SCRIPTURES BY THE CASTING OF THE LOT BEFORE GOD WITH ROUGH NOTES
December 31, 2024 Tuesday
Jonah 4 and Romans 9
These two chapters are about receptivity to the mercy of God and the mercy of God shown to the redeemed in relation to the Sovern foreknowledge of God. God’s mercy should be transcendent in us towards others over our hate for what is at enmity against God in the hearts of others. God shows mercy towards those that become receptive to His mercy and not towards those that are righteous of themselves without knowing or being receptive to the mercy of God.
Jonah 4:1-11 (KJV)
1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.2And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.4Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?5So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.6And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.7But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.8And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.9And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.10Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:11And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
Berean Literal Bible
For He says to Moses: “I will show mercy to whom I may show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I may have compassion.”
Rom 9:13-24 (KJV)
13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
January 1, 2025 Wednesday
Numbers 19 and Romans 5
I also received Numbers 19 on December 19, 2024.
Both chapters are about purification from sin through applying atonement through substitutionary sacrifice. The red heifer had to be perfect and its sacrifice had to have cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet in the offering being burnt to ashes. One could not be purified unless they rightly applied the water of purification which contained the ashes of the red heifer. The had to recognized and applied the third day which is resurrection out of conquering death and also endure to the seventh day which is representative of laboring to enter the rest mentioned in Hebrews
Here are the notes from December 18th
Isaiah 31 and Numbers 19 plus Deuteronomy 24
The water of purification to be purified from touching the dead and a wife that is divorced not being allowed to return to her first husband because it defiles and is an abomination before the LORD. When God’s people are purified and separated unto God then God in the last days will fully protect them and they themselves will have the indwelling fire of God’s consuming love that will devour the wicked.
Heb 4:6-11 (KJV)
6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:7Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.8For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
The significance of Cedar wood is that it was extensively used in the construction of Solomon’s Temple. It was brought from Lebanon, highlighting its value and significance (1 Kings 5:6).
Symbol of Strength and Durability: Cedars of Lebanon are often used as a metaphor for strength and durability. Psalm 92:12 states, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
Aesthetic and Aromatic Qualities: Cedar wood was prized for its pleasing scent and resistance to decay, making it a preferred material for building and crafting (Song of Solomon 4:11).
Spiritual Symbolism: Cedar wood’s endurance and resilience also symbolize spiritual strength and the eternal nature of God’s promises.
The actual ceremony was symbolic, but meaningful. One bird was killed over fresh water. A sprig of hyssop and a branch of cedar (juniper) were tied to a live bird with scarlet wool yarn. The priest dipped the hyssop, cedar, and the tail of the bird in the blood and water. He used the unorthodox brush to sprinkle blood on the person or house seven times and declared them to be clean. Then the bird was released in an open field.
Hannah’s Cupboard says hyssop was common in the Middle East and was used as both a detergent and a laxative. Hyssop was also used in the first Passover to paint the door lintels with blood (Exodus 12:22). And it acted as a straw when the Roman soldiers offered Jesus wine vinegar as He hanged on the cross (John 19:29). In Jewish ceremonies, it represents cleansing.
The word used for “scarlet” literally means the scarlet stuff that comes out of a worm. The coccus ilicis female lays eggs on the bark of a tree and attaches herself over the eggs as protection. As the larvae consume her body, her blood runs down the tree, staining it. If the beetle was harvested at the right time, the blood could be used to dye fabric. The fabric for the Tabernacle and the priests’ robes were presumably dyed this way, but the word for “scarlet” is also used in passages like Psalm 22:6 (“But I am a worm, and no man…”) The dye was commonly used in ceremonial items, most likely referencing blood. But it also brings to mind sin, which, like blood, draws attention to itself in a cry for healing.
“Cedar” probably means a branch of the juniper bush, which is known for its medicinal properties. In Jewish tradition, it was a symbol of human pride.
While the birds aren’t directly explained their symbolism is easy to conjecture. The killed bird is a blood sacrifice; the other is set free in an homage to Christ’s resurrection and our justification. It also represents our freedom from sin when our relationship with God is restored. The water added to the blood could have been a practical matter, as sparrows don’t actually have much blood. It would have been fresh spring water (“living water”), probably held in a clay pot (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13).
The mold/mildew and leprosy can also be seen as symbolic. Leviticus 14:34 says God placed mildew on the house, presumably as a punishment. Leprosy also sometimes occurred as a punishment (Numbers 12). Mold and leprosy are both contagious and destructive — characteristics which also apply to sin. With leprosy, the victim must show definite signs of improvement; with mold, the afflicted stone and surfaces must be removed. In either case, symbolic cleansing only follows significant physical improvement.
In fact, a single leprosy victim can be equated with a moldy stone — both must be removed from its environment (the people or the house) until it is sufficiently cleansed. Like a house whose mold has spread beyond saving, both the tribe of Israel and Judah were removed from their homelands when the people’s sins became too great and pervasive. Those from Judah returned when they showed repentance.
The Bible mentions hyssop several times, mostly in the Old Testament. In Leviticus, God commanded His people to use hyssop in the ceremonial cleansing of people and houses. In one example, God tells the priests to use hyssop together with cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and the blood of a clean bird to sprinkle a person recently healed from a skin disease (likely leprosy). This act would ceremonially cleanse the formerly diseased person and allow him to reenter the camp (Leviticus 14:1–7). The same method was used to purify a house that had previously contained mold (Leviticus 14:33–53).
Hyssop is also used symbolically in the Bible. When the Israelites marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood in order for the angel of death to pass over them, God instructed them to use a bunch of hyssop as a “paintbrush” (Exodus 12:22). This was probably because hyssop was sturdy and could withstand the brushing, but it also likely signified that God was marking His people as “pure” and not targets of the judgment God was about to deal out to the Egyptians.
David also mentions hyssop in Psalm 51:7: “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” David does not refer to physical cleansing—rather, he is asking God to cleanse him spiritually as he confesses his sin.
Hyssop also appears at Jesus’ crucifixion, when the Roman soldiers offered Jesus a drink of wine vinegar on a sponge at the end of a stalk of hyssop (John 19:28–30). This was, in fact, Jesus’ last act before He declared His work on earth finished and gave up His spirit. While the hyssop stalk may have been used for purely practical purposes (i.e., it was long enough to reach to Jesus’ mouth as He hung on the cross), it is interesting that that particular plant was chosen. It is possible that God meant this as a picture of purification, as Jesus bought our forgiveness with His sacrifice. Just as in the Old Testament blood and hyssop purified a defiled person, so Jesus’ shed blood purifies us from the defilement of our sin.
Num 19:1-22 (KJV)
1And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,2This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:3And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:4And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:5And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:6And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.8And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.9And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.10And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.11He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.12He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.13Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.14This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.15And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.16And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.17And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:18And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:19And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.20But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.21And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.22And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
Rom 5:1-21 (KJV)
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.17For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
January 2, 2025 Thursday
1 Peter 5 and Deuteronomy 30 plus Malachi 3
In all three chapters we see that there is a process of captivity, suffering, and humiliation that is used to bring God’s people into the grace and blessings of God in their lives.
1Pet 5:5-11 (KJV)
5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.11To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Deut 30:1-8 (KJV)
1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,2And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;3That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.4If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:5And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.6And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.7And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.8And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day.
Mal 3:16-18 (KJV)
16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Mal 3:1-5 (KJV)
1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
January 3, 2025 Wednesday
Amos 2 and 1 Kings 11
Both of these chapters are on the apostacy of God’s people Israel which came about because of the apostacy of the leadership first.
Amos 2:4-5 (KJV)
4Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked:5But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.
Amos 2:9-12 (KJV)
9Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.10Also I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite.11And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD.12But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not.
1Kgs 11:4-8 (KJV)
4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.6And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.8And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
1Kgs 11:9-13 (KJV)
9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.11Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.12Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.13Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.