Day 12
Current mood: amazed
Category: amazed Religion and Philosophy

The reading for day 12 was Numbers 21:10-32:42.

Before I get into this, I just have to say that God gave his people water at a place called Beer...I love it.

This passage contains the story of Balaam and the donkey. This is definitely one of the most interesting portions of scripture. I mean. the donkey talks to Balaam and he just takes it in stride like it happens every day. He doesn't say "how are you speaking", no, he says "if I had a sword I would kill you." Dude, its a talking donkey, make some money off that or something, hello Shrek . Sorry...

In chapter 25 we again see the sin of the leaders affecting those that they are responsible to lead. The leaders were "joining themselves" to Baal. God didn't like that very much, so He struck the people with a plague. Then He told Moses to execute the leaders "in broad daylight before the Lord." While this was going on some fool of a man, in the sight of all the people, did the same thing that God was punishing the others for. That shows the depths of our depravity. But Phineas, the priest, went into the mans tent and killed him and the girl he was sinning against the Lord with. When God saw what Phineas had done, He stopped the plague. 24,000 people died because of the sin that the Israelite leaders led the people into.

What an awesome yet terrifying (spelling?) thing to be a leader, whether it be in church or family, knowing that, covenantally, we are responsible for those under our care. Praise God for His grace and mercy that my sin doesn't have to make my family suffer. Praise God that he paid the penalty and was run through to stop the plague of sin from killing others because of me! Praise God that Christ's blood made an atonement for me.

What do you think? Does God still bestow covenental blessing and curses through the head of the family, church, etc. If so, how are the blessings or curses transmitted? If not, why not? I would really like to hear what everyone thinks .

Currently reading : The Bible in 90 Days: Cover to Cover in 12 Pages a Day (New International Version) By Ted Cooper Jr. Release date: By 01 October, 2005