Psalm 95:1-11, Numbers 10:35-36, Numbers 11:1-3, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 16:1-9, Luke 15:11-32.
A). SINGING PRAISE, AND LISTENING TO THE WORD.
Psalm 95.
In days gone by not everybody who gathered in our churches could read, so it was useful to learn things by rote. So when the praise-leader sang “O Come let us sing unto the LORD” (Psalm 95:1), the congregation knew to join in the singing of Psalm 95. Depending on which tradition they were in, they would know the Psalm by the words, or the tune perhaps, or by its place within the service.
Psalm 95 begins with a reciprocal invitation to praise (Psalm 95:1). Yet praise must have focus. This is not just a chance for ‘a good-old sing-song’ - you can get that down the pub. This is serious worship, with its focus upon who the LORD is (the Rock), and who He is to us (the rock of our salvation).
We should be aware - even in ‘the praise part of our service’ - that we are coming into the presence of the true and living God. We draw near with the familiarity of “thanksgiving” and of “making a joyful noise” (Psalm 95:2), ‘boldly approaching the throne of grace’ (Hebrews 4:16). But we also come with a sense of awe at the presence of the LORD, the great God, the King over all (Psalm 95:3).
We celebrate Him as the One who sustains all things (Psalm 95:4). We acknowledge Him as Creator (Psalm 95:5). We worship, we bow down, we kneel in the presence of the LORD our Maker (Psalm 95:6).
Such awe is appropriate in those who have the LORD as “our God” (Psalm 95:7). We are “the people of his pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:7).
Praise gives way to Word: a word of exhortation, and a word of warning. ‘Anyone who has ears should listen’ (cf. Matthew 13:9). “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart…” (Psalm 95:7-8).
We are taken back in time to an incident (Exodus 17:1-7), not long after the LORD had led the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 13:3). The Red Sea had miraculously parted, and the first generation of freedmen had walked across dry-shod. Miriam’s song (Exodus 15:21) was still fresh in the memories of the people.
The people put the LORD to the test in the wilderness (Psalm 95:8-9). They chided with Moses, and he accused them of tempting the LORD (Exodus 17:2). After all the miracles of Egypt, the people questioned: ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). How soon we forget past mercies!
It was at this point that “the Rock” (Psalm 95:1) was introduced (Exodus 17:6): ‘and that Rock was Christ’ (1 Corinthians 10:4). There came a breaking point in the relationship between the LORD and His people, and a whole generation were doomed to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Psalm 95:10), and failed to enter the promised land (Psalm 95:11). These things are written for our admonition, the Apostle Paul tells us: ‘therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’ (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).
The dating of this Psalm is open to several possibilities. Its teaching section (Psalm 95:8-11) looks back to the days of Moses, but it is part of what the Spirit is saying to the churches, even today (Revelation 2:29). Whoever wrote it, its application is to the present: it belongs to Today, whenever Today may be.
“Today” could be some 40 years after the events described, when Moses addressed the second generation of wilderness wanderers (Deuteronomy 32-33). Or “Today” could be the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, whether the first or the second. “Today” could be when a certain writer took up the same words and expounded them to some Hebrew Christians on his friends list, applying them to their New Testament situation (Hebrews 3-4).
It was “Today” when the English reformers embedded this Psalm in the liturgy: ‘to be sung daily throughout the year’ at the commencement of morning prayer. “Today” is the Today when I write this, the Today when I speak it; the Today when you read this, or hear it. “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your heart…” (Psalm 95:7-8).
‘Exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin’ (Hebrews 3:13).
B). MOSES’ PRAYER AND THE PEOPLE’S COMPLAINING.
Numbers 10:35-36, Numbers 11:1-3.
1. Moses’ prayer (NUMBERS 10:35-36) encourages us to begin and end every day, every journey, every project and every ministry with prayer. Our attitude should be one of prayerfulness throughout.
When he says, “Rise up” (NUMBERS 10:35), it is not as if the LORD has been sleeping: for ‘Behold, He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps’ (cf. Psalm 121:4).
In the morning we pray that the LORD will ‘arise’ and go before us, and ‘scatter’ those who oppose His cause (cf. Psalm 68:1). But the ultimate rising up and scattering is fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 2:14).
Again, when he says, “Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel” (NUMBERS 10:36), it is not that He has left them: for He has promised, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee’ (cf. Hebrews 13:5).
In the evening, it is good to lie down assured of the LORD’s continuing presence with us: for ‘so He giveth His beloved sleep’ (cf. Psalm 127:2).
When the Ark of the Covenant comes to rest, this anticipates the presence of the LORD with His church at the end of the age (cf. Revelation 21:3).
2. “And the people were as complainers evil in the ears of the LORD,” begins NUMBERS 11:1. The people were ‘murmuring' against the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:10) - which became an ongoing problem.
“The LORD heard,” even if Moses did not: for the LORD ‘knoweth the secrets of the heart’ (cf. Psalm 44:21).
“And His anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and devoured at the extremity of the camp.”
This caused the people to cry out to Moses, who interceded for them (NUMBERS 11:2). In this Moses is a type of Christ, the Mediator between God and man (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5).
“And the fire subsided.” Just as it was not started by human hand, so it was not extinguished by human hand – showing that the LORD is soon intreated, even when our calamities are the consequence of our own sin.
As a commemoration of what happened there, that place became known as “Taberah” or ‘burning’: “because the fire of the LORD burnt among them” (NUMBERS 11:3). This highlights the danger of a complaining spirit.
C). BAPTISM AND COMMUNION IN THE WILDERNESS.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13.
1. The continuity of Israel and the Church.
The Apostle Paul, a ‘Hebrew of the Hebrews’ (Philippians 3:5), refers to the Gentile and Jewish Christians at Corinth as “brethren” (1 Corinthians 10:1) - thereby indicating the solidarity of all true Christians. Furthermore, he refers to all “our” fathers (1 Corinthians 10:1), thus demonstrating the continuity of Israel and the New Testament community of believers. [The Church is ‘grafted in’ to old Israel (Romans 11:17-18) - but God still has a plan and purpose for the nation of Israel (Romans 11:23-24).]
2. Baptism.
The fathers were all “under the cloud” - the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit - and all passed (dry-shod) “through the sea” (1 Corinthians 10:1). Thus they were all “baptised into Moses” (1 Corinthians 10:2): but they failed to follow through on their commitment. Baptism is not an end in itself, and those who are baptised ‘into Jesus Christ’ are thereby indicating their willingness to follow Him wherever He will lead (Romans 6:3-4).
3. Communion.
The “food” that the fathers all ate (1 Corinthians 10:3), and the “drink” that they all drank (1 Corinthians 10:4) - was at the same time both natural [real physical bread, real physical water], and something beyond the natural [manna from heaven, water from the “Rock” (1 Corinthians 10:4).]
In a similar way, the unleavened bread of the Communion is still bread, and the fruit of the vine is still wine: but for the Christian participation in this simple and symbolic meal goes beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary, beyond the physical to the spiritual, beyond the natural to the supernatural.
4. Jesus is the Rock.
The wilderness may be hard, but Jesus is the “Rock” from whom we receive nourishment for the journey (1 Corinthians 10:4). Jesus is the ‘Rock’ at the beginning of the journey (Exodus 17:6). Jesus is the ‘Rock’ towards journey’s end - where even Moses failed (Numbers 20:8-12).
5. Overthrown in the wilderness.
Of those who left Egypt under Moses, only two entered the promised Land: the rest fell in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:5). We may well be baptised Christians, and partake of Communion regularly: but with some of us, too, the Lord might be displeased.
Five specific sins are mentioned:
“lusting after evil things” (1 Corinthians 10:6);
“idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:7; 1 Corinthians 10:14);
“immorality” (1 Corinthians 10:8);
“tempting Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:9);
“murmuring against the Lord” (1 Corinthians 10:10).
6. Take heed.
These things are recorded as a warning to us, “upon whom the end of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). In other words, the Lord had us in mind when he ‘spoke through the prophets’ (1 Peter 1:12).
The exodus is a ‘type’ of our salvation, and the wilderness wanderings serve to warn us against presumptuousness. “Let the man who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
7. Pass the test.
We are not alone in our temptations - they are common to mankind (1 Corinthians 10:13). The difference is this: that the man Christ Jesus has overcome them all on our behalf. The One who made our ‘exodus’ possible also provides the “way of escape” in the day to day trials of life.
D). THE UNJUST STEWARD.
Luke 16:1-9.
For centuries interpreters have been more than a little puzzled, perplexed and disturbed by the parable of the unjust steward, at the beginning of Luke 16. The Emperor Julian, otherwise known as Julian the Apostate, even tried to use this parable to show that Christianity and its founder was inferior to other religions! Commentators don't necessarily throw much light upon this parable, but we must try.
Luke 16:1. The audience consists of the disciples, and some Pharisees. The rich man in this parable, the Master, may represent God. God has entrusted man with resources, but now accuses man of wasting those resources. God had entrusted Israel with the Word of God, and a mission to the world, but they had squandered their privileges - the Pharisees, for example, justified themselves before men, but God saw their hearts otherwise (Luke 16:15).
Luke 16:2. Man/Israel/the Church/the Christian is called to account before God. What have we done with the resources, physical and spiritual, which He has entrusted to us?
Luke 16:3. Pride!
Luke 16:4. Man seeks by his devices to lay up some security for the future. Sinful man, when found out, seeks to lay up treasures in heaven, but does not know how to go about it.
Luke 16:5-7. Perhaps the debtors trusted enough to believe that this generosity was direct from the master - they might have been evicted if they were found party to a fraud.
Luke 16:8. The unjust steward is not commended for his fraud, but for his thinking on his feet. He trusts that the master is good for the difference, and takes a gamble. Christian man recognises the goodness of his Master, and knows that, whilst his efforts are puny and will always fall short of the mark, his generous beneficiary will make up the shortfall Himself.
Luke 16:9. The device "they may receive you" is a literal translation from the Greek, but consistently bears the meaning in Luke of "you may be received."
# Whilst Christians are in this world, the world's resources are at our disposal to use for God's glory. As we use what we have for the advancement of His kingdom on earth, we are unconsciously laying up the true riches in heaven!
E). THE PRODIGAL SON.
Luke 15:11-32.
In the parable of the prodigal son, the father here has two sons, but one is over-anxious to receive his inheritance.
The illustration steps close to our reality. The Father is God. The son, like Adam, has short-circuited his relationship with his father by wanting too much too soon. And while the prodigal wanders abroad, the father waits patiently at home.
A series of providences brought the younger son to his senses. Recognising his lost-ness, he returned to his father in humility. He was willing to accept the place of a servant rather than a son. And thus returning he found the father rushing out to meet him.
The joy of the father is evident in that he would not let his wayward son get beyond his words of confession. It was enough that the boy was repentant, without his debasing himself.
The best robe was brought out and given to the returning prodigal. A ring was placed on his finger, and shoes on his feet. There was a party, and merrymaking.
The elder brother, imagines himself oh-so-righteous, and presumes that he might tell his father how to treat the wayward brother. Like some today, who cannot abide the idea of sinners being received into the fellowship of the church, and would rather remain aloof from the rejoicing that follows a man’s salvation. Their loss!
CONCLUSION: Having sent His Word (Jesus) and His Spirit, the Father awaits our return. The prodigal is not restored until he humbles himself, and throws himself upon the mercy of the father.
