Dec 23, 2006                Despising the Word of the Lord         Kathleen Maples

The children of Israel were being told how to properly offer up sacrifices to the Lord when they entered into the promised land. God has a set order of how He wants things done. He made provision for ignorant sin, and He also made no exception for the stranger that would travel among them. One law was to govern all. There was to be no respect of persons. Anyone who traveled with Israel would be governed by the same law. Would to God America would have kept this practice. When you open the door and let every and any thing in, your own identity gets swallowed up, twisted, and changed in a mixture of cultures and ideas and practices, and purity and unity is lost. When anything goes, everything goes. There can be no order, no prosperity and peace in a divided house. America has embraced every culture out there, including those who despise everything she stands for, and it will be a costly mistake. You can not embrace the fire without being burned. You cannot handle snakes without being bitten.

Num 15:15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance forever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

God always made a way for anyone who wanted to enter in and be among His people, to come. By laying out this command, He was in effect, granting admission into His family to any who would be willing to abide by His Word. There was to be a separation from the people and customs of the land when they entered and took possession of the promised land. They were not to inter-marry, or learn their ways and customs. They were to retain their own. In making this statement, and others similar to it all through out the first few books of the Bible, when the children of Israel were traveling through the wilderness, He always made a way for strangers to come in, too. Israel was never to embrace their ways or idols, though. If strangers were not willing to forsake their idols and customs, and abide by the law of God, they could not enter in. But had Israel been faithful to the law and Word of God, and not strayed from Him herself, today, she would be the pillar of strength, the mightiest nation on this earth and none would be able to stand against her and triumph. She would not be trodden down or railed against by rogue nations. God would have put a fear of Her on them all, as He has done in the past when she was obedient. When Israel began to accept anything and tolerate anything, under the reign of Solomon, the kingdom quickly became divided, into two nations. Solomon allowed so many corrupt influences in the nation when he began to build temples for his hundreds of wives to worship their own various idols, openly defying the Lord's command, (when he was told to not marry or mix with these strangers to start with), but his actions brought a mixture, a defiling presence into the land. Considering the unwise and harsh decisions his son would make regarding the people early in his reign after Solomon, it's obvious the foolish decisions Solomon made had a devastating impact on this country and its people.

To accept and embrace another culture and ideas and allow them to live by their own rules, is to give up your sovereign identity and laws. It makes them weak through mixture. When a person is mixing up cement and concrete, if they mix in anything other than what they are supposed to use, the concrete will be weakened, substandard. It won't be strong and reliable. ONE is the central theme of the Bible, there is ONE Lord, (Him, not us) ONE gospel, One faith, One baptism, and ONE WAY-Jesus said I am THE Way, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. He is to be Lord, not us. He's to be Lord of us. We can't do it ourselves and succeed. We are not qualified. We can't make it any other way than through HIM. There is no getting around that. To try is insanity and foolishness. HE created us, He has the right to determine the way things should be done. He knows best.

Num 15:29 Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

Num 15:30 But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Num 15:31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

Now, things get serious. When we know what to do, and we don't do it, or disregard it as unimportant, not necessary, and we don't give weight or credence to what we know of the Word of God, we are on dangerous ground. The word presumptuously means arrogantly, insolently, willfully, in bold defiance of conscience or violation of known duty, to sin on purpose, disregarding what you know. It also means to have groundless and vain confidence in the Divine favor.

Num 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

Num 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

Num 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

Now, in times past, I had read these verses, and the next few, and thought this sounded a little harsh. I didn't understand. But obedience is a serious thing in the sight of God's eyes. He doesn't make rules or laws to hurt the people, but to protect them from their own selves and from the enemy who would destroy them.

Num 15:35 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.

Num 15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

God knows everything. He knew what was in this man's heart. He had just been instructing Moses on what to do if a soul despised the Word of the Lord and refused to regard or obey His Word. Here was one, who heard, and did not care, who went about doing his own thing, his own way, in spite of the instruction Moses had given the people recently concerning this very thing-they all knew not to do anything outside of preparing their meals on the Sabbath, and caring for and feeding their animals-only that which was necessary. We can't know how much time elapsed between verse 31 and verse 32. But God will never pass judgment on someone He doesn't warn first.

Then God told them to put a blue fringe on the border of their garments throughout their generations, a blue ribbon. He wanted them to remember the commands of the Lord. He marked this solemn occasion in their memory in this way. He wanted them to remember and do the commandments and be holy to God. He knew they wouldn't be perfect which is why He made so many provisions for their failures, through the sacrifices and offerings of the priests for the people. Next time you see the color blue, remember the Lord and His commandments, which are good, and which are life, and which are for our own best interest in getting us to HIM in Heaven, and the inheritance He has waiting for those who love and serve Him. Jesus said something that is mentioned both in Matthew and in Luke when He was talking to the Pharisees.

Luk 20:17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

Luk 20:18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Jesus had just given a parable about the vineyard, and the husbandmen that were to be over the vineyard. He said the man who owned the vineyard set certain men over it to work it and tend it, and when he sent one who came to receive the fruit of the vineyard, they treated him badly and sent him away empty. Three times he did this, with the same results. But finally he sent his son. But they killed the son and took the inheritance by violence. Jesus was the corner stone the builders rejected. His Word is like a rock that breaks things in pieces.

Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

When someone refuses to take heed to the Word of God, sooner or later, they will meet with the judgment that has already been set. He will not change His Word for anyone.

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

This man was picking up sticks on the Sabbath day, regardless of the reason, in defiance of the command of God. The Word is set and it will not change. There are two ways you can receive the Word of God. Only one way will save you. You can passively hear it and acknowledge it as the Word of God, but not for you at this moment. You receive it as the Word, but don't lay hold of it as it is offered to you, no, it sounds too hard, so you just let it pass you by. If you do that, if you hear and receive the Word passively, and don't seize it as the Authority of your life, you lose. You'll be lost. The word for receive here is lambano, and it means to take hold of, claim as your own, to apprehend, seize, as a companion and attendant. It's not passive but active. It's an active searching and seeking out of this Word and laying hold on what you read and learn and asking the Lord to make it part of you and your life. THAT is how we are to receive meekly and engraft the Word into our hearts and lives so we shall be saved. God help us all be wise virgins, full of the Word, and full of the Spirit so our lamps will burn bright. We can ask Him and trust Him to perform His Word in our lives. We can't do it. We can see the promises, but we can't make them a reality in our lives-only trust in God to perform His Word as we prepare ourselves to receive it will accomplish this. He is faithful that calls us and will do what He said He will do if we will just let Him.