Sanam Doctrinam

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

Numbers 20:12

I’ve been sharing some things I’ve learned from the first five books of the Bible, these past few weeks. Today, I’d like to direct our attention to something that has always bugged me a bit, and how I found an answer during my reading of the Pentateuch. In so doing, I think we’ll discover a principle that we can trace throughout the Bible—a principle that is still valid today.

If you are like me, today’s verse has struck you as a bit harsh. I mean, you have this faithful servant of the Lord named Moses, who God commissions to guide His people out of the land of Egypt. He endures all their grumbling and complaining, their insurrection and ingratitude, only to blow it one notable time, and then he’s forbidden from entering the land he brought Israel out of Egypt to possess. It seems a little extreme, doesn’t it?

I’ve heard different explanations for this. One I recently came across is that Moses was forbidden from entering the Promised Land due to the fact that he violated a type—a foreshadowing of who Jesus Christ would be and what He would do. While there is good reason to see the incidences of rock drinking in the Pentateuch as a foreshadowing of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), I think that this does still not adequately explain why Moses was forbidden to enter the Promised Land for the single infraction of striking a rock instead of speaking to it. After all, we have no indication that Moses knew that the rock had any significant prophetic significance. Instead, I believe that the answer to the question about why God’s response to Moses’ disobedience was so severe is found earlier in the book of Numbers, in an apparently unrelated context, Numbers 12.
In Numbers 12:6-8 God said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the LORD.” In Numbers 12, Moses is being criticized by his siblings Miriam and Aaron. As a result, God puts in a word of support for Moses, which is what we find in Numbers 12:6-8. In this word of support, however, God also describes the unique relationship He had with Moses.

God was not in a distant relationship with Moses. He had revealed Himself to Moses in the most intimate ways. In fact, Scripture tells us the encounters God had with Moses were so exceptional, Moses’ face glowed afterward (Exodus 34:35; 2 Corinthians 3:13). Moses knew God in a unique way. And this unique personal knowledge created an exceptional responsibility.

God judges a person in a way commensurate with the degree of revelation about Him they possess. Or, put another way: The greater the degree of revelation, the greater the degree of accountability. The more information or knowledge we possess, the more for which we are accountable. This, incidentally, is why listening to good Bible teaching is such a dangerous exercise. When we are exposed to the truth, we become accountable for it. Jesus said something similar in Luke 12:48. There, we read, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required.” Those who know the most are responsible for the most.

In applying this principle of greater revelation bringing greater accountability, we can quickly understand why God dealt with His servant Moses so severely. Moses knew God as few have. As a result, He was accountable to God as few have been. God judged Moses in a way commensurate with the degree of revelation he had received.

Where does this leave us? In the light of God’s new covenant revelation that reached its zenith in His Son (Hebrews 1:2), we have a great accountability, as well. If we have been exposed to the gospel message, we are accountable for believing it. If we have been exposed to truth beyond this (which I believe all of us have), we are also accountable for what we do with it. While not all of us have been exposed to the same degree of truth, we are all accountable for what we know. And, if you are like me, your knowledge often exceeds your obedience.

We may not be excluded from the land promised to Abraham’s descendants as a result of disobedience, but we certainly can miss out on the rewards of a life lived in a way commensurate with what we know. May the convicting reality of our accountability before God disturb us into obedience!

It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.

Leviticus 23:32

We’re talking about hidden treasures in the Books of Moses. I wanted to direct your attention to a second treasure I found, this one also in the book of Leviticus. The context is the Day of Atonement, the only day in which the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle to make atonement for the sins of the Israelites. What struck me about this passage is the relationship made between humility and work we find in it.

In today’s verse, Yahweh emphasizes to Israel that the Day of Atonement is to be a day of complete rest without work. In fact, God emphasizes this so strongly, that verses 28, 30, and 31 all restate the injunction in no uncertain terms. God repeated Himself because He wanted Israel to be certain to obey. It’s worth considering how this passage interlaces the ideas of not working and humbling oneself. In verse 27 God says that the people are to “humble [their] souls.” In verse 28 He says they are not to “do any work.” In verse 29 He speaks of a person humbling himself. In verse 30 He says no one should work. In verse 31 He says no one should work. The concepts of humbling oneself and not working are clearly interlaced in Leviticus 23. Why?

It seems to me that in Leviticus 23 God is making the point that not working is a humbling thing, because when we are not working, we are not providing for ourselves. We are unable to accomplish anything in our own strength. We are rendered powerless. Our hands, in a sense, hang limply by our sides. Herein is the thing I believe God was trying to etch into the minds of ancient Israel. He wanted Israel to look to Him as Provider. He did the same thing in the year of jubilee. In that year, God told the Israelites they were neither to sow nor harvest, but rather to trust Him for the provision. He did the same thing with manna in the wilderness. He told the Israelites they were not to gather more manna than was necessary for that day. God wanted ancient Israel to understand the same thing He wants us to understand: No matter how capable we may be, He and He alone is our Provider.

The fact that God is our ultimate provider is a critical insight for us, because apart from it, we can quickly become smug and satisfied in our ability to provide for ourselves. We can forget that God is the One who provides the increase, both in the spiritual and physical realms. It is only His kind providence that allows us to have anything at all. I love the way Solomon expresses this idea in Psalm 127:1: “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.” Unless God grants the increase, the prosperity, it matters not how hard we work; it will be for naught.

This principle of provision from God calls for balance. There are those who regard true spirituality as sitting on their hands. They presume God’s provision without conditions, believing that God will provide for them without regard for any involvement on their part. That’s not the biblical model. We are called to diligence in Scripture. That means working hard, making ourselves available for promotions, asking for raises when they are warranted, sending out resumes, and scanning the job ads. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” Scripture does not endorse idleness. But a right understanding of this doctrine of provision also includes humble assent to the fact that if God doesn’t do it, it won’t be and can’t be done. Reckoning with this reality is a sure path to humility.

The Sabbath is not mandated for believers in Jesus Christ. We can work on Saturdays. Be that as it may, rest is essential. We’re designed to have a day of rest each week. In that time of rest we need to recognize that if Yahweh does not provide, our labor is for naught. He is the Provider. May we lay aside our “can do” philosophy and self-sufficiency, and recognize that we are utterly and helplessly dependent upon Almighty God for the strength only He can provide. That’s a hidden treasure from Leviticus 23.

Contextualization = becoming all things to all men, so that I never compromise God’s Word and do the least to offend cultural sensitivities.

Contextualization = becoming all things to all men, while I do the most to offend God’s Word and make myself like that culture (or subculture) in order to let them think I am hip, and then maybe they’ll think the Gospel is cool and accept it.

Listen to this:

You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:17-18

Have you ever seen something you never noticed in a familiar place? I think that everyone who is a faithful student of God’s Word can understand that experience. Sometimes that thing we notice is just the answer to a question we’ve been wondering about. I have had some questions that have lingered long in my mind about Scripture, and I’ve discovered some answers in recent weeks in a surprising place—the Pentateuch. The five Books of Moses might not be the first place we would turn to discover answers to Bible questions. If you’re like me, the Pentateuch, and especially the latter four books in the collection, often seems to raise more questions than it answers. But I found answers to some nagging Bible questions right there.

I’ve had the privilege of having eight years of formal Bible education, but despite all of that, it took an open Bible to find some gems of self-discovery. Now, it’s quite possible that some of my readers will say, “We’ve known this for years,” but for me, these were fresh insights. So please bear with me as I share with you what I’ve learned in recent weeks over the course of the next few Monday Musings.

Today’s musing focuses on a text in Leviticus that provides rich insight regarding the question of how we are to relate to one another. If you’re like me, you’ve often thought that in order to discover biblical guidelines for interpersonal relationships, the New Testament is the place to go. Then I came to this text in Leviticus. Even though God spoke the words that comprise the text of this Scripture to His people Israel, the principles they contain are timeless. The same sentiments are expressed throughout the New Testament.

The first thing that stands out in today’s passage is that God told His people Israel that they were not to hate their countrymen. That’s a danger for all of us. We may not be part of ethnic Israel, but if we believe in Jesus Christ, we are part of God’s new work He began in Acts 2—the church. Though we may seldom consider the sharp feelings of ill will we have toward others in Christ’s body as hate, that is what they are, regardless. God is not pleased with those types of attitudes among His children.

The text becomes even more direct in its second phrase. It says that we may reprove our neighbor, but ought not incur sin because of him. Jesus said something very similar in Matthew 18 when He instructed His followers to express to one another any grievances they have. The idea is that the way to deal with a wrong done to us, whether real or perceived, is to reprove or confront our brother or sister about it. To instead harbor the negative feelings and bitterness is sin, from God’s standpoint. Heartfelt forgiveness is in view here.

God goes farther. He says that we ought not attempt to take vengeance. When we are done wrong, what’s natural for us is to retaliate. God says that this is exactly what we are not to do (Romans 12:19). What’s more, He even forbids the bearing of a grudge. God takes the relationships between His people very seriously and insists that hard feelings not be retained over real or perceived wrongs.

Finally, although we might have thought Jesus was the first to say it, we read in Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” God is not content for us to live in some sort of relational neutrality. He calls us, as He did Israel of old, to love one another actively and genuinely, from our hearts.

Is living the way Leviticus 19:17-18 lays out always easy? Hardly. But notice the last phrase in the text. God says, “I am Yahweh.” This is the God who forgives wrongdoing. He has given us the example. He calls us to follow suit. Instead of hating, taking vengeance, or bearing a grudge, He tells us to love.

The next time we feel we’ve been wronged, consider turning to Leviticus 19 for a God-ordained response.

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Acts 20:28

Sometimes a fresh way of hearing an old truth catches our attention. That’s what happened to me the other day. Someone forwarded to me an article that talked about a clergywoman who had thanked God for the outstanding blessing of abortion on demand. Now I submit to you that this woman’s perspective on the issue was nothing short of perverse. With that having been said (and perhaps not surprisingly) I would hasten to add that elsewhere in the article that quoted her, she said something that questioned the core doctrines of the Christian faith. This, too, was abominable, but the way she put her skepticism caused me to revisit in a fresh way the gospel story.

The article quoted her in these words: “The suffering and death of Jesus, according to the theory of the Atonement, pays for our sins and buys our salvation. It’s an interesting theory, but not one that I find compelling.”

It was the combination of the words “pays” and “buys” that I found strangely refreshing, albeit in the words of a person who rejects the Bible’s testimony about what Christ’s death accomplished as not particularly “compelling.”

I didn’t intend to use a verse I had so recently used for my Monday Musings, but I chose to, if for no other reason than it so poignantly describes what happened on the cross. Please allow me to share with you the crass analogy that sprang to my mind after reading this woman’s words. I visualized the cross in my mind as a sort of purchase counter. The item that was purchased was our very rescue from the wrath of God. The cost that was expended was nothing other than the death of God the Son. It is a staggering thought, to be sure, but is nevertheless the one that Scripture conveys throughout the New Testament, and, by means of prophecy, the Old.

Someone might object to my using the imagery of a department store counter. I understand and agree with their objection. Buying everyday goods from a local merchant is a far cry from the sacred sacrifice that bought our deliverance from sin, death, and hell. Probably a more fitting image would be that of a slave market, where our life hung in the balance. Clearly, that is an image that is present in Scripture. The problem is that it is foreign to me. I’ve never been to a slave market. I’ve never seen people bought and sold (and this is certainly not to say that it doesn’t still go on). But the thought of goods being exchanged from a seller to a buyer over a counter is a familiar one for me. And that is the image that comes to my mind through the words of this woman who rejects the message around which I have build my life.

On the cross, Jesus was buying our salvation. He was paying for our rescue from sin by taking the eternal wrath of God, Himself. Nothing could be so costly. It was a debt that we never would be able to pay.

Thank God, the preacher I referenced earlier is wrong. Jesus bought our salvation.

How can we respond?