What's Done is Done

A few posts ago I talked about what I was learning in the book of Numbers. Well, I am still in the book of Numbers. It is one of those books that take a while to get through. Although it takes a while there is so much to be learned from Moses, Aaron, Miriam, the Israelites and all the other history in there. Today I read a huge chunk (chapters 11-17). There is so much in there it is hard to pick just one little area to tell you about, but I will try J.

Reading through the book of Numbers there is a common theme to be displayed, whining and complaining. The Israelites always found something to whine and complain about. In chapter 11 they complain about not having meat and only eating manna. The LORD said, “You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying, ‘Why did we come out of Egypt?’” (Numbers 11:19-20). Then in chapter 13 the LORD tells Moses and Aaron to send out spies into the land of Canaan. They send out the spies and come back with conflicting reports. By chapter 14 the people are rebelling and trying to fix problems their own way, which ends in the deaths of many. Then in chapter 16 you are introduced to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who start a rebellion and have 250 followers. This rebellion ends with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram’s families and possessions being swallowed whole by God opening up the ground. Those who followed in the rebellion were plagued and died. Yet, every single time the Israelites began to rebel or whine or complain, Moses interceded for them in prayer. When he spoke with the LORD about all of these he begged God to spare their lives. Why? Why would he want the lives spared of such men?

I honestly believe because of Moses’ relationship with God he understood the meaning of being separated eternally from God. He valued his relationship with God so much and knew God’s character well enough that when he would labor for them in prayer and when he would have those conversations with God, he knew if the people were not spared they might not end up on the good side of eternity. He loved God deeply and passionately. Moses’ love for God was evident in his dealings with the Israelites. He had such an intimate relationship with God and wanted others to have the same. He did not want to see his people perish. Moses was the meekest man on the face of the Earth (Numbers 12:3) and yet he spoke to God about some of the most difficult subjects. He had a health fear of God but was also the only one speaking to God face-to-face as friends or brothers would. Moses loved God more than anything else. He had such a deep understanding of being separated from God that no one else at that time seemed to understand.

Moses understood that this was worth fighting for, he was constantly fighting for the wrath of God to be held back from the Israelites. He labored in prayer for their salvation. He begged God. At one point he told God he could no longer bear the burden alone that the people had placed upon him. God brought 70 men into his life and “took some of the spirit that had been placed on him and shared it with the 70 elders,” (Numbers 11:25). He did not make Moses carry the burden alone (this particular verse is in reference to the whining/complaining the Israelites were doing over not having meat), God shared Moses’ burdens with the elders. God loved (loves) Moses and when Moses requested things from God He responded. God knew Moses’ heart in these situations and Moses knew that God did not want the Israelites to perish.

God did not force the Israelites to obey Him, just as He does not force us to obey Him now. He does not want us to be robots, He gave us free will and emotions and a brain for a reason. He wants us to use them for His glory. When we do not seek out His glory and do His will, there are consequences. He knows what it means to be separated from Him, He is all knowing and completely 100% knows what Hell is like and what separation from Him is like. We do not have a very good grasp on this. Everything to us currently, here on this earth, is temporary. We do not fully grasp the gravity of eternity. An eternity with God is fan-friggin-tastic. An eternity without God is far beyond what words can describe. Not just that, but I cannot describe it because I have not experienced it, and thank the LORD that I will not have to experience that.

Think about all the people you know that do not know Christ. Think about the eternal suffering they will have without Christ. Things on this earth may be fun and temporary, but once they die there is no such thing as temporary. Their fate will be sealed with the kiss of death. When they die there is no more sharing the gospel with them, no more praying that they might come to know Christ, there is no more… what’s done is done. Sharing the gospel with family and friends may be difficult (extremely difficult) and they may not understand that by you sharing with them is you saying you love them. They do not understand what it means to be without Christ for eternity, heck you and I do not understand that fully either. This I do know, scripture says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It also says that they will thirst and have nothing to quench their thirst, they will beg for a drop of water and yet we will not be able to give them the tiniest bit of relief. Their fate has been sealed once they leave this earth. Labor in prayer for your loved ones and share your faith with them.

Paul wrote in Philemon 6, “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” The “book” of Philemon, the whole one page of it, is a letter from Paul to Philemon in regards to Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave who had stolen from Philemon. Onesimus came to know the LORD and Paul was sending him back to Philemon, he offered to pay Philemon back for anything/everything Onesimus took from him. The letter was his plea for Philemon to accept Onesimus back. Verse 6 sticks out as such an encouragement from the whole book. “I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective…” Paul understood just like Moses understood. Paul had his set of misfortunes and his run ins with people who whined and complained. Paul continued praying and laboring no matter what. Both Moses and Paul dearly loved the LORD with all their heart, mind, and soul. From the point of their conversion until their death, they lived to please the LORD. Yes, they were human and they still sinned but they lived in a manner that was pleasing to God. They got it, they understood that being separated from God for eternity was the worst possible thing anyone could ever imagine. They did anything and everything they could to push everyone they could toward Christ. These men were great men of the faith, as were many other men in history. I pray for you, whoever you are, that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. Moses labored in prayer and in deed for the souls of men to be won for Christ. He did not do it for self-gain, He did it for Christ’s gain. He did it because he loved them and loved the LORD. Paul labored in prayer and in deed for the souls of men to be won for Christ. Paul too did not do this for self-gain, but for the gain of Christ. Paul too did this because He loved them and loved the LORD.

Bless others with Christ’s love. Christ loved the world so much that He came and died for the world. Share that love with those that you love …