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"THE MAN AND THE STICKS" AUDIO BLOG
1 Corinthians 10:11 "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
This morning, the meaning of Numbers 15:32-36 below became clear to me. I have to admit that this Scripture has always bugged me. Why would a God of love and light do such a thing?
I even told our Pastor at one point, "Not. My. God." God bless Pastor David. He has the patience of a saint (as we all should). Of course, I was missing the bigger picture, God's picture.
Numbers 15
32 "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
We feel bad for one man (I know I did), because it seems that all he wanted to do was build a fire to cook food, but that is what our eyes see, the man's outward appearance. God looks at our hearts.
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
Or as Jesus said at John 7:24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." In other words, judge on integrity and godliness.
This blog is not easy to write, but does that mean we should not write it, or speak the truth? The fact is, no matter what some church leaders are teaching their congregations, God never promises a good time for bad people: For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29.
Remember Noah and the Ark (click for scripture), when only eight people remained to repopulate the earth?
Or, Sodom and Gomorrah (click for scripture), when God destroyed the cities and everyone in them, because He could not find 10 righteous men, women or children among all of the inhabitants?
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to day and for ever." Hebrews 13:8. And, although we are special, a chosen generation, we are not THAT special that God will overlook our flagrant, in-His-face sin. He will not.
1 Corinthians 10
1 "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
I even told our Pastor at one point, "Not. My. God." God bless Pastor David. He has the patience of a saint (as we all should). Of course, I was missing the bigger picture, God's picture.
Numbers 15
32 "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
We feel bad for one man (I know I did), because it seems that all he wanted to do was build a fire to cook food, but that is what our eyes see, the man's outward appearance. God looks at our hearts.
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
Or as Jesus said at John 7:24, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." In other words, judge on integrity and godliness.
This blog is not easy to write, but does that mean we should not write it, or speak the truth? The fact is, no matter what some church leaders are teaching their congregations, God never promises a good time for bad people: For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29.
Remember Noah and the Ark (click for scripture), when only eight people remained to repopulate the earth?
Or, Sodom and Gomorrah (click for scripture), when God destroyed the cities and everyone in them, because He could not find 10 righteous men, women or children among all of the inhabitants?
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to day and for ever." Hebrews 13:8. And, although we are special, a chosen generation, we are not THAT special that God will overlook our flagrant, in-His-face sin. He will not.
1 Corinthians 10
1 "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
But, they didn't have a book that warned them like we have. There is a darkness coming, a dark silence. Will you be on God's boat?
Repent, turn away from sin, and turn back to God. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Repent, turn away from sin, and turn back to God. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.