In Matthew 7, Jesus taught his disciples about the danger of judging others by our standards. He warned us not to judge others, which is to form an unfair opinion or come to a conclusion about someone, which is unreasonable. Jesus said that we would be treated in the same way that we treat others and the same standard that we use to measure others, will also be used to measure us. “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye” (Matthew 7:3)? Jesus was saying that we need to start with our own self examination. In other words, don’t be so quick to point out weaknesses and failures in others, when we have our own weaknesses. Jesus called this hypocrisy and warned us to work on ourselves first, before we can be deemed as qualified to help someone else.

Paul shared a similar teaching in Galatians when he said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). He was saying in essence, that how we speak to others, how we treat people and talk about them, will be the result of what we will experience. He warned us not to sow to the flesh and not to give into these desires. Some of the desires of the flesh include gossip, back biting, being critical and judgemental. He wanted us to continue to do good and not to get tired of doing the right thing. Moreover, we are to do good, especially to those who are Christians. Earlier in the chapter he spoke of the importance of bearing each other’s burdens. If we notice that someone is struggling with sin, those who are stronger should restore the person in love.

As we help to restore others, we have to be careful not to fall into the same sin and errors. Paul wanted us to maintain a reasonable estimation of ourselves, so that we don’t deceive ourselves. “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another” (Galatians 6:4). Paul was well acquainted with his own failures and shortcomings. He spoke of wanting to do the right things at times, but finding himself doing wrong. He was cognisant of the fact that he could not do anything good on his own. It takes the grace of God and the strength of Christ in us to live right and to walk in righteousness. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags before God. Judgements and opinions are often formed by our own values, ideas and experiences.

The challenge is that these judgements can be formed by our perceptions of a situation. This can be done without the complete understanding of what is behind a person’s actions. It is a lot easier to focus on the faults and failures of others, because it takes the focus off our own shortcomings. The challenge with this is that it can become a habit and can make us critical, judgemental and hypocritical. The next time we see someone in an error, we need to ask, what could be behind their behaviour. What hurt or hang up is this person trying to work through? Is this person struggling with a habit that has become a spiritual stronghold and do they need prayer and counselling to break that habit? We need wisdom to support people who are struggling, so as not to cause further harm or emotional damage.

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1).

A.P.-Y.

In Exodus 24, Moses and the Israelites camped near Mount Sinai and he met with the Lord in the cloud to get instructions for the people. God called Moses further away from the elders and the people to meet with him. He got instructions concerning the building of a sanctuary, the Ark of the Covenant and the priesthood. He was with God for forty days and the people grew restless. While Joshua went with Moses to the mountain, Aaron was left behind to lead the people. “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him”” (Exodus 32:1).

Aaron went along with the people’s suggestion and asked them to bring all the gold which they took from Egypt. With this he built a golden calf to serve as a God for them. “Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt”” (Exodus 32:4)! Aaron even built an altar before the image and declared a feast. The people got up the next day and offered burnt offerings, peace offerings and they drank, ate and partied. “And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32:7). God was ready to wipe out the entire tribe and make a new covenant with Moses and his children, but Moses interceded for them and begged him not to wipe them out.

Moses was extremely angry with the people when he returned and saw their idolatry. He broke the pillars which God gave him with the commandments, broke down their golden calf, burnt it in the fire and ground it to powder. He asked Aaron why he had allowed the people to be led into sin and Aaron blamed the people. “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies)” (Exodus 32:25). Moses commanded the Levi’s to go through the camp and take vengeance against those who did wrong. He then instructed the people to consecrate themselves and continued to intercede for them before God. “So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made” (Exodus 32:35).

The Israelites were a rebellious, ungrateful and idolatrous people. So soon had they gained freedom, that they forgot all that God had done to free them from bondage and release them from Egypt. Moses’s absence gave them an excuse to sin against God and to turn their worship to the god of mammon. Mammon is an Egyptian or Pharaoh like symbol representative of slavery and a false promise of having enough, but which leads to bondage and death. This is tied to a system of physical exertion of painful toil and sorrow, for an eternal promise of having enough, but which is deceptive. Their golden calf although pleasant to behold, held no lasting power to protect them, give them freedom or victory over their adversaries. We only experience true and lasting freedom when we are led away from the world system and enter into God’s eternal rest. This rest leads us into a place of promise where God’s provision gives us more than enough.

A.P.-Y.

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Extract from my book Lauch

In Numbers 20, Moses and his people were in the wilderness of Zin. The people started complaining against Moses and Aaron, because there was no water. “And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink” (Numbers 20:5). Moses and Aaron went before God to ask for help. God instructed them to take his staff, gather the people and speak to the rock so that it would yield water. This way the people would have enough water for themselves and their cattle. Moses took his staff, gathered the people and said, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock” (Numbers 20:10)? He used his staff to strike the rock twice and water flowed abundantly for the people.

God’s response to Moses and Aaron was that they would not lead the people into the promised land. This was because they had demonstrated a lack of faith and trust in God, by not carrying out his instructions. This behaviour from the people was not new for Moses and Aaron. They behaved in a similar way in Exodus 17, when they were in the valley of Sin. “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord”” (Exodus 17:2)? They accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them in the wilderness. He cried to the Lord and God told him how to get water. “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:6).

There are many other occasions when the people quarrelled and rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They quarrelled when they needed food and at the Red Sea when Pharaoh pursued them. The people also rebelled against Moses when the spies brought back an evil report about the promised land. They even talked of stoning him, appointing new leaders and going back to Egypt. God was angry with his people because of their constant rebellion. “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they” (Numbers 14:12). Moses interceded and stopped God from killing them. The consequence was that none of them would enter the promised land, but their children went in to take possession.

It is understandable why Moses was frustrated and referred to the people as rebels. On the first occasion when they quarrelled about water, Moses was instructed to strike the rock. On the second occasion, God did not ask Moses to strike the rock, but to speak to the rock. It may not seem like a big difference, but God wanted to demonstrate his power to the people. Perhaps Moses had grown a bit familiar with the things of God and relied on his experience of striking the rock before. The thing is that this was not about Moses, but about God’s demonstration of his power to his people. God’s instructions for yesterday are not always the same for today or tomorrow. We have to listen and be led by the spirit. Over familiarity and thinking we know best can cause us to miss God’s will. He has a word and a plan for each new day and season. We have to listen daily to know how God wants us to move and act accordingly.

A.P.-Y.

Isaiah declared a prophecy concerning Assyria, who were an enemy of Isreal. This city had come against Israel on a number of occasions and caused them great anguish. “What sorrow awaits you Assyrians, who have destroyed others but have never been destroyed yourselves. You betray others, but you have never been betrayed. When you are done destroying, you will be destroyed. When you are done betraying, you will be betrayed” (Isaiah 33:1). Isaiah was declaring that God would avenge and bring recompense for the wrongs that they had committed. As they were sowing seeds of destruction and betrayal, their day of destruction and betrayal would also come. He prayed for God to have mercy on his people and protect them and save them out of trouble. “The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee” (Isaiah 33:3)!

The declaration was that the army of Assyria, would fall like fields that had been stripped by the locust and caterpillars. Although God lives in heaven, he will make his home among his people for justice and righteousness. God will be our sure and strong foundation providing salvation, wisdom and knowledge. God would cause the warriors of their enemies to weep and their ambassadors will cry in bitter disappointment. “Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace treaty and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone” (Isaiah 33:8). As a result of Assyria’s actions, Isreal was in mourning and shame as their lands had been plundered.

“But the Lord says: “Now I will stand up. Now I will show my power and might” (Isaiah 33:10). The Assyrians did not produce anything worthwhile and their people would be destroyed. God’s consuming fire caused sinners to tremble. Those who were honest and fair, who refused to profit from bribes and stayed away from evil, God would lift them on high. God would provide for them and, “Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance” (Isaiah 33:17). God’s promise to his people was that they would look back and not be able to see their enemies. His people would not always experience violence from strangers. God would restore and establish his people and place an edge of protection around them, that the enemy cannot penetrate.

Despite the trials and persecution that God’s children were experiencing, there was a word of comfort and promise, that God would take vengeance against their enemies. God would also restore, protect and keep them safe from harm. Despite what they were experiencing, they had a solid foundation in the word of God and his promises. God’s word was still in effect and his promise to Abraham and his seed would last forever. We have a sure and firm foundation in Jesus Christ and our hope is fixed on the promises of God. We are not shaken by the enemy’s actions and his attacks don’t move us because God is our firm foundation. “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:12).

A.P.-Y.

Paul gave a final warning to the church in Corinth, about staying away from sin. He sent this warning on three occasions and confirmed that every charge must be established, by the evidence of two or three witnesses. He spoke on behalf of Christ who was powerful among the saints. Christ had been crucified in weakness and now lives by the power of God. In the same way, saints are weak but live through the power of Christ. Paul warned them to examine themselves to see if they were still in the faith. He wanted them to test their belief and examine if Christ was living in and being manifested through them. If Christ was not alive in them, they would fail the test of faith. Paul wanted the saints to live right so that they would not fail the test.

Paul was also ready to test his own works and was confident that he would pass. Despite the failing of the saints, he wanted them to be restored. “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for” (2 Corinthians 13:9). He wrote these things to the church and was firm in his correction. His hope was that they would repent so that he would not need to be authoritative when he was with them. His desire was to build them up and not tear them down. His final greeting was for them to aim for restoration, to comfort and agree with one another and to live in peace. Earlier in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul scolded the church about sexual immorality.

““All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). What he was saying in this scripture was that, even things that are not expressly forbidden in scripture can be unhelpful for believers. For example, the bible does not warn against watching television. However, binge watching movies and shows while neglecting prayer and bible study is unhelpful. The devil uses things that seem insignificant to pull people away and to keep them distracted. Constant distractions and neglecting our fellowship with God will stunt our spiritual growth. Paul cautioned that our bodies belong to God and as such, should remain consecrated to him.

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18). Paul’s advice was to run away from sexual sins as this was committed against a person’s body. The main reason is that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is from God. We belong to God and he lives in us. We each have to do regular examinations of our selves to see if we are in the faith. Although I have mentioned sexual sin, there are other sins that can stand between us and God. Pride, envy, jealousy, bitterness and resentment will also separate us from God. We are not perfect and we live with daily temptations. We need God’s help to live free from sin and he is able and willing to help us as we surrender and remain connected to him.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24).

A.P.-Y.