7.16.25 ~ New Heights and Depths

Good morning!

I am back in Michigan and have access to the internet again. Good morning! Though you haven't received studies over the past week, you have been prayed for and I hope your passion for the Lord is daily rising to new heights.

The first generation of the wilderness journey were passive; recipients of God's goodness around every bend. Since their passing, the second generation has been called to action! The final temptation before entering into the Land has come and gone. Some passed the test and 24,000 failed.

Prior to Phineas heroic gesture, in stopping the plague, the sexual and idolatrous debacle had already been active through the encounter at Baal-Peor, the Moabite women, and Balaam's suggestion initiated, where God commanded Moses to take the heads of the leaders and hang  the heads of all the participants towards the sun so that God's wrath will be turned away (Num. 25:1-5).

The average person would think that adverse response to Israel's rebellion would stop this deviant behavior, but nope! Zimri and Cozbi took it to a whole new level (Num. 25:6-18).

In this week's Torah portion, Pinchas (Num. 25-30:1), we have zealotry for Yahweh and the inheritance; a topic that should never leave our minds and actions.

Over the years we have learned that the journey of the children of Israel is given to the last day believers as a pattern for our journey and what we can expect along the way (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 9:24-10:11).

As with the final temptation at Baal-Peor, STD's (Spiritually Transmitted Diseases) didn't slow down our modern day sexual appetites. AIDS didn't slow down our modern day sexual perversion.  Modern day abortion laws, and as my family saw in Provincetown, Mass LGBTQia+ socialization isn't slowing down, movies, advertisements, social media have only increased our deviant behaviors to new heights and now human sex trafficking is the latest reusable drug for financial gain and part of the final test before entering into the Promised Land.

This week's Torah portion teaches us that God's view of the atrocities that happen to His children are equal to those actions against God Himself and they will be avenged (Num. 31:1-4; Matt. 25:40,45).

Just as vengeance will be taken out on wickedness, righteousness will be rewarded (Let me encourage you to look up each Scripture ...then pick out a couple that jump of the page, put them on a sticky note or 3x5 notecard and meditate on it through the day :-) Matt. 16:27; 13:41,49; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Job 34:11; Psa. 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Isa. 3:10,11; Jer. 17:10; 32:19; Rom. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:10; Eph. 6:8; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 22:12-15; etc).

The question that lies before us today, on this 46th day of counting towards the first fruit of the wine, will I be zealous enough to know the heart and mind of God followed with decisive action?

Pursue righteousness (Matt. 6:33)!

Shalom!
Alan

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