Leviticus 4:27-28
If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring his offering for the sin he committed, a female goat without defect.
With the exception of the specific animal being offered, sentences like these appear in this passage for the priest, the entire community and a leader as well. Sin is a very serious matter, even if committed unintentionally. These offerings, this attonement cost something. Not just the value of the offering itself. But it cost some pride in having to make such a public statement of going to the Tent of Meeting with your offering.
These verses also show that they were a connected community. There was accountability and an intent to keep pure and not let sins just slip by. They were responsible for one another. That kind of community almost seems anti-American because ours is a culture of individualism and it's impolite to get into other people's business.
I'm pretty good at being a lone ranger and keeping the things going on in my life to myself. But that doesn't really seem to be the design for God's people. I'll have to work on becoming more open and transparent.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Leviticus 1-3; Acts 13
Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles."
A week before this, Paul had done a brief recap of the history of Israel in the synagogue. In doing so, he also showed how Jesus fulfilled the prophets writings concerning the coming Savior. When Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue, the Gentiles outside begged that Paul would preach these words again to them next Sabbath. So, next week almost the entire city shows up. The crowd Paul drew angered the Jews. That is when the above verse happens.
Jesus, the Promised One, didn't reject His people, the chosen people through which the whole world would be blessed. They rejected Him. The one thing they had longed for, prayed for, begged for all these centuries had happened. The Deliverer had come and they rejected Him. After studying the scriptures how could the learned, religious Jews have missed it? And in this rejecting, it wasn't Jesus who said they were unworthy. He would welcome any who follow Him. They chose not to accept and declared themselves unworthy of the everlasting life. In the event that the chosen people can not fulfill their obligations, the first runners up will take over. That would be the Gentiles.
Seriously though, do I ever get that attitude that I'm entitled to God favor over those who are perhaps weren't raised in a Christian home or haven't been Christians for very long? Do I get more concerned about having things fit my plans rather than making sure I'm following His plan? Am I rejecting things I don't want to hear, thereby deeming myself unworthy of God's blessings and unusable?
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles."
A week before this, Paul had done a brief recap of the history of Israel in the synagogue. In doing so, he also showed how Jesus fulfilled the prophets writings concerning the coming Savior. When Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue, the Gentiles outside begged that Paul would preach these words again to them next Sabbath. So, next week almost the entire city shows up. The crowd Paul drew angered the Jews. That is when the above verse happens.
Jesus, the Promised One, didn't reject His people, the chosen people through which the whole world would be blessed. They rejected Him. The one thing they had longed for, prayed for, begged for all these centuries had happened. The Deliverer had come and they rejected Him. After studying the scriptures how could the learned, religious Jews have missed it? And in this rejecting, it wasn't Jesus who said they were unworthy. He would welcome any who follow Him. They chose not to accept and declared themselves unworthy of the everlasting life. In the event that the chosen people can not fulfill their obligations, the first runners up will take over. That would be the Gentiles.
Seriously though, do I ever get that attitude that I'm entitled to God favor over those who are perhaps weren't raised in a Christian home or haven't been Christians for very long? Do I get more concerned about having things fit my plans rather than making sure I'm following His plan? Am I rejecting things I don't want to hear, thereby deeming myself unworthy of God's blessings and unusable?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Exodus 39-40; Psalm 15; Acts 12
Exodus 40:35
And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
I'm certain this isn't what it means when it says the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. But reading this just made this thought enter my mind so bear with me. Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle because God's presence filled it.
As a Christian, God's dwelling, the place where His Spirit resides, is in me. If He fills me, I cannot enter because there is not room. I must be emptied of myself, my own desires, my own pride, my selfishness. For how can God fill me if I haven't made room for Him?
And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
I'm certain this isn't what it means when it says the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. But reading this just made this thought enter my mind so bear with me. Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle because God's presence filled it.
As a Christian, God's dwelling, the place where His Spirit resides, is in me. If He fills me, I cannot enter because there is not room. I must be emptied of myself, my own desires, my own pride, my selfishness. For how can God fill me if I haven't made room for Him?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Exodus 37-38; Psalm 19; Acts 11
Psalm 19:12-14
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
This Psalm starts by talking about the glory of the Lord. Then it leads into how pure and perfect God's law and commands are, how His judgements are righteous and true. Finally it ends with these verses.
There are sins, these "secret faults", that I commit of which I may not even be aware. Or they are those heat of the moment reactions that just burst forth from my sinful human nature. I need to remember to confess and be cleansed from those. The other sins are "presumptive" ones. I willfully and deliberately commit them. I have either presumed that God will forgive me anyway. Or maybe, since the prayer here asks that this type of sin doesn't have dominion, this sin is a habit that I am too attached to or feel too weak to break so I presume God would understand my weakness in that area.
But in the end the Psalm makes it clear that God is my rock, unfaltering, unshakable, solid and firm, as well as my Redeemer, the One who will free me from the hold these sins have on me. But I need to keep my outward actions, the words of my mouth, and my inner focus and attitude, the meditations of my heart, completely devoted to this awesome, glorious God.
Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
This Psalm starts by talking about the glory of the Lord. Then it leads into how pure and perfect God's law and commands are, how His judgements are righteous and true. Finally it ends with these verses.
There are sins, these "secret faults", that I commit of which I may not even be aware. Or they are those heat of the moment reactions that just burst forth from my sinful human nature. I need to remember to confess and be cleansed from those. The other sins are "presumptive" ones. I willfully and deliberately commit them. I have either presumed that God will forgive me anyway. Or maybe, since the prayer here asks that this type of sin doesn't have dominion, this sin is a habit that I am too attached to or feel too weak to break so I presume God would understand my weakness in that area.
But in the end the Psalm makes it clear that God is my rock, unfaltering, unshakable, solid and firm, as well as my Redeemer, the One who will free me from the hold these sins have on me. But I need to keep my outward actions, the words of my mouth, and my inner focus and attitude, the meditations of my heart, completely devoted to this awesome, glorious God.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Exodus 35-36; Acts 10
Exodus 36:2-7
Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.”
So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.
These verses tucked in the middle of all the (sort of boring) details for building the tabernacle and holy garments hold a really special place in my heart. I discovered them a couple or so years ago when my church was going through a very rough period. There were issues dealing with our pastor, some had distrust of our leadership, we hadn't come close to our budgeted giving and I'm sure there were a hundred other negative things going on of which I wasn't even aware. But when I read these verses, especially verses 6 & 7, back then, I started praying them for my church.
All Moses did was say God wants us to take an offering so we can do this thing God has called us to. If you are willing, pitch in. The passage I read doesn't even say everybody brought an offering. It merely says those whose hearts were stirred, leaving me to believe there were some hearts unstirred. And the offerings came and they came and they came, every morning. Hearts were so willing that Moses had to issue an order not to bring any more. "People were restrained from bringing." I love that! They didn't have to be compelled or guilted into giving. Their giving had to be held back.
Now my church has just recently kicked off a capital fund program and is going to be building a sanctuary. We have a great pastor who is proclaiming The Word in boldness. Our church body is much more healthy and less fractured. The total of giving to and through our church last year was a huge, mind-blowing amount. Praise God hearts are being stirred and that He is ever faithful.
But I still pray these verses. I want the hearts of my church family to continue to be stirred. Sure I pray that more than enough funding will come in to pay for the building. But my prayer is not just so they will give of material goods. My prayer continues to be that my heart, as well as theirs, will be stirred in ways that prompt the continual offering of ourslves for use in building His kingdom. In that giving there can never be too much and no restraint will ever be needed.
Then Moses called Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart was stirred, to come and do the work. And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of making the sanctuary. So they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning. Then all the craftsmen who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work he was doing, and they spoke to Moses, saying, “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do.”
So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, “Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.” And the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.
These verses tucked in the middle of all the (sort of boring) details for building the tabernacle and holy garments hold a really special place in my heart. I discovered them a couple or so years ago when my church was going through a very rough period. There were issues dealing with our pastor, some had distrust of our leadership, we hadn't come close to our budgeted giving and I'm sure there were a hundred other negative things going on of which I wasn't even aware. But when I read these verses, especially verses 6 & 7, back then, I started praying them for my church.
All Moses did was say God wants us to take an offering so we can do this thing God has called us to. If you are willing, pitch in. The passage I read doesn't even say everybody brought an offering. It merely says those whose hearts were stirred, leaving me to believe there were some hearts unstirred. And the offerings came and they came and they came, every morning. Hearts were so willing that Moses had to issue an order not to bring any more. "People were restrained from bringing." I love that! They didn't have to be compelled or guilted into giving. Their giving had to be held back.
Now my church has just recently kicked off a capital fund program and is going to be building a sanctuary. We have a great pastor who is proclaiming The Word in boldness. Our church body is much more healthy and less fractured. The total of giving to and through our church last year was a huge, mind-blowing amount. Praise God hearts are being stirred and that He is ever faithful.
But I still pray these verses. I want the hearts of my church family to continue to be stirred. Sure I pray that more than enough funding will come in to pay for the building. But my prayer is not just so they will give of material goods. My prayer continues to be that my heart, as well as theirs, will be stirred in ways that prompt the continual offering of ourslves for use in building His kingdom. In that giving there can never be too much and no restraint will ever be needed.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Exodus 33-34; Psalm 16; Acts 9
Exodus 33:12-13
One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
Keep in mind that these verses come after I just read that The Lord spoke to Moses in the tabernacle face to face a a man speaks to his friend. Moses clearly trust God and wants to obey and follow His instructions. But I get the sense that Moses is a bit frustrated here. It seems as if he's having an internal battle, wanting to whole-heartedly trust God but also feeling like he needs God to give him a little more info to help shore up his trust or his faith. Is Moses really quoting God to God to try and "force" God into something?
Boy, I know I've prayed that kind of prayer. I am doing, have done or am about to do what I thnink God wants me to. But I don't quite see how it's really going to work. I tell the Lord I know He has a plan and wants what is best for me. But I just need a little more understanding or insight into His plan to keep me from faultering. I tell Him His Word says this or that just like when my kids go, "Dad you said..."
Moses interprets God's looking favorably on him as letting Moses know God's ways, God's plan. But God knew what Moses was really needing was just assurance that God would go with him. It's always easier for my kids to do something "scary" when I'm right there holding their hand, too, even if they don't always know everything that's going on.
One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”
Keep in mind that these verses come after I just read that The Lord spoke to Moses in the tabernacle face to face a a man speaks to his friend. Moses clearly trust God and wants to obey and follow His instructions. But I get the sense that Moses is a bit frustrated here. It seems as if he's having an internal battle, wanting to whole-heartedly trust God but also feeling like he needs God to give him a little more info to help shore up his trust or his faith. Is Moses really quoting God to God to try and "force" God into something?
Boy, I know I've prayed that kind of prayer. I am doing, have done or am about to do what I thnink God wants me to. But I don't quite see how it's really going to work. I tell the Lord I know He has a plan and wants what is best for me. But I just need a little more understanding or insight into His plan to keep me from faultering. I tell Him His Word says this or that just like when my kids go, "Dad you said..."
Moses interprets God's looking favorably on him as letting Moses know God's ways, God's plan. But God knew what Moses was really needing was just assurance that God would go with him. It's always easier for my kids to do something "scary" when I'm right there holding their hand, too, even if they don't always know everything that's going on.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Exodus 30-32; Acts 8
Exodus 31:2-3 & 6
See I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,...And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.
God didn't just say, "Here's what you must build for me." He empowered them. He gave them His Spirit and the widom and knowledge needed to carry out the plan. Yes, these men were artisans to begin with. But God took their talents and abilities to another level, for use in fulfilling His purpose. He wanted the finished product to be more than a bunch of individuals creating their interpretation of what He had instructed Moses to make and build. They were united in their understand, by God's Spirit, of what needed to be done and would go about it God's way.
It also says God called Bazalel BY NAME. Wow. What an awesome experience to be called to something for God by name. Just how did that call come to Bazalel? Was it audible? Was Bazalel just going about his life or was he seeking the will of God about something? Or was God saying this to Moses so then Moses would say, "God told me..." Interesting that I've been doing a bit of wondering myself lately about what being called looks like. Just earlier today I was thinking about writing to somebody and asking what their experience of being called was like.
See I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,...And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.
God didn't just say, "Here's what you must build for me." He empowered them. He gave them His Spirit and the widom and knowledge needed to carry out the plan. Yes, these men were artisans to begin with. But God took their talents and abilities to another level, for use in fulfilling His purpose. He wanted the finished product to be more than a bunch of individuals creating their interpretation of what He had instructed Moses to make and build. They were united in their understand, by God's Spirit, of what needed to be done and would go about it God's way.
It also says God called Bazalel BY NAME. Wow. What an awesome experience to be called to something for God by name. Just how did that call come to Bazalel? Was it audible? Was Bazalel just going about his life or was he seeking the will of God about something? Or was God saying this to Moses so then Moses would say, "God told me..." Interesting that I've been doing a bit of wondering myself lately about what being called looks like. Just earlier today I was thinking about writing to somebody and asking what their experience of being called was like.
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