Calendar:May 16th to June 15th.
DAILY BIBLE READING:………May 16th, Num. 20; May 31st, Num. 35; June 15th, Deut. 14.
MEMORY WORK:………………James 1:21-2:13.
GOOD READING:"Abraham My Friend," being suggestive thoughts for young Christians. By Herbert W. Taylor, paper covers, 25 cents.
MONTHLY QUESTION:-What lessons do you learn from the oracles of Balaam?
Our Daily Bible Reading
This month we finish Numbers and get well into Deuteronomy. A note of time is given in Num. 20:1. It is evidently the first month of the last year of Israel's desert-wandering. Notice that in Num. 10:11 we are told of Israel starting from Sinai in the 2d month of the 2d year after leaving Egypt. Before the close of that year the people had refused to go into the land, and Jehovah then announced the 40 years of wandering. Little do we know about the 37 years which intervened between Num., chaps. 14-19. Practically, the only information is found in Num., chaps. 15-19, and in chap. 33, a list of their journeys is given.
The time of Deuteronomy's history begins with the 11th month of the 40th year (chap. 1:3). At its close, Moses dies, and there is a month of mourning (34:5-8). Jordan is crossed in the first month of the next year-the 41st (Josh. 4:19).
It is interesting to follow the times that the Spirit of God has thus carefully marked out; it shows that the Bible was written with historical accuracy.
From Num. 20 we really commence the history of the new generation. See Deut. 2:14; Josh. 5:6. Thus we get a witness to the fulfilment of God's word. His judgments are sure, as are His promises. Notice, too, that a new leadership has been raised up-Eleazar and Joshua arc brought forward.
Edom is turned from; his land compassed. He is a type of the flesh and its resistance to progress, and the lesson of how to overcome is presented in the Brazen Serpent-type of the judgment of sin; it sets forth the truth of what God does with the flesh; it is the truth set forth in Rom., chaps. 6-8. After this, Sihon and Og are vanquished-the wisdom and power of this world. Balaam's oracles give God's mind concerning His people. Baal-peor shows what they are in themselves, which leads to unsparing judgment upon the wiles of the enemy- Midian. So must we exercise ourselves against him.
Num., chaps. 26, 27, gives us the thought of God's people as heirs-they are numbered again, and directions are given in view of possessing Canaan. In chaps. 28, 29 they are worshipers. The closing chapters give various instructions concerning their responsibilities as God's people.
Deuteronomy is a review of the past, with expositions of the law, especially with the inheritance in view. The first four chapters are largely historical. Then Moses commences to expound the law and the manner of its enforcing. Broadly speaking we learn that God is to be accounted absolutely supreme; His right over His people is based upon redemption; separation from evil, in obedience to His revealed will is their responsibility; their enjoyment of promised blessing is dependent upon obedience.
"For me to live is Christ"
This is the most blessed and glorious statement concerning the Christian's life in this world that could possibly be made.
CHRIST
The object of our living.
The manner of our living
The power for our living
The Master over our living
The Companion of our living
OUR ALL
There are four special ways in which we may think of this, and what it involves.
1. Life from Christ. This great possession is the first thing. It is foundational as to our position, practice, or prospect. The life received from Him is eternal (John 10:28). It is of Him who is the I AM; we have it in Him, the Son, as the Source, and in us as branches in the Vine; thus we are in Him and He in us. We are clustered round the great central Fountain of life, for we "know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 5:11,20).
2. Life for Christ. Those who have life from Him belong to Him by virtue of redemption. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. "Ye belong to Christ." "Those that are Christ's at His coming." He is to be our supreme Object, and those things in which He cannot be this are not for us. We are not to be self-centered, but Christ-centered; as the apostle said, "Whose I am, and whom I serve." And when we consider Him for whom we are to live, how great the honor bestowed, the blessing reaped, the joy experienced in so living! What shall we say of His love for us, His service on the cross and on the throne; His glory as exalted to God's right hand; His power by which He is able to subdue all unto Himself.
"O blessed, living Lord…
Thyself our one Desire!
Thyself our Object here!
The goal to which our hearts aspire."
3. Life with Christ. This is our hope. We shall live with Him-forever with Him, forever like Him, forever serving Him! Shall we not begin to live eternity now? Do we walk with Him much day by day? Do we talk with Him much? Do we think much of Him? Are we in step with Him? Does our conversation please Him? Are our minds under the guiding of His perfect word? (John 14:21-24.) "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." His thought is of dwelling, walking, serving, with us down here. Is that our thought toward Him? The routine of life is lifted into a new plane-holy, joyful, loving, longsuffering-when followed out in His company. We then may do all heartily as "unto the Lord." 4. Life like Christ. The Gospels are filled with the sweet odor of His perfect, holy, lowly, heavenly life-as the servant, the teacher, the man, the Son-in suffering, in sorrow, in labor, in loneliness, in reproach-hated, reviled, misunderstood. And He has left us an example that we should follow His steps (1 Pet. 2:21). What a calling! It is the life of Christ which should be reproduced in us, as it were-"The life of Jesus made manifest in our mortal flesh" (2 Cor. 4:10). This is the goal to reach after, while,
"Yet the days
Are days of toiling men;
We rise at morn, and tread the beaten ways,
And lay us down again.
How is it that this base, unsightly life
Can yet be Christ alone?
Our common need, and weariness, and strife,
While common days wear on?"
In being subject to the fashioning hand of the Master, He will hew and shape the rude block of our homely life, delivering from self-that self which in God's thought ended at the cross-freeing the precious from the vile, that the blessed Christ who lives within may be more and more revealed, and our life take on resemblance to His image, to which at the end we shall be perfectly conformed. Then,
"When all beside it shall be hewn away,
That glorious shape shall stand
In beauty of the everlasting day,
and it shall be said,
"What hath God wrought!" In that day,
"The Lord shall be glorified in His saints, and admired in all them that believe" (2 Thess. 2:10).