Footnote Leviticus 14

Leviticus 14:33-34 " And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession..."

I wanted to point out this verse which I was thinking about after I went to bed last night. I noticed that the Lord had not forgotten his promise to give Israel the land of Canaan. I also noticed that even though the people were in tents, the Lord say them living in houses even while they wondered in the wilderness.

I thought it was wonderful how in the midst of all the schooling on the law that this promise comes forth. As Christians, we too are wanderers in this world. Sometimes it is difficult to accept that it will ever end and we will inherit our promise land. I think the Lord already sees us in the place he has prepared for us. (John 14)

Just as the promise of Canaan was kept, so our Lords promise to us will be kept in good time.

I can see that Israel was not yet ready to possess the land at this point in the Bible. They still needed to seat the law of God in their hearts. They needed to shake off the bonds of slavery. Even though the physical chains were gone, there must surely have been bonds of the heart that still held them.

Israel, at this point, is a child nation. They are in the development years. For a child to have the opportunity of success they must first be properly trained. Israel is being trained here in the wilderness. They are not yet facing the enemies they must face on the battlefield. They are facing inward enemies that fight for space in our hearts where the Lord wishes to possess. It is up to us to relinquish that space we hold in reserve and let the Lord in.

Promise to Abraham and Israel:

"Genesis 17:8 "And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Promise to Christians:

John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. v6 Jesus saith nto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

I am glad, as so many have written about, that the Lord is a promise giver. Many commands of scripture have promises for keeping them. I am also glad that the Lord is a promise keeper. He does what he says he will do.

In John 14, Jesus says if I go away, I will come again. Well, he did go away and so will come again.

Acts 1:9 "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight."

I know he made it home to the Father because Stephen say him in:

Acts 7:55-56 "But, he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."

John spoke to Jesus again on the isle of Patmos when he (John) was in exile for his faith.

Revelation 1: 10 "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice, as a trumpet, v2 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last....v17 Fear not; I am the first and the last v18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and , behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death."

Jesus said 'Amen' which has various meanings: faithful, true, steadfast, 'let it be'. It is translated Verily when used at the beginning of a sentence and when repeated by listeners they are agreeing with what was said.

So, I have journeyed far from our text to declare that the Lord knows our future and is faithful in his promises.

A broad view of the Bible helps one see the entire picture. Standing close to a painting sometimes leaves the viewer with a good idea of the details but lacking in the overall impression the artist was trying to make.

I see a perfect world made and then tainted by sin, then a plan to raise up a nation that would honor God and be the vehicle to bring Jesus into the world to redeem sinful man. To break the Bible down into segments and believe one part and not another is to miss the whole picture and deprive oneself of many blessings.

Not believing the truth does not change the truth.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."