Devotionary

Judah was to have been fruitful, like a well-manicured vine planted in well-tended soil. But God is going to reveal that His vine was producing unacceptable fruit – wild grapes that were not what He had expected and were absolutely good for nothing.

There is an aspect in which God's promise to Judah has been partially fulfilled, but there is a far greater, far more substantial aspect to His promise that lies in the future, still awaiting fulfillment. He will do what He has said He will do.

God warns the people of Judah that they were guilty, and there was no way they were going to get away with it. Judgment was coming. Payback was on its way. God was going to mete out justice in the form of His righteous judgment.

In Isaiah 3:1-9, God is going to warn the people of Judah that their misplaced trust was going to have drastic consequences. Their propensity to turn their back on God and turn to other forms of salvation was going to eventually blow up in their face.

While a book of history, Isaiah also provides a prophetic glimpse into the future of not only Judah, but the entire world. God has a much larger plan in place than the people of Judah can even imagine.

God called the people of Israel to be His chosen possession and to illustrate what it meant for men to enjoy a right relationship with a holy God. But, failed to remain faithful to God. And their disobedience brought His displeasure and discipline.

God had some strong accusations against His people. They were guilty and God was not afraid to spell out their crimes in graphic terms. But one of the things we'll see as we work our way through this book is just how stubborn fallen men and women can be.

This is a book of theology that covers such vital topics as God, man, sin, and redemption. Despite its age, this book carries a timeless and practical message for the people of God in all ages. And it should provide ample proof of God’s love, power, faithfulness and, sovereignty.

God instituted a plan that kept the inheritance of Zelophehad within his immediate family and that required his daughters to adopt a long-term, corporate mentality that was designed to meet the concerns of the entire community of Israel.

I think it’s safe to say that there is probably no mistake more costly than involuntary manslaughter – the accidental taking of another human being’s life. And in the Numbers 35, we have God establishing a plan for dealing for just such an occasion.

God is going to give the people of Israel one final marching order before they begin their conquest of the land. First, they were going to have to purify it. And according to God’s plan, not their own. There was no room for compromise.

Sin, like nuclear fuel, has a half-life. Its impact doesn’t really ever go away. And while sin’s impact may be invisible, it is far from inconsequential. When you least expect it, the ramifications of sin can appear out of nowhere.

While we might see God’s actions as somehow unfair or unjust, the real issue here is that of trust. Will we listen to what God is saying and do what He is commanding because He knows best? It’s a matter of faith, not fairness.

Each Israelite had to offer a sacrifice for their sins, and the sheep, goat or bull they brought would have had great financial value. There was a price to be paid. But it was far less than the penalty God had placed on man’s sin: The penalty of death.

This is a difficult story to understand. But the one thing that stands out is the shepherd’s heart of Moses. He never let his disappointment keep him from completing his divine assignment. He led well – all the way to the end.