Today's passage covers important laws regarding respect for human life and for property. While laws or rules sometimes appear to bind us, in reality, these laws give freedom and security. The ultimate promise of justice -- that God will ultimately redeem His own and bring punishment on sin -- gives us hope in a world that often sees "bad things" happen to "good people." How else could we traverse through this life and see persecution, famine, hunger, earthquakes, disease, theft, murder, and abortion? Only when we recognize that God is ultimately sovereign and His truth will ultimately live forever may we move forward in strength. As Paul writes in Romans 3:19,20, the law points to our desperate need for the living God: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
Please find some brief observations from today's passage:
1. The value and sanctity of life.
2. The differentiation between "with malice aforethought" and "unintentional." God clearly condemns premeditated violence against other people, but He offers provisions to protect those who have accidentally harmed another. In such times, heated emotions of an "avenger of blood" may have led to mob justice and poor decisionmaking. God desires that the people sort through the facts (from multiple witnesses) and determine a proper penalty.
As an aside, God is terribly concerned with our motivations. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we often find ourselves checking our motivations. We may have "trained" ourselves to "do the right thing," but are we doing so with the proper motivations? Do we seek to serve others out of love for them and for God or as a means of elevating our standing?
3. Why promote "eye for eye"? You may have heard a famous quote from the Indian spiritual and political leader Mohandas K. Gandhi: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." While this pithy statement makes some sense, the "eye for eye" language puts punishment in proper perspective. God's point in speaking these words was to bring about the idea that "the punishment should fit the crime." Imagine, for example, if God had declared that any crime would demand the life of the perpetrator. Any speeding ticket or moving violation would bring on the death penalty. If this were the case, we would either have far fewer people or far fewer drivers. God declared the principle of restitution, that people's justice should match their crime. The wronged person would ultimately be repaid. Purity and uprightness are the standard that God has set.
4. Why have a death penalty? The passage explains clearly that life is worthy of great value. The unspoken justification for the value lies in Genesis 1:26: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" Indeed, God instructed Noah of this motivation in Genesis 9:6.
Because of God's creative commandment, human beings have a similar character to God; they have a rational mind, emotions, and a will. If we strike against another human, we are destroying the image of God in that person, a grave offense against God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus extends murderous actions to even hate against others (Matthew 5:21,22); in a similar way, Christ declares that lustful thoughts are equivalent to adulterous behavior (vv. 27-30).
In Numbers 35:33,34, we read: "'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the LORD, dwell among the Israelites.'" Again, we see that God appeals to His own value and the value of the land He was to grant to the Israelites. His holiness demands the shedding of blood for forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22).
5. A comparison to the U.S. Constitution. These laws appear in our Constitution, where "due process" offers promise for fairness in criminal dealings. Please take a look at the following amendments:
a. Fourth Amendment: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
b. Fifth Amendment: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
c. Sixth Amendment: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."
d. Eighth Amendment: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
e. 14th Amendment (Part No. 1): "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
QUESTIONS
1. Has your view of the law changed in recent days?
2. How does the law point out both God's justice and His mercy?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February 27
Deut 17 His-Story of the coming Kings
Deut. 17:14-15 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," 15be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.
What an incredible truth is being revealed here. The year is 1400 BC and the nation still is in the desert. They are physically out of Egypt but God wants to make sure Egypt is out of them. God has given the nation new laws so they can know what is right and wrong but a whole generation has been buried in the desert because they were slow learners. Now as they are on the brink of entering the land God looks forward 400 years and sees that they will eventually need a king so they can learn the next lesson in their growth. He has repeatedly warned them against desiring a king, yet here he makes provision for one. Is this a contradiction in the Bible?
No, this is what is called “The Story of Redemption” or in theological terms “Redemptive History.” It refers to the increasing manifestation of God's plan of salvation through His acts of redemption. God couldn’t dump the lessons of algebra and trigonometry on the nation in kindergarten. He needed to work on the simple mathematical processes first.... addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
It is like a child growing up. You have to teach your children that it is wrong to hit your friends or steal their toys. It is also healthy to eat clean food and not the dirt in the sandbox. And washing your hands will give you a better life than keeping a dirt pile under your fingernails. These childhood rules are like the first laws that were given to the nation at Sinai. But eventually that child must be sent off to college. You are training them every day to prepare them for the time when they will make adult decisions. They need to learn how to live under God’s authority and not yours.
For adult decisions to be made for the nation, the Israelites would have to learn how to respond to the kingship of God. For them to learn this lesson it would be necessary to have an earthly king over them. Without bad kings how would people appreciate good kings – especially the righteous King of Kings? God, in his omniscience, proclaims there will be a time when kings will govern them.
The final lesson of this growing up process will include living under the guidance of a Messiah. The redemption story reaches its climax with the shedding of the blood of the Son of God on the cross and his new kingdom ethics. All of this is the process of an unfolding story of redemption.
The fascinating question for us today: Does God ever allow me to act against his will in order to bring me within his will?
Deut. 17:14-15 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," 15be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite.
What an incredible truth is being revealed here. The year is 1400 BC and the nation still is in the desert. They are physically out of Egypt but God wants to make sure Egypt is out of them. God has given the nation new laws so they can know what is right and wrong but a whole generation has been buried in the desert because they were slow learners. Now as they are on the brink of entering the land God looks forward 400 years and sees that they will eventually need a king so they can learn the next lesson in their growth. He has repeatedly warned them against desiring a king, yet here he makes provision for one. Is this a contradiction in the Bible?
No, this is what is called “The Story of Redemption” or in theological terms “Redemptive History.” It refers to the increasing manifestation of God's plan of salvation through His acts of redemption. God couldn’t dump the lessons of algebra and trigonometry on the nation in kindergarten. He needed to work on the simple mathematical processes first.... addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
It is like a child growing up. You have to teach your children that it is wrong to hit your friends or steal their toys. It is also healthy to eat clean food and not the dirt in the sandbox. And washing your hands will give you a better life than keeping a dirt pile under your fingernails. These childhood rules are like the first laws that were given to the nation at Sinai. But eventually that child must be sent off to college. You are training them every day to prepare them for the time when they will make adult decisions. They need to learn how to live under God’s authority and not yours.
For adult decisions to be made for the nation, the Israelites would have to learn how to respond to the kingship of God. For them to learn this lesson it would be necessary to have an earthly king over them. Without bad kings how would people appreciate good kings – especially the righteous King of Kings? God, in his omniscience, proclaims there will be a time when kings will govern them.
The final lesson of this growing up process will include living under the guidance of a Messiah. The redemption story reaches its climax with the shedding of the blood of the Son of God on the cross and his new kingdom ethics. All of this is the process of an unfolding story of redemption.
The fascinating question for us today: Does God ever allow me to act against his will in order to bring me within his will?
Friday, February 26, 2010
February 26
Another snowy accountability day and it is time to check in with mission control.
I want to encourage you. We are almost through the law. Keep your hopes high because destructive mildew instructions are just around the bend. Today’s focus in on being a person of your word
Deut. 23:23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.
In ancient Israel it was the practice of the people of God to make vows to God and to each other. What God wanted to get across to us in our reading is the seriousness of fulfilling that vow. The importance of being a person of your word is seriously lacking in our culture. Whether it is in a marriage, the marketplace, a financial agreement, or simply to show up to an agreed upon plan, people today very rarely keep their word.
Integrity is a word widely used in our language but few people know what it means. The origin of the word comes from the Latin “integer” which means “whole” or “complete.” In mathematics, an integer is a positive or negative whole number of zero – a number without any fractional part.
One synonym for integrity is sincerity – the state of being truthful, genuine and free from deception or duplicity. This is a word Bernie Madoff and most politicians do not include in their vocabulary.
The word “sincerity” comes from the Latin “sincerus” meaning clean and pure through and through. It is the result of two Latin root words sine (without) and cera (wax).
Tradition tells us that dishonest Roman sculptors would cover up nicks and flaws in their statues with wax filler. The deception would last only until a hot summer sun melted the wax away and exposed the flaws. A sculpture that was pure and flawless was said to be “sine cera” without wax.
In the same way, a human life that is pure and whole is “sine cera” without wax. The person who lacks integrity has hidden flaws that will be revealed in their character when exposed to the heat of trials and adversity. The most prevalent test we have for sincerity is the examination of how much do we keep our word.
Here are some practical ways to becoming a person of your word.
1. Picture every promise as a promise made before God. This is actually true!!
2. Make very few promises.
3. When you make a promise write it down so you remember your commitments.
4. Remember you are building or tearing down trust with your fulfillment of this promise.
5. If you don’t keep your word ask for forgiveness. This includes your promises to your children.
6. The little things count.
7. Always tell the truth..... Always!!
8. Create a culture of truth in your family.
9. Keep your word even when it hurts.
Thought for today: “When people think of you do they see a promise keeper or a promise breaker?”
“Semper fidelis” the promise to always be faithful. May that be the label people place on us.
I want to encourage you. We are almost through the law. Keep your hopes high because destructive mildew instructions are just around the bend. Today’s focus in on being a person of your word
Deut. 23:23 Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.
In ancient Israel it was the practice of the people of God to make vows to God and to each other. What God wanted to get across to us in our reading is the seriousness of fulfilling that vow. The importance of being a person of your word is seriously lacking in our culture. Whether it is in a marriage, the marketplace, a financial agreement, or simply to show up to an agreed upon plan, people today very rarely keep their word.
Integrity is a word widely used in our language but few people know what it means. The origin of the word comes from the Latin “integer” which means “whole” or “complete.” In mathematics, an integer is a positive or negative whole number of zero – a number without any fractional part.
One synonym for integrity is sincerity – the state of being truthful, genuine and free from deception or duplicity. This is a word Bernie Madoff and most politicians do not include in their vocabulary.
The word “sincerity” comes from the Latin “sincerus” meaning clean and pure through and through. It is the result of two Latin root words sine (without) and cera (wax).
Tradition tells us that dishonest Roman sculptors would cover up nicks and flaws in their statues with wax filler. The deception would last only until a hot summer sun melted the wax away and exposed the flaws. A sculpture that was pure and flawless was said to be “sine cera” without wax.
In the same way, a human life that is pure and whole is “sine cera” without wax. The person who lacks integrity has hidden flaws that will be revealed in their character when exposed to the heat of trials and adversity. The most prevalent test we have for sincerity is the examination of how much do we keep our word.
Here are some practical ways to becoming a person of your word.
1. Picture every promise as a promise made before God. This is actually true!!
2. Make very few promises.
3. When you make a promise write it down so you remember your commitments.
4. Remember you are building or tearing down trust with your fulfillment of this promise.
5. If you don’t keep your word ask for forgiveness. This includes your promises to your children.
6. The little things count.
7. Always tell the truth..... Always!!
8. Create a culture of truth in your family.
9. Keep your word even when it hurts.
Thought for today: “When people think of you do they see a promise keeper or a promise breaker?”
“Semper fidelis” the promise to always be faithful. May that be the label people place on us.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
February 25
Dusting off the Old Books
Leviticus 14 What we have in this passage is a glimpse of the first seminary training. Now if you think it is boring to read about this, just think about learning how to do it. I am sure there was a class in seminary called Leprosy 101, and the most frequent question in that class was, “why do we have to learn all this stuff.” No one was ever healed from leprosy.
Think about the procedures they would have to go through...
1. Take an hour walk and go outside the camp. The tabernacle was at the center of the community.
2. Give the person a physical.
3. Put in an order at Costco for 2 live birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn and some hyssop (a branch)
4. Kill one bird over a clay pot
5. Take the remaining live bird and dip it in the blood with the wood, yarn and hyssop
6. Sprinkle the person 7 times and pronounce them clean
7. Release the bird.
8. Then go to the laundromat and clean his clothes
9. Shave his hair ... we are talking all the hair!!
10. Have him take a bath at the Desert Day Spa
11. Have him camp outside for 7 days.
12. Bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old with some flour and oil and one log of oil
13. Sacrifice one lamb as a guilt offering
14. Wave the offering before God
15. The other lamb is offered as a sin offering
16. Put blood on the lobe of the right ear
17. Then take oil and sprinkle it 7 times
18. Put oil on the right ear, the big toe of the right foot and on the head.
That is an elaborate ceremony!!!. As far as we know there were only two people cured on leprosy in the OT, one was Miriam and the other was General Naaman in 2 Kings 5. So the seminary guys learn this stuff and then their notes sit in their libraries for decades without use.
One day, many centuries later, there is a knock on the temple door. The person on the other side says, “I have been healed of leprosy.” All of a sudden the priests start scrambling around looking for the notes from that class. The next day 3 more appear. Then next week 10 guys show up. The priests start asking, “How were you healed?” The name Jesus comes up every time. I believe God put this in the law to give the priests in Jesus’ time overwhelming evidence that he was the Messiah.
In Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus said to a guy healed of leprosy, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Wow, what a plan to show the world that Jesus is the Messiah.
Even in Leviticus 14, God has drawn up a plan to show the world the uniqueness of his one and only son. Do you appreciate the signs given by God to point us to Jesus? He is the Messiah.
Leviticus 14 What we have in this passage is a glimpse of the first seminary training. Now if you think it is boring to read about this, just think about learning how to do it. I am sure there was a class in seminary called Leprosy 101, and the most frequent question in that class was, “why do we have to learn all this stuff.” No one was ever healed from leprosy.
Think about the procedures they would have to go through...
1. Take an hour walk and go outside the camp. The tabernacle was at the center of the community.
2. Give the person a physical.
3. Put in an order at Costco for 2 live birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn and some hyssop (a branch)
4. Kill one bird over a clay pot
5. Take the remaining live bird and dip it in the blood with the wood, yarn and hyssop
6. Sprinkle the person 7 times and pronounce them clean
7. Release the bird.
8. Then go to the laundromat and clean his clothes
9. Shave his hair ... we are talking all the hair!!
10. Have him take a bath at the Desert Day Spa
11. Have him camp outside for 7 days.
12. Bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old with some flour and oil and one log of oil
13. Sacrifice one lamb as a guilt offering
14. Wave the offering before God
15. The other lamb is offered as a sin offering
16. Put blood on the lobe of the right ear
17. Then take oil and sprinkle it 7 times
18. Put oil on the right ear, the big toe of the right foot and on the head.
That is an elaborate ceremony!!!. As far as we know there were only two people cured on leprosy in the OT, one was Miriam and the other was General Naaman in 2 Kings 5. So the seminary guys learn this stuff and then their notes sit in their libraries for decades without use.
One day, many centuries later, there is a knock on the temple door. The person on the other side says, “I have been healed of leprosy.” All of a sudden the priests start scrambling around looking for the notes from that class. The next day 3 more appear. Then next week 10 guys show up. The priests start asking, “How were you healed?” The name Jesus comes up every time. I believe God put this in the law to give the priests in Jesus’ time overwhelming evidence that he was the Messiah.
In Matthew 8:4 Then Jesus said to a guy healed of leprosy, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
Wow, what a plan to show the world that Jesus is the Messiah.
Even in Leviticus 14, God has drawn up a plan to show the world the uniqueness of his one and only son. Do you appreciate the signs given by God to point us to Jesus? He is the Messiah.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
February 24
Leviticus 25: Three Special Events on God’s Calendar
Sabbath: One day in 7 is given to God, one day each week to take off from work and enjoy God.
Sabbath Year: Divide up the land into seven sections and let one section lay fallow, unplowed each year.
God wants us to be good managers of the natural resources he has loaned to us. Christ followers are to be environmentally responsible. We are called to take care of the God’s planet.
The Year of Jubilee: Every 50 years a very special event occurs. All debts are cancelled. Servants are set free. The land goes back to original owners. It was a new start for poor people. For those who had lost out in life's race, for the weak, the outcast, the losers, they all get a chance to start over. This is God’s solution for class inequity. It is a way to prevent the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer. But even though God commanded this, there is no record of them ever celebrating a Jubilee.
Isaiah the prophet shows up around 700 years later and makes this startling prediction. When Messiah comes, Messiah will declare the Jubilee. You will know he is the Messiah by virtue of a declaration he makes.
Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Now fast forward to the year AD 30. Jesus is just beginning his ministry and his mom has arranged for her son to read the scriptures at First Avenue Synagogue of Nazareth. You know how mother's are. Everyone is there, Uncle Lou, Aunt Betty, grandma and grandpa. Mary has prepared a big shindig afterward. Now the tension grows, Jesus gets up to read. He opens to Isaiah 61 and everyone knows what is in the chapter. Everyone knows that whoever declares the Jubilee is declaring himself as the Messiah.
Luke 4:16-21 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
In case you didn't get it. Jesus just plugged the neon sign in, "I'm the Messiah." Now the synagogue is buzzing. Who does he think he is? Isn't this Joseph's and Mary’s son? They rise up in a mob action and intend to throw him off a cliff. You talk about a party getting off on the wrong foot!!!
Luke 4:30 says, “But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way”. No one lays a hand on him.
The Jubilee gives us our mission statement in 2010. Here are four components that we must all include in our “TO DO” list today.
1. Preach Good News to the poor
2. Proclaim freedom for people who are prisoners or in bondage
3. Healing of the sick
4. Deliverance of the oppressed
The Jubilee is all about our mission on earth. How can you adjust your “TO DO” list today to reflect these priorities?
Sabbath: One day in 7 is given to God, one day each week to take off from work and enjoy God.
Sabbath Year: Divide up the land into seven sections and let one section lay fallow, unplowed each year.
God wants us to be good managers of the natural resources he has loaned to us. Christ followers are to be environmentally responsible. We are called to take care of the God’s planet.
The Year of Jubilee: Every 50 years a very special event occurs. All debts are cancelled. Servants are set free. The land goes back to original owners. It was a new start for poor people. For those who had lost out in life's race, for the weak, the outcast, the losers, they all get a chance to start over. This is God’s solution for class inequity. It is a way to prevent the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer. But even though God commanded this, there is no record of them ever celebrating a Jubilee.
Isaiah the prophet shows up around 700 years later and makes this startling prediction. When Messiah comes, Messiah will declare the Jubilee. You will know he is the Messiah by virtue of a declaration he makes.
Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Now fast forward to the year AD 30. Jesus is just beginning his ministry and his mom has arranged for her son to read the scriptures at First Avenue Synagogue of Nazareth. You know how mother's are. Everyone is there, Uncle Lou, Aunt Betty, grandma and grandpa. Mary has prepared a big shindig afterward. Now the tension grows, Jesus gets up to read. He opens to Isaiah 61 and everyone knows what is in the chapter. Everyone knows that whoever declares the Jubilee is declaring himself as the Messiah.
Luke 4:16-21 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
In case you didn't get it. Jesus just plugged the neon sign in, "I'm the Messiah." Now the synagogue is buzzing. Who does he think he is? Isn't this Joseph's and Mary’s son? They rise up in a mob action and intend to throw him off a cliff. You talk about a party getting off on the wrong foot!!!
Luke 4:30 says, “But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way”. No one lays a hand on him.
The Jubilee gives us our mission statement in 2010. Here are four components that we must all include in our “TO DO” list today.
1. Preach Good News to the poor
2. Proclaim freedom for people who are prisoners or in bondage
3. Healing of the sick
4. Deliverance of the oppressed
The Jubilee is all about our mission on earth. How can you adjust your “TO DO” list today to reflect these priorities?
Monday, February 22, 2010
Feb 23
Various verses from Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy dealing with Offerings.
These verses outline the proper procedures for presenting offerings to the Lord. The idea of cost came to mind as I read. When we sin, we commit cosmic treason against a holy and perfect God. In order to make our relationship right with Him, there is a cost or a penalty that must be paid in the form of an offering.
1) Lev 6:1-7
The LORD said to Moses: "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."
In the case of fraud or theft, a person who cheats another out of their property, not only were required to return the item, they had to pay restitution. This means they had to pay back over and above what was stolen. This punishment clearly shows that sin is costly.
2) Deut 21:1-9
If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck. The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for. So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Sin is costly, even if it is not known who committed it. The excuse "But I didn't do it" is not good enough in God's eyes. He still wants it to be made right.
Sometimes we can have the wrong attitude toward sin by acting like it's no big deal. But this could not be further from the truth. The Israelites should have fully understood the concept of cost, because every sin they committed had to be paid for by making an offering to God. Today, we should fully understand it because Jesus, God Himself, had to pay the ultimate price for our sin by dying on the cross. His sacrifice sufficiently paid the cost of all our sins, so we could have a right relationship with God. Next time you are tempted to think that sin is no big deal, remember what Jesus did and thank Him for paying the price for us.
These verses outline the proper procedures for presenting offerings to the Lord. The idea of cost came to mind as I read. When we sin, we commit cosmic treason against a holy and perfect God. In order to make our relationship right with Him, there is a cost or a penalty that must be paid in the form of an offering.
1) Lev 6:1-7
The LORD said to Moses: "If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do- when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. And as a penalty he must bring to the priest, that is, to the LORD, his guilt offering, a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for any of these things he did that made him guilty."
In the case of fraud or theft, a person who cheats another out of their property, not only were required to return the item, they had to pay restitution. This means they had to pay back over and above what was stolen. This punishment clearly shows that sin is costly.
2) Deut 21:1-9
If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck. The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man." And the bloodshed will be atoned for. So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Sin is costly, even if it is not known who committed it. The excuse "But I didn't do it" is not good enough in God's eyes. He still wants it to be made right.
Sometimes we can have the wrong attitude toward sin by acting like it's no big deal. But this could not be further from the truth. The Israelites should have fully understood the concept of cost, because every sin they committed had to be paid for by making an offering to God. Today, we should fully understand it because Jesus, God Himself, had to pay the ultimate price for our sin by dying on the cross. His sacrifice sufficiently paid the cost of all our sins, so we could have a right relationship with God. Next time you are tempted to think that sin is no big deal, remember what Jesus did and thank Him for paying the price for us.
Monday, February 22
I hope we all keep on pressing and read through the 'laws section'. I admit I find my mind wondering off when I read them! But again remember that every detail matters in God's plan. Especially, the laws He gives must matter. Here are some more thoughts on these offerings (and symbolism I see) …
Fellowship offering – or a 'peace offering' to God.
What a beautiful idea! When you build a relationship with a person you build a community with them by sharing together joyful things and keeping peace with them. God wants the same relationship with us. But as in people relationships, this requires an active commitment. The Israelites were taught how to start this habit by presenting fellowship offerings. But I am sure it had to reflect what was actually in their hearts. We also today need to look at what more can we offer to God as a sign that we want peace and friendship with him. Yes, it starts with offering our hearts and committing our lives to Him...remember also 'the Sabbath' discipline we've been learning about as an example what we can offer.
Present an offering without defect.
Gods demanded animal offerings without defect. To me this is a reminder first that He is holy and second that He wants us to strive for holiness (as impossible as it is for a human). It also could symbolize that our offerings are to be genuine. I don't think this is a call to be 'perfectionists.' ...God calls our offerings to him to be 'the real thing': from the heart, truthful and genuine, not just religious rituals:
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10)
‘Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Psalm 139: 23-24)
An aroma pleasing to the Lord.
At the end of the day, what we offer to God pleases Him, he rejoices in us. You've read before of the mega party in Heaven that happens when a heart accepts Christ? Well, I imagine God partying wildly every time we offer yet another bit of ourselves to Him, no matter how small.
An offering made by fire.
This reminds me of God the Holy Spirit who lives in us and helps us with His consuming power to build a relationship with Him daily and be transformed.
Sprinkle it's blood on all sides.
We read that there is a lot of blood being sprinkled at the altar when these sacrifices were being made, and on all sides. At the end of the day, the atonement for all sin, all wrongdoing of every human being, was through the blood of Christ who was sacrificed, and His blood was 'sprinkled all around' - for everyone to believe and be saved.
All our offerings are to be presented at a Holy place.
For the Israelites this was to be the future temple to be built –a physical place. In our lives that holy place is ‘being with Christ.’ Jesus is to be LORD of all of our lives, He is to dwell in every aspect of our life. It is a huge challenge for me to let Him control EVERY aspect, but we are to offer it all to him: from confession to praise to life transformation, letting Him lead our lives.
‘How lovely is your dwelling place, oh, Lord almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for you
Lord, here my heart is satisfied within your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of your wings
Better is one day in your court, better is one day in your house
Better is one day in your court than thousands elsewhere’ (‘Better Is One Day’ song)
Have you offered your heart and life to God? In what outward way can you express it this week?
Fellowship offering – or a 'peace offering' to God.
What a beautiful idea! When you build a relationship with a person you build a community with them by sharing together joyful things and keeping peace with them. God wants the same relationship with us. But as in people relationships, this requires an active commitment. The Israelites were taught how to start this habit by presenting fellowship offerings. But I am sure it had to reflect what was actually in their hearts. We also today need to look at what more can we offer to God as a sign that we want peace and friendship with him. Yes, it starts with offering our hearts and committing our lives to Him...remember also 'the Sabbath' discipline we've been learning about as an example what we can offer.
Present an offering without defect.
Gods demanded animal offerings without defect. To me this is a reminder first that He is holy and second that He wants us to strive for holiness (as impossible as it is for a human). It also could symbolize that our offerings are to be genuine. I don't think this is a call to be 'perfectionists.' ...God calls our offerings to him to be 'the real thing': from the heart, truthful and genuine, not just religious rituals:
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:10)
‘Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.’ (Psalm 139: 23-24)
An aroma pleasing to the Lord.
At the end of the day, what we offer to God pleases Him, he rejoices in us. You've read before of the mega party in Heaven that happens when a heart accepts Christ? Well, I imagine God partying wildly every time we offer yet another bit of ourselves to Him, no matter how small.
An offering made by fire.
This reminds me of God the Holy Spirit who lives in us and helps us with His consuming power to build a relationship with Him daily and be transformed.
Sprinkle it's blood on all sides.
We read that there is a lot of blood being sprinkled at the altar when these sacrifices were being made, and on all sides. At the end of the day, the atonement for all sin, all wrongdoing of every human being, was through the blood of Christ who was sacrificed, and His blood was 'sprinkled all around' - for everyone to believe and be saved.
All our offerings are to be presented at a Holy place.
For the Israelites this was to be the future temple to be built –a physical place. In our lives that holy place is ‘being with Christ.’ Jesus is to be LORD of all of our lives, He is to dwell in every aspect of our life. It is a huge challenge for me to let Him control EVERY aspect, but we are to offer it all to him: from confession to praise to life transformation, letting Him lead our lives.
‘How lovely is your dwelling place, oh, Lord almighty
For my soul longs and even faints for you
Lord, here my heart is satisfied within your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of your wings
Better is one day in your court, better is one day in your house
Better is one day in your court than thousands elsewhere’ (‘Better Is One Day’ song)
Have you offered your heart and life to God? In what outward way can you express it this week?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
February 21: Sacrifices and Offerings
As the commentator notes, the Jewish spiritual life included not just "feasts of celebration, remembrance, and thanksgiving," but also sacrifices and offerings. There are two major purposes for these sacrifices and offerings: 1) "the removal of guilt (expiation)" and 2) "the obtaining of God's favor (propiation)." Today, we read about two of the kinds of offering: burnt offerings, an example of expiation, and cereal/grain offerings, an example of propiation.
1. Burnt offerings. A burnt offering comes from the herd, flocks, or birds. As the offering, valuable to the giver, becomes engulfed in flames and consumed by fire, the worshippers might regard these flames ascending to God. While part of every offering received burning in the sacred fire, these offerings were wholly burned. The most frequent form of sacrifice, it is the only type mentioned in the Book of Genesis -- by Abel (Genesis 4:3,4); Noah (Genesis 8:20); and Abraham (Genesis 22:2,7,8,13). The Israelites also offered such a sacrifice in Egypt (Exodus 10:25).
2. Grain offerings. These offerings looked to draw God's favor, providing an "aroma pleasing to the LORD." The Israelites were not to use leaven, which may have pointed to their depature from Egypt. These offerings were also to receive the "salt of the covenant" and a portion thereof would go to the Levites.
3. Applications. As we read the New Testament, we quickly gather a change in the sacrificial system that has transpired through Christ. For the Christian, the completed sacrifice of Jesus has covered over all guilt: "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!... For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15ff).
Yet, we may offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise. In 2 Corinthians 2:14,15, we read: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Paul describes the Philippians' generosity in similar terms: "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." (Philippians 4:18)
The greatest sacrifice we may offer is our life, represented in devotion to God and His will. Our faithful following after His heart leads us to pour out our lives for Him and for others. It involves a re-orientation of priorities. Romans 12:1 reads: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship." Paul describes his life as a "drink offering" both in Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6. His words in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 give us encouragement as we see the pouring out and waning of our earthly lives: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
QUESTIONS
1. Why do we often wish to offer sacrifices, now unnecessary, to "cover" our guilt or shame?
2. How can you offer your life as a "sacrifice of praise" this week?
1. Burnt offerings. A burnt offering comes from the herd, flocks, or birds. As the offering, valuable to the giver, becomes engulfed in flames and consumed by fire, the worshippers might regard these flames ascending to God. While part of every offering received burning in the sacred fire, these offerings were wholly burned. The most frequent form of sacrifice, it is the only type mentioned in the Book of Genesis -- by Abel (Genesis 4:3,4); Noah (Genesis 8:20); and Abraham (Genesis 22:2,7,8,13). The Israelites also offered such a sacrifice in Egypt (Exodus 10:25).
2. Grain offerings. These offerings looked to draw God's favor, providing an "aroma pleasing to the LORD." The Israelites were not to use leaven, which may have pointed to their depature from Egypt. These offerings were also to receive the "salt of the covenant" and a portion thereof would go to the Levites.
3. Applications. As we read the New Testament, we quickly gather a change in the sacrificial system that has transpired through Christ. For the Christian, the completed sacrifice of Jesus has covered over all guilt: "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!... For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15ff).
Yet, we may offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise. In 2 Corinthians 2:14,15, we read: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Paul describes the Philippians' generosity in similar terms: "I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." (Philippians 4:18)
The greatest sacrifice we may offer is our life, represented in devotion to God and His will. Our faithful following after His heart leads us to pour out our lives for Him and for others. It involves a re-orientation of priorities. Romans 12:1 reads: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship." Paul describes his life as a "drink offering" both in Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6. His words in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 give us encouragement as we see the pouring out and waning of our earthly lives: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
QUESTIONS
1. Why do we often wish to offer sacrifices, now unnecessary, to "cover" our guilt or shame?
2. How can you offer your life as a "sacrifice of praise" this week?
Saturday, February 20, 2010
February 20
THE FEASTS Besides enjoying one Sabbath day of rest each week, the Israelites also enjoyed 19 days when national holidays were celebrated. This is a culture that knew how to party!!
Passover
One day
(Lev. 23:5) When God spared the lives of Israel’s firstborn children in Egypt and freed the Hebrews from slavery. Reminded the people of God’s deliverance. He can still set us free from bondage.
Unleavened Bread
Seven days
(Lev. 23:6-8)
The exodus from Egypt. Reminded the people they were leaving the old life behind and entering a new way of living
Firstfruits
One day
(Lev. 23:9-14)
The first crops of the barley harvest. Reminded the people how God provided for them. God will give us today our daily bread.
Weeks
One day
(Lev. 23:15-22)
The end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest
Showed joy and thanksgiving over the bountiful harvest. It is time to celebrate and party. Who said following God wasn’t fun!
Trumpets
One day
(Lev. 23:23-25)
The beginning of the seventh month (civil new year)
Expressed joy and thanksgiving to God. Grateful people are joyful people.
Day of Atonement
One day
(Lev. 23:26-32)
The removal of sin from the people and the nation
Restored fellowship with God. We place our sin on the scapegoat, which happens to be Jesus.
Tabernacles
Seven days
(Lev. 23:33-43)
God’s protection and guidance in the desert
Renewed Israel’s commitment to God and trust in his guidance and protection
Some additional notes on the purpose of these feasts:
1. The Hebrew meaning of the word Leviticus is "And he called" It is somewhat misleading for although the book deals extensively with the Levites and priests and their various tasks, this book was given to the whole nation. We are all called to live holy lives.
2. The word "Holy" occurs 90 times. The word "Sanctify" 17 times.
What does “sanctification” mean? To be set apart for God’s use. A believer’s sanctification is an ongoing process. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is sanctified. The Holy Spirit continues helping him or her become more and more like Jesus, which is the process of sanctification. The goal in our Bible reading this year is not information but transformation. Every day we should be more and more like Jesus.
3. God wanted the nation to act as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Ex 19:5,6 Israel rejected this offer by God. Ex 20:21. In the New Testament we have been given this same task. So today give yourself the title of “Priest or Priestess.” 1 Peter 1 Notice this is not prince or princess. Don’t take it too far.
4. The book of Leviticus is filled with the commands God gave his people at the foot of Mount Sinai. From these commands we can learn much about God’s nature and character. At first glance, Leviticus seems irrelevant to our high-tech world of Ipods and GPS’s. But digging a little deeper, we realize that the book still speaks to us today—God has not changed, and his principles are for all times. As people and culture change, we need constantly to search for ways to apply the principles of God’s law to our present circumstances. God was the same in Leviticus as he is today and will be forever (Hebrews 13:8).
5. The point of the book. Make a distinction between the God you feel and the God who is revealed. God gave specific instructions on how we are to approach him. Worship isn't something we just feel…. Don't just wing it. Nadab and Abihu didn't follow instructions and they paid a huge price. Today the ceremonial law is not in effect. But God has still given us guidelines on worship. We need to be diligent to worship God correctly.
An action plan for this Saturday:
1. Take a minute and sing a worship song to the Lord.
2. Be quiet for a few minutes and ask God to reveal to you how he wants to sanctify you today.
3. Make sure your life is lining up with the God revealed in the Bible. Truth is absolutely what God says it is.
Passover
One day
(Lev. 23:5) When God spared the lives of Israel’s firstborn children in Egypt and freed the Hebrews from slavery. Reminded the people of God’s deliverance. He can still set us free from bondage.
Unleavened Bread
Seven days
(Lev. 23:6-8)
The exodus from Egypt. Reminded the people they were leaving the old life behind and entering a new way of living
Firstfruits
One day
(Lev. 23:9-14)
The first crops of the barley harvest. Reminded the people how God provided for them. God will give us today our daily bread.
Weeks
One day
(Lev. 23:15-22)
The end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest
Showed joy and thanksgiving over the bountiful harvest. It is time to celebrate and party. Who said following God wasn’t fun!
Trumpets
One day
(Lev. 23:23-25)
The beginning of the seventh month (civil new year)
Expressed joy and thanksgiving to God. Grateful people are joyful people.
Day of Atonement
One day
(Lev. 23:26-32)
The removal of sin from the people and the nation
Restored fellowship with God. We place our sin on the scapegoat, which happens to be Jesus.
Tabernacles
Seven days
(Lev. 23:33-43)
God’s protection and guidance in the desert
Renewed Israel’s commitment to God and trust in his guidance and protection
Some additional notes on the purpose of these feasts:
1. The Hebrew meaning of the word Leviticus is "And he called" It is somewhat misleading for although the book deals extensively with the Levites and priests and their various tasks, this book was given to the whole nation. We are all called to live holy lives.
2. The word "Holy" occurs 90 times. The word "Sanctify" 17 times.
What does “sanctification” mean? To be set apart for God’s use. A believer’s sanctification is an ongoing process. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she is sanctified. The Holy Spirit continues helping him or her become more and more like Jesus, which is the process of sanctification. The goal in our Bible reading this year is not information but transformation. Every day we should be more and more like Jesus.
3. God wanted the nation to act as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Ex 19:5,6 Israel rejected this offer by God. Ex 20:21. In the New Testament we have been given this same task. So today give yourself the title of “Priest or Priestess.” 1 Peter 1 Notice this is not prince or princess. Don’t take it too far.
4. The book of Leviticus is filled with the commands God gave his people at the foot of Mount Sinai. From these commands we can learn much about God’s nature and character. At first glance, Leviticus seems irrelevant to our high-tech world of Ipods and GPS’s. But digging a little deeper, we realize that the book still speaks to us today—God has not changed, and his principles are for all times. As people and culture change, we need constantly to search for ways to apply the principles of God’s law to our present circumstances. God was the same in Leviticus as he is today and will be forever (Hebrews 13:8).
5. The point of the book. Make a distinction between the God you feel and the God who is revealed. God gave specific instructions on how we are to approach him. Worship isn't something we just feel…. Don't just wing it. Nadab and Abihu didn't follow instructions and they paid a huge price. Today the ceremonial law is not in effect. But God has still given us guidelines on worship. We need to be diligent to worship God correctly.
An action plan for this Saturday:
1. Take a minute and sing a worship song to the Lord.
2. Be quiet for a few minutes and ask God to reveal to you how he wants to sanctify you today.
3. Make sure your life is lining up with the God revealed in the Bible. Truth is absolutely what God says it is.
Friday, February 19, 2010
February 19
Accountability day, it is amazing how quickly these come around. Send me a quick email.
Are you tired all the time?
I'm not sure I understand it, but I have this feeling that an increasing amount of my conversations deal with the subject of weariness, over commitment, and the perceived need to drop out.
Here are phrases that I hear all the time, maybe you have even said some of these:
1. I've got to cut down; I'm into too many things.
2. I think I'm on the edge of burn‑out.
3. I never have any time for myself these days.
4. You can't believe how busy my life is.
I get the feeling we are a tired generation. Evidence of that can be found that Americans are overworked and exhausted these days. Workaholism is a modern word. No matter how hard we are willing to work in our competitive world, there always seems to be someone willing to put in a few more hours than we are. The amazing thing is that all this weariness, exhaustion, fatigue is taking place at a time when we have more leisure than any generation who has every lived in this country. How can these things be? Can I suggest that this is not necessarily a weariness of the body, but this is a weariness of the spirit and soul?
God in his infinity wisdom has a solution for our burn out; it is called a Sabbath Rest.
Deut. 5:12-14 "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.”
It might be time for us to read the instructions. Here is the remarkable principle. We work for six days and then we get a full day of vacation. A day for our souls to catch up with our bodies, a day of enjoyment of God and the wonderful gifts he has given us, in a sense a mini-vacation day to renew ourselves.
Here are some words from an Israeli tourist brochure: “Make the Sabbath an eternal monument of the knowledge and sanctification of God, both in the center of your busy public life and in the peaceful retreat of your domestic hearth. For six days cultivate the earth and rule it. But the 7th is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. Let a man therefore realize that the Creator of old is the living God of today, that He watches every man and every human effort, to see how man uses or abuses the world loaned to him and the forces bestowed upon him, and that He is the sole architect to whom every man has to render an account of his week's labors.”
Jewish awareness of a unique pace of Sabbath is something we should consider. Routines are to stop, labors are to cease. Even the homemaker in the pious Jewish family is to refrain from cooking or menial tasks. Food is prepared before Sabbath begins so that she also can enjoy the fruit of the special rest day. This is a far cry from the incredible, filled up, pressurized day many evangelical Christians tend to make of their day of rest.
Make Sunday the high point of your week. Make it a day to go to church, spend time alone with God, and renew your relationships with family and friends. It is a day to re-create your spirit and soul.
We are as busy as we choose to be. Choose not to be busy this coming Sunday. Take a vacation with God.
Are you tired all the time?
I'm not sure I understand it, but I have this feeling that an increasing amount of my conversations deal with the subject of weariness, over commitment, and the perceived need to drop out.
Here are phrases that I hear all the time, maybe you have even said some of these:
1. I've got to cut down; I'm into too many things.
2. I think I'm on the edge of burn‑out.
3. I never have any time for myself these days.
4. You can't believe how busy my life is.
I get the feeling we are a tired generation. Evidence of that can be found that Americans are overworked and exhausted these days. Workaholism is a modern word. No matter how hard we are willing to work in our competitive world, there always seems to be someone willing to put in a few more hours than we are. The amazing thing is that all this weariness, exhaustion, fatigue is taking place at a time when we have more leisure than any generation who has every lived in this country. How can these things be? Can I suggest that this is not necessarily a weariness of the body, but this is a weariness of the spirit and soul?
God in his infinity wisdom has a solution for our burn out; it is called a Sabbath Rest.
Deut. 5:12-14 "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.”
It might be time for us to read the instructions. Here is the remarkable principle. We work for six days and then we get a full day of vacation. A day for our souls to catch up with our bodies, a day of enjoyment of God and the wonderful gifts he has given us, in a sense a mini-vacation day to renew ourselves.
Here are some words from an Israeli tourist brochure: “Make the Sabbath an eternal monument of the knowledge and sanctification of God, both in the center of your busy public life and in the peaceful retreat of your domestic hearth. For six days cultivate the earth and rule it. But the 7th is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. Let a man therefore realize that the Creator of old is the living God of today, that He watches every man and every human effort, to see how man uses or abuses the world loaned to him and the forces bestowed upon him, and that He is the sole architect to whom every man has to render an account of his week's labors.”
Jewish awareness of a unique pace of Sabbath is something we should consider. Routines are to stop, labors are to cease. Even the homemaker in the pious Jewish family is to refrain from cooking or menial tasks. Food is prepared before Sabbath begins so that she also can enjoy the fruit of the special rest day. This is a far cry from the incredible, filled up, pressurized day many evangelical Christians tend to make of their day of rest.
Make Sunday the high point of your week. Make it a day to go to church, spend time alone with God, and renew your relationships with family and friends. It is a day to re-create your spirit and soul.
We are as busy as we choose to be. Choose not to be busy this coming Sunday. Take a vacation with God.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
February 18
We now begin the Laws of Moses.
During my high school years I had the prodigious job of being a lifeguard at one of the public pools in Allentown, Pa. We had the “commandments” of pool life published on a board as you entered the pool area. There were commandments like… no pushing people into water, no running, no diving in the shallow end, no swimming in the diving area, no glass bottles and no babies in diapers allowed in the pool.
Many of the kids didn’t like the commandments. They complained that the commandments were too restrictive, that they cramped their style, that they were not fun, and that everyone was doing these things at other pools.
Dream with me for a moment what pool life would be without the commandments. I can see a group of kids wanting to just have fun as they grab a friend and throw him into deep water. The problem is the kid can’t swim. Pushing people into the pool is fun for the pushers but what about the pushee? Lifting the commandment to dive into the shallow end would have catastrophic results. And how about allowing babies in diapers... let’s not even go there.
Why did we have “the pool commandments?” Were the lifeguards crabby people who were hungry for power? Did we want to force our narrow ways on people? No, the commandments were given to provide the best pool experience for everyone. They were designed to maximize the joy of all swimmers. These commandments were given to protect lives. No one ever drowned under my guard.
God gave us the 10 commandments for the same reason. God is not trying to take away our fun. He is providing the best possible life for everyone.
The first commandment is that we should have no other gods before God. Literally this is “you shall have no other gods before my face.” This idiom means we should have no other gods in his presence, no other gods even near him. Hebrew scholars tell us that this is the language of a marriage ceremony. God expects us to give him our lives and our total allegiance.
Imagine being at your wedding ceremony and your wife says to you, “Honey, I do love you, but there are a lot of things that need to be done in marriage. So I want to love another guy and bring him into our marriage.” How would you feel? How do you think God feels when we want to bring other gods into our heart? The bottom line is the first commandment says “I am your only God.” God demands to be our first priority in life.
USA Today on Jan 10, 2007 carried a headline article on the Gen Y generation. Gen Y are people 18-25 years old. When asked what their top life priorities were:
81% said their top life goal was to get rich. .
51% said their second goal was to become famous.
10% said their goal was to become more spiritual.
Even from a casual observation, it is clear that the vast majority of people are breaking the very first commandment. So let me ask you these questions as we begin to study the law:
What is the most important priority in your life?
What does your heart beat fast for? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What’s your mission in life? Can you really say that God is your number one priority?
God in first place in our lives is the only way we will ever find joy.
During my high school years I had the prodigious job of being a lifeguard at one of the public pools in Allentown, Pa. We had the “commandments” of pool life published on a board as you entered the pool area. There were commandments like… no pushing people into water, no running, no diving in the shallow end, no swimming in the diving area, no glass bottles and no babies in diapers allowed in the pool.
Many of the kids didn’t like the commandments. They complained that the commandments were too restrictive, that they cramped their style, that they were not fun, and that everyone was doing these things at other pools.
Dream with me for a moment what pool life would be without the commandments. I can see a group of kids wanting to just have fun as they grab a friend and throw him into deep water. The problem is the kid can’t swim. Pushing people into the pool is fun for the pushers but what about the pushee? Lifting the commandment to dive into the shallow end would have catastrophic results. And how about allowing babies in diapers... let’s not even go there.
Why did we have “the pool commandments?” Were the lifeguards crabby people who were hungry for power? Did we want to force our narrow ways on people? No, the commandments were given to provide the best pool experience for everyone. They were designed to maximize the joy of all swimmers. These commandments were given to protect lives. No one ever drowned under my guard.
God gave us the 10 commandments for the same reason. God is not trying to take away our fun. He is providing the best possible life for everyone.
The first commandment is that we should have no other gods before God. Literally this is “you shall have no other gods before my face.” This idiom means we should have no other gods in his presence, no other gods even near him. Hebrew scholars tell us that this is the language of a marriage ceremony. God expects us to give him our lives and our total allegiance.
Imagine being at your wedding ceremony and your wife says to you, “Honey, I do love you, but there are a lot of things that need to be done in marriage. So I want to love another guy and bring him into our marriage.” How would you feel? How do you think God feels when we want to bring other gods into our heart? The bottom line is the first commandment says “I am your only God.” God demands to be our first priority in life.
USA Today on Jan 10, 2007 carried a headline article on the Gen Y generation. Gen Y are people 18-25 years old. When asked what their top life priorities were:
81% said their top life goal was to get rich. .
51% said their second goal was to become famous.
10% said their goal was to become more spiritual.
Even from a casual observation, it is clear that the vast majority of people are breaking the very first commandment. So let me ask you these questions as we begin to study the law:
What is the most important priority in your life?
What does your heart beat fast for? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What’s your mission in life? Can you really say that God is your number one priority?
God in first place in our lives is the only way we will ever find joy.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
February 17
Today is the last day before the “LAW.” We will be studying the law until March 6th. It is a very important time to stay disciplined to reading everyday. This is where most people stumble in the race.
If you will allow me, I would like to deal with one of the most difficult ethical questions in the Bible: the genocide of the Canaanites. Deut 9:1-3 says that God will become a devouring fire, he will destroy them. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
Deut. 7:1-2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations--the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you-- and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
The Hebrew word used here is “herem” to utterly destroy. The word is used to show what the exclusive property of the Lord is. Only God can make this pronouncement of what is to be totally destroyed. No human being can “herem” a people or country. This word would later be used for a group of women who would be the exclusive property of a king, “The King’s Harem.”
The question that faces us is, “Is this ethical?” Certainly this concept does not fit with the Western concept of God being a big, loving sugar daddy in the sky. But the harder question is the killing of the children and infants. If the Israelite children who were under age 20 were allowed to live in the desert, why would God demand the lives of these children? How do we reconcile this command with the concept of a loving, gracious God who asks us to turn the cheek to our enemies? This declaration offends our moral sensibilities; it literally jars our picture of God because it seems at odds with the revelation of God at other points in the Bible.
So what is the answer? Let me give you some initial thoughts. I have used some thoughts from Walter Kaiser, William Craig, and Gleason Archer.
1. The Holiness and Justice of God. God’s character demands just laws and just rulers in government. When a group of people deliberately violate God’s standard for an extended period of time they will eventually face the holiness and justice of God. It doesn’t matter what time, what country, what nationality. When we break God’s standards there is a price to be paid. That is why God literally pleads with people to repent of their unjust and wicked ways so that he won’t have to judge them.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
This verse was directed at Israel because they had fallen into the exact sin of the Canaanites. God’s holiness is not capricious. It stands opposed to sin regardless of the person committing it. That is why the US and western culture are in danger today. We have deliberately turned our backs on God and his laws. We wink at sin in our culture. To us sin is fun; it is something to play around with. But to God all sin is cosmic treason which is punishable by death.
Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death.
Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned.
That means that every one of us is under the wrath of God when we violate his commands. While we trivialize sin, God says that all sin has drastic consequences. The most horrific consequence is eternally being separated from God.
2. The patience of God. Did God give the Canaanites enough time to repent and get right with him? God gave them 430 years to respond to his love. Archaeologists have found that in Canaanite history both El and Baal were considered equal at one time. El being the God of the Bible and Baal being the god of the Canaanites. But over the next centuries Baal overtook El until only Baal worship existed. They had their opportunity to respond to the God of the Bible but they rejected his love and laws. 400 years is a long time to wait for someone to respond. God was fair. See Genesis 15:13, 16.
3. The Wickedness of the People of Canaan. Critics of God’s pronouncement of “herem” typically neglect one very important truth, the depravity of the Canaanites. According to the Bible and archaeological information, the Canaanites in the land widely practiced child sacrifice, incest, bestiality, and other behaviors that almost everyone in history, including today, rightly regard as unspeakably, grossly immoral. If the people of Canaan were akin to the peace-loving, civilized folks of different religions living in our suburban neighborhoods and working in our colleges, hospitals, and fire departments, then the Israelite claim that God had condemned those peoples as hopelessly degenerate would be rightly questioned. On the other hand, if the Canaanites and other peoples in the land were a degenerate society widely practicing bestiality and publicly burning their children to Molech, can we not understand why God would “herem” them.
But what about the young children? Since we don’t have an explanation of why they are included in this ban, let me suggest 2 possible theories:
First, after generations of the sort of moral degeneracy that characterized these peoples, it may be that even the smallest children were beyond civilizing. Apparently even they were abused and forced to participate in obscene conduct, such that they would have grown up psychologically and spiritually scarred-and perhaps threatened to perpetuate the cycle.
Second, the STDs and other infectious diseases that must have pervaded those cities may well have been carried by the smallest children, and if so, they may have posed a grave danger to the physical health of the Israelites. Imagine some of the nations today most ravaged by AIDS, but living more than three thousand years ago, with no access to even the most basic medical resources. It may be that infectious diseases were also ravaging the domestic animals in these cities, which would also explain why they were destroyed.
It's horrible to contemplate that things were so bad that it was actually necessary for even the youngest members of that society to be killed in order to stop the generational cycle of degeneracy and disease. But something along these lines seems likely to be the reason for God's order to leave alive nothing that breathed.
4. The age of accountability should be taken into account. Since God was so gracious and declared the age of accountability for the Israelites as age 20 could he not have done this for the Canaanites? I personally believe that God’s grace is extended to those who die in infancy, or as small children, the death of these children was actually their salvation. We are so focused on an earthly, secular perspective that we forget that those who die are happy to quit this earth for heaven’s incomparable joy. Therefore, God does these children no wrong in taking their lives.
5. The Nature of God and Being God. God is not to be trifled with. Again this goes against the current politically correct thought where we stand over God in judgment of him and his actions. But the God of the Bible is clearly someone you don’t want to mess with. He means business and he is to be feared. As C.S.Lewis pus it, “Aslan is not a tame lion.” God does have the right to take any life since he is the one who gave it. He is not under any moral obligation to prolong life and when he takes life he doesn’t have to explain to mortals why he did it. He is God and we are not. As Americans this grates against us since we think we are always in control. Control is just an illusion. God is God and we are not.
6. God’s past record of being gracious. When we look at the destruction of Sodom we see a God who gives his solemn promise not to destroy the city if there are ten righteous people there. The implications are clear; the Canaanites are not righteous people but have come under God’s judgment. Every human being is given a choice when it comes to being reconciled with God. God has made a way for us to be reconciled with him. It is through the cross of Jesus. If we reject the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross then the consequences of that decision lie with us. God will not force his will on any person.
In summary: The pronouncement of “herem” on the Canaanite people is harsh. But it was God’s way of preserving Israel’s health and posterity. God knew that if these Canaanites were allowed to live, they would spell the undoing of Israel. This is exactly what happened. The Israelites did not eliminate the Canaanites and their Baal worship, and eventually it became their undoing. In 586 BC God would say “Enough” to the nation of Israel just like he had said it to the Canaanites. And then it would be Israel who would face the wrath of God. God did everything possible to spare them from this destiny.
When will we wake up in the USA and realize how close we are to God saying to us, “Enough?” That is a scary thought. Now is the time for us to renew our commitment to God and follow him with our whole hearts.
If you will allow me, I would like to deal with one of the most difficult ethical questions in the Bible: the genocide of the Canaanites. Deut 9:1-3 says that God will become a devouring fire, he will destroy them. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
Deut. 7:1-2 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations--the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you-- and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.
The Hebrew word used here is “herem” to utterly destroy. The word is used to show what the exclusive property of the Lord is. Only God can make this pronouncement of what is to be totally destroyed. No human being can “herem” a people or country. This word would later be used for a group of women who would be the exclusive property of a king, “The King’s Harem.”
The question that faces us is, “Is this ethical?” Certainly this concept does not fit with the Western concept of God being a big, loving sugar daddy in the sky. But the harder question is the killing of the children and infants. If the Israelite children who were under age 20 were allowed to live in the desert, why would God demand the lives of these children? How do we reconcile this command with the concept of a loving, gracious God who asks us to turn the cheek to our enemies? This declaration offends our moral sensibilities; it literally jars our picture of God because it seems at odds with the revelation of God at other points in the Bible.
So what is the answer? Let me give you some initial thoughts. I have used some thoughts from Walter Kaiser, William Craig, and Gleason Archer.
1. The Holiness and Justice of God. God’s character demands just laws and just rulers in government. When a group of people deliberately violate God’s standard for an extended period of time they will eventually face the holiness and justice of God. It doesn’t matter what time, what country, what nationality. When we break God’s standards there is a price to be paid. That is why God literally pleads with people to repent of their unjust and wicked ways so that he won’t have to judge them.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'
This verse was directed at Israel because they had fallen into the exact sin of the Canaanites. God’s holiness is not capricious. It stands opposed to sin regardless of the person committing it. That is why the US and western culture are in danger today. We have deliberately turned our backs on God and his laws. We wink at sin in our culture. To us sin is fun; it is something to play around with. But to God all sin is cosmic treason which is punishable by death.
Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death.
Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned.
That means that every one of us is under the wrath of God when we violate his commands. While we trivialize sin, God says that all sin has drastic consequences. The most horrific consequence is eternally being separated from God.
2. The patience of God. Did God give the Canaanites enough time to repent and get right with him? God gave them 430 years to respond to his love. Archaeologists have found that in Canaanite history both El and Baal were considered equal at one time. El being the God of the Bible and Baal being the god of the Canaanites. But over the next centuries Baal overtook El until only Baal worship existed. They had their opportunity to respond to the God of the Bible but they rejected his love and laws. 400 years is a long time to wait for someone to respond. God was fair. See Genesis 15:13, 16.
3. The Wickedness of the People of Canaan. Critics of God’s pronouncement of “herem” typically neglect one very important truth, the depravity of the Canaanites. According to the Bible and archaeological information, the Canaanites in the land widely practiced child sacrifice, incest, bestiality, and other behaviors that almost everyone in history, including today, rightly regard as unspeakably, grossly immoral. If the people of Canaan were akin to the peace-loving, civilized folks of different religions living in our suburban neighborhoods and working in our colleges, hospitals, and fire departments, then the Israelite claim that God had condemned those peoples as hopelessly degenerate would be rightly questioned. On the other hand, if the Canaanites and other peoples in the land were a degenerate society widely practicing bestiality and publicly burning their children to Molech, can we not understand why God would “herem” them.
But what about the young children? Since we don’t have an explanation of why they are included in this ban, let me suggest 2 possible theories:
First, after generations of the sort of moral degeneracy that characterized these peoples, it may be that even the smallest children were beyond civilizing. Apparently even they were abused and forced to participate in obscene conduct, such that they would have grown up psychologically and spiritually scarred-and perhaps threatened to perpetuate the cycle.
Second, the STDs and other infectious diseases that must have pervaded those cities may well have been carried by the smallest children, and if so, they may have posed a grave danger to the physical health of the Israelites. Imagine some of the nations today most ravaged by AIDS, but living more than three thousand years ago, with no access to even the most basic medical resources. It may be that infectious diseases were also ravaging the domestic animals in these cities, which would also explain why they were destroyed.
It's horrible to contemplate that things were so bad that it was actually necessary for even the youngest members of that society to be killed in order to stop the generational cycle of degeneracy and disease. But something along these lines seems likely to be the reason for God's order to leave alive nothing that breathed.
4. The age of accountability should be taken into account. Since God was so gracious and declared the age of accountability for the Israelites as age 20 could he not have done this for the Canaanites? I personally believe that God’s grace is extended to those who die in infancy, or as small children, the death of these children was actually their salvation. We are so focused on an earthly, secular perspective that we forget that those who die are happy to quit this earth for heaven’s incomparable joy. Therefore, God does these children no wrong in taking their lives.
5. The Nature of God and Being God. God is not to be trifled with. Again this goes against the current politically correct thought where we stand over God in judgment of him and his actions. But the God of the Bible is clearly someone you don’t want to mess with. He means business and he is to be feared. As C.S.Lewis pus it, “Aslan is not a tame lion.” God does have the right to take any life since he is the one who gave it. He is not under any moral obligation to prolong life and when he takes life he doesn’t have to explain to mortals why he did it. He is God and we are not. As Americans this grates against us since we think we are always in control. Control is just an illusion. God is God and we are not.
6. God’s past record of being gracious. When we look at the destruction of Sodom we see a God who gives his solemn promise not to destroy the city if there are ten righteous people there. The implications are clear; the Canaanites are not righteous people but have come under God’s judgment. Every human being is given a choice when it comes to being reconciled with God. God has made a way for us to be reconciled with him. It is through the cross of Jesus. If we reject the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross then the consequences of that decision lie with us. God will not force his will on any person.
In summary: The pronouncement of “herem” on the Canaanite people is harsh. But it was God’s way of preserving Israel’s health and posterity. God knew that if these Canaanites were allowed to live, they would spell the undoing of Israel. This is exactly what happened. The Israelites did not eliminate the Canaanites and their Baal worship, and eventually it became their undoing. In 586 BC God would say “Enough” to the nation of Israel just like he had said it to the Canaanites. And then it would be Israel who would face the wrath of God. God did everything possible to spare them from this destiny.
When will we wake up in the USA and realize how close we are to God saying to us, “Enough?” That is a scary thought. Now is the time for us to renew our commitment to God and follow him with our whole hearts.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Feb 16
Deuteronomy 5-8
Deut 6:6-9 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
During one visit with my parents, I noticed that my mom had made some changes around the house. One thing in particular was the trim around the doors. She had painted some designs and also several Bible verses on the trim. At first I thought it was merely just a creative way to decorate. Then she explained to me that the idea came to her through these verses in Deuteronomy. She had taken the words and commands of the Lord and written them on her doorframes so they would never be far from her mind.
In these chapters, Moses urges the people to obey God's commands and to teach them to the next generation. He is very clear about the benefits of following the Lord and the consequences of disobeying Him. I'm sure those of you who read through the Bible last year can remember the seemingly countless times God's people have turned away from Him and then suffered because of it. Those who disobeyed certainly cannot say they were not warned.
God wants us to keep His commands and words close by at all times. Keep them in your heart, impress them upon your children, talk about them in your home, tie them as symbols to your hands, write them on the doorframes of your home. God wants nothing more than to bless His children. He wanted to give the Israelites the promised land to live in. He wants all of His children to live joyful, abundant lives. But God is a holy God and will not stand by when His commands are not followed. The warning Moses gave the Israelites is one we should pay attention to as well. Make God the Lord of your life and you will be blessed!
Deut 6:6-9 "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
During one visit with my parents, I noticed that my mom had made some changes around the house. One thing in particular was the trim around the doors. She had painted some designs and also several Bible verses on the trim. At first I thought it was merely just a creative way to decorate. Then she explained to me that the idea came to her through these verses in Deuteronomy. She had taken the words and commands of the Lord and written them on her doorframes so they would never be far from her mind.
In these chapters, Moses urges the people to obey God's commands and to teach them to the next generation. He is very clear about the benefits of following the Lord and the consequences of disobeying Him. I'm sure those of you who read through the Bible last year can remember the seemingly countless times God's people have turned away from Him and then suffered because of it. Those who disobeyed certainly cannot say they were not warned.
God wants us to keep His commands and words close by at all times. Keep them in your heart, impress them upon your children, talk about them in your home, tie them as symbols to your hands, write them on the doorframes of your home. God wants nothing more than to bless His children. He wanted to give the Israelites the promised land to live in. He wants all of His children to live joyful, abundant lives. But God is a holy God and will not stand by when His commands are not followed. The warning Moses gave the Israelites is one we should pay attention to as well. Make God the Lord of your life and you will be blessed!
Monday, February 15, 2010
February 15: Deuteronomy 1-4:40
Before they cross the Jordan to the Promised Land, Moses recaps to the new generation of Israelites their people’s history...just in case they might forget who was the LORD their God. It was their God who blessed their forefathers with His covenant and formed them as a chosen people. It was their God who freed them from Egypt while they were oppressed there and provided for their needs during their exodus. It was their God who dwelled amongst them in the wilderness and blessed them with His presence. It was their God who taught them how to be holy and gave them His ten commandments and His decrees… I hope we all take time as well to ponder on the journey God has taken us so far through our daily Bible reading. Remember God's awesome Creation and His close communion with Adam and Eve, then Adam and Eve’s original sin, then their separation from God, then mankind's pride and transgressions that spread on Earth, then God's righteous wrath through the flood and His renewed covenant for humanity through Noah. And then the unfolding of God's plan to set apart a nation for Himself through the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… What has God taught you of who He is and of His character? What were your personal takeaways?
After reminding them of their history, Moses prepares Israel for their future. He is clear to them that their wellbeing would depend on whether the obey God's laws or not. He warns them that if they turn away from God's way, and turn instead towards idolatry, they will provoke God’s anger and will fall as a people. But if they follow God's will, they indeed will find Him:
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut 4:29)
Then Moses answers an important question: why has God set the Israelites apart from other people as His? So that they will know that LORD is God:
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. (Deut 4:32-35)
Today, God is involved in our personal lives just as much. We all have a history and a future. What is your personal history with God? It is encouraging to know that God was there for us both in our struggles and our joys, whether we had recognized Him in them or not. Since God has been faithful to us before, He will be faithful again. If we've been far from Him before, He offers us a hope for the future again, a future with Him.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. (Deut 4:39-40)
After reminding them of their history, Moses prepares Israel for their future. He is clear to them that their wellbeing would depend on whether the obey God's laws or not. He warns them that if they turn away from God's way, and turn instead towards idolatry, they will provoke God’s anger and will fall as a people. But if they follow God's will, they indeed will find Him:
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut 4:29)
Then Moses answers an important question: why has God set the Israelites apart from other people as His? So that they will know that LORD is God:
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. (Deut 4:32-35)
Today, God is involved in our personal lives just as much. We all have a history and a future. What is your personal history with God? It is encouraging to know that God was there for us both in our struggles and our joys, whether we had recognized Him in them or not. Since God has been faithful to us before, He will be faithful again. If we've been far from Him before, He offers us a hope for the future again, a future with Him.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. (Deut 4:39-40)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
February 14: Numbers 27:15-23; 32:1-35:8
Today's passages provide more background to the upcoming movement of the Israelites into the Promised Land. Despite their 40 years of wanderings and the passing of the generation who rebelled against the Lord's direction, we should not surprised to see the Israelites' further rebellion against the Lord's instructions.
1. Passing the baton to Joshua. In the first part of today's reading, we see the passing of the leadership baton to Joshua. Please recall that, along with Caleb, Joshua was the sole envoy of the 12 from the 12 tribes to highlight the goodness of the Promised Land and to believe God that He could give the land to the Israelites, despite the presence and might of the other peoples. His courage would provide an important ballast for the fledgling nation.
Still, we can see in both Moses's prayer and God's response that leadership is ultimately about whom God chooses, not in what appears great in the world's eyes. God chose Joshua for the presence of His Spirit; Joshua had willingly invited God's presence into his life and stood for what the Lord desired. In addition, Joshua would not act singlehandedly in leading the Israelites. Instead, Joshua would include Eleazar the chief priest in seeking the Lord's guidance on matters of judgment.
It may be a helpful exercise to consider what you find worthy of respect in others. What does that say about your priorities?
2. Preparations for conquest and settlement. From an earthly perspective, the total destruction that the Lord orders appears challenging. Why would a loving God direct the Israelites to totally destroy the residents of the Promised Land? Doesn't God seem vindictive?
We must view these directions as a reflection of God's holiness and desire to protect His people from the intrusion of idolatry and distraction. We read in Numbers 33: "When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.... But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."
The Lord desired the Israelites to set themselves apart for His work and kingdom. By allowing the neighboring peoples to have influence over the worship and attitudes of the people, the Israelites would fall into syncretism (a blending of different belief systems) and ultimately walk away from and dishonor their true King. The conquest of the land brings forth a question that will reverberate through the Scriptures: Who is ultimately the true King? Who is the Lord? Whose standards are true and trustworthy? As we may see from the two Greatest Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40) or the first Commandment (Exodus 20), God's greatest concern lies in the quality and focus of our love for Him. He is righteously jealous for our affections. Choosing other gods or earthly stuff is tantamount to saying, "God, You're not worth it. These other things are better."
QUESTIONS
1. How can you become more of the man or woman that God would use?
2. Has God revealed any areas of your life that should come further under His Lordship?
1. Passing the baton to Joshua. In the first part of today's reading, we see the passing of the leadership baton to Joshua. Please recall that, along with Caleb, Joshua was the sole envoy of the 12 from the 12 tribes to highlight the goodness of the Promised Land and to believe God that He could give the land to the Israelites, despite the presence and might of the other peoples. His courage would provide an important ballast for the fledgling nation.
Still, we can see in both Moses's prayer and God's response that leadership is ultimately about whom God chooses, not in what appears great in the world's eyes. God chose Joshua for the presence of His Spirit; Joshua had willingly invited God's presence into his life and stood for what the Lord desired. In addition, Joshua would not act singlehandedly in leading the Israelites. Instead, Joshua would include Eleazar the chief priest in seeking the Lord's guidance on matters of judgment.
It may be a helpful exercise to consider what you find worthy of respect in others. What does that say about your priorities?
2. Preparations for conquest and settlement. From an earthly perspective, the total destruction that the Lord orders appears challenging. Why would a loving God direct the Israelites to totally destroy the residents of the Promised Land? Doesn't God seem vindictive?
We must view these directions as a reflection of God's holiness and desire to protect His people from the intrusion of idolatry and distraction. We read in Numbers 33: "When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.... But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."
The Lord desired the Israelites to set themselves apart for His work and kingdom. By allowing the neighboring peoples to have influence over the worship and attitudes of the people, the Israelites would fall into syncretism (a blending of different belief systems) and ultimately walk away from and dishonor their true King. The conquest of the land brings forth a question that will reverberate through the Scriptures: Who is ultimately the true King? Who is the Lord? Whose standards are true and trustworthy? As we may see from the two Greatest Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40) or the first Commandment (Exodus 20), God's greatest concern lies in the quality and focus of our love for Him. He is righteously jealous for our affections. Choosing other gods or earthly stuff is tantamount to saying, "God, You're not worth it. These other things are better."
QUESTIONS
1. How can you become more of the man or woman that God would use?
2. Has God revealed any areas of your life that should come further under His Lordship?
Friday, February 12, 2010
February 12
Friday is Accountability Day send me an email. If you have fallen behind, just pick up with today’s reading and catch up this summer.
Don’t Let Your Hormones Guide Your Life. Numbers 25
The Midianites realized they could not physically destroy the Israelites, so they planned on luring them into bed. Guys have a tendency to be directed by their hormones more than their brains. Sorry guys, but this is absolutely true. So, these guys jumped into bed with these women and a plague wipes out 24,000 of them. AIDS has wiped out a lot more than that. Right now in NYC, one in four people have herpes. In today’s politically correct culture, this passage makes no sense. If Phinehas were on Jerry Springer, he would have been booed off stage. The Israelites were just expressing themselves. Who are you Phinehas to say what is right and wrong sexually? Young people just do these things; the best we can do is to buy condoms for them. This is part of the new morality in our culture. Sin of any kind is always grievous, but sin that destroys the family evokes the highest of response from a holy God. God is for the family and marriage. He wants couples to commit to “The Notebook” type of love. There is a huge difference between lust and love. His design is for men and women to make a lifetime commitment to each other and from the security of that love to build into the lives of the next generation. Fragmented families destroy the next generation. The Midianites knew this, why don’t we get it? When we see the lives of Eliot Spitzer, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford, John Edwards we all know in our hearts that something has gone wrong in these guys. When the families are destroyed, it is only a matter of time before the whole society will crumble. That is why God wants it to be one man, one woman for a lifetime of Valentines Day love and intimacy.
Here is a written thought I keep close to me during times of temptation:
If I go further down this road, I will probably grieve the One who redeemed me. I will probably drag His sacred name into the mud, which I know leads to unbelievers laughing at Christianity. One day I will have to look Jesus, the righteous Savior, in the face and give an account of my actions. If I go farther, I will probably inflict untold hurt on my wife Kathie, who is my best friend and who has been faithful to me. I will lose my wife's respect and trust: I will hurt my beloved sons and daughter. I will destroy my example and credibility with my children. I might lose my wife and my children forever. I would cause incredible shame and reproach to fall upon my family. I would lose self-respect. I could create a form of guilt awfully hard to shake. Even though God would forgive me, would I ever be able to forgive myself? I could form memories
and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my spouse. I could heap judgment and endless difficulty on the person with whom I committed adultery. I could possibly reap the consequences of disease like gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes or AIDS. Maybe I could cause a pregnancy, and that would be a lifelong reminder of my sin.
As a man of God, I am not a victim of my hormones nor a slave to the seductions of the world. Through Christ, I can control every thought that passes through my mind. Real men of God allow God's power to keep them from such senseless sin.
Thought for today: What method do you think Satan is using today to destroy our young men and women? Is there any possibility that he is seducing them into sexual promiscuity for the purpose of destroying their lives and future happiness?
Not much has changed in 3000 years.
Don’t Let Your Hormones Guide Your Life. Numbers 25
The Midianites realized they could not physically destroy the Israelites, so they planned on luring them into bed. Guys have a tendency to be directed by their hormones more than their brains. Sorry guys, but this is absolutely true. So, these guys jumped into bed with these women and a plague wipes out 24,000 of them. AIDS has wiped out a lot more than that. Right now in NYC, one in four people have herpes. In today’s politically correct culture, this passage makes no sense. If Phinehas were on Jerry Springer, he would have been booed off stage. The Israelites were just expressing themselves. Who are you Phinehas to say what is right and wrong sexually? Young people just do these things; the best we can do is to buy condoms for them. This is part of the new morality in our culture. Sin of any kind is always grievous, but sin that destroys the family evokes the highest of response from a holy God. God is for the family and marriage. He wants couples to commit to “The Notebook” type of love. There is a huge difference between lust and love. His design is for men and women to make a lifetime commitment to each other and from the security of that love to build into the lives of the next generation. Fragmented families destroy the next generation. The Midianites knew this, why don’t we get it? When we see the lives of Eliot Spitzer, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford, John Edwards we all know in our hearts that something has gone wrong in these guys. When the families are destroyed, it is only a matter of time before the whole society will crumble. That is why God wants it to be one man, one woman for a lifetime of Valentines Day love and intimacy.
Here is a written thought I keep close to me during times of temptation:
If I go further down this road, I will probably grieve the One who redeemed me. I will probably drag His sacred name into the mud, which I know leads to unbelievers laughing at Christianity. One day I will have to look Jesus, the righteous Savior, in the face and give an account of my actions. If I go farther, I will probably inflict untold hurt on my wife Kathie, who is my best friend and who has been faithful to me. I will lose my wife's respect and trust: I will hurt my beloved sons and daughter. I will destroy my example and credibility with my children. I might lose my wife and my children forever. I would cause incredible shame and reproach to fall upon my family. I would lose self-respect. I could create a form of guilt awfully hard to shake. Even though God would forgive me, would I ever be able to forgive myself? I could form memories
and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my spouse. I could heap judgment and endless difficulty on the person with whom I committed adultery. I could possibly reap the consequences of disease like gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes or AIDS. Maybe I could cause a pregnancy, and that would be a lifelong reminder of my sin.
As a man of God, I am not a victim of my hormones nor a slave to the seductions of the world. Through Christ, I can control every thought that passes through my mind. Real men of God allow God's power to keep them from such senseless sin.
Thought for today: What method do you think Satan is using today to destroy our young men and women? Is there any possibility that he is seducing them into sexual promiscuity for the purpose of destroying their lives and future happiness?
Not much has changed in 3000 years.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 11
Read Today: Numbers 22-24
When I read today’s passage I am reminded that there is hope for all of us. If God can speak through Balaam’s ass he can certainly speak through me. What is going through Balaam’s mind in this story? There couldn’t be a whole lot of smarts in his old, thick, dense mind.
He is clear at the first offer from Balak .... God doesn’t want him to go and yet when Balak sends the official White House cabinet members, with a Swiss bank account number, then Balaam thinks to himself... maybe God has had a change of heart. One can’t too quickly say no to offers like this, you know they only come but once in a lifetime. Testing God’s word is not a smart thing to do; in fact it can lead to an early retirement from the prophet business.
So what are our take aways from this situation?
1. When God clearly reveals his will to us we shouldn’t doubt it?
Did God really say we shouldn’t date unbelievers?
Did God really mean we should be completely honest?
Did God really intend for us to say no to every temptation?
Did God really command us to give a tithe of our income?
Did God really order us to forgive all our enemies?
2. There is always hope when God is involved.
Even when we mess up God is not limited.
If God can speak through a donkey he can certainly speak through me.
It isn’t the giftedness of the speaker; it is the power of God.
3. We find the gospel even in failure.
There is a prediction Jesus in this passage. Balaam the fool speaks of a star
that will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.
This is a prophecy of the star of Jesus that will announce his birth a
millennium later.
Here is a thought for the day: If I am looking for some loophole in the Bible to give me an excuse for sinning, I am an accident waiting to happen.
When I read today’s passage I am reminded that there is hope for all of us. If God can speak through Balaam’s ass he can certainly speak through me. What is going through Balaam’s mind in this story? There couldn’t be a whole lot of smarts in his old, thick, dense mind.
He is clear at the first offer from Balak .... God doesn’t want him to go and yet when Balak sends the official White House cabinet members, with a Swiss bank account number, then Balaam thinks to himself... maybe God has had a change of heart. One can’t too quickly say no to offers like this, you know they only come but once in a lifetime. Testing God’s word is not a smart thing to do; in fact it can lead to an early retirement from the prophet business.
So what are our take aways from this situation?
1. When God clearly reveals his will to us we shouldn’t doubt it?
Did God really say we shouldn’t date unbelievers?
Did God really mean we should be completely honest?
Did God really intend for us to say no to every temptation?
Did God really command us to give a tithe of our income?
Did God really order us to forgive all our enemies?
2. There is always hope when God is involved.
Even when we mess up God is not limited.
If God can speak through a donkey he can certainly speak through me.
It isn’t the giftedness of the speaker; it is the power of God.
3. We find the gospel even in failure.
There is a prediction Jesus in this passage. Balaam the fool speaks of a star
that will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.
This is a prophecy of the star of Jesus that will announce his birth a
millennium later.
Here is a thought for the day: If I am looking for some loophole in the Bible to give me an excuse for sinning, I am an accident waiting to happen.
February 10
Watch out for the Small Stuff
So many times we think that the big sins are the ones that are going impact our lives. And there are plenty of times when that is true, but for every big sin failure there are 100 small sin failures that shipwreck our lives. Today we read of one of the saddest days in the life of Moses. He was appointed by God to rescue the nation of Israel. He went through a 40 year training period. He endured repeated crises of mammoth proportions. He is portrayed as faultless in his guidance of an army of 3-5 million whiners and in the end he blows it by mixing up his pronouns and letting his anger get the best of him. If there was ever a WOW moment in the Bible, here it is.
The incident begins most innocently enough with the standard whining and complaining of the nation. I don’t know the longest you have gone without water but the lack of water can certainly put an edge on your life. Yet even after witnessing at least 20 undeniable God sightings the people have not learned to trust God and they default back to whining.
God gives some pretty clear instructions on how “HE” is going to solve the problem.
Numbers 20:7-8 The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."
Let’s go over the instructions again .... Step one is “take” the staff. Step two is “speak” to the rock.
Something happened on the way to the rock that day. The previous verses talk about the community quarreling with Moses. It takes two to quarrel so Moses must have been fighting back and his resources must have been empty. When he addresses the crowd, that fateful day, he calls them “rebels.”
Now Moses starts running on his default mode, which is anger. Remember the Egyptian that Moses rubbed out in a quarrel a few decades before and the throwing of the 10 commandments? Ever get to that Popeye moment when you say, “I can’t stands no more!!!” Well Moses put up with this mind numbing complaining long enough and today he is going to let them have it.
So in a moment of rage, you can see his neck thickening, his voice being raised, his eyes bulging. Moses mixes up a pronoun. Instead of saying “HE” referring to God, he says “WE” referring to God and himself. And then he strikes the rock twice. And in that moment the dream is lost and the “what have I done” regrets start to be repeated. God spoke just a few words that day but those words must have hurt him deeply. "You will not bring this community into the land I give them." Wow! After all he did, God would take away his leadership before the work was finished. He did all the work to bring them here and now another would bring them into the Promised Land. It did not seem fair. He would not see or taste the fruits of his labors.
Listen; there is a huge lesson here. Sin is not something to be taken lightly. What seems minor and unimportant was, in reality, cosmic treason to God. Remember he makes the rules in the game. So the warning to us is clear. Watch out for the small stuff and keep your spiritual resources high. Anger, misspoken words, loudly spoken words, harsh words are not tools God wants us to use in our problem solving. Do you have a problem with anger? Don’t allow this small area of your life to steal the greater blessing of God. Learn a lesson from Moses.
So many times we think that the big sins are the ones that are going impact our lives. And there are plenty of times when that is true, but for every big sin failure there are 100 small sin failures that shipwreck our lives. Today we read of one of the saddest days in the life of Moses. He was appointed by God to rescue the nation of Israel. He went through a 40 year training period. He endured repeated crises of mammoth proportions. He is portrayed as faultless in his guidance of an army of 3-5 million whiners and in the end he blows it by mixing up his pronouns and letting his anger get the best of him. If there was ever a WOW moment in the Bible, here it is.
The incident begins most innocently enough with the standard whining and complaining of the nation. I don’t know the longest you have gone without water but the lack of water can certainly put an edge on your life. Yet even after witnessing at least 20 undeniable God sightings the people have not learned to trust God and they default back to whining.
God gives some pretty clear instructions on how “HE” is going to solve the problem.
Numbers 20:7-8 The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."
Let’s go over the instructions again .... Step one is “take” the staff. Step two is “speak” to the rock.
Something happened on the way to the rock that day. The previous verses talk about the community quarreling with Moses. It takes two to quarrel so Moses must have been fighting back and his resources must have been empty. When he addresses the crowd, that fateful day, he calls them “rebels.”
Now Moses starts running on his default mode, which is anger. Remember the Egyptian that Moses rubbed out in a quarrel a few decades before and the throwing of the 10 commandments? Ever get to that Popeye moment when you say, “I can’t stands no more!!!” Well Moses put up with this mind numbing complaining long enough and today he is going to let them have it.
So in a moment of rage, you can see his neck thickening, his voice being raised, his eyes bulging. Moses mixes up a pronoun. Instead of saying “HE” referring to God, he says “WE” referring to God and himself. And then he strikes the rock twice. And in that moment the dream is lost and the “what have I done” regrets start to be repeated. God spoke just a few words that day but those words must have hurt him deeply. "You will not bring this community into the land I give them." Wow! After all he did, God would take away his leadership before the work was finished. He did all the work to bring them here and now another would bring them into the Promised Land. It did not seem fair. He would not see or taste the fruits of his labors.
Listen; there is a huge lesson here. Sin is not something to be taken lightly. What seems minor and unimportant was, in reality, cosmic treason to God. Remember he makes the rules in the game. So the warning to us is clear. Watch out for the small stuff and keep your spiritual resources high. Anger, misspoken words, loudly spoken words, harsh words are not tools God wants us to use in our problem solving. Do you have a problem with anger? Don’t allow this small area of your life to steal the greater blessing of God. Learn a lesson from Moses.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
February 9
Numbers 16-18
Challenge to Leadership
In yesterday's reading, the Israelites were not permitted to enter the promised land because of their lack of faith in God. God promised to be with them, but they did not believe that He would help them enter Canaan safely. Because of their grumbling and complaining, they were forced to wonder in the desert for 40 years.
A Levite named Korah (along with 250 others) decided not being allowed to enter the promised land was Moses's fault. Numbers 16:13-14 says, "Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us? Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards." They blamed Moses for something that he did not do. It was the people's lack of faith that caused the loss of the promised land, not (supposed) poor leadership on Moses's part. God had given them a valuable prize, and they let it slip through their fingers. Naturally the people would be disappointed, but God made it very clear why they could not enter Canaan. They should have used this opportunity to learn from their mistakes, not to blame an innocent person. By the end of today's passage, all those who opposed Moses had been put to death, and God made it clear that Moses and Aaron were the chosen leaders of the Israelites.
It's important for us today to learn from the mistakes of Korah and his followers. It's so easy to blame someone else when something goes wrong. But that's clearly not what God wants us to do. God is a gracious God who will gladly and freely forgive anyone who repents of their sins. However, God will not forgive our sins if we instead try to pass the blame.
Challenge to Leadership
In yesterday's reading, the Israelites were not permitted to enter the promised land because of their lack of faith in God. God promised to be with them, but they did not believe that He would help them enter Canaan safely. Because of their grumbling and complaining, they were forced to wonder in the desert for 40 years.
A Levite named Korah (along with 250 others) decided not being allowed to enter the promised land was Moses's fault. Numbers 16:13-14 says, "Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us? Moreover, you haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards." They blamed Moses for something that he did not do. It was the people's lack of faith that caused the loss of the promised land, not (supposed) poor leadership on Moses's part. God had given them a valuable prize, and they let it slip through their fingers. Naturally the people would be disappointed, but God made it very clear why they could not enter Canaan. They should have used this opportunity to learn from their mistakes, not to blame an innocent person. By the end of today's passage, all those who opposed Moses had been put to death, and God made it clear that Moses and Aaron were the chosen leaders of the Israelites.
It's important for us today to learn from the mistakes of Korah and his followers. It's so easy to blame someone else when something goes wrong. But that's clearly not what God wants us to do. God is a gracious God who will gladly and freely forgive anyone who repents of their sins. However, God will not forgive our sins if we instead try to pass the blame.
Monday, February 8, 2010
February 8: Numbers 12-14
The People Lack Courage.
In one scene of the 1994 movie adaptation of the book 'Little Women' Marmee nurtures her eldest daughter Meg by saying that she cherishes her humor, her kindness and her moral courage. When I first saw this scene few years back, I remember thinking: 'Moral courage!! What is it? It sounds so outdated. We don't talk about this quality of character in my days!' The only times the word 'courage' would come to my mind was when I would think of soldiers, explorers, alpinists... (or sport victors like the New Orleans’ Saints who even though weren’t the favorite, won the Super Bowl last night! :) But today I'm reminded each of us needs to have courage daily.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of courage:
Cour•age: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Courage: implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.
God wants us to have courage daily. We need strength every day to walk in faith, even when we don't understand our circumstances or foresee their outcome. We need courage every day to do what’s right, fight injustice, fight temptation, and persevere in hardships; while always trusting that God is with us on our side. The larger Israelite community was supposed to go forth in the land of Canaan, but they lost faith and were afraid when they saw the powerful people who lived there. They forgot that 1. God promised them on oath that he will give them this land and 2. that God had rescued them and provided for them again and again through His miracles. They ducked for lack of faith and courage and did not follow God to the Promised Land. So they lived with the consequences of their own choice for 40 years. On the other hand, we also see the blessing of Caleb and Joshua who were faithful and courageous to follow God: "But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Num 14:24)”
Two other notes: 1) the courage God wants us to have comes from the knowledge that He loves us and that He is faithful to His promises to us; this courage results in actions in accord with God's words. Both Caleb and Joshua knew that God was with His people. 2) Headstrong rebellion against God is not 'courageous.' Those who rebelled against The LORD were defeated by their enemies. Moses said: "Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. (Num 14:41- 42) I
In the New Testament we read how Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Corinth: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
In the past month, in what area of your life did you need to trust God and act courageously?
Have a great week!
In one scene of the 1994 movie adaptation of the book 'Little Women' Marmee nurtures her eldest daughter Meg by saying that she cherishes her humor, her kindness and her moral courage. When I first saw this scene few years back, I remember thinking: 'Moral courage!! What is it? It sounds so outdated. We don't talk about this quality of character in my days!' The only times the word 'courage' would come to my mind was when I would think of soldiers, explorers, alpinists... (or sport victors like the New Orleans’ Saints who even though weren’t the favorite, won the Super Bowl last night! :) But today I'm reminded each of us needs to have courage daily.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of courage:
Cour•age: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Courage: implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.
God wants us to have courage daily. We need strength every day to walk in faith, even when we don't understand our circumstances or foresee their outcome. We need courage every day to do what’s right, fight injustice, fight temptation, and persevere in hardships; while always trusting that God is with us on our side. The larger Israelite community was supposed to go forth in the land of Canaan, but they lost faith and were afraid when they saw the powerful people who lived there. They forgot that 1. God promised them on oath that he will give them this land and 2. that God had rescued them and provided for them again and again through His miracles. They ducked for lack of faith and courage and did not follow God to the Promised Land. So they lived with the consequences of their own choice for 40 years. On the other hand, we also see the blessing of Caleb and Joshua who were faithful and courageous to follow God: "But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. (Num 14:24)”
Two other notes: 1) the courage God wants us to have comes from the knowledge that He loves us and that He is faithful to His promises to us; this courage results in actions in accord with God's words. Both Caleb and Joshua knew that God was with His people. 2) Headstrong rebellion against God is not 'courageous.' Those who rebelled against The LORD were defeated by their enemies. Moses said: "Why are you disobeying the LORD's command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. (Num 14:41- 42) I
In the New Testament we read how Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Corinth: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
In the past month, in what area of your life did you need to trust God and act courageously?
Have a great week!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
February 7: Numbers 9 to 11
Today's passage provides a transition from the covenant-giving period near Sinai towards the Israelites' long wanderings in the desert. The passage points to several key insights about guidance, leadership, and complaining:
1. Guidance from God's presence. The Israelites had the great benefit of seeing God's presence in the ark and following His guidance through the desert. Please consider Numbers 9:15-23:
"On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning, the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses."
We often wonder about God's will and what it means for us. Yet, it appears that God's guidance is for today and comes just at the appropriate time. The key ingredient is our willingness to stick with Him and to listen for His voice. Here, we notice several things about God's guidance for the Israelites that carry over into our present day in the Person of the Holy Spirit:
a. God comforts His people by dwelling with us and giving us His constant presence. For the Israelites, they had the testimony of the cloud. We now have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-17)
b. God gives clear instruction and demands obedience: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26)
c. God's guidance is Word- and truth-centered: "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." (John 16:12-15)
d. God seeks a community orientation for His people: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:12,13)
2. The burden of leadership. Upon hearing the Israelites' latest complaint, an exasperated Moses cries out to God for help with his struggles. God responds by raising up a group of 70 elders, from whom Moses would receive support in governance. God promises that He would "come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone." (Numbers 11:17)
We often may feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. Scripture points out the importance of having friends and trusted advisor in undertaking governance or just in living life (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and 1 Samuel 23:16). Proverbs 15:22 teaches us the importance of listening carefully to others' input: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
3. The complaining Israelites. After making a second covenant with God (after their idolatrous worship of the golden calf), the Israelites again deeply wound the heart of God through their complaining attitudes. While God had promised to provide for them and did provide manna, they whined to have meat. We often do much the same thing. We show little contentment for our present circumstances, but rather seek a greener pasture somewhere else. God responds to the Israelites through burning members of the camp and bringing a plague among them, even after they've collected a great amount of meat. Even Moses had doubted God's ability to provide.
QUESTIONS
1. How can you better hear God's voice related to His will?
2. How have you complained over the last three days? How might you have responded differently?
1. Guidance from God's presence. The Israelites had the great benefit of seeing God's presence in the ark and following His guidance through the desert. Please consider Numbers 9:15-23:
"On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning, the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses."
We often wonder about God's will and what it means for us. Yet, it appears that God's guidance is for today and comes just at the appropriate time. The key ingredient is our willingness to stick with Him and to listen for His voice. Here, we notice several things about God's guidance for the Israelites that carry over into our present day in the Person of the Holy Spirit:
a. God comforts His people by dwelling with us and giving us His constant presence. For the Israelites, they had the testimony of the cloud. We now have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: "If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-17)
b. God gives clear instruction and demands obedience: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26)
c. God's guidance is Word- and truth-centered: "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." (John 16:12-15)
d. God seeks a community orientation for His people: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:12,13)
2. The burden of leadership. Upon hearing the Israelites' latest complaint, an exasperated Moses cries out to God for help with his struggles. God responds by raising up a group of 70 elders, from whom Moses would receive support in governance. God promises that He would "come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone." (Numbers 11:17)
We often may feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. Scripture points out the importance of having friends and trusted advisor in undertaking governance or just in living life (cf. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and 1 Samuel 23:16). Proverbs 15:22 teaches us the importance of listening carefully to others' input: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
3. The complaining Israelites. After making a second covenant with God (after their idolatrous worship of the golden calf), the Israelites again deeply wound the heart of God through their complaining attitudes. While God had promised to provide for them and did provide manna, they whined to have meat. We often do much the same thing. We show little contentment for our present circumstances, but rather seek a greener pasture somewhere else. God responds to the Israelites through burning members of the camp and bringing a plague among them, even after they've collected a great amount of meat. Even Moses had doubted God's ability to provide.
QUESTIONS
1. How can you better hear God's voice related to His will?
2. How have you complained over the last three days? How might you have responded differently?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
February 6
Your Purpose on Earth. Numbers 4
In our reading today the Levites are given their mission on earth. There are three clans and they are responsible for the care of the tabernacle and the outer courtyard. There are 22,000 Levites so the job they have must have been tremendously important and vital for the nation.
This position was not to be taken lightly. Numbers 4:17-20 gives a warning not to be peeking and snooping around the Tabernacle. If they do this they are facing a potential life threatening situation.
Thinking about your life in light of this truth:
What is the responsibility God has given you?
Do you know why God has placed you on this planet?
Only 3% of Americans have a written mission statement for their life. The truth is that most people have no idea why God has given them a new day of life.
Here are some tips on how to find your mission in life.
1. Ask God to show you. Start with prayer and a quiet heart.
2. Open your Bible and see the mandates that he has given to you. Write these down.
3. Write a time line of your life. God can use every event of our lives to future his kingdom.
Remember the story of Joseph... God can even use evil things for good.
4. What are your passions? What things are really important to you and set your heart on fire?
5. What do you do well? Remember God gave the skills to the artesians in Exodus 35? God has given you your skills. What are they?
This process of gathering all of this information will take you several weeks. But there is no more important task then knowing your mission.
I might surprise you one day and ask you, “What is your mission on earth?” I hope you have a solid answer for me. That is the only way to live a meaningful life.
There are three types of people in the world today:
1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who watch things happen.
3. Those who say, “What happened?”
May God give us the strength to make things happen.
In our reading today the Levites are given their mission on earth. There are three clans and they are responsible for the care of the tabernacle and the outer courtyard. There are 22,000 Levites so the job they have must have been tremendously important and vital for the nation.
This position was not to be taken lightly. Numbers 4:17-20 gives a warning not to be peeking and snooping around the Tabernacle. If they do this they are facing a potential life threatening situation.
Thinking about your life in light of this truth:
What is the responsibility God has given you?
Do you know why God has placed you on this planet?
Only 3% of Americans have a written mission statement for their life. The truth is that most people have no idea why God has given them a new day of life.
Here are some tips on how to find your mission in life.
1. Ask God to show you. Start with prayer and a quiet heart.
2. Open your Bible and see the mandates that he has given to you. Write these down.
3. Write a time line of your life. God can use every event of our lives to future his kingdom.
Remember the story of Joseph... God can even use evil things for good.
4. What are your passions? What things are really important to you and set your heart on fire?
5. What do you do well? Remember God gave the skills to the artesians in Exodus 35? God has given you your skills. What are they?
This process of gathering all of this information will take you several weeks. But there is no more important task then knowing your mission.
I might surprise you one day and ask you, “What is your mission on earth?” I hope you have a solid answer for me. That is the only way to live a meaningful life.
There are three types of people in the world today:
1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who watch things happen.
3. Those who say, “What happened?”
May God give us the strength to make things happen.
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 5
Accountability day ... quick email with a number will be fine. Remember this is the toughest month of our year. With a big snow storm coming this weekend it is a great time to catch up.
Numbers 1-2
Numbers 2:1-2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family."
Suppose you were asked to design a planned community, complete with houses, shops, schools, churches and hospitals. Would you want there to be a grid with streets crisscrossing like tic-tac-toe or, perhaps, streets ringing the inner city in concentric circles like a target? And what would you put in the center of the community? A park? City hall? The business district? In Stamford, we have a bank, a business, a library and McDonalds at the heart of our city. When God planned his community for the Israelites, he put the “church” smack-dab in the middle, with “houses” streaming out in every direction- north, south, east and west. Of course the tabernacle wasn’t exactly a “church” as we might think of a steepled church today. In fact, the earliest church wasn’t a church at all if what we have in mind is bricks and mortar. Unlike the temples of Solomon and later Herod, the first Christians did not have any building for the sole purpose of worship for over two centuries. They just went from house to house. Nothing fancy, No pulpit. No pews. No steeples. Just a gathering group of believers sitting around tables enjoying fellowship with each other and God.
So where do you put the church in the community when there is no church building? How about in the families that comprise the community? That way the church is not just in the middle of the community, but on every block. And where is God’s dwelling place when it is set within families themselves? Smack dad in the middle, of course. In godly families, worship is always at the center of everything a family does, whether work or play, mealtime or prayer time. When God is at the heart of a family, and family after family centers itself on God, an entire community can be wondrously transformed – as if God planned it that way.
What is the center of your life? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? I have never met a person who has placed God at the center of their life and said to me, “God ruined my life.” But I can fill Boyle Stadium with people who have put themselves at the center and made total messes of their lives. Put God at the center of your heart, you will not be disappointed.
Credit F. LaGard Smith for some of these thoughts
Numbers 1-2
Numbers 2:1-2 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: "The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family."
Suppose you were asked to design a planned community, complete with houses, shops, schools, churches and hospitals. Would you want there to be a grid with streets crisscrossing like tic-tac-toe or, perhaps, streets ringing the inner city in concentric circles like a target? And what would you put in the center of the community? A park? City hall? The business district? In Stamford, we have a bank, a business, a library and McDonalds at the heart of our city. When God planned his community for the Israelites, he put the “church” smack-dab in the middle, with “houses” streaming out in every direction- north, south, east and west. Of course the tabernacle wasn’t exactly a “church” as we might think of a steepled church today. In fact, the earliest church wasn’t a church at all if what we have in mind is bricks and mortar. Unlike the temples of Solomon and later Herod, the first Christians did not have any building for the sole purpose of worship for over two centuries. They just went from house to house. Nothing fancy, No pulpit. No pews. No steeples. Just a gathering group of believers sitting around tables enjoying fellowship with each other and God.
So where do you put the church in the community when there is no church building? How about in the families that comprise the community? That way the church is not just in the middle of the community, but on every block. And where is God’s dwelling place when it is set within families themselves? Smack dad in the middle, of course. In godly families, worship is always at the center of everything a family does, whether work or play, mealtime or prayer time. When God is at the heart of a family, and family after family centers itself on God, an entire community can be wondrously transformed – as if God planned it that way.
What is the center of your life? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? I have never met a person who has placed God at the center of their life and said to me, “God ruined my life.” But I can fill Boyle Stadium with people who have put themselves at the center and made total messes of their lives. Put God at the center of your heart, you will not be disappointed.
Credit F. LaGard Smith for some of these thoughts
Thursday, February 4, 2010
February 4
Read Numbers 3, 7, 8.
Dealing with discrepancies in the Bible, here is one that we need to handle.
Numbers 4:3 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting. (Feb 6th reading)
Numbers 8:24 "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
As we read through the Bible we will run into confusing issues like the age of those going into the priesthood. What is the age? Is it 25 or 30? These verses are only 4 chapters away from each other, either someone has made a tremendous mistake or there is another explanation. For those who are skeptics, they quickly point out the difference and say the Bible cannot be trusted. But I think there is a good explanation of the age difference. In the Jamison commentary he suggests: “They entered their work in the 25th year as pupils and probationers, under the superintendence and direction of their senior brethren; and at 30 they were admitted to the full discharge of their official functions.”
In other words this was a 5 year apprenticeship that preceded the actual service of the Levites. Is that too great leap of faith? I don’t think so.
If the skeptics are right and this is just a man-made book, even an elementary school child would have been able to point out the error in the text and correct it.
What is going on here is reading the Bible with a concrete literalness looking for things to be wrong and others reading it looking for reasonable explanations.
Another example ... Numbers 8:25 says that at the age of 50 the Levites must retire. That would mean I would be out of work today and I would be spending my days chasing a little white golf ball around a golf course. But the very next verse says “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites."
Just as there might be other duties after the age of 50, so there might be duties under the age of 30. The point for us is to read the scriptures to get the full picture – looking first for the obvious, then looking again for the not so obvious.
Isn’t this a lot of fun!!! Keep on track for the next 28 days. Do not even think of quitting the race now!!!
I would like to thank Steve, Galya and Apryl for their weekly insights. They are doing an awesome job.
Dealing with discrepancies in the Bible, here is one that we need to handle.
Numbers 4:3 Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting. (Feb 6th reading)
Numbers 8:24 "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting.
As we read through the Bible we will run into confusing issues like the age of those going into the priesthood. What is the age? Is it 25 or 30? These verses are only 4 chapters away from each other, either someone has made a tremendous mistake or there is another explanation. For those who are skeptics, they quickly point out the difference and say the Bible cannot be trusted. But I think there is a good explanation of the age difference. In the Jamison commentary he suggests: “They entered their work in the 25th year as pupils and probationers, under the superintendence and direction of their senior brethren; and at 30 they were admitted to the full discharge of their official functions.”
In other words this was a 5 year apprenticeship that preceded the actual service of the Levites. Is that too great leap of faith? I don’t think so.
If the skeptics are right and this is just a man-made book, even an elementary school child would have been able to point out the error in the text and correct it.
What is going on here is reading the Bible with a concrete literalness looking for things to be wrong and others reading it looking for reasonable explanations.
Another example ... Numbers 8:25 says that at the age of 50 the Levites must retire. That would mean I would be out of work today and I would be spending my days chasing a little white golf ball around a golf course. But the very next verse says “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites."
Just as there might be other duties after the age of 50, so there might be duties under the age of 30. The point for us is to read the scriptures to get the full picture – looking first for the obvious, then looking again for the not so obvious.
Isn’t this a lot of fun!!! Keep on track for the next 28 days. Do not even think of quitting the race now!!!
I would like to thank Steve, Galya and Apryl for their weekly insights. They are doing an awesome job.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
February 3
Leviticus 8-10
Becoming a Priest
Over the next 30 days, we will enter into the most difficult part of our yearly journey. We will be reading the details of sacrifices, duties and laws that priests would be responsible for. Hang in there and be disciplined to read every day. Catching up with two or three days of reading can seem like a Mount Everest to climb over.
One of the most important truths to keep in mind is that these passages were actually written for us.
They will teach us: Romans 15:4 for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
They will warn us: I Cor 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
When we get to the New Testament we realize a tremendous change has occurred. God originally called the nation of Israel to be a nation of priests, but the people rejected that offer and asked for Moses and Aaron to be their priests. But when the church is established at Pentecost, God goes back to the original plan and makes everyone in the church a priest.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
God has called you to be a royal priesthood, so welcome to the ministry!!! What is interesting is that we are not given any further instructions. So how do we know what a priest does? Has a light suddenly popped into your head.... our reading over the next 30 days will be our job description.
The story of Nadab and Abihu give us a huge warning. God has given us specific instructions on how we are to approach him. Worship isn’t something we just feel. We don’t just “wing it” as a priest. Nadab and Abidu didn’t follow the instructions. They made light of their responsibility and because of it, they paid a huge price. It cost them their lives.
Leviticus 10:1-2 Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
The explanation of what they did wrong is deduced in the next few verses. They were drunk when they were doing their duties. This shows us their heart. They disrespected God and were more concerned with their own agenda than his.
As priests we don’t make up the rules for the game. God makes up the rules, and he expects us to follow them. The point of the next 30 days of reading is that we must make a distinction between the God we feel and the God who is revealed. In a day when most people don’t believe in absolute truth, we stand against the demagoguery and say there are absolutes that stand as pillars for our lives and our culture. As priests, we are to show people these absolutes and how they apply to life.
Becoming a Priest
Over the next 30 days, we will enter into the most difficult part of our yearly journey. We will be reading the details of sacrifices, duties and laws that priests would be responsible for. Hang in there and be disciplined to read every day. Catching up with two or three days of reading can seem like a Mount Everest to climb over.
One of the most important truths to keep in mind is that these passages were actually written for us.
They will teach us: Romans 15:4 for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
They will warn us: I Cor 10:11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.
When we get to the New Testament we realize a tremendous change has occurred. God originally called the nation of Israel to be a nation of priests, but the people rejected that offer and asked for Moses and Aaron to be their priests. But when the church is established at Pentecost, God goes back to the original plan and makes everyone in the church a priest.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
God has called you to be a royal priesthood, so welcome to the ministry!!! What is interesting is that we are not given any further instructions. So how do we know what a priest does? Has a light suddenly popped into your head.... our reading over the next 30 days will be our job description.
The story of Nadab and Abihu give us a huge warning. God has given us specific instructions on how we are to approach him. Worship isn’t something we just feel. We don’t just “wing it” as a priest. Nadab and Abidu didn’t follow the instructions. They made light of their responsibility and because of it, they paid a huge price. It cost them their lives.
Leviticus 10:1-2 Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
The explanation of what they did wrong is deduced in the next few verses. They were drunk when they were doing their duties. This shows us their heart. They disrespected God and were more concerned with their own agenda than his.
As priests we don’t make up the rules for the game. God makes up the rules, and he expects us to follow them. The point of the next 30 days of reading is that we must make a distinction between the God we feel and the God who is revealed. In a day when most people don’t believe in absolute truth, we stand against the demagoguery and say there are absolutes that stand as pillars for our lives and our culture. As priests, we are to show people these absolutes and how they apply to life.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Feb 2
Exodus 39:2-40:35
"The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord commanded. So Moses blessed them."
I've been watching a show on the Food Network called The Worst Cooks in America. It's a competition show where two professional chefs take teams of horrible, inexperienced cooks and see if they can turn them into talented chefs in 10 days. The contestant that did the best at the end won $25,000 and the privilege of not being known by their family and friends as the worst cook in America! I'd have to say that the most important piece of advice the professionals gave was this: Read the recipes entirely and follow them exactly. The people who did not follow the instructions ended up with food that was not acceptable and were eliminated from the show. The ones who did follow the recipes were rewarded with successful dishes, praise from their teachers, and the chance to win a prize.
God gave Moses and the Israelites a lot of instructions on building the tabernacle. Every detail from the curtains, the table, the alter, the lamp stands, the framework, to the priests' clothing was clearly spelled out by God. It was their job to follow God's instructions exactly in order to enjoy the end result: God's glory filling the finished tabernacle.
"Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
God's purpose for giving all those detailed instructions was to create a place where He could be close to His people. It's important to follow God's directions for our lives. Doing what He commands will always bring us closer to Him.
"The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord commanded. So Moses blessed them."
I've been watching a show on the Food Network called The Worst Cooks in America. It's a competition show where two professional chefs take teams of horrible, inexperienced cooks and see if they can turn them into talented chefs in 10 days. The contestant that did the best at the end won $25,000 and the privilege of not being known by their family and friends as the worst cook in America! I'd have to say that the most important piece of advice the professionals gave was this: Read the recipes entirely and follow them exactly. The people who did not follow the instructions ended up with food that was not acceptable and were eliminated from the show. The ones who did follow the recipes were rewarded with successful dishes, praise from their teachers, and the chance to win a prize.
God gave Moses and the Israelites a lot of instructions on building the tabernacle. Every detail from the curtains, the table, the alter, the lamp stands, the framework, to the priests' clothing was clearly spelled out by God. It was their job to follow God's instructions exactly in order to enjoy the end result: God's glory filling the finished tabernacle.
"Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."
God's purpose for giving all those detailed instructions was to create a place where He could be close to His people. It's important to follow God's directions for our lives. Doing what He commands will always bring us closer to Him.
Monday, February 1, 2010
February 1: Exodus 35 - 38
Today’s reading is all about design. Why was God involved to the very detail and what each color, measurement and material meant? Yet, today I kept thinking of the purposefulness of God in what He does. So I thought I might do a little field trip and interview one of God’s beautiful creations on the topic of design: a modern day young designer called Cheryl :) God is the ultimate Creator of everything, yet amazingly He also gave the ability to create to his very own creation, one made in His image: people. We constantly see in these chapters that God used everyone according to the skills He gave them... So here is my conversation with Cheryl:
Q: What is your professional title?
A: Senior graphic designer.
Q: How would you describe your role?
A: Clients come to our company with a business problem, and I work off of our marketing department’s strategy to create a solution for them. The designs we create for the clients can be anywhere from company logos, printed materials and websites to creating a whole new brand system for a client. Elements we design need to look as part of a system representing their business.
Q: What is the definition of a designer?
A: Designer is a problem solver, thinking of both the big picture and all small details. There is nothing like a detail that does not matter in a design. Nothing is extraneous to the design. A designer has the ability to tell a story: you want to engage people to listen to what you are trying to communicate.
Q: To what extent do materials, measurements and tools matter in your job?
A: Very important. Measurements communicate to other people how to build something (vendors, developers, etc.) Materials will specifically indicate the type of result I want. You need to oversee the materials used so that you can achieve the right quality. If you want to produce something professionally you need to use the most current tools. The best tools used also indicate that you produced something well.
Q: To what extend does creativity matter in your job?
A: Extremely important. You have to question whatever the status quo is and come up with something new. You don't want to be limited by what everyone else does. There could be a better way to do things.
Q: What skills are necessary for your job?
A: You need to be educated in visual art, specifically design; you need to be able to express graphical communication in the simplest way to make it clear to the most amount of people. Also, you need computer skills, drawing ability. You need to also have general knowledge of culture, and how different things would be perceived.
Q: Does the client know or understand all the details or the details’ purpose in your design?
A: General person will not notice the details. They will get the communication but not necessarily the specifics.
Q: Why do you think is that?
A: The only people who actually are looking for the details are the designers. The average person won't think about how it is helping them. You just accept the design and take for granted how it works.
Q: How do you draw the line between a product your client’s need and unleashing your full creativity?
A: I don't feel constrained in my creativity. I am working towards a goal to meet the client's problem and I think of the best solution for the client.
Q: Why do you do what you do?
A: I enjoy the challenge of thinking of new things. I like fixing things. (Giggles)
Q: I really enjoyed what you said about the importance of details.
A: Yes, ultimately nothing is arbitrary. There is a reason behind everything.
I wanted to get transported via the phone radio waves and hug Cheryl! Of course this conversation is purely from a human perspective and some of it applies only to the job position discussed, but I believe our creativity (in any calling) mimics to an extent The Grand Designer. So much of what Cheryl said reminded me of how God works: out of pure passion and love for us (his children), with a purpose, with a grand plan, to the minor detail, solving our problems, loving his creation, and producing a great product: a relationship for us with Him. I hope when we read and try to understand all these details in Exodus and in the following books of the Bible, as numerous and perplexing as they may seem, that we’ll remember that every instruction of God has a good purpose for our lives. (Remember what was said on the blog about the tabernacle pointing to Christ?) I believe what Cheryl said about graphic design is true of God's instructions to us: "ultimately nothing is arbitrary. There is a reason behind everything."
Q: What is your professional title?
A: Senior graphic designer.
Q: How would you describe your role?
A: Clients come to our company with a business problem, and I work off of our marketing department’s strategy to create a solution for them. The designs we create for the clients can be anywhere from company logos, printed materials and websites to creating a whole new brand system for a client. Elements we design need to look as part of a system representing their business.
Q: What is the definition of a designer?
A: Designer is a problem solver, thinking of both the big picture and all small details. There is nothing like a detail that does not matter in a design. Nothing is extraneous to the design. A designer has the ability to tell a story: you want to engage people to listen to what you are trying to communicate.
Q: To what extent do materials, measurements and tools matter in your job?
A: Very important. Measurements communicate to other people how to build something (vendors, developers, etc.) Materials will specifically indicate the type of result I want. You need to oversee the materials used so that you can achieve the right quality. If you want to produce something professionally you need to use the most current tools. The best tools used also indicate that you produced something well.
Q: To what extend does creativity matter in your job?
A: Extremely important. You have to question whatever the status quo is and come up with something new. You don't want to be limited by what everyone else does. There could be a better way to do things.
Q: What skills are necessary for your job?
A: You need to be educated in visual art, specifically design; you need to be able to express graphical communication in the simplest way to make it clear to the most amount of people. Also, you need computer skills, drawing ability. You need to also have general knowledge of culture, and how different things would be perceived.
Q: Does the client know or understand all the details or the details’ purpose in your design?
A: General person will not notice the details. They will get the communication but not necessarily the specifics.
Q: Why do you think is that?
A: The only people who actually are looking for the details are the designers. The average person won't think about how it is helping them. You just accept the design and take for granted how it works.
Q: How do you draw the line between a product your client’s need and unleashing your full creativity?
A: I don't feel constrained in my creativity. I am working towards a goal to meet the client's problem and I think of the best solution for the client.
Q: Why do you do what you do?
A: I enjoy the challenge of thinking of new things. I like fixing things. (Giggles)
Q: I really enjoyed what you said about the importance of details.
A: Yes, ultimately nothing is arbitrary. There is a reason behind everything.
I wanted to get transported via the phone radio waves and hug Cheryl! Of course this conversation is purely from a human perspective and some of it applies only to the job position discussed, but I believe our creativity (in any calling) mimics to an extent The Grand Designer. So much of what Cheryl said reminded me of how God works: out of pure passion and love for us (his children), with a purpose, with a grand plan, to the minor detail, solving our problems, loving his creation, and producing a great product: a relationship for us with Him. I hope when we read and try to understand all these details in Exodus and in the following books of the Bible, as numerous and perplexing as they may seem, that we’ll remember that every instruction of God has a good purpose for our lives. (Remember what was said on the blog about the tabernacle pointing to Christ?) I believe what Cheryl said about graphic design is true of God's instructions to us: "ultimately nothing is arbitrary. There is a reason behind everything."
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