Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for February 2

ARE YOU A SAD-YOU-SEE?

From: February 2, 2024

‘But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”‘ (Matthew 22:29 ESV).

Jesus rebuked the Sadducees for not knowing God’s Word, nor God’s power. Who were the Sadducees? They were a Jewish religious sect that existed during the first century and consisted of a wealthy ruling class of priests that were often seen as allies of the Romans. They claimed to be Torah only followers, rejecting the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. They denied the after-life, the resurrection, the existence of angels, and a final judgment. They mostly saw the Scriptures as a basis for morality and no more.

The way I was taught to remember the Sadducees in Sunday School was that since they didn’t believe in the resurrection, they were “sad-you-see.” I think we have a lot of “sad-you-sees” in our world today.

Christ’s correction of the Sadducees is an apt warning for today. For we are a generation of biblically illiterate and spiritually impotent people. Let us repent of our self-inflicted ignorance and dependence on weak and worldly things. For we have God’s Word and we have been given the Holy Spirit. Let us therefore be diligent to study God’s Word and to continually rely on the filling of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help us to grow as students of Your Word. Transform and renew our minds as Your Spirit applies the Scriptures to our thinking. We would think with the mind of Christ on all things. Empower us to live for You today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

THIS ROCK AND FOUNTAIN POINT TO CHRIST

From: February 2, 2023

“I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink” (Exodus 17:6 NLT).

The people of Israel complained of thirst, threatening to stone Moses for leading them into the desert. Moses brought their complaint to the Lord and the Lord answered. God told Moses to take his rod and some of the elders with him as witnesses, and to strike the rock at Horeb, and water sufficient for the people would come forth. Moses obeyed the Lord. Some have tried to estimate the amount of water it would have taken to quench the thirst of so vast a people with all of their flocks. Suffice it to say, the water would have had to gush forth like a great fountain to have met everyone’s need.

The apostle Paul wrote that this “Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). In other words, the rock was a Spiritual Rock, a Christological Type, pointing to its fulfillment in Jesus. For He was “struck” for us that living water unto eternal life might pour forth to those who believed. The Israelites had their thirst quenched by the waters from the rock at Horeb that day. Yet, their thirst returned the next day. But those who have drunk from the Spiritual Rock, which is Christ, will thirst no more.

For Christ has said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for Your provision. All things are ours in Christ. Our thirst is quenched. Our hunger sated. We are satisfied in You. Yet, we would ask for more, more of You, O Lord. Fill us afresh this day with Your Holy Spirit that we might follow in Your footsteps all day long. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“After leaving Marah, the Israelites traveled on to the oasis of Elim, where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.” (Exodus 15:27 NLT).

From: February 2, 2022

WHY TAKE NOTE OF NUMBERS IN GOD’S WORD?

As they traveled on, the Israelites came to Elim, an oasis located along the Eastern side of the Red Sea near the desert of Sin. It must have been a wonderful sight for the weary travelers as they saw twelve springs and a grove of seventy palm trees! So of course, they made camp in this place of water and shade.

That Moses took note of the number of springs and palms seems significant. Twelve springs, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. And seventy palm trees, the same number of persons in Jacob’s house that had first moved to Egypt some 400 years earlier. Seventy was also the number of the Israelite elders appointed by Moses. I think Moses and the Israelites must have been as encouraged by these numbers as they were by the water and shade.

Numbers continue to be significant throughout the Bible. For God knows every detail of His creation. And God values each of His creatures, especially us. Consider what Jesus said about numbers and us: “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Luke 12:7).

So God prepared a place of sustenance and shade for His people Israel that even the numbers of springs and palms were carefully prepared by Him.

Can you name the occasions when the numbers 12 and 70 are found in the New Testament?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we love how you met the needs of Your people in the Bible. More than that, we love how you always meet our needs too. The numbers were like Your signature on the gift card. How awesome You are, O Lord! We give You thanks and glory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters” (Exodus 15:27 NKJV).

From: February 2, 2020

WHY ARE THESE NUMBERS SIGNIFICANT?

As they traveled on, the Israelites came to Elim, an oasis located along the Eastern side of the Red Sea near the desert of Sin. It must have been a wonderful sight for the weary travelers as they saw 12 wells of water and a grove of 70 palm trees! So of course, they made camp in this place of water and shade.

That Moses took note of the number of wells and palms seems significant. Twelve wells of water, one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. And seventy palm trees, the same number of persons in Jacob’s house that had first moved to Egypt some 400 years earlier. Seventy was also the number of the Israelite elders appointed by Moses. I think Moses and the Israelites must have been as encouraged by these numbers as they were by the water and shade.

These numbers continue to be significant in the New Testament. Can you name the occasions when the numbers 12 and 70 are found in the NT?

PRAYER: Dear Father, we love how you met the needs of Your people in the Bible. More than that, we love how you always meet our needs too. The numbers were like Your signature on the gift card. How awesome You are, O Lord! We give You thanks and glory! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink” (Exodus 17:6 NLT).

From: February 2, 2019

THIS ROCK AND FOUNTAIN POINT TO CHRIST

The people of Israel complained of thirst, threatening to stone Moses for leading them into the desert. Moses brought their complaint to the Lord and the Lord answered. God told Moses to take his rod and some of the elders with him as witnesses, and to strike the rock at Horeb, and water sufficient for the people would come forth. Moses obeyed the Lord. Some have tried to estimate the amount of water it would have taken to quench the thirst of so vast a people with all of their flocks. Suffice it to say, the water would have had to gush forth like a great fountain to have met everyone’s need.

The apostle Paul wrote that this “Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). In other words, the rock was a Spiritual Rock, a Christological Type, pointing to its fulfillment in Jesus. For He was “struck” for us that living water unto eternal life might pour forth to those who believed. The Israelites had their thirst quenched by the waters from the rock at Horeb that day. Yet, their thirst returned the next day. But those who have drunk from the Spiritual Rock, which is Christ, will thirst no more.

For Christ has said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for Your provision. All things are ours in Christ. Our thirst is quenched. Our hunger sated. We are satisfied in You. Yet, we would ask for more, more of You, O Lord. Fill us afresh this day with Your Holy Spirit that we might follow in Your footsteps all day long. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan” (Exodus 16:35 NLT).

From: February 2, 2018

THIS MANNA POINTS TO CHRIST

The Lord faithfully supplied the Israelites with manna every morning, except on the Sabbath, for forty years. It was always just enough for that day, except on the sixth day when the Lord gave them enough for two days to allow them to rest on the Sabbath. In this way, the Lord taught them to depend on Him for life.

We hear an echo of this in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). Jesus taught his disciples to pray for that day’s bread, just as the Israelites had learned. Not next week’s, nor next year’s bread, just pray for today’s bread. Learn to depend on the Lord for daily life.

We hear the fulfillment of this in Christ’s declaration, “I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:35). For Christ is the true Bread of Heaven come down to give everlasting life to those who believe on Him.

“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6 NKJV).

From: February 2, 2017

The people of Israel complained of thirst, threatening to stone Moses for leading them into the desert. Moses brought their complaint to the Lord and the Lord answered. God told Moses to take his rod and some of the elders with him as witnesses, and to strike the rock at Horeb, and water sufficient for the people would come forth. Moses obeyed the Lord. Some have tried to estimate the amount of water it would have taken to quench the thirst of so vast a people with all of their flocks. Suffice it to say, the water would have had to gush forth like a great fountain to have met everyone’s need. The apostle Paul wrote that this “Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4). In other words, the rock was a Spiritual Rock, a Christological Type, pointing to its fulfillment in Jesus. For He was “struck” for us that living water unto eternal life might pour forth to those who believed. The Israelites had their thirst quenched by the waters from the rock at Horeb that day. Yet, their thirst returned the next day. But those who have drunk from the Spiritual Rock, which is Christ, will thirst no more. For Christ has said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

‘But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”‘ (Matthew 22:29 ESV)

From: February 2, 2016

Jesus rebuked the Sadducees for their lack of knowledge of God’s Word and power. The Sadducees were a Jewish religious sect that was primarily interested in political power. They affirmed only the five books of Moses, rejected the prophets, the writings and the resurrection. Christ’s correction of the Sadducees is an apt warning for today. For we are a generation of biblically illiterate and spiritually impotent people. Repent. Study God’s Word. Be filled with the Spirit.

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple (Psalm 27:4 NKJV)

From: February 2, 2015

Those who would learn to pray will find help in the psalms. In this Davidic psalm we learn to focus our prayers on knowing God and enjoying His presence, rather than just bringing Him our laundry list of wants. Those who learn to pray, seeking God’s face, will find that their requests are already satisfied in Him. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

“They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29)

From: February 2, 2014

The day, the month and the year are all times determined by man’s observations of the heavenly bodies. But the Sabbath is a gift from God given by revelation. The 7-day week is not determined by the sun and moon, but by God’s Word. In it He reminds us that He created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh. He wants us to rest one day out of seven to remind us of His creation and care, showing our ultimate dependence on Him. The Sabbath not only points to God’s past creation, and His care for His people in the wilderness; it also points to Christ’s fulfillment. For Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. He was crucified on the sixth day, rested on the seventh and rose again on the first day of the new week. Now those who place their faith in Christ may enter His Sabbath rest. He has finished the work of salvation and there is nothing left for us to do, except to rest by faith in it.