meter] the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. [11] And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. [12] And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

“[13] And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. [14] And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. [15] The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. [16] And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. [17] And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

“[18] And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. [20] And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. [21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.”

Now, the contents….

Shortcut!

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

“And [Jesus Christ] would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple” (Mark 11:16 KJV).

While there is no shortcut to spiritual maturity, there is one to spiritual immaturity!

To better understand today’s Scripture, we must examine it within its context: “[12] And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he [Jesus Christ] was hungry: [13] And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. [14] And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. [15] And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; [16] And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. [17] And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

As in modern society, so religion was “big bu$ine$$” in ancient Israel. The apostate religious leaders had allowed dishonest merchants to sell sacrificial animals in the Jerusalem Temple complex. (All were receiving a large sum of money!) As Jesus pointed out, they made His House—the place where He was to be worshipped—a “den of thieves.” They treated His House lightly, irreverently, and He therefore drove them out! Unique to Mark’s Gospel Record (today’s Scripture), they also used the Temple complex as a shortcut. Instead of walking around it, they would shorten their journey by utilizing the Temple as an ordinary thoroughfare. Again, this was disrespectful to God. Consequently, Christ blocked their entrance and forced them to go the long way!

Israel’s ungodly behavior in the Temple demonstrated her national spiritual immaturity. As opposed to being humble saints skillful in God’s Word, they were ungrateful materialists expert in hypocrisy and fraud! Dear friends, may we not repeat their errors.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How did Israel manipulate Moses to murder Messiah?”

Tongue-Tied! #5

Sunday, May 16, 2021

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32 KJV).

What can this tongue-tied man possibly teach us?

During Christ’s earthly ministry, Israel exhibits various spiritual afflictions. She is spiritually deaf, spiritually mute, spiritually lame, spiritually maimed, spiritually blind, et cetera. Unable to hear, speak, walk, serve, see, and so on, she cannot function as God’s kingdom of priests in the Earth. Her pitiful spiritual condition is depicted in the form of physical disabilities. The various sufferers of poor physical health during Christ’s earthly ministry picture Israel’s spiritual sicknesses. Sin and false religion have rendered her useless to the LORD God; moreover, she is Satan’s prisoner!

The man in today’s Scripture is both unable to hear and speak properly. However, the Lord Jesus Christ personally ministers to him. Inserting His fingers into the man’s ears, He opens them (verse 33). There is no more obstruction! In Scripture, the Holy Ghost is called “the finger of God” (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). The Holy Spirit intervenes in the man’s life and causes him to hear the Word of God; likewise, He causes Israel to hear the Word of God. Jesus spits on His finger—saliva or water representing life—and touches the man’s disabled tongue (verse 33). There is no more impediment! The Holy Spirit intercedes in the man’s life and causes him to speak the Word of God; similarly, He causes Israel to speak the Word of God. Such healing miracles anticipate Israel’s national spiritual restoration at Christ’s Second Coming. Her sin and false religion are removed.

“And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness” (Isaiah 29:18). “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you” (Zechariah 8:23). Now, in the Millennium, Israel can be all that the LORD God has called her to be!

Tongue-Tied! #4

Saturday, May 15, 2021

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32 KJV).

What can this tongue-tied man possibly teach us?

If a Christian is not skilled in the Word of God rightly divided, it will be evident in his or her speech and writing. Denominationally-minded souls have no real understanding of spiritual truth, so they can do nothing but prattle and babble. It is nonsense, foolishness, tripe. They are completely unable to teach someone valuable spiritual information. Sadly, they themselves must first be taught. That was Israel of old, possessing the Hebrew Bible for 1,600 years and yet still confused. Hebrews chapter 5: “[12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. [13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. [14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

The professing church, and even the genuine Body of Christ, is actually in worse shape. Despite the fact of possessing a complete Bible for 2,000 years, it cannot adequately express Christian truth to others because there is such a lack of Scriptural proficiency even among so-called believers in Christ. They can mindlessly recite facts about church history, comprehend the original Bible languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek), devise complex denominations and theological systems, and defend religious tradition; they can engage in lengthy prayers, stirring “praise and worship,” humbling water baptisms, and exciting missions trips; but can they tell others about how to have eternal life in Christ and victorious grace living? No! Like ancient Israel, we have hearts of sin and unbelief. There is almost no preaching of the clear Gospel of Grace, almost no preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, almost no sound Bible doctrine. Precious few believers are mature and founded in the truth; the rest utter gibberish. Like Israel, we also suffer an impediment in our speech….

Tongue-Tied! #3

Friday, May 14, 2021

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32 KJV).

What can this tongue-tied man possibly teach us?

Reading verses 1-13 (passage preceding today’s Scripture), you notice Israel has relegated the Hebrew Bible to an inferior status. Whereas the written Law of Moses commanded the Jews to honor their father and mother, they circumvented that by appealing to rabbinical interpretations of Jewish religious tradition. Rabbis taught Israel did not have to financially support their aging parents. All a Jew had to do was merely claim to dedicate his wealth to “God” (the money actually going not to God, but the religious system of the Jerusalem Temple!), thereby freeing him from his obligation to his parents. Religious tradition took precedence; God’s words, especially the Ten Commandments, really meant nothing to them! The Lord Jesus criticized these hypocrites or pretenders for spurning His Father’s words. Since they did not have the Scriptures on their mind, they were unable to have faith and teach others.

Moving to verses 14-23 (also prior to today’s Scripture), you realize Israel is sidetracked with religious tradition, fanatical ceremonial washings. They ignored the most fatal contaminant; their hearts were unclean because of sin: “[20] And he [Jesus] said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: [23] All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Thus far, we see national Israel has two problems—both are in the heart or soul. Firstly, Israel has a heart of sin, which separates her from God’s purpose and plan for her. She is defiled internally. Secondly, Israel has a heart of unbelief, and she has rejected God’s words to the degree of substituting works-religion (church tradition) for God’s righteousness (pure Bible). In contrast to Israel wallowing in this rank unbelief, a Gentile (!) woman has faith in Jesus (verses 24-30). Finally, as the chapter closes, a deaf and speech-inhibited man appears in today’s Scripture. Depicted here is Israel’s pitiful condition, spiritually deaf and babbling, whom the Lord faithfully restores to perfect health….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does 1 Timothy 6:19 support Calvinism?”

Tongue-Tied! #2

Thursday, May 13, 2021

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32 KJV).

What can this tongue-tied man possibly teach us?

Our English idiom “tongue-tied” simply means someone is unable or unwilling to speak freely, such as due to embarrassment or surprise. Also, there is a literal or pathological application, a birth defect known as “tongue-tie” (“ankyloglossia,” or “hooked tongue”), when a band of tissue, the frenulum, attaches the tongue’s bottom to mouth’s floor, thus limiting tongue movement. Consequently, speech can be impaired, and surgery may be necessary.

Friend, to understand what a speech impediment entails, hold your tongue with your thumb and index finger and attempt to speak. Coherent language is nearly impossible; the result is mere babbling or gibberish. Whatever the case—it was a physical problem of some kind (not nervousness or astonishment)—the man in today’s Scripture was unable to produce intelligible or meaningful speech. The Bible calls it an “impediment,” a blockage or hindrance. He talks with great difficulty, as if something has been wrapped around his tongue. Verse 35 provides this imagery: “And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.” Christ healing his tongue is like undoing a cord wrapped around something. His tongue, having full range of motion, now freely articulates words. (Plus, his sense of hearing has also been restored.)

It is definitely not coincidental that a man who has obstructed speech appears precisely in chapter 7 of Mark. Prior to the miracle of today’s Scripture, we find the Lord voicing His utter disapproval of Israel: “[6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. [7] Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. [8] For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. [9] And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Israel has a spiritual speech impediment….

Tongue-Tied! #1

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him” (Mark 7:32 KJV).

What can this tongue-tied man possibly teach us?

Let us read today’s Scripture with its context: “[31] And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he [Christ Jesus] came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. [32] And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. [33] And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; [34] And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. [35] And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. [36] And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; [37] And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

Christ’s earthly ministry, now over two years old, is winding down. It has less than one year remaining. Leaving the borders of Tyre and Sidon (modern Lebanon), and passing by the Sea of Galilee, He heads further south to arrive in the territory of Decapolis (“Ten Cities”). People here bring to Him a man who can neither hear nor speak properly. They know Jesus can heal this poor individual with a simple touch of the hand. He takes the man off to the side, away from the crowd. Jesus inserts His fingers into the man’s ears, and spits on His finger and touches the man’s tongue. Sighing, He looks upward to His Heavenly Father, and utters one Aramaic word, “Ephphatha,” or “Be opened!” Immediately, the man’s ears are unstopped and his tongue is freed—ears and tongue now functioning normally. What is the significance of this, especially the affliction of being tongue-tied?

We search the Scriptures for answers….

Mother: A Virtuous Woman

Sunday, May 9, 2021

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10 KJV).

Today is Mother’s Day, so we dedicate this devotional to godly women (specifically mothers). I especially dedicate this to the virtuous woman who has been in my life for almost 33 years… my mom!

Today’s Scripture is the first verse of the Bible’s “Virtuous Woman” passage (Proverbs 31:10-31). King Solomon explained that the virtuous woman:

  • has a husband who safely trusts in her (verses 11,12).
  • is not lazy, but is strong because she works to feed and clothe her family and herself (verses 13-19,21,22,24,25,27).
  • pities the poor and needy (verse 20).
  • has a husband who is well-known because of her godly lifestyle (verse 23).
  • opens her mouth with wisdom, and speaks kindly and lovingly (verse 26).
  • has children and a husband who praise her (verse 28).
  • excels in what she does (verse 29).
  • has works that praise her (verse 31).

Verse 30 explains the virtuous woman is “a woman that feareth the LORD.”

The Apostle Paul wrote that godly women should: not slander/gossip, not be controlled by alcohol and emotions (sober minded), be teachers of good things, love their husbands and children, be cautious and modest, maintain the home, be “good,” and should obey (respect) their husbands… “that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5). A Christian woman, especially a mother, should be a virtuous woman in beliefs as well as in deed. She needs to set an example for her children (especially her daughters).

A Christian woman and/or Christian mother places her faith in this sound Bible doctrine, the indwelling Holy Spirit will then take that doctrine and transform her for God’s glory (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Her mind will be renewed by sound Bible doctrine, and that will transform her outward activity (Romans 12:1,2).

Are you a Christian woman or Christian mother who desires to be the woman God intends you to be in Christ Jesus? Place your faith in this sound Bible doctrine, and God will take care of the rest!

 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO OUR READERS WHO ARE MOTHERS!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

Archived: “What does the Bible say about motherhood?”