July 10 ▪ Day 191

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 19:4
Numbers 19–20
Matthew 10
Psalms 7

Verse Focus (Proverbs 19:4)

Wealth attracts many friends,
     but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

Meditation

Proverbs 19:4 says, in the NRSV, “Wealth brings many friends, but the poor are left friendless.” Since friendship is one of the best blessings that God has given us, it’s rather distressing to think that friendship can be merely a function of how much money you have. Of course, this has been the plot of many a television drama — we see the superficiality of relationships among the very wealthy and thereby learn to treasure the modest lifestyle that at least has genuine friendships.

Even though we’ve seen the truth of this proverb play out in drama and in real life, I want to point out that the proverb doesn’t actually say anything at all about money. Yes, financial wealth is one of the ways that we can interpret this proverb. But the proverb may equally be speaking about those who are rich in spirit versus those who are poor in spirit. Those who are kind and generous, those who are outgoing and interested in others — they will have friends. On the other hand, those who are self-centered, mean, or depressed — those unable to invest in relationships — may soon find their friendships shriveling up and dying away.

As Christians, we know God has a special concern for the poor. And one way that we can help the poor — those financially impoverished, those spiritually dry, and those emotionally spent — is through our friendship.

This proverb also reminds me of what Jesus said in Luke 16:9. “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.” Most of us in America are very wealthy. Not by the standards of the uber rich, no, but in terms of the world, yes. Our prosperity comes with a price tag — a responsibility to steward our funds and gifts in a way that honors God. So, keeping Jesus’ words in mind, and understanding how wealth attracts friends, be sure that you are using your abundant life in Christ and the funds you have to build and develop relationships.

Father God, you have blessed us with wealth. Uncounted riches in Christ Jesus, as well as material goods. Help us to use the wealth you have given us to reach out and to build relationships for your kingdom. Give us eyes to see the poor and the heart to help in concrete ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Numbers 19 discusses regulations for purification. The Israelites are to bring a red heifer to the priest Eleazar for a special purification offering. The priest will burn the heifer outside the camp along with some cedarwood, hyssop, and crimson yarn. Someone else — someone who is clean, since the priest became unclean as he dealt with the heifer — will gather the ashes, then he too becomes unclean until evening. The ashes from the purification offering are later mixed with water and used in other purification ceremonies.

The chapter details situations where someone might become unclean by reason of a dead body, as well as the process for purification after such uncleanness.

Numbers 20 begins with the death of Miriam and ends with the death of Aaron. In between comes the story of Moses, Aaron, and the waters of Meribah — a significant event. Also, we learn that Edom refuses Israel passage through their land, even though the Israelites promise they will not take anything from Edom. Still, Edom brings their army, so Israel turns away.

The story of what happens at the waters of Meribah is a familiar occurrence, but the consequences are a bit puzzling. There is no water, so the Israelites start quarreling. (Meribah actually means quarreling.) “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD!” they moan in verse 3. So Moses and Aaron turn to the LORD. His glory appears, and He instructs Moses and Aaron on what to do. God tells them in verse 8, “You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water.”

But Moses is angry at the congregation. He speaks to them harshly. In verse 10, Moses says, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” And then Moses strikes the rock twice with his own staff, and suddenly there is an abundance of water.

Afterward, however, the LORD is displeased with Moses and Aaron. He tells them they will not be the ones to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land “because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites (v. 12).” This reaction seems quite harsh to us, and we struggle to understand what Moses and Aaron did wrong.

Many commentators believe that the problem was that Moses was supposed to speak to the rock, when instead he struck the rock — not once, but twice. Hitting it twice seems to indicate a lack of faith in God’s ability to make the waters flow. Others, however, feel that Moses did what had been expected of him — in Exodus 17 (another time when the Israelites quarreled because there was no water), God had specifically directed Moses to strike the rock with the staff that he had used in Egypt.

Others point out that perhaps the problem related to Aaron’s staff that had budded and blossomed. They note that a close reading of the text implies that they were to take the staff from in front of the ark of the testimony (where they were when the glory of the LORD appeared) and take that staff with them to the rock. When God had made this staff bud and produce fruit, He had told them that the staff was a sign for the people to look at so that they would not rebel or complain (Numbers 17:10). But the text seems to indicate that Moses and Aaron did what God commanded concerning the staff (v. 9).

Still other commentators point to what Moses said to the Israelites in verse 10. “Must we bring water out of this rock for you,” Moses asked. It was not Moses and Aaron who would produce the water, but the LORD God. But Moses’ language — saying “we” — seems to take the credit for this miracle themselves.

Others conclude that there was nothing overtly wrong in Moses’ implementation of God’s instructions. Rather, they see this incident as a failure of leadership. Instead of defending God to begin with, they ran straight to the Tabernacle and prostrated themselves. They showed cowardice, and lack of faith.

Psalm 106:32-33 says, “They angered the LORD at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered because of them, for they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.” Psalm 95 also mentions this incident, saying, in verse 7 and 8, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as at Meribah.” From these Scriptures, we can conclude that, whether or not there was a failure to follow God’s instructions, Moses and Aaron’s hearts were not in the right place. And this bitterness of spirit, this hardness of heart, caused them not to trust God. They did not speak of God’s glory or His holiness. It did not occur to them to use Aaron’s special staff until they were directed to do so (even though God had provided this provision in advance of this latest rebellion). Nor, apparently, did they credit Him or thank Him for His provision of the water. And for these reasons, God made it clear to them that they would not lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the 12 apostles to preach that the kingdom of God is near. “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons,” he tells them in verse 8. And I see that I was wrong when I commented three days ago that I did not think there were any commands in the Bible about casting out demons. (In defense of my memory, one could argue that most of Jesus’ instructions in this passage were rescinded later on — but that seems like shaky ground. I’ll admit my error, but I stand by my point that casting out demons, in and of itself, is not proof that one belongs to Christ.)

When I read this passage asking myself what I learn about God, the first verse that strikes me is the second half of verse 8. “Freely you have received, freely give.” In a nutshell, this is what God is like. He gives to us generously. He does not ask us to pay Him for the blessings He bestows. We do not pay for air or sunshine, we do not have to buy family, friends, or community. We receive salvation freely, as a gift. We receive God’s mercy. In turn, He asks that we also be generous. He asks that we have compassion — that we meet the needs of others without asking for recompense.

In verse 13, Jesus speaks about the places where the disciples will stay when they are out preaching the good news. “If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.” Most see this as simply referring to the Hebrew greeting of Shalom (peace) that the apostles will give as they enter a home (v. 12). But I can’t help but think of how Jesus gives us special peace. He gives us God’s peace — the peace that passes understanding. And as we share the good news, we can also share this peace. We can pass it on.

This tells me something about the nature of God. That we can share His blessings. That we have a small measure of authority to pass on God’s peace. I’m not articulating this well. But I think it’s somewhat remarkable that we have an intangible piece of God that we can give to others. God is Spirit. He exists everywhere and all at once. And yet somehow we can give Him, or a part of His Spirit to someone else. Maybe it’s not that we are really giving God away, but that somehow, through our actions, the other person opens up more to receive the God who is already present.

In verse 20, Jesus says, “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Again, this is remarkable to understand that God works through us, even when we don’t realize it. Paul tells us that our bodies are the temple of God. God may use us as vessels of His mercy and grace. We are not God. We are separate from Him. And yet, through Jesus Christ, we can have a union with Him. We can cooperate with Him and be used by Him. And that’s pretty astonishing when you think about it.

In Psalm 7, David prays to the LORD who is righteous. He asks God to save him from wicked men, and from his enemies. He counts on God because He represents justice. God is just, and He judges mankind. He establishes the righteous; He saves the upright in heart. Verse 9 speaks about God as the one who tests “minds and hearts.” Another translations says that God “examines the thoughts and emotions.” Or, as The Passion Translation (TPT) says, God is the “soul-searcher.”

We know that God can see the inner person — that He understands our motives. Clearly, as we learned today with Moses in Numbers, God sees into the hearts of people. He is able to discern and judge. And He is also perfectly just. When I think about God, I usually think of Him as Father, or as the Creator. But I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how God understands us intimately. He sees the conflicts, hurts, emotions, fears, and joys hidden inside each person. We may be confused about ourselves and what we desire, but God sees the truth. And despite seeing the truth, despite seeing darkness inside our souls, God loves us and works to transform us into the image of His Son.

When God tests people, when He tests our minds and hearts, it’s one way that He refines us. It’s like He’s sifting out the good and bad, separating the darkness and teaching us to trust Him more and more. It’s not an easy process, but there are eternal rewards.

Father God, I thank you that you are the Judge and the Soul-Searcher. I thank you that you see into our hearts and minds and that you refine us with compassion and mercy. Thank you for how you are able to use us for your kingdom. May we bring honor to your name in all that we say and do. Please keep us from having a hardened heart or a bitter spirit, but renew us by the power of Jesus’ blood. We pray in his name, Amen.