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MARCH 11
DAY 10: How does one’s faith move mountains?
When an amazed Peter noted to Jesus that the fig tree had withered,Jesus’response was sim-
ply that they should “have faith in God”(Mark 11:22).This was a gentle rebuke for the disciples’lack
of faith in the power of His word. Such faith believes in God’s revealed truth, His power, and seeks
to do His will (see 1 John 5:14; Matt. 21:21).
The expression Jesus used, “this mountain…into the sea” (v. 23), was related to a common
metaphor of that day,“rooter up of mountains,”which was used in Jewish literature of great rabbis
and spiritual leaders who could solve difficult problems and seemingly do the impossible.
Obviously, Jesus did not literally uproot mountains.In fact, He refused to do such spectacular mira-
cles for the unbelieving Jewish leaders (Matt. 12:38). Jesus’ point is that, if believers sincerely trust
in God and truly realize the unlimited power that is available through such faith in Him, they will
see His mighty powers at work (see John 14:13,14).
“Whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have
them”(v.24).This places no limits on a believer’s prayers,as long as they are according to God’s will
and purpose.This therefore means that man’s faith and prayer are not inconsistent with God’s sov-
ereignty. And it is not the believer’s responsibility to figure out how that can be true, but simply to
be faithful and obedient to the clear teaching on prayer, as Jesus gives it in this passage. God’s will
is being unfolded through all of redemptive history by means of the prayers of His people—as His
saving purpose is coming to pass through the faith of those who hear the gospel and repent. See
James 5:16.

clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall
MARCH 11 be a statute forever to the children of Israel
and to the stranger who dwells among them.
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‘He who touches the dead body of anyone
shall be unclean seven days. He shall purify
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Numbers 19:1–20:29
himself with the water on the third day and on
Now the LORD spoke to Moses and the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he
19 Aaron, saying, “This is the ordinance of does not purify himself on the third day and
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the law which the LORD has commanded, say- on the seventh day, he will not be clean. Who-
ing: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they ever touches the body of anyone who has died,
bring you a red heifer without blemish, in and does not purify himself, defiles the taber-
which there is no defect and on which a yoke nacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off
has never come. You shall give it to Eleazar from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the
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the priest, that he may take it outside the water of purification was not sprinkled on him;
camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him; his uncleanness is still on him.
and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its ‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent:
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blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its All who come into the tent and all who are in
blood seven times directly in front of the tab- the tent shall be unclean seven days; and
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ernacle of meeting. Then the heifer shall be every open vessel, which has no cover fas-
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burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its tened on it, is unclean. Whoever in the open
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blood, and its offal shall be burned. And the field touches one who is slain by a sword or
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priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave,
scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire shall be unclean seven days.
burning the heifer. Then the priest shall wash 17 ‘And for an unclean person they shall take
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his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and after- some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purifi-
ward he shall come into the camp; the priest cation from sin, and running water shall be
shall be unclean until evening. And the one put on them in a vessel. A clean person shall
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who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it
bathe in water, and shall be unclean until on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons
evening. Then a man who is clean shall gath- who were there, or on the one who touched a
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er up the ashes of the heifer, and store them bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave. The clean
outside the camp in a clean place; and they person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third
shall be kept for the congregation of the chil- day and on the seventh day; and on the sev-
dren of Israel for the water of purification; it is enth day he shall purify himself, wash his
for purifying from sin. And the one who gath- clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he
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ers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his shall be clean.
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