I started the book of Numbers recently and I’ll be honest, I
was not super excited. Talk about a
lack-luster introduction… God says, “Hey Moses, go count all the people.” And thus, we hear names and numbers for the
rest of the first chapter. I thought to
myself, I could just skip Numbers – the details about how the Israelite camp
should be set up and the duties of the priests and the number of the clans –
and no one would know. I’ll move
onto something more exciting and if anyone asks, I’ll just say I skimmed it.
Here’s the thing: God knows E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I mean, it’s not like I will get points for
reading it or not reading it, but when I stumbled onto Numbers 5, I learned
that God is actually the inventor of the first ever “lie-detector.” This is
stunning. Ok, please take 3 minutes and
go read Numbers 5:11-31.
As it turns out, people have been lying about their
activities since nearly the beginning.
God and Moses are talking and God says, “Hey Moses (They talk like
friends do.), if a man thinks his wife has cheated on him with another man and
if she’s all like, I didn’t do it and denies it… well then, here’s what you do...” God tells him to mix of a potion of bitter
water that includes the holy water AND dust from the floor of the tabernacle
(tasty!). Well, you’ve already read
it so you know the process God explained.
Here are verses 27-28:
“If she has made herself impure and been
unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink
the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her,
her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse.
If, however, the woman
has not made herself impure, but is clean, she will be cleared of guilt and
will be able to have children. (NIV)”
God says, have her drink the water and what
happens next will tell you whether she’s lying or not! There’s nothing to
measure the heart-rate or the sweat production. There are no wires to hook up or plug in… Just good old-fashioned God running every
detail of the universe to reveal the truth.
People, we have been trying for years and,
often times, we are able to get our lies by the people around us. If we’re really good at it, we can keep them
for a really long time (even from the people closest to us) and it’s almost
like they are true (after a while anyway)! But Numbers 5 is a great reminder
that God knows all. We can’t lie to
him. I mean, we can try to keep on the
mask, but he knows just how dusty water will affect us when we drink it. We’ll be exposed for the sinners we are.
And so, Romans 5:6, 8 & 11 shine
brightly into this dismal situation:
For while we were still
weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly….God shows his love for us
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us… More than that, we
also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received reconciliation.
Jesus Christ is ALWAYS good news. He is Gospel.
So, I’m hooked on Numbers now.
