Kwame's Gleanings from Numbers Chap 4

My good friend and brother in Christ, Kwame, has been exchanging emails with me almost daily as he reads his way through Numbers with the help of one of my favorite teachers, Matthew Henry. I love his remarks so much they seem blog worthy that we all may benefit.

It has been my experience that reading whole books from Henry is very profitable. I praise God to this day that nearly 20 years ago I followed Matthew Henry through Job. He helped me immensely, so that a book that often confused me is now a great blessing. I have a good friend that advised an earnest inquirer to just buy Matthew Henry and start reading from the Psalms. If you don't have a set, go get one, and buy the full multi-volume unabridged.

Kwame on Numbers Chapter 4:

Even cooler applications still in the commentary about chapter 4. In reading I can see the unchanging nature of God, the care for what is His is absolutely amazing even as He tells us he will never leave us...you know that that is truth! The coverings for the holy things, the carrying of them, the presence of the tabernacle with the people whereever they went signifying how He instructs us to utterly value the truths and doctrines and how our lives where ever we may be, should have the presence and evidence of the divine God about us because we are His temple(2 Cor 6:16) and tabernacle (2Cor 5:1). With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible.

After I read Kwame's email above, I was especially intrigued to discuss further with him on his final statement: "Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible." I wrote to him as follows:

"This is a very important understanding which has helped me greatly in comprehending the purpose of the Old Covenant. Not that it was salvific. Not that they were saved under the law in the Old and now by grace in the New. But that it stood to do what you describe in this way:

"With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

What you say in that sentence is what I found in Galatians concerning the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. That is, as one who watches over Israel until the fullness of time when Christ should come, the law protected and kept separate from the nations the Jewish people to whom charge was given of the oracles of God, thus preserving "the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

To this Kwame responded:

"Amen and amen."

Kwame's Gleanings from Numbers Chap 5

Kwame finding much joy and insight reading his way through the book of Numbers has been emailing me some of his observations. Previously I posted an email on his over all take so far through the first five chapters, today I thought I would pass on something he wrote me derived from Numbers Chapter Five. click here for previous post

This morning I read some of commentary (Matthew Henry's) notes on Chapter 5. Maintaining the purity of the camp is stressed in chapter 5 and Matthew Henry talked about the need for the church to be kept pure. He mentioned how "the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable" Also the church must "separate between the precious and the vile, and purge out scandalous persons, as old leaven" This very thing God would do on the great day as He "will thoroughly purge his floor" Rev 21:27

There was a lot more but this is just a taste for this morning. Just adding to your desire to taste-that-which-is-good.

kwame

Precious Truths in the book of Numbers

My good friend and brother in Christ, Kwame, has been exchanging emails with me almost daily as he reads his way through Numbers with the help of one of my favorite teachers, Matthew Henry. He is finding much gospel in Numbers. I asked him, to explain.

Following is Kwame's email response to my question -- I enjoyed it so much I'm pasting it below. I would add that as I am currently reading through Exodus, I want to be very careful to learn and to see Christ - which sometimes is difficult for me. When I read of the showbread - do I see Christ the bread life? When I read of the Manna from heaven, do I see Christ who came from heavenly glory who is my daily bread? When I read of the veil separating the Most Holy from the Holy do I see Christ through whom alone we must come to the Father? When I read of the angel of death who passes over Egypt, do I see Christ whose blood covers and protects me from eternal judgment? When I read of the Sabbath rest, do I see Christ in whom I may rest from my own sinful works? Sometimes this is easy, but often I get lost in the "taches" and "knops" and fail to find Christ and fail to properly hear with understanding the Word of God to His Glory.

SO WITH THIS IN MIND Here is the Email I received from KWAME in hopes that OUR READING MAY BE EDIFIED IN CHRIST.

Wow that is a great question and I would love to just briefly type some of the awesome things that I have come to learn as it pertains to Numbers. I have only read chapters 1 - 5.

I wish i could list all the verses thus far but I would write these down off the top of my head anyway.

Numbers is about God!
Numbers is about God's word
Numbers is about God's holiness
Numbers is about God's power and sovereignty
Numbers is about God fulfilling his promises
Numbers is about God's election of a people
Numbers is about God's commission to man
Numbers is about man's need for God our Saviour
Numbers is about life being a warfare
Numbers is about God's work that man is to do
Numbers is about man's fellowship with family
Numbers is about the protection/preservation of holy precious things
Numbers is about the purity of this tabernacle/temple
Numbers is about God's redemption of those who are His
Numbers is about roles and leadership
Numbers is about army formations and processions
Numbers is about the truth of that first commandment to children that has a promise
Numbers is about God's provision for forgiveness of sin

As you already know, it's full of Gospel!

I0216-ReadingTogether

This post is part of our group read of the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. First some observations by Kwame, then a little notice on some changes/helps I've tried to add to the blog.

Kwame wrote:
I like how Calvin points out the importance of pondering over what brings glory to God and leads to edification and his warning to avoid vain questions that may even be blasphemous.

Also, as he fears to even use examples outside of scripture to illustrate or explain answers, it is not surprising that his answers are so scriptural.

Kwame, I appreciate both these observations and hope I retain them in my memory and practice. Oh God, that I would be careful to answer not with a "I think.." but "The scriptures say... God's Word reveals..."

Brothers, really enjoying reading Institutes together with each of you.

FYI: all blog entries that are related to our reading together (which is most blog entries) will be titled beginning with an "I" followed by the month and day of the entry. For example this entry begins with I0216. Which you can read as "Institutes February 16th." Also, I reedited all blog posts entered thus far and changed the title to follow this example. Plus I added Labels to each post. I will try to use meaningful labels but especially wanted to note that I am adding the name (first name only) of the individual who wrote the entry into the Label list.

I0108-The Institutes and the Faith Movement

Kwame, writes in below with quote and an application:


Really enjoying the institutes. I typed out the final paragraph on Method and arrangements:

"Man being at first created upright, but afterwards being not partially but toally ruined, finds his entire salvation out of himself in Christ, to whom being united by the Holy Spirit freely given, without any foresight of future works, he thereby obtains a double blessing- viz. full imputation of righteousness, which goes along with us even to the grave, and the commencement of sanctification, which daily advances till at length it is perfected in the day of regeneration or resurrection of the body, and this, in order that the great mercy of God may be celebrated in the heavenly mansions throughout eternity. Pg 30"

I liked a comment from Calvin in "address to the French King" about Catholicism.

"He, accordingly, who is most anxious about his stomach, proves the fiercest champion of his faith. In short, the object on which all to a man are bent, is to keep their kingdom safe or their belly filled; not one gives even the smallest sign of sincere zeal. Pg 7 and 8"

I am trying to apply this to the faith movement where all they care about is prosperity and as such their zeal for self aggrandizement which is mistakenly taken to mean "mountain moving faith in Christ" does not "'give even the smallest sign of sincere zeal."