Enemies

Day 31: Numbers 28–32; Psalms 139–144; John 19–21
King David prayed in Psalm 144...

May the LORD my rock be praised,
    who trains my hands for battle
    and my fingers for warfare.
He is my faithful love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer.
    He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him;
    He subdues peoples under me.  (Psa. 144:1-2)

The Israelites are called into battle to exact vengeance on the Midianites who lead them astray to worship the Baal of Peor.  12,000 troops destroy all the Midianite fighting men and their cities and encampments.  They bring home the booty and present it to Moses, women, children, livestock, gold, silver, bronze and other treasures.  Moses is furious that they allowed the women to live for it was these Midianites who lead them to sin.  He ordered the deaths of all women sparing only virgins and children who were then made to serve Israel as slaves (Num. 31:14-18). 

The booty was distributed half to the soldiers who fought the battles, half to the rest of the Israelites and a portion was taken from each half to be given to as tribute to the Lord which the priesthood and Levites accepted for the work of the Tabernacle.  There is something refreshing about the distribution.  Everyone gets some share with special consideration given to the victors and the servants of Yawheh at His dwelling.

The enemies being vanquished the Gaddites, Reubenites and the 1/2 tribe of Manasseh (the Machirites) approach Moses about taking the Land that they had won in their various battles in the wilderness years there on the east of the Jordan River.  Moses felt that this request threatened Israel.  Would these men abandon the rest to face enemies in Canaan?  Would they rebel against God and not go in and take possession of the Land as the previous generation had feared to do?  Would it mean yet another harsh lesson for the nations to learn as they wandered in the desert for a longer period until they learned obedience? 

It seemed the enemy was not vanquished.  Sin was still at work in Israel as it always has been in the human heart.  The Gaddites, Reubenites and Machirites reasoned that they only wish to leave behind their wives, children and livestock in the fortress cities they had won.  This meant a delay to proceeding to Israel for they had to rebuild the cities they had destroyed.  They promised they would be first to fight in Canaan leading the battle across the river.  They would not stop fighting until every one of the other tribes were settled in their inheritance.

Their request reminds me of James and John who asked Jesus to place them in positions of authority when He came into His kingdom.  They were looking out for themselves.  The person of faith must safeguard their hearts from the temptation of advancing themselves above others.  Paul taught the church to "consider others more important than yourselves (Phil. 2:3)."

Jesus is surrounded by enemies.  Judas, one of His chosen apostles betrayed Him. His own people judge Him and hands Him over to Pilate the Roman governor.  And Pilate buckles under the pressure of the mob and orders Jesus to be crucified.  He is flogged and abused and debased and nailed to the cross.  While His enemies divide His clothes and cast lots for His tunic, Jesus leads John to care for his mother, Mary.  He thirsts, He drinks sour wine, He cries aloud "It is finished" and He dies.  He is pierced in the side to assure He is actually dead.  Blood and water pour from His side as sign that He had in fact perished.  He is taken down from the cross on the Day of Preparation, the day they slaughter the passover lambs, and laid in a freshly hewn tomb by the care of Joseph of Arimathea (a disciple of Jesus), member of the council of Jewish rulers tribute who handed Him over to be crucified.

All of humanity's sin was paid for in this death.  God no longer looks for the debt to be paid, nor the guilt to be covered.  The death of Jesus has us covered.  But the greatest penalty for sin is death.  Death itself was conquered when Jesus emerged from the tomb with resurrected eternal life.  He promised to give this eternal life to all who will believe in Him. Our greatest enemy, Death, and the fear we have of non-being is destroyed in our hope in God's love through Jesus Christ.  The love of God breaks down the gates of Hades/Sheol, the pit for the dead, and sets the captives free!

What do we do with this good news?  What do we do with this freedom?  Some doubt like Thomas, another enemy still in our weak hearts.  Some go on with life like nothing happened like Peter and some of the other disciples did when they went fishing on the Sea of Tiberius (Galilee).  After receiving the Holy Spirit (Jn. 20:21-23) and begin given a commission with His authority to forgive sins to those who believe the gospel and unforgiveness to those who do not hope in Christ as savior, they just go back to what they know.  Our weakness is our enemy.  We doubt and we waste time in daily concerns of this life and we pursue pleasures to comfort us, but we don't act like this great victory over sin and death makes any difference at all in how we live each day or the priorities we set.

Jesus reminds us at the shore of the sea with Peter that it will take love (agape), sacrifice, to accomplish His mission.  If we say we love Jesus, we must love Him by feeding His sheep, tending to the matters of the kingdom and sharing the gospel so that all His sheep may come into the sheepfold and not be separated out at the end of days as a selfish goat. 

Lord, teach me to love you by treating others as more important than myself.  Let me tend to their needs, physical, intellectual and spiritual first, before I rest in my own pleasures.  Let pleasing you become my greatest joy. In Your love, Amen.