Sunday, January 22, 2012

God, My Defender

Numbers 23:21 KJV
He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

This is a truly interesting passage in that it shows Israel in an entirely different perspective. Remember here that Israel is condemned to wander in the wilderness until an entire generation is passed away. Their disobedience to God at Kadesh Barnea has resulted in the judgment of everyone twenty years old and above. Remember also that Aaron has already died for his part in striking the rock and Moses has been told he may not enter the Promised Land because he smote the rock. Israel has murmured against God and Moses. Israel has complained about the manna. And Israel broke the commandments of God and had gone into idolatry while Moses was on the Mount.

Yet here God declares He has not beheld iniquity nor seen perverseness in Israel.

And it appears that it is for the same reason Christians are declared justified even though we know we still sin. It is a matter of perspective.

• When dealing with Israel, God confronted their sin in order to perfect them but
• When dealing with His purpose for them God saw them as the nation He called them to be and that they will one day be.
God confronts and corrects our sin in order to make us to become what He has predestined us to be.
But relationally God already sees us as having reached that place He has made us to have.

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