Daily Bible Reading – March 02, 2021

Mar 2 (Daily reading: Numbers 16-17) My comments today are influenced by chapter 4 of “The Saving Life of Christ” by Ian Thomas. We have seen allegorically that Israel in the wilderness represents Christians who are defeated by an enemy (Satan), even though he himself has been defeated by the resurrection of Christ. In today’s reading, we see what Israel said in the wilderness. But first, in review, what did they think about, and what did they do in the wilderness?

What did they think about? (Numbers 11:4-6) They thought about how “good” life had been in Egypt; when they had plenty to eat, compared to the manna that no longer satisfied them. A wilderness Christian is one who, even though freed from the penalty of sin, is dominated by the thoughts of things that belong to his sinful past.

What did they do? (Numbers 14:1-4) They rebelled against Moses and God, because of their fear, and they wanted to return to their past, to Egypt! A wilderness Christian does not live in the power of the resurrected Christ. There is a phrase that Moses later used to describe their activity: “Everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes” (Deut. 12:8).

What did they say? (Numbers 16:3) They said to Moses and Aaron: “All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves?” A wilderness Christian considers himself to be “holy enough” in his own eyes.

It is obvious that we need to be Christians who are living the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10:10. We have been brought OUT (of Egypt, representing our sin) to be brought IN (to the Promised Land, representing the abundant life)!

– Al Gary


Posted

in:

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Get in touch with us.