I have read through the Bible several times, and I can’t explain why I haven’t ever seen this statement before.Read Numbers 35-36
Let me ask you a question today: “would you knowingly pour toxins into the water you are going to drink?” Would you bend down to take a drink from a stream where several dead animals are half submerged? Of course not. We’re smart enough to recognize that some things that we cannot see with the naked eye are harmful to our bodies.
In 2013 there were approximately 14,200 murders in the United States. That equals 39 murders every single day…roughly every 40 minutes someone in the United States commits murder. That’s 4.5 murders for every 100,000 people. Or, it implies a murderer in every group of 25,000 people (give or take). And if you think that’s bad, consider this: that number is down 12% from 2004!
You get the point; killing each other seems to be part of our “normal”. But God says in 35:33 that murder pollutes the land. It reminds me of polluted our land really is. Not just by murder, but in all the ways we disobey We are concerned about the ozone and the oceans, the ground water and the endangered species…but we don’t seem to recognize that the greatest danger that we face is the way we have spiritually polluted the earth.
Pollution has devastating effects, it limits spiritual growth and even causes physical hardships. The Lord reminded his people that when they were disobedient that the crops wouldn’t grow, and that their money would slip through their fingers. On the other hand, people who are obedient, and who keep the land (and themselves) holy can expect that they will plant little and harvest much, accumulate wealth and that their clothes won’t even wear out. Then there is the peace vs. war element of the equation. Those who keep God’s commandments enjoy peace, all others endure war and hardships.
I pause this morning to pray that God would forgive us for the myriad of pollutants that we pour onto holy ground, and into holy vessels. I am thankful for His patience, which seems unlimited, and His compassion toward us, which encourages me to love Him more deeply, and to be more concerned about how I behave. The solution given to the Israelites was to execute the murderer. This passage says that there is no other sacrifice that will cleanse the land. I wonder if Christ’s sacrifice for our sins applies to this area? I know that His sacrifice will cleanse all sins, even those of people who commit murder. But did His sacrifice cleanse the land as well?, or do we have to live with the consequences of that pollution?
Many people have tried to convert me into a conservationist without much luck. I recognize the benefits of conservation and agree that we need to be more ecologically minded. We should be better stewards of the earth.
My problem is that I’m too lazy and uninterested to do it….and I pray that never becomes the case with “spiritual pollution”.
Faithfully,
PR