[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16

WORD OF WISDOM

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.

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DAILY DEVOTION

Inside and Out


Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree
corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of
the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the
evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Matthew 12:33-35

Maybe you've seen the Peanuts cartoon I came across. Lucy is talking to
Charlie Brown. With an angry expression she declares, "I hate everything. I
hate everybody. I hate the whole wide world!" Charlie Brown replied, "But I
thought you had inner peace." Lucy then said, "I do have inner peace. But I
still have outer obnoxiousness." There are a lot of people whose lives
display a contradiction between what they say they are on the inside and how
they appear on the outside. The two are supposed to match. Those who observe
our lives should see a consistent, continuing reflection of the love of God.
"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these
things ought not so to be" (James 3:10).
While it is possible for people to deceive others for a time, eventually the
type of "tree" we are will be revealed by the fruit that we bear. There is
no way for an evil tree to bear good fruit. The overflow of what is in our
hearts will eventually come out in our words and our actions. The only way
to produce good words and good works is to have a good heart. But that is
beyond our ability to achieve on our own. We must have divine help. "A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I
will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).
Does what others see in your life clearly display the power of God at work
within?

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Numbers 25-27 New King James Version
Israel's Harlotry in Moab
25 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove,[a] and the people began to commit
harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices
of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel
was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against
Israel.

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang
the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the
Lord may turn away from Israel."

5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who
were joined to Baal of Peor."

6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his
brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the
congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the
tabernacle of meeting. 7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of
Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a
javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and
thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her
body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those
who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of
Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not
consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give
to him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and his descendants
after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous
for his God, and made [b]atonement for the children of Israel.' "

14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the
Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's house
among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed
was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father's house
in Midian.

16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 "Harass the Midianites, and
[c]attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes[d] by which they
seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter
of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague
because of Peor."

The Second Census of Israel
26 And it came to pass, after the plague, that the Lord spoke to Moses and
Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: 2 "Take a census of all the
congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by
their fathers' houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel." 3 So Moses
and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan,
across from Jericho, saying: 4 "Take a census of the people from twenty
years old and above, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of
Israel who came out of the land of Egypt."

5 Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of
Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the
Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites: those who were
numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred and thirty. 8 And
the son of Pallu was Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and
Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the
congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah,
when they contended against the Lord; 10 and the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire
devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign. 11 Nevertheless
the children of Korah did not die.

12 The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of [e]Nemuel, the
family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of
[f]Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of [g]Zerah, the family of the
Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families
of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15 The sons of Gad according to their families were: of [h]Zephon, the
family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni,
the family of the Shunites; 16 of [i]Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of
Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of [j]Arod, the family of the Arodites; of
Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of
Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five
hundred.

19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of
Canaan. 20 And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of
Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites;
of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: of
Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of
them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23 The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the
family of the Tolaites; of [k]Puah, the family of the [l]Punites; 24 of
[m]Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the
Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who
were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26 The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the
family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the
family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites
according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.

28 The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim,
were: 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and
Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are
the sons of Gilead: of [n]Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek,
the family of the Helekites; 31 of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of
Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 of Shemida, the family of the
Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Now Zelophehad the
son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of
Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the
families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two
thousand seven hundred.

35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah,
the family of the Shuthalhites; of [o]Becher, the family of the Bachrites;
of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of
Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of
the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two
thousand five hundred.

These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

38 The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the
family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram,
the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shupham,[p] the family of the
Shuphamites; of [q]Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of
Bela were [r]Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman,
the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to
their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand
six hundred.

42 These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of [s]Shuham, the
family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their
families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were
numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44 The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family
of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family
of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the
Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of
the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of
Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand
four hundred.

48 The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of [t]Jahzeel, the
family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer,
the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50
These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those
who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred
and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 53 "To these the land shall be
divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names. 54 To a large
tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall
give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to
those who were numbered of them. 55 But the land shall be divided by lot;
they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. 56
According to the lot their inheritance shall be divided between the larger
and the smaller."

57 And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their
families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family
of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the
families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the
Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the
family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram. 59 The name of Amram's
wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and
to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 To Aaron were
born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 And Nadab and Abihu died when
they offered profane fire before the Lord.

62 Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every
male from a month old and above; for they were not numbered among the other
children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the
children of Israel.

63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who
numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across
from Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of those who were
numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of
Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the Lord had said of them, "They
shall surely die in the wilderness." So there was not left a man of them,
except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Inheritance Laws
27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of
Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of
Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters:
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses,
before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation,
by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: 3 "Our father died in
the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together
against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he
had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be removed[u] from among
his family because he had no son? Give us a [v]possession among our father's
brothers."

5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak
what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among
their father's brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass
to them. 8 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'If a man
dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his
daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to
his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance
to his father's brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you
shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and
he shall possess it.' " And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute
of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel
12 Now the Lord said to Moses: "Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the
land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen
it, you also shall [w]be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was
gathered. 14 For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the
congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters
before their eyes." (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the
Wilderness of Zin.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: 16 "Let the Lord, the God of the
spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out
before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in,
that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no
shepherd."

18 And the Lord said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man
in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar
the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate[x] him in their
sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the
congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 He shall stand
before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the
judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they
shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him-all the
congregation."

22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before
Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands
on him and [y]inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of
Moses.

Footnotes
Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim
Numbers 25:13 Lit. covering
Numbers 25:17 be hostile toward
Numbers 25:18 tricks
Numbers 26:12 Jemuel, Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15
Numbers 26:12 Jarib, 1 Chr. 4:24
Numbers 26:13 Zohar, Gen. 46:10
Numbers 26:15 Ziphion, Gen. 46:16
Numbers 26:16 Ezbon, Gen. 46:16
Numbers 26:17 Sam., Syr. Arodi and Gen. 46:16
Numbers 26:23 So with Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg.; Heb. Puvah, Gen. 46:13; 1 Chr.
7:1
Numbers 26:23 Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg. Puaites
Numbers 26:24 Job, Gen. 46:13
Numbers 26:30 Abiezer, Josh. 17:2
Numbers 26:35 Bered, 1 Chr. 7:20
Numbers 26:39 MT Shephupham; Shephuphan, 1 Chr. 8:5
Numbers 26:39 Huppim, Gen. 46:21
Numbers 26:40 Addar, 1 Chr. 8:3
Numbers 26:42 Hushim, Gen. 46:23
Numbers 26:48 Jahziel, 1 Chr. 7:13
Numbers 27:4 withdrawn
Numbers 27:4 inheritance
Numbers 27:13 Die and join your ancestors
Numbers 27:19 commission
Numbers 27:23 commissioned