For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.
Every last one of God’s words prove true. If we take refuge in His words He will faithfully protect us. But be careful not to rely on your interpretation of His words when that interpretation goes beyond what God actually said.
I will serve God and I will praise Him. God has done great things. He listens to our prayers and speaks to us. He sees what we do and gives us guidance. Those who worship things made by man are as foolish and lacking as the things they worship. Those who place their trust in things made by man do not truly see and cannot hear the truth about the world.
The passage refers to 144,000 who will be sealed with God’s seal from among the tribes of Israel, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. There are arguments about whether this number is literal, or merely symbolic. I tend to think it is merely symbolic. Whether or not this number is literal, it is certainly symbolic. The number 12 indicates completeness. Twelve of something indicates a complete set. The number 1,000 indicates a number that cannot be easily counted. If there are 1,000 of something it means that there are so many they cannot truly be counted. So the number of those sealed is 12 times 12 times 1,000. This means to me that the number of the people of Israel who will be saved is a complete representation of all of the people of Israel.
Despite the symbolism I talked about in the last paragraph, it is clear from the next part of today’s passage that the Jews, the members of the people of Israel, who are sealed is a limited number, a very large, but still limited, number. This is not to in any way denigrate the Jews, the people of Israel. It is to point out that we have the 144,000 Jews who are sealed with God’s seal who are contrasted with the countless numbers of those who died in the great tribulation. I believe that this passage is very intentional in showing that while a large number of people of Jewish descent will enter into heaven, the total number of those who will die for their faith will be many more than that. There will be martyrs from every people and nation in large numbers.
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Micah speaks about what God has done for Israel and what He has done for us. Micah asks what it is that we should offer God. Are we to offer God from our material resources? Does God require that we bring Him great wealth? Does he require that we sacrifice our children to Him? Micah tells us the answer in one of the most powerful passages in Scripture:
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
I was going to stop there, but as I read more of Micah’s condemnation of the evil which people do, I came upon this:
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
This was in contrast with the conflict and infighting between people within the same family that Micah said was the norm. But Micah did not have confidence in the Lord because of his righteousness. No, he tells us:
for I have sinned against him.
Let us not seek to determine who is more guilty before the Lord. There is more than enough guilt to go around. Rather, let us seek how we can work together to do good going forward.