the people

“You speak with us”

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And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  And they said unto Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”  And Moses said unto the people, “Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18-21

In order for the people to know and believe that Moses received the word from the LORD, God had instructed Moses to have the people come to the foot of the mountain called Sinai. They would not be allowed to come near  the place where God was, but near enough to hear the voice of the LORD.

In the reading of chapter 20 of Exodus the above verses follow the giving of God’s law called the Ten Commandments. They are given in the hearing of the people, and their response is given above.

The people see and feel the quaking, rumbling, and smokey mountain at the presence of the LORD, and are quite afraid.  They tell Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear: but do not let God speak with us.” The people of God ought to want to hear the voice of the LORD.

We have people today who say they hear God’s voice, but much of what they say is contrary to the written word of God. God does not contradict Himself. Moses heard, listened, and heeded the word of the LORD. Moses went into the darkness where God was, and talked with Him.

I do not fully understand God being in the darkness, but this is not the only place where it speaks of His darkness. In Genesis 15:12 a “horrible great darkness” fell on Abraham from which God came and spoke to him.

First John 1:5 tells us that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. That may seem like a contradiction, but is more of a paradox that a contradiction. Meaning that darkness and light come along side one another to show the truth.

Because we humans are sinful beings God is unapproachable while we are in sin. God is light for those who come to Him through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

As Moses went into the darkness “where God was” is because he had already been with God before, and God had cleansed him, and provided his redemption.

One final thought: If you desire to hear the voice of the Lord, open the pages of God’s holy word – the Bible – and read it. Start with the Gospel of John, and there you will meet Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God, who is God the Living Son.

They Shall Be Sanctified

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Thus saith the Lord GOD; “When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob.  And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.”
Ezekiel 28:25-26

The LORD Reigns

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No matter what is happening in the world, let’s keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. He reigns forever more.

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
The LORD is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people.  Let them praise Thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
Psalm 99:1-3

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
Proverbs 20:15

The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and He rose again. He is coming again, just as He told us.

Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe that God has raised Him from the dead, and you shall be saved.

The Judgment of The LORD

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Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the LORD; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.
Psalm 98:8-9

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Proverbs 20:27

When He Offered Up Himself

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For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.  For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Hebrews 7:26-28

Authority

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And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon Him with the elders, and spake unto Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority doest Thou these things? Or who is he that gave Thee this authority?” And He answered and said unto them,
“I will also ask you one thing; and answer Me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?”
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we shall say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then believed ye him not?’ But and if we say, ‘Of men;’ all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.” And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them,
“Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”   Luke 20:1-8

To Put Him to Death

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“But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, ‘What do we? For this Man doeth many miracles. If we let Him thus alone, all will believe on Him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.’
And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, ‘Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.’
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.
Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put Him to death.”  John 11:46-53

Glorious Things Spoken

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“His foundation is in the holy mountains.
The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, ‘This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her.’
The LORD shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.”  Psalm 87:1-7  (KJB)

Prophets Speak – Christmas Day 160

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“And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.” Isaiah 12:4-6 (KJV)

What do I want for Christmas?

Today I want to always see God as the One and only who is worthy of all my praise, and worship; I want to boast of Him, His power, His works, His grace, His love, His Sovereignty, His presence…; I want to always see that He  has done the “Excellent things” that are known in all the earth; and I want my voice to ring throughout the whole world, starting at home, and my community of His greatness.

Day Three Hundred Thirty and Five

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What do I want for Christmas?

I want the leaders of our Nation (U. S. of A.) to lead, not rule; to be godly, not ungodly; to deny themselves any special privileges, but to only allow themselves the rights and privileges of the people; that the people might respect, love, and honor those who serve with distinction.

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV)

Break Down the Barriers

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“And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’S people. Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.” 2 Chronicles 23:16-17 (KJV)

Jehoiada was a priest of God who was zealous to bring back a son of David as king in Judah. Athaliah was an evil daughter of Omri who had tried to kill all the sons of David, because her son had died.

The proper thing to do for a Christian is to get back to God’s Word, and calling for our lives. That will mean breaking down every wall and barrier that keeps us from God, His Word, and His way for our lives.

The care of anything in our lives that distracts us from the love and worship of the only true God through His Son Jesus Christ is a “Baal”; a false god, and idol; that is used by the enemy [the devil] to ruin our fellowship with God.

If you have a “Baal” in your life destroy it. Put it away. Break down the altars and its images and go to the only One who is the image of the invisible God. That One is Jesus who bled and died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose from death. Check out these New Testament passages: 2 Corinthians 10:5; Ephesians 4:25, 31)

The Living Look

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“And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” Numbers 21:6-9 (KJV)

The people were complaining, murmuring about the bread that came from heaven, which they had called “Manna” which means “what is it?”. It seems to me that people of today, even professing Christians have grown tired of the Bread from heaven. He is Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

Due to the murmuring of the people of Israel God sent fiery serpents into the camp; and these serpents bit them, and many of these murmurers died. Their deaths were due to their conspiracy with sin to overthrow God’s very means of their sustenance. Murmuring, ungratefulness, says to others and to God, “I know what is best for my life, and this is not it”.

When I first began studying the Bible I came to this verse, and I knew that it was a type, a picture of the sinner looking to Jesus on the cross, and being delivered from sin. My question was, “How does a serpent represent my Saviour?” The study continued until I discovered 2 Corinthians 5:21, then I had the answer. God made Jesus to be sin for us… that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, became on the cross the very thing that His Father hated and despised; and took the holy judgment and wrath that only myself, and the whole human race was responsible for. If I would have died for my own sin; if you were to die for your own sin, then there would not be eternal life; but eternal death, and dying torment.

By looking to Jesus, His death, burial and resurrection we can look unto Him and live eternally in the presence of God, and in His glory.

Hear the words of Jesus Himself,

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

Let Us Go Up At Once

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“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:30-33 (KJV)

Before these verses we find Moses sending twelve men to check out the Land of Promise, the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb have returned with the other ten, excited about what they have seen. To them the possibilities are wonderful. Look a the cluster of grapes they have returned with; so large it is carried between two men on a pole.

God had promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants that had become a great number of people. At the time of this venture, they had been in the wilderness about two years. Had they came back believing as Caleb and Joshua; rather than in unbelief they would have crossed into the land much earlier than they did.

God gave them a promise. The ten did not believe it. Two saw the promise and the possibility. Ten saw the problems, and the power of the enemy.

I have been often quick to judge these people, but now I have discovered that I tend to be like the ten who were unbelieving. The giants are too big. The mountains are too tall. I am too small. I tend to forget that my God makes all things possible. Jesus even said,

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20

Because of the majorities unbelief they would not enter the Promised Land. None of the adults 20 years and above would be allowed to enter the Land; and they were condemned to 38 more years in the wilderness. The Hebrew Letter says,

“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:19

Let us walk in the promise of the Christ who loved us unto death, even the death of the cross that we might do all things through His name, and glorify Him. For as the angel Gabriel said unto Mary,

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37

Make Known His Deeds

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“O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people.” Psalm 105:1 (KJV)

The people of God ought always give thanks unto the LORD; unto YHWH.  He alone is the One who is Sovereign over all things, and over us.  He alone directs our paths, and our praise.

We make known the deeds, the works, the power of God in our lives.  It shows on the countenance of the faithful child of God.  It is revealed in the family of the faithful child of God.  It shines forth as the faithful child of God goes into the world with the message that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus Himself said,

“This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you show the deeds the work of God among the people.