Silly Things

O. T. #308  "Silly Things"
June 24, 2014
Numbers 5
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22

LET IT GLOW

I like to do silly things. When pictures are taken of me, I realize people everywhere can possibly see them. I have posed in a swinging tree vine, on a toy motorcycle, a cardboard roller coaster, and riding on a luggage cart. However, I am careful not to compromise my Christian testimony.
Just a warning to you and me, there are folks out there who take joy in a Christian falling into a sinful lifestyle. There are people who want to tempt us to sin. There are others who wait to spread gossip about us. Some even make up lies to spread. So keep your radar up, eyes open. Be careful where you walk and with whom you walk. We should always honor the Lord Jesus with our life.

Cleansing, consecration, and commission are covered in chapters 5-10. In this chapter, we read about the purity to be established in the camp of the Israelites. They were told to "be holy for God is holy" over a dozen times in the previous book of Leviticus. Now this admonition is put into effect. There were three types of individuals who were to be put out of the camp in order to assure the purity of the people:

1. the leper, which pictures the awfulness and ugliness of sin;
2. the one with a running issue, reminded the people of sin unhealed and taking its toll;
3. the one defiled by the dead, was a reminder of the ultimate result of sin, eternal death.

[Resources: Liberty Bible Commentary, Irving Jensen's Journey to God's Rest-Land]

The first four verses deal with the outward, visible defects, the leper, discharge, and corpse. All of these prohibitions had sensible health benefits as well as serving to illustrate the need for moral cleanliness when approaching God. god's holy presence in the cloud in the tabernacle demanded cleanness. Therefore, all the unclean were barred from the encampment of Israel.

The next six verses, deal with personal sins, which are not as outwardly visible as the uncleanness in the previous four verses. A sin committed against God's people was considered a sin committed against God Himself. There was a need for confession and restitution in addition to the trespass offering (Lev. 5:14-6:7). (MacArthur)

LET IT GROW

The sin of adultery and jealousy due to suspicion of such is dealt with in these verses. Both the man and woman involved in adultery were to be put to death, according to Leviticus 20:10. However, when there was no proof of such happening, the woman was to be tested to reveal her guilt or innocence. Could this be the first lie detector test?

If the woman's belly swelled after drinking the holy water mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor, the woman was proven guilty of adultery. Both the man and woman's names were blotted out of the priest's book which was written of curses and offenders.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Does this chapter not show us the importance of our actions? Even the appearance of evil or sin is to be avoided. We should always be on guard for what others might think of us or what we are doing, so it does not hurt our reputation. People are watching us. Some want to point fingers in judgment. Others scheme to cause us to fall into sin. Beware!

 LET IT GO

Watch what I say and do, so it does not appear to be sin, and dishonor my Lord Jesus.

Beware of traps to cause me to sin.