Tag: Book of Numbers

Marine spirits

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on January 14, 2024. Posted in The Basics on Angels and Demons.

What are marine spirits?

Marine spirits is a phrase used in some expressions of the Charismatic faith, and it’s associated with beliefs related to demonic oppression and possession. So-called deliverance ministries may seek to exorcise “marine spirits” and other types of evil spirits about which they speculate.

In most cases, marine spirit is meant as a generic term rather than as a reference to one, unique, named demon. In this way the term is different from other supposed oppressive spirits, which may be given individual names such as Jezebel, Leviathan, Absalom, Python, and so forth. Even so, leviathan and python spirits are sometimes grouped as “water spirits” or “marine spirits.” Other names sometimes associated with this class are Rahab and even Merman or Mermaid.

Those who teach the existence of a special class of “marine spirits” trace those demons’ origin to the great flood of Noah’s day. Supposedly, the “marine spirits” live in water and do not feel comfortable being dry—Jesus’ reference to the “dry places” in Luke 11:24 is used as a supporting proof text. Also, the Legion that Jesus exorcised from the man in the tombs were “marine spirits” because they caused the pigs to rush into the sea (Luke 8:26–33). A “marine spirit,” according to the lore, often comes as a succubus or incubus in order to make a person a “spiritual spouse”; and they are sometimes called “husband spirits” or “wife spirits.” Their effect is sexual lust and perversion.

Belief in “marine spirits” is based on extra-biblical information, so there is an extraordinary variety of teaching about what a “marine spirit” is and what it does. Any given deliverance ministry or demon chaser could hold a set of beliefs concerning “marine spirits” that differ from another. It is hard to find consistent teaching about “marine spirits” or other types of demons within the Charismatic movement.

Scripture gives no reason to believe there is a specific class of demon called a “marine spirit” or that Christians today have a specific ability to rebuke or exorcise them. Whether or not some demonic entity is directly involved in a person’s struggle with lust, the Bible never addresses the concept of a “marine spirit.” The remedy for lust and other besetting sins is not to rebuke a “marine spirit” but to pray, seek discipleship, and submit oneself in obedience to God (James 4:7). It is no use blaming mermaids, speaking to evil spirits, or inventing a new mythology.

Nephilim demons

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on January 6, 2024. Posted in The Basics on Angels and Demons.

Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim?

As a background, please read our articles on “Who were the sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4?”, and “Who were the Nephilim?” With the understanding that the sons of God were the fallen angels, and that the Nephilim were the hybrid offspring of the union between the fallen angels and human women, the question then arises: What happened to the spirits of the Nephilim after they were killed, whether by the flood, or in the case of the possible post-flood Nephilim (Genesis 6:4; Numbers 13:33), after the flood?

Some speculate that the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim remained on the earth and became what we now refer to as demons. The presumption is that, as angelic-human hybrids, the spirits of the Nephilim would have been different from the human soul-spirit, having the ability to remain present in this world despite no longer having a physical body. This would possibly explain the desire the demons have to possess human beings, thus gaining control over a physical body. This would also make some sense from the perspective of the fallen angels, who are outnumbered 2-1 by the holy angels (see Revelation 12:4), giving them a good reason to seek to increase their ranks.

The Nephilim explanation for the origin of the demons is partly the result of a misunderstanding of who exactly are the “spirits in prison” in 1 Peter 3:19 (see also Jude 6). Many misunderstand the “spirits in prison” to be all of the fallen angels who rebelled against God. If all of the fallen angels are imprisoned, then there must be an alternate explanation for the existence of demons; thus, the need for the Nephilim explanation. However, clearly, not all of the fallen angels are imprisoned. Satan, the leader of the angelic rebellion against God, is not imprisoned. Why would God allow the rebel leader to remain free but then confine the angels who followed Satan in the rebellion? No, it makes more sense to understand the “spirits in prison” as the fallen angels who participated in an additional rebellion, viz., the sons-of-God/daughters–of-men incident. The fallen angels who mated with human females are the ones who are imprisoned. There is no solid biblical reason to reject the idea that the demons are the same beings as the fallen angels.

The idea that the demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim is also drawn from the book of Enoch, which goes into great detail regarding the Nephilim. We have to remember that, while the book of Enoch contains some truth (Jude 14), it is not the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. We should never base a belief exclusively, or even primarily, on extra-biblical literature. So, with no need to explain the existence of demons outside of the fallen angels, and with no clear evidence in Scripture for the spirits of the Nephilim continuing on Earth, there is no solid basis on which to identify the demons with the spirits of the Nephilim. While the idea is possible, it cannot be derived explicitly from Scripture, and therefore should not be considered the best explanation of the origin of the demons.

Your sin will find you out

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on September 9, 2023. Posted in Numbers, What’s new?.

What does Numbers 32:23 mean when it says, “Be sure your sin will find you out”?

Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (KJV). This is a curious-sounding caution, especially if read in isolation. So we’ll review its context, especially the entire chapter of Numbers 32, then see what else the Bible has to say on the topic of our sin being “found out.”

The statement “be sure your sin will find you out” is set in the completion of the exodus of Israel from Egypt. After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the tribes of Israel were finally preparing to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Military-aged men from all twelve tribes were required to help each tribe conquer its assigned territory, a task that would involve much time and hardship.

Before the Israelites crossed over the Jordan, the tribes of Gad and Reuben let it be known that they liked it right where they were, east of the Jordan. The land there was ideal for raising cattle (Numbers 32:1), and the leaders of those tribes approached Moses for permission to settle on the east side, rather than in Canaan. Moses at first said “no”: “Should your fellow Israelites go to war while you sit here?” (verse 6). He then accused them of failing to desire to enter the Promised Land, as the previous generation had done: “This is what your fathers did” (verse 8). And he reminded them that it was this very sin that caused the Lord’s anger to burn against them for 40 years, and he warned them that they risked bringing destruction on the whole nation all over again (verses 13–15).

But Gad and Reuben had a different intention, as they explained. They asked Moses if they could leave their flocks and families behind in settlements while the men armed themselves and went to war in Canaan. After their assurances that they were not abandoning their fellow Israelites, Moses agreed to their request. He told them they must fight until the land was subdued, and only then could they return to their property east of the Jordan. Moses then added the warning: “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

When Moses said, “Be sure your sin will find you out,” he did not mean, “Everyone will find out about your sin.” If the trans-Jordan tribes failed to keep their promise, it would be a sin against the Lord and the whole nation, and their sin would be obvious to all. Rather, Moses’ warning that they could be sure their sin will find them out hints at the strange-but-true nature of sin.

In several places in the Bible, sin is described in terms that make it seem as if it were a living being with a mind and will of its own. God poetically warns Cain that “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). James explains how, figuratively speaking, people “are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14–15). Paul, in Romans 7:14–25, describes sin as though it were a being living within him, enslaving him against his will and making him do what he himself hates and condemns: “It is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (verse 20).

In the statement “be sure your sin will find you out” is revealed the mystery of sin. The nature of sin is such that, whether or not others discover your sin, your sin will “discover you.” You cannot run from the consequences. Sin carries within itself the power to pay the sinner back, and sin’s payback is hell. Don’t even think about toying with sin. It cannot be tamed, outrun, or shaken off. No matter how safe you think you are, if you are a sinner, your sin will find you out.

Moses’ warning to the tribes of Israel, “be sure your sin will find you out,” is echoed by Paul: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7–8). The only way to escape sin’s consequences is to be forgiven of your sin by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ (Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 1:5).

Sons of Korah

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on September 1, 2023. Posted in Numbers, What’s new?.

Who were the sons of Korah in the Old Testament?

The story of the sons of Korah in the Old Testament is truly a tale of two fathers and two destinies. The story begins with the Israelites of Moses’ time as they journeyed through the wilderness just after leaving Egypt. In Numbers 3, God set aside the Levites, out of the tribes of Israel, for full time service to Him. They were ordained to take care of the tabernacle and all of its implements, as well as the Ark of the Covenant. Only the descendants of Aaron, however, were allowed to serve as priests.

The three sons of Levi were Gershon, Merari, and Kohath. The Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use. The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. They were under the direct supervision of Eleazar, son of Aaron.

Unlike the Gershonites and the Merarites, who were allowed to transport the items under their care on carts, the Kohathites had to carry their items, the holy things of the tabernacle, on their shoulders. They had the arduous burden of transporting these items from place to place as the camp moved, but they were not allowed to actually touch the items or they would die. The priests had to wrap the sacred objects in special coverings before they were transported (Numbers 4:15). Many of the Kohathites began to disdain this task and to covet the role of the priests.

Korah was the grandson of Kohath, and he began to run with another group of Reubenite malcontents, namely, Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Peleth. In pride, they roused a group of 250 men together to challenge the right of Moses and Aaron to the priesthood (Numbers 16). Moses summoned the rebellious men to stand before God and burn incense. God warned Moses to let the assembly know to get away from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, their households, and the other rebels. Then a remarkable and terrifying event happened.

“Moses said, ‘This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.’ As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, ‘The earth is going to swallow us too!’ And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense” (Numbers 16:28–35).

Although this clearly marked the end of Korah, we discover that Korah’s sons, perhaps too young to understand their father’s uprising or maybe too cognizant of God’s authority to join in the revolt, were spared (Numbers 26:9–11). God judged those who turned against Him in active rebellion and purified His people, but He still had a purpose and plan for even the line of Korah. After seven successive generations, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah, the genealogy of which is recorded in 1 Chronicles 6:31–38 and 1 Samuel 1:1, 20. The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 9:19–21; 1 Chronicles 2.) One group of Korahites (1 Chronicles 12:6) joined King David in various military exploits and won the reputation of being expert warriors. However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer, along with Asaph (a Gershonite) and Ethan or Jeduthan (a Merarite). These individuals played an important role in the thanksgiving services and pageantry when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. David formed an elaborate organization for song, instrumental music, and prophesying through these men.

Of all of the psalms in the Bible, eleven are attributed to the sons of Korah. These beautiful psalms express a spirit of great gratitude and humility to an awesome, mighty God. They express a longing for God and deep devotion. These poetic songs include Psalms 42, 44—49, 84—85, and 87—88. Psalm 42:1 contains the beautiful line, “As the deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” Psalm 84:1 states, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O God.” Psalm 46:1–3 conveys the powerful message, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

One wonders if the poet who penned these lyrics was remembering his ignoble beginnings, his distant ancestor who perished in an earthquake for his pride and rebellion. Perhaps it was that reflection that prompted the following words of the same psalm: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’” (Psalm 46:10). For each of us, our own songs of renewed purpose and redemption should flow out of a heart of humility as we remember the fallen state from which He raised us and the redemption that we experience through His grace. This was certainly the case for the sons of Korah.