Numbers 15:17-16:40, Mark 15:1-47, Psalms 54:1-7, Proverbs 11:5-6
Today is the 11th day of March welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian is awesome to be here with you today around the Global Campfire taking the next step forward together. And, of course, we’ve been working our way through the book of Numbers, and we haven’t reached the conclusion yet so we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday in the book of Numbers which will be chapter 15 verse 17 through 16 verse 40 today. And by way of reminder, the children of Israel have been literally at the precipice of moving into the promised land. They sent spies into the land to…well…10 out of the 12 of them brought a report of danger and doom and the people have rebelled against God. And, so, they will go back into the wilderness. The lesson of the wilderness is still yet to be learned and an entire generation has been doomed to live in the wilderness and die in the wilderness, making way for the next generation to hopefully go into the promised land. And, so, that’s where we pick up today with numbers 15.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the book of Numbers today we obviously see that the people, especially some of the leaders of the people are not excited about dying in the wilderness and going back out and living in the wilderness. And, so, it’s like this really interesting transfer of blame going on where a number of the Levites, number of leaders rise up against Moses and basically say, you know you don’t have a corner on God. God is all of our God and you have taken us from a land of milk and honey in Egypt. Like so quickly they’ve forgotten just how hard slave life was for them when they were the property of the Egyptians. But they’re blaming Moses for bringing them into the wilderness and not being able to take them into another land of milk and honey, the promised land, which is transference of blame. They did this and that is the thing that has Moses exasperated. He’s basically saying I haven’t done anything to anybody. I haven’t done anything but what the Lord has told me to do, and I didn’t want to be doing all of this. Like, I’m obeying God. You don’t have a claim against me. If you’re upset how things are going, then you need to talk to God about it. And what ends up happening because we just read it is a complete shutdown of the rebellion. And not a complete shutdown by Moses, a complete shutdown by God. And, so, the people…well…the leaders that were rising up against Moses are no more. The people have witnessed this and seen this. They know that they must obey God because there’s nothing…there’s like no other choice. They’re not going into the promised land and taking it. They’re going to have to utterly depend upon God in the wilderness, which is fundamentally the lesson of the wilderness in each of our lives.
And then in the book of Mark, and we are reaching the conclusion of the book of Mark soon, but we have witnessed for the second time the passion narrative, the death of Jesus by crucifixion. After betrayal and abuse and mockery and beating, He’s nailed to a cross, and He dies. As Christians we…like, we know the story and we know that it centers around Easter, and we understand that He died for our sins and that's…that’s Christianity 101 stuff there. But this is Jesus, our Savior, our best friend, a loyal one, one who has stood beside us when we didn’t deserve anyone to stand beside us. This is our Savior being nailed to a cross. And, so, it’s important as we come to these passages, and we already have in Matthew, so this is the second time that we’ve come to this narrative, that we really don’t just blow by it because we’ve heard it a thousand times. It’s really important that we consider the story because we’re looking at a kind of love that is perfect. We’re looking at something that we can’t just see everywhere. We’re looking at God coming to earth, becoming one of us showing us what life can look like and modeling it for us and then laying down His life to make it possible for us. There really isn’t any other story without this story as far as our journey goes. This is the centerpiece. And, so, as we encounter these stories and we have two more gospels and so we’ll encounter it a couple more times, but let’s allow this year for it to become deeply planted within our hearts because what kind of response is there? I mean, we can turn away from the vision of Jesus dying bloody nailed to a cross gasping in agony. We can turn away from that because it’s too painful to look at or we can enter into the story and see it for what it was, a sacrifice on our behalf to eradicate the claims of sin over our lives and our futures. This is important. And, so, let’s spend some time considering, meditating upon, contemplating, whatever…whatever term you want to use thinking about it silently, allowing it to sink in, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You, thank You again. Some of these passages are hard to read because we love You. You’re our best friend. There is no one else more faithful and loyal and kind and loving. There is nothing else in our lives that we have like You. And, so, see this being done, just to imagine spit on Your face, bruises on her cheek, blood pouring from Your four head from a crown of thorns to anoint a king. It’s hard to consider these things, but there here in the Scriptures and they’re here repeatedly and so we’re supposed to consider them. And, so, Holy Spirit come and help us to enter into this story that set us free. And we offer deep gratitude from our hearts, and we offer our lives as a living sacrifice to You to do Your work, to be Your hands and feet in this world. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi this is Mary from North Carolina this is my first time calling in and…and this is my first year as a DABber. Actually, I’m a double DABber and it’s just been such a blessing to me since I started. And last year I asked for the Lord to just give me a refreshing in the word, and He has done just that through the Daily Audio Bible lessons. I wanted to ask the community to pray for my brother, his name is Julian, and he has been in the hospital for about three weeks with acute kidney failure. And first of all, I just want the DABbers to pray that he knows the Lord. We’ve talked about the Lord several times but I’m not sure if he’s made a decision for Christ. And the other thing is that he wouldn’t give up. There’s signs that he’s depressed and wants…seems like wants to give up but would you all please pray that God let him know that he’s loved and he’s cared for and that all will be well? I’m also praying for…for the DABber community. I hear all you alls prayers and I do pray. So, God bless you all. Thank you, Brian, Jill, and China for such an awesome ministry. Have a good day everybody.
Good morning DAB family this is God’s Life Speaker it is March 7th. I am calling in because there are a bunch of men praying for Lazarus. And he had called in and given his age and now all the sudden there are men in their mid to late 60s calling in and supporting him. I was just reading in Numbers I believe it was chapter 8 to my husband this morning how it says the Levite’s were retiring at age 50, but they weren’t really retiring, they’re just passing on some of that physical work to the younger men and allowing them to get involved as it should be. But they are to remain in an advising and counselors’ type of role, and I see this being played out supporting each other here on this worldwide ministry. Calls coming in from everywhere, men of…and women of all ages but I just caught the ear of the men who are in the same season as Lazarus…Lazarus and still walking with him, encouraging him, advising him, praying over him. It is absolutely Biblical and what God has called us to do. So, in the name of Jesus Lazarus and all of you, but especially those of you in his season, God be glorified in your lives, in the things that you say, think and do. May He have the first of your fruit even if the circumstance is not that great, God is so we declare that over your lives. And in the mighty name of Jesus God is good all the time. All the time God is good. Amen.
Hello Latifa here calling from California just think a miracle is happening right now. I’ve heard a couple of stories from two gentlemen who are in their mid or late 60s and I…I just want to say I’m a female in her early 60s and who is dealing with work search. And then I marvel at the fact that a couple of people have already mentioned and that it’s been on my mind thinking that I might be alone in…in this journey and that I’m on. But I know it’s a faith journey. I've…I’ve lived a good life a tough life sometimes, a tough upbringing. I’m a miracle in that I am not an atheist because of the tough…tough Christian hostile environment I was in. So, I’m here in my life now. God has got my undivided attention and I know He has something planned for me. I've…I'm…I’ve got skill, I’ve got education. But I know that age is a factor when I’m interviewed. So, gentlemen I’m with you. I’m with you in this journey. And I’ve not been perfect, but God works His strength through all my weaknesses. So, I am here. Thank you.
Good morning my DAB family this is Paula calling from Albuquerque, actually in Colorado visiting famil and heading home today. I just finished reading today’s podcast and listening. Today’s Tuesday March 8th. Man, the last couple of days really have spoken to me. You know, I’m going through what many of you probably are as well experiencing things that are very uncomfortable whether it be work or family or whatever and we need to make a decision. And today’s reading really got me in all areas. I am complaining about what’s going on at my job and how unfair it is and…and yet the Israelites were doing the same thing, murmuring, and complaining as though God couldn’t hear them. But, you know, then Psalm 51 has always been a favorite of mine because really that’s what I want. I know once I acknowledge it that God is listening, and He knows my heart and I have to ask Him to forgive me just as Jesus even spoke to the 12 at the Last Supper. What am I withholding? Wow Brian thanks for allowing the Holy Spirit to use you to speak to us. Thank you, Father for Your word and how You speak to us each and every day through Your word if we are willing to listen. You listen to us every time we utter a word. Thank You, father for being forgiving in Your Son’s name. Amen.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible this is A Penny Saved from Missouri. I am calling for a couple of reasons. Number one Sean from UK, you’ve been on my heart since the first time I heard your call. And real, quickly I will say that I’ve been there and though I was never what I considered an alcoholic I definitely abused alcohol as far as binge drinking goes and it was a roller coaster world I lived. Though I did not do it often it always led to very bad choices. And my life looks pretty good on the outside, but I was…I was in torment for decades. And I want you to know that along with anything as far as bondage goes, Satan doesn’t care what it is he just wants you in bondage. And I struggled for so long, but I am 100% delivered now. But it was all down to my focus changing. I changed my focus to I just want to be more like Christ rather than I want deliverance or healing. And it all started 16 years ago when I started listening to Daily Audio Bible. Even though there were days that I didn’t want to hear God’s word I still played it every day for 17 years and I have been transformed, absolutely transformed. But it didn’t happen overnight. I didn’t get my instant deliverance, but I did get deliverance and I’m just praying that you hang in there and just keep going. God bless you.