March 22, Day 81 – A Highway To The Grave
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- Mar 22
- 3 min read
Our readings today emphasize the problems of evil influences. In Numbers 11:4–12:16, we see that, after things seemed to be going along so well for the Israelites, they began to “complain – arousing the anger of the LORD” (cf., Numbers 11:1). As a result, God “consumed some” of them (verse 2). In our section for today, we also read that “the rabble with them began to crave other food” (verse 4). These people simply grew tired of the manna that God provided, and today they typify people who reject Christ as the Bread of Life (cf., John 8:35). Such people are described fittingly here as “rabble” or a “mixed multitude.” Evidently, they were non-Israelite people who escaped with the Israelites from the oppression of Egypt. What is important to understand here is their negative influence on the Hebrews. The “rabble” began to complain; complaining led to “craving” which further led the “Israelites to start wailing” (verse 4). Eventually, the whole group starts whining about their lack of Egyptian delicacies – “fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic which they ate at no cost” (verse 5). Are you kidding? Most of those foods produce nothing but heartburn! The real issue here is this: God has their best interests at heart, but the Israelites want to settle for second best. God was taking care of them. Who among us has not experienced questions, doubts, fears, heartaches, attacks, and the temptation to turn back? Life is filled with both positive and negative experiences. How easily we human beings are prone to miss God’s very best whenever we settle for what we think is the best. Usually, it’s not. To miss the best of God’s will for us by “settling” for the best of our own choosing means settling for second best. When we do that, we actually miss the best of everything. This section teaches us never to settle for less than God’s best! In Numbers 12, we see how complaining leads to Miriam and Aaron’s jealousy of Moses, and then jealousy is followed by their opposition to Moses. They “talked against” Moses (verse 1), which was tantamount to slander. God will have none of this. He calls them out and states, “With Moses, I speak face to face” (verse 8). In righteous anger, God strikes Miriam with leprosy. As we have seen previously, sin against man is sin against God. None of this is a good idea.
In Proverbs 7:21-27, we observe, with the prostitute’s seduction of the young simpleton, a further example of negative influence. Notice, “she seduced him with her smooth talk” (verse 21). He followed her “like an ox going to the slaughter” (verse 22), and that’s exactly what’s going to happen to him. Cattle out in the field have no idea that they are headed to the slaughterhouse. The simpleton “little knows that it will cost him his life” (verse 23). Why does he not know this? Because he is unobservant and ignorant of the wisdom of God which prefigures the Person and work of Jesus Christ – “Who is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (cf., 1 Corinthians 1:24). Wisdom, which personifies our Lord, teaches: “Do not let your heart turn to her ways – her house is a highway to the grave” (verses 25-27).
In Luke 3, we read the genealogy of the Man, Jesus Christ, going all the way back to Adam. Then in Luke 4, we learn about Satan’s complete temptation of Christ. In verses 2-4, we see the devil’s temptation on the body – the physical part of the Man, Christ Jesus – which related to His hunger after being forty days in the desert with nothing to eat. As the Bread of life, Jesus had no need to convert stones into bread, for His sustenance was the Word of God. In verses 5-8, the devil attacks our Lord’s soul – His mind, intellect, cognition, and mental capacities – through the attractions of worldly authority and splendor. Jesus was already in possession of all authority and splendor. Finally, in verses 9-12, Satan tried to tempt the spirit of Christ by soliciting His worship. Jesus responded, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (verse 12). We see here that the whole Man was tested. Like Jesus, we need to guard ourselves against evil influences.
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