God Sightings Week 10, Mar. 7th – 13th

Old Testament – Numbers 8:1 – 20:29

 
• In Num. 9 we have, what I believe to be, a show of grace. Throughout history, starting not long after the apostles had died, the church became mostly Gentile, and as a result, extremely racist. The anti-Jewish sentiment started very early throughout the Christian movement. One of the anti-Jewish ideas promulgated by the early church was that the Old Testament was for the Jews only. Some, as Marcion, went so far as to say that it was written by a different God; that Jesus, who was the God of the New Testament, was for Christians. Part of the trouble was in the “hard” passages of the Old Testament that seem to show God as lacking grace. This passage in Numbers is definitely a grace passage. God has already laid out His teachings concerning the celebration of the festivals. There was one time to celebrate and you had to be there. However, here we see some men not able to celebrate, and so they take the matter to Moses, who in turn takes it to God, who in turn thinks that the men have spoken well. And so, God allows a second time to be set aside so that all can be a part of the celebration. We see God helping his people in keeping his commandments. It wasn’t a gauntlet for people to hope they could get through; but a way of following the Lord. And that way has always included grace.

 

 
• In Num. 14 we find the pivotal passage of the travels of the Israelites. It is here that they decide to rebel against God and to not go into the Promised Land. This is an interesting story because it was what the Exodus was for. Everything that had happened previously had been a prelude that was leading up to this very moment – and they failed. As you read through the story, notice the words that they say about themselves, all of the “fore-telling” they employ to justify their disobedience. They just “knew” that God wouldn’t’ come through for them, and so why even try? How often do we fail because of a lack of faith in God? How often do we fail because we envision a negative future that wouldn’t have been, had we only kept on with the Lord?

 

New Testament – Mark 13:14 – Luke 1:25

 
• Contrary to the anti-women ideas that the Church has traditionally held to, we see the ministry of Jesus as being provided for by women. In Mark 15:41 he mentions the women that provided for the ministry and helped to take care of him. Women played an important role in the life of Jesus. It was later that the Church followed the ways of the rest of the world and began to squash their importance.

 

Trivia. If you want an interesting read, read the last chapter of Mark (16) and stop at the end of verse 8. That is actually the ending to Mark. Your Bible, depending on the version, may or may not have it mentioned that the remaining verses constitute two different endings that were added on later. If you stop there you’ll see why scribes added additional verses – it ends very suddenly and with the women not doing as Jesus told them to do. The ending present in most bibles, from vss. 9 – 20 is the longer ending, written sometime in the second century. A shorter ending was added around the 4th century that is not included in most Bibles and reads as follows: And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.