Ordinance

     Our Sabbath reading portion for this week is titled Chukkot, meaning "Ordinances of", and begins in Numbers Ch. 20. The Hebrew title Chukkot comes from the words hukka/hoq/haqaq which mean "statute, ordinance, limit, law, that which is established or defined/ordinance, bounds, commandments, boundary, decrees/decree, cut out, engrave, inscribe, govern, law giver, cut upon, mark out, cut in stone, a scepter, carve out like a grave or sepulcher in a rock." The ordinances of God are "set in stone" as the meaning of the word in Hebrew describes above. They are immutable (unchanging over time, unable to be changed-see Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8) by any natural means. We should keep in mind when considering the ordinances of God that there are two powerful and prophetic precedents that were established before the law was given to Israel from Mt. Sinai through Moses: covenant and grace. Covenant promises kept the LORD from completely wiping out the children of Israel, although they broke His ordinances (Mal. 3:6-7). Noah found grace in the eyes of God even though "all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" and "every intent of the thoughts of his (man's) heart was only evil continually." (Gen. 6:5-13). However, neither of these two preceding conditions were intended to encourage the breaking of God's ordinances, and that without consequence (Rom. 6:1-2, 15-16). Neither covenant nor grace, however, means that we can continue to sin against the ordinances of God. These ordinances are to become written in our hearts so that we can live them as a testimony of God before men.

     In our Sabbath reading portion, Chukkot, or "Ordinances of", the children of Israel, the whole congregation (eda/ed - appointed meeting/witness, testimony, evidence), were in Kadesh (qades - holy, consecrated to God, consecrated to licentious idolatry) in the Wilderness of Zin (flat, to prick), a desert region. So God has directed His people to this specific place for an appointed meeting, to testify of His ordinances as witnesses. This place, Kadesh, can either be a place of holiness before the LORD or a place for the worship of idols by sexual uncleanness and soul-demeaning and soul-destroying perversion according to the meaning of the name. Imagine the spirits of wickedness that were to be found in this place, but God's assembly had been specifically brought to this dry place to witness and testify of Him, of His ordinances that limit and set boundaries against wickedness in the spirit. Not only do God's ordinances set boundaries against spirits of wickedness, bringing judgment to them, but we will see that there is a prophetic declaration hidden in these ordinances that would speak to generations ahead. However, because this place was such an important spiritual battleground, there would be serious challenges to the testimony of God's people here.

     The first challenge to the souls of Moses and the people of God that we find out about in Num. 20:1 is the fact that Miriam, Moses' sister died and was buried there in Kadesh. Miriam played an important role in preserving Moses' life when he was a baby, and she was a prophetess to the congregation (Ex. 15:20-21).  Then the congregation rose up against Moses and Aaron because there was no water in that place: "And the people contended (rib - strive, contend, debate, quarrel, wrangle, grapple, rebuke, to pull, to rend each other's garments, to contend with the hand in blows) with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! Why have you brought up the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us to come up (ala- ascend, come up, offering, light, increase, raised, arose, go up, be exalted) out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place (maqom/qum - standing place, station, office, habitation, condition/to arise, stand up, become powerful, raise up)? It is not a place of grain (zera/zara  - seed, sowing, fruitful, seedtime, harvest/sow seed, yielding seed, to become pregnant) or figs (te'ena -tree having large leaves for shade covering, comfort) or vines or pomegranates (rimmon/raman - pomegranate fruit or tree/to be exalted, be lifted up, to be high, rise up); nor is there any water to drink." (v. 3-5). Contrary to what the congregation spoke, we know that it was not Moses who directed the congregation of Israel to this place, Kadesh, but the pillars of fire and smoke of God. The LORD instructed Moses to gather the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) assembly, and take the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) rod, and He said: "Speak (dabar) to the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) rock before their eyes, and I will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock..." (v. 7-8). However, instead of speaking to the rock, Moses lifted his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) hand and struck (naka - smite, slay, kill, beat, slaughter, wounded, stricken, stripes, scourge, give a thrust, ravage, chastise, send judgment upon, punish, destroy, to pierce through, to pierce into) the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) rock twice with the rod. Water did come out of the rock abundantly. Psalm 78:16-17 describes the water that came from this rock: "He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness."

     It is revealed in the New Testament that this rock which carried abundant water was Messiah/Christ in their midst (1 Cor. 10:4), and it is "the Rock of our salvation" that is mentioned in connection to the rebellion in the wilderness in Ps. 95, which is another reading portion from this Chukkat Sabbath. We can also see the same wounds and death that were inflicted upon Christ expressed above in the word for "struck", which is naka. This rock had been "struck" earlier by God's command (Ex. 17:6), but was not meant by God to be struck again. It is an ordinance of God as revealed in the New Testament that Christ was to die once for sin for all time (Rom. 6:9-11, Heb. 9:25-28, Heb. 10:12-14, 1 Pet. 3:18).

     Considering this, the Book of Hebrews also revealed the understanding of the importance of this act of Moses by saying that one's unbelief, after having already seen and experienced the enlightenment of God and the Holy Spirit through Jesus, crucifies Jesus again, and puts Christ to open shame (Heb. 6:4-6). The LORD said the same thing to Moses: "...you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) assembly into the land which I have given them." (Num. 20:12). It is possible that Moses must had some understanding of who the rock truly represented, but if he did not, his failure to follow the ordinance of God given to him, caused him to lose entrance into the promised land. This seems a severe consequence, but Moses did not lose his life for breaking this ordinance. God's people were brought to this place of Kadesh to shame the spiritual strongholds of wickedness through the (prophetic) ordinances of God, not to shame the LORD!

     Some people say, "If I ever saw a miracle, I would believe in God." However, the congregation of Israel, anointed and appointed to carry the testimony of God both within the Ark and within their hearts and mouths, saw miracles too many to count, yet they contended against Moses and the LORD repeatedly in unbelief (see also Num. 21:4-9). We look at these accounts and wonder how Israel could have failed to trust the LORD, yet we, who have been miraculously given the gift of salvation through the knowledge of Christ, often speak unbelief and contention, although we may deny it. As with Israel, this is our biggest challenge, and this is where the spirits of wickedness succeed in the spiritual battle against us. However, the scripture says: "...the accuser (kategoros - incl. Satan) of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Rev. 12:10-11).

     If you would like to learn more about the ordinances of God and their application in our lives, you can pray with me: "LORD God, Your Word is bread for me that feeds my life. Forgive me when I speak thoughtlessly or in unbelief. Forgive me when my testimony is weakened by unbelief and rebellion. Jesus urged us to be overcomers by the Word and the Spirit, to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and I want to be that living testimony of Your glory. All things are possible with You, Lord, and as You direct me, let my mouth speak, and my feet walk. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit who will give me the Words I am to say and pray, and will direct my testimony. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.