03 October 2005 Devotion for Today “That’s Not in the Bible” Numbers 19:17-19
The story is told of a preacher who was called on at the last minute to teach the middle school boys Sunday School class. He knew he had to wing it, so he asked the boys a question: “Boys, can you tell me who broke down the walls of
You’d be surprised how little people know about the Bible- there are a lot of phrases that some people think are in the Bible but aren’t. This message is the first in a series I’m calling “No, that’s NOT in the Bible.” There are dozens of popular sayings floating around that people think are from the Bible and they’re not. There is a great deal of biblical illiteracy in the pews of our churches. For example, some think the verse “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” must be in the book of Hezekiah, somewhere. The Bible also doesn’t say, “Spare the rod; spoil the child.” Or how about these: “When God closes a door, He opens a window; God helps those who help themselves.” “Then there are these: “God does not put more on us than we can bear,” “Money is the root of all evil; “To err is human, to forgive divine;” “To thine self be true;” “God moves in mysterious ways; and “Always let your conscience be your guide.”
Finally there is my personal favorite: “The devil that you know, is better than the devil that you don’t know!” The phrase “Cleanliness is next to godliness” first appeared in a printed sermon entitled “On Dress” by John Wesley in 1769. Wesley said, “Slovenliness is no part of religion Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.” When I think about it, we didn’t even quote that quotation correctly.
Admittedly, some of these quotations have principles that are taught in Scripture. For example, God gave the Jews certain laws in the Old Testament to ward off disease and infection. He even told them how to make and use soap. In Numbers 19:17-19 says, “For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over then. Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were here. He must also sprinkle anyone has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death. The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean.”
This may sound strange to us today, but does anyone know enough chemistry to tell me what you get when you mix animal fat, wood ashes, and water? Soap! God was simply saying, “Do yourself a favor, use soap and water and you’ll be healthier.”
Because of this emphasis on cleansing, the Jews became one of the most health-conscious groups of people in history. Their rules made them different from other people groups. God intended they would be different, so they could be a blessing to all nations. But they missed the point. They used their rules and regulations to make themselves feel good about their religion. It created spiritual pride. That led to a problem existing during Jesus’ time, when the Jews became more concerned about their outward purity than the cleanness of their own hearts.
Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse our hearts and He does so from the inside out. “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” It used to be until the mid 20th century that most people bathed only once a week- some perhaps once a month or even once a year! But salvation is only needed to cleanse us once for a lifetime of sins.
Have a blessed day!
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