All pointing to Jesus. Leviticus 13.1-30
Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Leviticus/Numbers (6)
Pray Psalm 105.8-11, 45.
He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”…
That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.
Praise the LORD!
Sing Psalm 105.8-11, 45.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
He will His covenant faithfully guard—His oath, the promise of His Word.
That which He to our fathers swore, He will perform forevermore!
So let us all in our Savior confide, and in His holy Law abide.
Let us observe His glorious Word, and praise our sovereign, faithful LORD!
Read Numbers 13.1-30; meditate on verse 30.
Preparation
1. What were the spies to do?
2. What did they report upon returning?
Meditation
There’s something about the number forty that is significant in God’s plan. Reading through the Old Testament, we keep coming upon that number. The rain by which God judged the earth lasted forty days and forty nights (Gen. 7.4). Moses was on the mountain, receiving the Law, for forty days (Ex. 24.18). The spies spent forty days investigating the land God had promised to His people (Num. 13.25). Israel wandered the desert for forty years (Deut. 8.2). After the conquest of the land, Israel had forty years of rest (Jdgs. 3.11). David reigned in Jerusalem for forty years (1 Kgs. 2.11). Through Jonah, God gave the Ninevites forty days to repent (Jon. 3.4). And more instances of this number could be cited. Just seems kind of important.
We can’t help wondering, “What’s next, forty?”
For forty days Caleb, Joshua, and the other spies investigated the land of promise. They found it to be abounding in plenty, just as the Lord had promised (Num. 13.27). This was the land of promise, the place God had designated for His people, where they might know, worship, and serve Him in the fullness of His covenant.
By contrast, for forty days Jesus endured the barren wilderness of Judea, a symbol of the domain of the devil and the waste and ruin his rule had brought upon the world. He came not as a spy but as a Conqueror. Jesus brought the promises of God to this realm, bound up in Himself. He met the devil on his own turf and wrested the world and all its creatures from the father of lies by holy spiritual force (Matt. 12.22-29).
And for forty days after His resurrection, Jesus laid out His Kingdom plan for His disciples, who were like Moses, receiving the Law; like the spies, glimpsing the promises of God; and like Jesus Himself, entrusted with His Kingdom and promises (Acts 1.1-8).
The lesson for us? “Let us go up at once and take possession” of Jesus and His precious and very great promises, in the power of God’s Spirit and according to His Word.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
What were those spies afraid of? They had been scoping out this beautiful land for forty days, unscathed, untroubled, and unbothered by the strong people, the fortified cities, or the giants. They culled beautiful fruit from the vineyards and never heard so much as a “Howdy do” from the residents. But for all that, they could not muster the willpower or courage to go back and obediently take possession of something God had already promised to give them? (Num. 13.1) How pathetic.
But wait. Isn’t that what we do? God says to us, “I AM giving salvation to you. It’s a gift. All you must do is take possession of it. Here He is. I AM giving Him to you. To give you the Kingdom, here and now and there and then. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2.8 9).
But when we take those grapes, pomegranates, and figs, we show appreciation by acting upon The Giver’s desire. And here it is: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2.10).
Christmas is almost upon us, and we have all purchased, or made, gifts that we think loved ones will want to have. And our expectation is that they will open their gifts and do something with them. Wouldn’t we be a bit disappointed if our love-laden gifts were never even opened, cast aside, or never used?
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6.23).
Yesterday in the car, I heard a radio preacher waxing eloquent about God’s love. And he quoted this verse, but only the last part, omitting completely the first. The question I shouted back to said preacher was, “How can we possibly appreciate God’s gift of love, without knowing that it is given, in spite of our gross sin, that caused the death of His dear Son?”
Unless we know that God is giving this Gift to us, and that amazingly all we must do is accept it—take possession of it—we will never fully appreciate the magnitude of the Gift. And we will never act upon it.
It will all just be rather “Ho-hum”, and we will have no impetus to thank Him fully with our lives—our whole lives—hook, line, and sinker.
“But God demonstrates His Own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5.8). That’s what He is giving us, that’s what He has promised, and that is what we must take possession of, regardless of the circumstances, or the fears, or the giants involved. We do not want to wander aimlessly for forty years by refusing…that’s old news, already covered stupendously by an earlier group.
Reflection
1. Why is it important that we try to see Jesus in every part of the Bible?
2. The people of Israel let fear keep them from the promises of God. What can you do to keep that from happening to you?
3. Whom will you encourage today to lay hold on the promises of God?
Caleb, however, encouraged them to go forward, though seconded by Joshua only. He does not say, Let us go up and conquer it; but, Let us go and possess it. Difficulties that are in the way of salvation, dwindle and vanish before a lively, active faith in the power and promise of God. Matthew Henry(1662-1714), Commentary on Numbers 13.26-33
Pray Psalm 105.1-7.
Praise Jesus the Conqueror! Call on Him to reveal more of His Kingdom plan for you (Ps. 90.16, 17) and to give you strength and grace to advance His rule on earth as it is in heaven.
Sing Psalm 105.1-7.
(St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
Give thanks unto the LORD Most High; call on His Name, before Him cry!
Make known His deeds in every land; sing praise for all the works of His hand.
Glory in God, rejoice in heart, all you who seek His holy part.
Him and His strength and Presence seek; His works proclaim, His judgments speak.
You holy children of Abraham, you chosen ones of Jacob, stand!
He is our LORD, of wondrous worth; His judgments are in all the earth..
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
