Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets

Bible Reading: Numbers 11 - 13

Numbers 11:29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord 's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

God called the elders of Israel to the tabernacle.

Numbers 11:25 And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

There were two men who were numbered among the elders but did not come to the tabernacle. They remained in the camp. When God's Spirit came upon the elders, these men were also anointed and began to prophesy in the camp. What a stir this caused! Immediately the young men ran to Moses and informed him. They wanted these men to stop prophesying in the name of the Lord!

Moses' reacted by saying he wanted ALL the Lord's people to be prophets. Moses was in a hard position. When the people wanted to talk to God, they went through Moses. When God spoke to the people, he spoke to Moses who then told the people. Moses wanted all of God's people to be able to talk with him and to speak the Word of God in boldness and power.

Remember that it was the coming of God's Spirit upon the elders that led them to prophesy. For New Testament believers in Jesus Christ, we are all empowered by the Holy Spirit. He lives in every child of God. He is the gift of God and the Bible says:

1 Peter 4:10-11 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

You are a prophet. The Holy Spirit within you will enable you to speak God's Word to a lost world in boldness and power. When you speak, speak as the oracles of God!

In Christ,
Rody

At the commandment of the Lord

Bible Reading: Numbers 8-10

Numbers 9:17-18 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. 18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.

Israel was 'led' by the cloud of the Lord while they were in the wilderness. They were instructed to move when the cloud moved and stay in their tents when the cloud stayed put. This is interesting because God was teaching them about being led. They didn't come to God and say, "Lord, we want to go over there, please bless our journey."

We too are to be be. As a matter of fact, a child of God is one who is led.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Are you led by the Spirit of God? Think about your life. Does it look more like Israel following the glory cloud of the Lord? Or does it look like you telling God what you are going to do and asking him to bless it? It really makes all the difference in the world. Are you being led? Are you following?

How do you follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit?

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

You need to hear his voice. You need to read his Word and let him lead you.


In Christ,
Rody

Then will I remember my covenant

Bible Reading: Leviticus 26-27

Leviticus 26:40-42 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Before he gave them the land of Canaan, God told the Israelites what would happen if they disobeyed his word. He would chasten them with ever increasing chastisements until he finally sent them out of the land he gave them.

However, he told them that he would never cast them away.

Leviticus 26:44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God.

God will keep his promises! He will not break his covenant. If you want to see how this happened, you can read about the exile in Babylon and the prayers of confession that Daniel prayed. God heard their prayers of humility and confession and brought the Israelites back into the land!

For the follower of Jesus, God has given us warning that when we sin, there will be consequences.

Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Like Israel of old, sinful choices will reap corruption and chastisement. However, remember that God instructed the Israelites that when they did sin if they would humble themselves and confess their sins, he would remember the covenant. For the follower of Jesus, God has made a new covenant with us through the shed blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. He has told us that if we sin, we must confess our sins. He has promised to hear, forgive and heal when we confess.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let us be honest with God and when we have sinned, let us confess our sins and receive his forgiveness and cleansing.

In Christ,
Rody