Now to Him Who is Able
Numbers 1:44–46
"These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550."
Despite a seemingly great number of fighting men, Israel at that time in the wilderness were few compared to the vast number of tribes and states around them. God made all the difference, because He is sovereign over all human history and over all creation indeed. In Deuteronomy 7:7 we understand that the Lord did not set His love on Israel nor did He choose Israel because they were more in number than any of the peoples, for they were the fewest of all peoples. And lest they (or we) "vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own." (Lincoln), God also reminded Israel at the conquest of Canaan: "It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 9:5)". With Israel God made the difference, and in our lives God makes the difference. I've been studying God's attribute of omnipotence lately. Great applications include nothing can thwart God's purposes! He "accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11)". And also His great power is within us according to His great will. The same God Who breathed the universe into existence, Who raised Christ from the dead, lives in us and has bequeathed in us His power. Such great encouragement. What a Glorious Creator! We can trust Him in giving us the ability to do great things! Let me end this devotion with mighty praise, a wonderful benediction for all of us penned by the apostle Paul: "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph 3:20–21)."
"These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550."
Despite a seemingly great number of fighting men, Israel at that time in the wilderness were few compared to the vast number of tribes and states around them. God made all the difference, because He is sovereign over all human history and over all creation indeed. In Deuteronomy 7:7 we understand that the Lord did not set His love on Israel nor did He choose Israel because they were more in number than any of the peoples, for they were the fewest of all peoples. And lest they (or we) "vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own." (Lincoln), God also reminded Israel at the conquest of Canaan: "It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 9:5)". With Israel God made the difference, and in our lives God makes the difference. I've been studying God's attribute of omnipotence lately. Great applications include nothing can thwart God's purposes! He "accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11)". And also His great power is within us according to His great will. The same God Who breathed the universe into existence, Who raised Christ from the dead, lives in us and has bequeathed in us His power. Such great encouragement. What a Glorious Creator! We can trust Him in giving us the ability to do great things! Let me end this devotion with mighty praise, a wonderful benediction for all of us penned by the apostle Paul: "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph 3:20–21)."
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