You are Mine!!!

I kind of find it funny in the passage when God says “ the levites are to be mine”, because I feel that is the exact same way that God looks at us. It really just stuck out when I read it, and when God is talking about all the firstborns belonging to the lord as well. Could you imagine being Moses having to delegate to these people, telling them to count all the firstborn males, up to like 20,000 people at a time. And God is just like, “ya all those people, are mine. Dedicate them to me.” I couldn’t imagine having to count that many people. But the thought that God knows each and every one of them, as well as each and every one of us, just blows me away. Have you ever been to New York Cities Time Square? The amount of people there can be overwhelming. The one time I went I don’t think I had ever seen that many people at one place before in my life. And the fact that God says that to each and every one of us, “Child, you are mine” is awesome. But he is not a God that knows us just by our name, he knows every detail of us, even down to every hair on our head. I don’t know, that was what was coming to me when I was reading today’s passage. How well do you know God?

Common Sense

Don’t give up now!!! I know readings like today’s are hard to make it through. They don’t have much to do with the way our society operates today, and seem to have little application to our lives. However everything in God’s word is useful so read it and soak it up. Don’t quit, don’t stop, try not to skip a day. If you fall behind jump back in and pick up on today’s date. You can do this!! For me the main thing I thought as I read today’s reading was “WOW this is common sense.” So much of God’s law is just good common sense. Yes they are rules, but they are not pointless rules, they make good sense. They are based on fairness, equality, and maintaining peace and order in society. These are all things we should do anyway but we often don’t. Why? Because of greed, selfishness, and individualism. Those things and others naturally overtake common sense in the sinful world we live in. If you have been opposed to God’s laws for any reason in the past I hope you can see that they are laws of common sense. They are for your benefit and societies as a whole. Before you get lost in the rules and laws, step back and notice that they are all based on common sense.

Man I am Dirty!!!

Could you imagine, these days if we had to go through all of the same cleansing rituals that all the people in Moses’ day had to do? I mean seriously, if we had to perform the same cleansing techniques, you probably wouldn’t see hardly anybody, because everybody would be unclean for something, or having to wait for their 7 days before being able to see or touch anyone. We would all become social rejects. And these rituals we are reading about today, these are cleansing procedures for things like mildew, and bodily fluid leakage (in either gender), and really just typical things that every human being goes through on a daily basis. This is tapping in to what God thinks about things being unclean, and what should be done about them. Things that we might see as small, or trivial, or not really mattering much because we experience them so much and so frequently. But if you notice, all of these things that God and Moses are discussing, are physical things. Could you imagine then what God thinks about the dirt and grime of our spirits, and what would it take to clean us up spiritually? To clean us up spiritually so that we might be clean before God? Well the answer is no, we couldn’t imagine what it would take to clean it up, but God did know what it would take. His son, dying for us on a cross. That was the only thing that would be able to pay for the sins that you and I have done for our entire lives, to make us pure and holy in the eyes of our lord. A good example of this is grease and oil. Have you ever had engine oil, or grease on your hands or arms, and then tried to wash it off with water and just regular soap? That’s stuff ain’t coming off unless you decide to grab a wire brush, and then it just becomes painful. So we walk around with dirty, oily hands. But then one day we discover GOJO, which is like Jesus. It is the ultimate thing to wash us clean, he is the only way that we can be cleaned up, to be presented before the father. Just a little thought to keep in mind when reading today’s scripture.

Sacrifices

This starts out with specific details about how to gut an ox and what to give off its body to burn in the temple area, and what to burn outside the temple area. Then it goes on to a ram, then it had Aaron and his son’s repeat the step that Moses made for him.
God intercedes for Moses and make him holy so he can intercede on behalf of Aaron and his sons, so that Aaron and his sons can intercede on the behalf of the people of Israel. They did this so that the Glory of God might come down and all the people would see the Glory of God.
Moses ordains Aaron and his sons to be priests, God sends his glory down, and fire comes out of his glory and consumes the sacrifices on the altar.
Soon after that as Aaron and his family start to prepare for the next step in offering incense, his boys do what is wrong by offering “strange fire” or “forbidden fire”. The NIV just states fire, but in the Hebrew, it’s acutely translated strange fire, the only reason I remembered it was because I had read in the KJV before that it noted a strange fire. For some reason, ever since I read that as a child it has stuck with me. Why did they offer with a strange fire, or a forbidden fire, why not just plain Jane fire? The words strange and/or forbidden have their root words based in the word sin.
So they had offered the incense in a sinful way, a way in which God had asked them not to offer it. It would be one thing to try to offer something in which to honor God, but the way the words are put together in the Hebrew, they speak of a disrespectful way in which they offered up the incense to God. Not in a way of respect or honor, but in a sinful way. These men were not struck down because they were trying something new in which they could honor God and be creative, they offered the gift in a bad way which brought God’s anger down on them. I tried to relay that line of thought to you in a bunch of different ways so that maybe you would understand it a little more.
See the blood being shed in the temple inside the city. Then see the rest of the body taken outside the city to be completely burned. Jesus was a symbol to the Jews all the way. He was tortured, beaten beyond recognition, His blood was let in the city, and his body was staked to the cross on the outside of the city. God’s standard is perfection. Thankfully, Jesus’ blood was enough to atone for our sins, it redeemed us, it saved us. I hope you see that in the symbols of the old testament today.

The Worshiper & Sacrifices

WOW what a reading today!!! When you get to readings like today’s the temptation is always there to think, well I have read this before and can’t learn much more from “sacrifices.” After all, this is the old law and we are under the new law now. How much value can this really have in my life. To be honest some of those thoughts came to my mind as I started the reading. But as always God showed me something new as I read.
I was reminded of something as I read the text today. God desires our best!! It is obvious and easy to see that God in each case wanted the worshiper to bring the choice sacrifice animals without blemish, or the finest flower etc. You can’t bring the leftovers to God and call it a sacrifice. A sacrifice consists of the best you and I have, anything less is not acceptable as a sacrifice. It was a good reminder for me.
The next thing really jumped off the pages at me in a way it never has before. I noticed how many times the worshiper was called to lay his own hand on the animal and deliver the fatal blow. I think many times we assume that the worshiper just brought the animal to the Priest and he did all the dirty work. It turns out this is not the case. The worshiper coming to offer the sacrifice was to present the offering, and then actively participate in killing the animal being sacrificed. The priest in most cases was there to catch the blood, or carry the sacrifice on from the point the fatal blow was delivered. The word translated “lay his hand on” (smkh) means to lean, rest, or support ones self. Walvoord and Zuck state that this shows that through the act of leaning into or on the animal the worshiper was identifying himself with the animal as his substitute. Furthermore by delivering the final deathblow, the worshiper would have realized the incredible cost of sin.
My question is do we? Do we understand the incredible price that was paid for our redemption? God delivered the sacrifice and presented it for us in his one and only son. Ultimately God had control and sent His Son to the cross with his own hand. God allowed Jesus to suffer and die for our sins. Simply put, He did it all for us before we were even born. I did not have to lay my hands on an animal sacrifice, or Jesus for that matter and deliver the final blow. God did it all for us!!! (Col 2:13-15) I am thankful that He did, but I fear this is perhaps the main reason we treat sin in such a lazy manner in our society. We don’t truly appreciate the cost, and the incredible task that fell on the worshiper who laid his hands on the sacrifice and took its life from it. I pray as we read about the sacrifices those under the old law made and the way they made them our appreciation of the New Covenant will be strengthened and our hearts will despise the sin more and more each day. God’s grace through Jesus Christ was FREE, but it was not CHEAP!!!!

Always Seeking After God

As you were reading today’s scripture did you catch Moses’ attitude right there at the beginning? I believe that this is the kind of attitude that we as Christians need to keep for every moment, every second, and every opportunity, that ever comes our way in life. After everything that is going on during the Exodus, witnessing God part the Red Sea, the Manna and Quail, getting the water from the rocks, even after the horrible situation with the Golden Calf, Moses is still not satisfied. Look at what he does in 33:7-23. He is like a little kid with a cookie jar. More God, I want more, send us with your presence. Do not send us if you are not going to go with us. More God, I want more, I see you have found favor with me. Teach me YOUR ways, so that I may know YOU more, and continue to find favor with you. More God, I want more, remember that we are YOUR chosen people. After everything that God has done for these people and Moses has the audacity to ask for more? YES!!!! That is the attitude that God wants from us. He longs for us to want to draw closer to him in everything that we do, in every situation of life, in every circumstance. To seek after him in all seasons, not just when we need something, but just for the simple fact that he is God. Moses even goes as far as saying, show me your glory, or in other words, I want to physically see you, Lord. And as you keep reading, God grants his wish. Of course, he doesn’t let him see his face because he is too great and the glory of his face would pretty much kill him, but God permits Moses to see his backside. WOW!! To seek after God so much, and to be granted the opportunity just to see a part of God, is the attitude that God desires for us to have. Makes me put a real good perspective on my walk and how much I am seeking after God. How about you?

The Lord Our God

Wow, after reading about all the sacrifices today can you imagine how much blood was poured out on a daily basis just for Aaron and his descendants and the altar of God? That is not including what the people would bring for their sin offerings or thanksgiving offerings.
Look how detailed it was to slaughter the animal, where to get the fat from, what to offer, what not to offer, where to burn it, where to sprinkle the blood, how intricate the uniforms were, how they were to be dressed, and so forth. A lot of T’s to be crossed and I’s to be dotted.
Thank you Jesus, that your death was enough, that your blood was sufficient to atone for all of our sins, thank you for your sacrifice, thank you for your suffering in a way we will never really be able to comprehend but we will truly will be grateful for.
I love the part at the end though with God speaking starting at verse 44, “So I will consecrate the Ten of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them, I am the Lord their God.”
Do you recognize that He is the Lord your God, and if so, does the Lord our God dwell with you?

It's The Law

I pray that you have been keeping up with your readings. If you have not jump back in and join us. Don’t worry about trying to catch up, just join us on today’s reading and go from there. If you have been keeping up, then you have probably noticed a few things. First, you have no doubt noticed that the Devil will do anything he can to distract you and cause you to miss your time with God. Second, you have noticed that this is a hard discipline to be faithful to because of the first thing I mentioned. However, the third thing I hope you have noticed, is how rewarding and beneficial it actually is to read God’s word everyday. That alone should far out weigh the first two. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!
Today we read about some of the Laws. These can be kind of like reading a bunch of names. You might wonder why do I need to read these? After all our modern day justice system does not operate under these same laws. So why should I read them? Well if you really take some time and look at these laws, you will find that our system of justice today finds it’s roots in the laws found in God’s word. There are also many unwritten and unspoken laws that all members of this country and our faith should follow. Like “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.” That is a good one don’t you think? These laws are the foundation for not only our system of law and government but indeed the laws of all mankind on some level. These laws are more then just laws they are God’s laws! We should pay attention to them, learn from them, and keep them in mind in the coming days as we will read about what God does with the law through a man named Jesus. You don’t need to memorize or try to remember all of these laws, just remember they are God’s laws, and will become the foundation for the laws that govern the history of mankind. Don’t skip over them, they are important. After all, it’s the law.

The Red Sea

I am always amazed when I read about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, most specifically when I read about God parting the Red Sea. I don’t think we really grasp the magnitude of just how awesome this is. If you are anything like me, when you hear about God parting the Red Sea, you think of the children’s church story that we all have heard, or maybe think of a the cute little picture that we all have seen of a river that looks pretty big, with a group of men chasing after them. If we really stop and look at the diminsions and just how huge the Red Sea is it might take on a whole new meaning. The Red Sea is roughly 1398 miles in length, and about 220.6 miles wide. Basically imagine something as long as the distance from Pleasanton to Los Angeles, and as wide as Pleasanton to Waco. That is how huge the Red Sea is. Now seeing where Egypt is I imagine that they probably went across the width, but still, could you imagine a sea being separated long enough for thousands of people to walk from here to Waco safely? That is insane! But it always is a huge reminder that when God says something he means it and he will do whatever is necessary to get it done. A few chapters earlier, God tells Moses to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to set his people free, and Moses starts making all of these excuses of why he can’t do it. God doesn’t care about his excuses, he says to do something, and Moses keeps questioning how is this going to happen, and what happens if this happens, and who should I say is sending me. God simply says I am. I am the one true God. I am the ruler over all. I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and through me, all things are possible. God doesn’t care about our excuses, or what we think about what he tells us to do. In my opinion, if God is telling us to do something, we shouldn’t fret about how it’s going to get done, or how God is going to do. He wants to see if we will be obedient to trust him to get the work done that he wants. If God wants something to happen, he will open what needs to be opened and close what needs to be closed, even if it means closing the walls of the water down on the largest army in the world at the time. Think about that next time God is telling you to do something and you start questioning if it can really be done.

The Gnats

God seeks us out even when our hearts are hardened. It is too easy in hind sight to come against the Pharaoh. You have to remember that the snakes, the blood in the river, and the frogs, were tricks to Pharaoh. His magic men could reproduce all of those, but when it came to the gnats, yes the gnats, the magic men could not produce those and they said, “This is the finger of God.” Up until then they were tricks that people could perform.
Take a minute to remember a time in which you have run into a swarm of gnats, man they get in your nose, you ears, your eyes, and that was just a small cloud you might of ran into. Can you imagine what the Bible says, “Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and throughout the land of Egypt, the dust will become gnats.” The dust! God was wanting people to recognize his power, and the dust became gnats! I am glad I was born now and not then. Amen. Gnats drive me crazy.
Observe some things as you take all of this in, “So that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God” , “This is the finger of God”. God wants us to recognize Him in our lives, as you can see here in Exodus and many other places throughout the Bible he goes to great lengths to reach out to us.
What is He doing to reach out to you? How is our God trying to catch our attention? My prayer for us is that we don’t allow our hearts to be hardened. Oh God please allow our hearts to stay soft to the things you are trying to show us and tell us and help us to be faithful to the great things you show and tell us to do.
Amen
Scotty

Best Intentions

Have you ever done something wrong while you were trying to do something right? I know I have. Even when I have the best intentions I often times go too far and make mistakes. One of the greatest leaders in the history of man did the same thing. Moses while trying to help some Hebrews, went too far and killed an Egyptian. I am sure he thought he was helping. I am sure he thought what he was doing was right. However, the following day when he found out what he did had become known, it set in that indeed what he had done was wrong, and he became afraid and fled from Egypt. Even when we have the best intentions, taking matters into our own hands usually leads us to do things we shouldn’t. The good news is that does not disqualify us for service in God’s kingdom. When God needed a man to rescue his people he came back to Moses. This time Moses would have to trust God. He would need to do what he should have done the first time and let God handle the situation. Time and life experience had taught Moses that the only way the people are going to come out of Egypt is if God does the work. Justice and freedom will not come from the hands of a man, but instead directly from the hand of God. I struggle with this lesson that we all must learn from Moses. Let us all look to God’s hands when we have problems and are faced with the issues and situations of life. Taking matters into our own hands will often lead us into places we do not want to go. Giving it over to God is hard and uncomfortable but it works every single time.