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Kirkers Read: The Smoking Crater of Unbelief

Ben Zornes on

The book of Numbers opens and closes with a census. The Lord had brought them to the cusp of entering the land He had promised to the Patriarchs, and before they entered the land Moses recounts the ordering of the host of Israel. However, what follows is a series of rebellions, culminating in the great apostasy in Numbers 13-14. Ten of the twelve spies who had been sent to spy out the land, came back and reported that though the land was as God had promised, the difficulty in taking it would be too great. It states that they slandered the land which the Lord was giving to them (Num. 14:36).
    The consequence of their unbelief is forty years of wandering, until the entire generation whose faith failed had fallen in the wilderness. At the end of Numbers we have the “re-ordering” of the tribes, as they prepare, once more, to enter the Promised Land. Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, we see that God does not fail to preserve his people and be faithful to His promise. He accompanies them, through all their wanderings as a fiery cloud above them. Paul sees this as a baptism into Christ.
    In fact, Paul cites Israel’s murmurings in his lengthy argument against the Corinthian church’s division and disunity. Israel was a partaker of Christ (1 Cor. 10:1-4), however, their numerous rebellions are a warning. Paul reminds them that all the judgements that happened to Israel for their various sins were for the Corinthians admonition (1 Cor. 10:11). “Do not be like unbelieving Israel,” is Paul’s main rhetorical point. Do not murmur. Do not be idolators. Do not fornicate. Cling––in unity––to the Gospel which Paul had preached unto them.
    Paul mentions that the murmuring of Israel brought the consequence of being “destroyed of the destroyer.” The Lord threatened to destroy the entire congregation as one man. Moses interceded, and while God spared the people (Num. 14:12-19), destruction met their murmuring nonetheless. Most obviously, the ten spies fell down dead of the plague (Num. 14:37). However, it is also of note that the next day Israel attempted to enter Canaan anyway. This faithless venture was met with destruction (Num. 14:45) at the hand of the Amalekites whom they had so feared. Murmuring always ends in a smoking heap of destruction.

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Grace & Peace: Revelation 117

Douglas Wilson on

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:18-21).

Because the book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible, and because many have come to think of it as one single book, instead of being a library of 66 books, not a few have taken this final malediction to be referring to anyone who messes around with the contents of Scripture. No doubt that is *also* a bad thing to do, but the curse that is stated here is a curse that applies to the contents of the book of Revelation itself. The reference is to this book, and a particular feature of the Apocalypse all the plagues of the book are specifically mentioned and applied.

Now what is true of the parts also happens to be true of the whole. If someone ought not tamper with the book of Revelation, it would not be good to tamper with the books that came before. This is a scriptural way of thinking.

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you (Deut. 4:2).

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it (Deut. 12:32).

Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar (Prov. 30:6).

The malediction is for those who adjust the content of the Scriptures to suit themselves. It should not be applied to those who disagree with us about the precise meaning of the seventh bowl of wrath.

If a person supplements this revelation with his own thoughts, then God will supplement him with all the plagues mentioned. If someone takes away from this revelation on the basis of his own wisdom, then God will take away his portion of the Book of Life, and his portion in the holy city, and from the things (e.g. blessings) that are mentioned in this book. This does not mean that someone can be removed from Gods roster of the elect. But it does mean removal from the covenanted and visible church, and all the blessings that pertain to it.

The one who testifies to these things that is, the Lord Jesus says that He is coming quickly. John responds with a heartfelt invitation even so, come, Lord Jesus. And the book concludes with a simple but glorious benediction. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

And amen.

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Kirkers Read: Seeing Christ in Leviticus

Ben Zornes on

Henry Law once wrote this about the book of Leviticus, “The main lesson of this Book is Christ. He is the light and luster of each part. To read aright, is to walk up and down with Him. Have we thus found? Is He more deeply engrafted in our hearts? Is He more closely enshrined within our thoughts? Has He become the mainspring of our being? Have we no longer any mind but His? Christ is the juice—the life—the heart-blood of Leviticus. If it instruct not thus, the veil is on the reader’s mind. He gropes in darkness amid glorious rays.”

We must not think that the Levitical laws were sort of a failed venture on God’s part. It’s not as if He came up with a temporary fix that didn’t quite end up working out. Rather, God, being sovereign over history orchestrated these sacrifices, festivals, and ordinances in order to reveal our need for Christ. A vital doctrine is distilled from Moses’ Law: the three uses of the Law. First, the Law is a restraint on evil; in this way the Law functions as God’s border patrol for mankind. Secondly, the bright holiness of the Law functions to reflect back to mankind his deadness & depravity; it is like a mirror which shows us the truth about ourselves. Third, it reveals Christ, the only righteous man who not only died in our place, but also imputes His righteousness to us, by faith. The whole point of Leviticus is to get Israel to see that their only hope was if God delivered them through the Messiah. That is our only hope as well.

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Grace & Peace: Revelation 116

Douglas Wilson on

“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:16-17).

Jesus famously asked the Jews how David could have called the Messiah Lord when the Messiah was to be descended from David (Matt. 22:42, 45). How could David’s son be someone that David himself would bow down to? We have the same issue here. Jesus had sent His angel to testify to the churches all the contents of this book, and here at the conclusion, He says I am the root and the offspring of David. He is the root of David, the one from whom David arose, and he is also the offspring of David, the one who descended from the line of David.

In addition, Jesus claims that He Himself is the bright and morning star. This morning star was the planet Venus, often visible as the last of the stars in the morning. He had promised the saints in Thyatira that He would give them the morning star (Rev. 2:28), which means that He will give them Himself. Peter had used the same imagery when he said that the hope of believers would be realized when the day dawns, and the morning star would arise in their hearts (2 Pet. 1:19).

An invitation to come is then issued, and it is worth asking to whom the invitation is directed. Is it a prayer for the Lord Jesus to come? He had promised a short time before to come quickly (vv. 7, 12). And right after this, John prays that the Lord would come quickly (v. 20). It would be easy to assume that this is making the same point. But this appears to be a different invitationan invitation to the one who is thirsty. The one who desires to partake of the water of life is invited to come and drink from the water of life. This appears to be an evangelistic invitation. The Spirit issues the invitation, and the bride of Christ gives the same invitation. Furthermore, the one who hears the words of this book adds his *amen* to it.

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Kirkers Read: Worshipping God Aright

Ben Zornes on

As we get to what is often esteemed as the more tedious books of the Bible (i.e. Leviticus) it is imperative for us to remember who this God who is making these demands regarding how His people worship Him. Remember that Leviticus is a worship manual for God’s people. We confess that, “There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory (WCF Ch.II Sec.1).” This is the God whom we worship.

Now, since God is the Creator of the world, and since He has called us, His people, to worship Him, we should remember to worship Him according to His prescriptions and not according to our whims. Worship is not a flailing emotional catharsis for the worshipper. Rather, as Paul tells us, it is our reasonable service unto the God who has mercifully saved us (Rom. 12:1-2). Again, as the Westminster Confession puts it, “To him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, He is pleased to require of them (WCF Ch.II Sec.2).”

So as you read Leviticus, along with Hebrews, remember that what is presented in shadowy form in the Levitical sacrifices and ceremonies are presented in Hebrews as the glorious midday sun. One Puritan described Leviticus as looking at someone you know and love dearly but with a veil over their face. Because you know Christ, you can discern His form and features through the veil of the Mosaic Law and Ordinances. Remember that the worship God demanded in Leviticus has not changed, but the sacrifice has changed. We still come to God through the mediatorial blood of another, but under the New Covenant, we come through the blood of the Lamb of God. We come through the blood of a sacrifice who rose back to life and ever pleads our cause before the Father. We worship God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Ghost.

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