Numbers 4-6 = today's thoughts

Numbers 4-6 = today's thoughts

 

Do you want to be a Nazirite?  The term "nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated"  To be a Nazirite was to set yourself aside for a period of time to be separate to the Lord.  During this period of time you take specific precautions and steps to make sure that you are holy unto the lord.  This wasn’t like a day of fasting, this was for periods of time greater than a month usually. I’m curious as to what this really looked like, did the daily life of this individual change during this vow, what did it mean.  Going to have to do some more searching. But the bottom line question for the day is, how often do we make a conscious effort to set ourselves apart, holy and unto the Lord for a period of time to honor God and strengthen our relationship with him.  I can’t say that I would win any special achievement award in this area.  Something I should probably consider.

Rob

 

 

Numbers 3-4 = today's thought

Numbers 3-4 = today's thought

 

Who in the story do you most closely relate to today?  We are reading about the Role of the Levites in caring for the tabernacle and the things that have been set aside for God and the worship of God.  The story has 4 primary groups of people, the priests, the Gershonite, the Kohathites, and the Merarites.  The Priests (Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons Eleazar and Ithamar) in this story are responsible for the care of the temple on behalf of all the people of Israel, specifically the care of the sanctuary, only they could approach the sanctuary anyone else was to be put to death.  The Kohathites were responsible for the most holy things, the care of things like the ark, the alter, the furnishings, Eleazar was responsible for their work. The Gershonite were responsible for the coverings of the Tabernacle, the outer coverings, the curtains, and Ithamar was responsible for their work.  The Merarites were responsible for the structure, the poles, the crossbars, the bases, and they were also led by Ithamar.  Each group had their responsibilities and while not equal or the same they were all important and reliant on one another for the whole to be accomplished.  Some with great responsibility and some with less, some with authority and some with action.  Some of the jobs were sacred and had the fear of death if improperly performed, while some were as common as carrying a pole.  Being in the direct service of the King looks very different for each of us.  Some roles seem more significant that others and some seem remedial and insignificant.  Whether performing the seemingly significant or insignificant, if you have been called by God your labor is significant, not necessarily glorious but none the less significant.  This cannot be more evidenced than in modern team ministry, the ranges of skills, talents, roles and responsibilities are wide reaching, and yet when any single component of the team is unable to complete their role satisfactorily the whole is burdened.  I am certain that God has brought us together as the Body to demonstrate his awesome ability but also to edify, encourage and support one another.  While roles may not be equal or often even similar, when working as the Body of Christ, none are insignificant.  What role will you play today?

Rob

 

Numbers 1-2 = Today's thoughts

Numbers 1-2  = Today's thoughts

It is often easy to forget that the God of the Universe is interested in our daily lives.  But he is down to some of the smallest of details.  The Israelites we learn are still camped at the base of Mt. Sinai as this new book opens; they are two years, one month and fifteen days since God led them out of Egypt. God calls for a census, he is about to establish his peoples army as well as redefine them as a people out of the covenant he made with Abraham.  God isn’t simply asking for a show of hands either, he wants people names written down, he wants them divided into their clans; he wants to know who his people are.  Sure he already knows the info but in this manner he is demonstrating to his people that as he establishes their nation they are individually significant, as well as significant as a tribe of Abraham.   Furthermore, he divides them into their tribes and reaffirms their subset identity as a small community within the whole; he gave them instruction on where to live and how to establish their camp/community.  While we aren’t really explained why here, you can be assured that if God has taken the time to develop the plan, there was a reason for it and it had their best interest in mind.  Remember, had he only wanted an army there would be no need for this detail, this segregation, this community planning.  God is in the details of our lives when we listen to what he is directing us to do.  The end of chapter one ends the same as chapter two, “The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses”.  These weren’t requests, they weren’t open to interpretation, and they were commands given to produce a relational outcome that God was setting in motion for his people.  Today is no different, we don’t get to cherry pick the portions of the relationship we want to be a part.   The more I strive to be in relationship with him the less I am convinced of coincidence when I look at the circumstances of my life and I am honest with myself, it is orchestrated in a way that probably isn’t really me. Humbling and reassuring all at the same time.  Thanks be to God, he wants to be personally related to me, my family, my community, and my country.  Now we need to listen and follow.

 

Rob   

 

 

Leviticus 26-27 = today's thought

Today’s thought is from Leviticus 26-27

 

We are in a series at church about living life and serving God as more than just a fan of Christ.  But rather whole hearted sold out committed living to the Lord.  These two chapters deal with this same topic today.  If you look in Chapter 26 you will find about 10 verses that explain how God cares for the faithful, the ones who do as they say and are living within the covenant that was established between God and the people of Israel through Moses on the mountain.  But then there are around 32 more verses that deal with what happens to the people if they are unfaithful and live outside the relationship and the covenant with God. Three times as much space is dedicated to the consequences of being unfaithful as there is to being faithful. 

 

I think there are some simple yet often missed realities here.  For the faithful person living out their faith within the will of the father, there is little that needs to be explained, there will be relationship that includes communication and therefore much is understood.  Blessings make sense, trials are able to be endured, life has purpose, and external relationships are deeper and have greater significance than the moment.  Read verses 3 – 13 and it is clear that those abiding in the will of God are going to know peace, prosperity and the joy of being in a right relationship with their creator.

 

Then read ahead. To the end of chapter 26, it turns bleak fast and future looks fully depressing.  The only consolation in the rest of this chapter is that there is hope that those outside the will of God will find their way back in, because living life out there is death.  I think that there is significantly great time devoted to this because when we live outside the will of God, we will make every excuse for our circumstances that we can muster.  Anything and everything will be to blame, except usually the fact that we are living outside God’s will.  Therefore God is trying to show us with many different illustrations that living outside the will of God is only going to lead to one thing, there are many ways to get there but the end is still death and separation from Him for all those choosing to ignore Covenant and reject His relationship.

 

Chapter 27 then goes back to the faithful and shows ways in which the faithful can demonstrate their commitment and give back to the Lord. Chapter 27 says nothing about the unfaithful group that was so focused on in 26 because there is no room for them in chapter 27,  27 is only for the believer and not just any believer but a committed believer that wants to demonstrate his/her faithfulness to the Lord.   I pray that for my life and the life of my family we are exemplify the opening of Chapter 26 and chapter 27, the alternative is misery without understanding, and that is a tragedy when hope abounds in living within the covenant.

 

Rob

 

Leviticus 24-25 = Today's thoughts

Today’s thoughts from Leviticus 24-25

 

It is so often fascinating to me that so much of our modern system is based on principles of business and life that were established thousands of years ago and have retained a place still directing our lives and our actions.  While we may not celebrate the year of Jubilee and everyone get their land back, many of the principles in here about letting fields rest, interest, repayment of debt, etc… have basis going back to God’s very direction.

 

In a world that seems to ready to discount the teachings of God I wonder if these same people understand how much of our society is actually guided and directed by these very teachings.  Even when the world seems to be in such chaos with debt, war, etc… take comfort in knowing that the rules we live by for the most part were established millennia ago and have seen their way through some very trying times of history.  Gods laws are timeless.

Rob

 

 

Rob Minton
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Leviticus 21-23 = Today's Thoughts

Today’s Thoughts from Leviticus 21-23

 

Now that Aidan is older and attending his own classes on Sunday morning we are back in the main worship auditorium.  That is something that I have missed for the last many months.  Being in the cry room or one of the rooms where the service is broadcast is always ok but it isn’t the same as being there with all the other believers, singing, listening and engaging in the service. Today’s reading was on the feasts and the seasons, and while I am sure the feasts and festivals that took place were great, I am so glad that those times are readily available to us at any moment today.  We don’t have to have a specific date to worship the Lord; there isn’t a prescribed method, rules and restrictions about the methodology of how we must worship the Lord.  We have at our discretion the opportunity to worship him as one or as many, as often as we choose in nearly a limitless way.  What an opportunity we have, to present our sacrifice and worship freely and without the required intersession of another.  Show God how much you appreciate and love him this week.

Rob

 

Leviticus 18-20 = Today's thoughts

Today’s thoughts from Leviticus 18-20

 

In this portion of scripture we are looking at how to deal with our neighbors.  One of the interesting aspects of this passage is that these statements are followed up by God restating over and over, I am the Lord.  It is full of You shall’s and you shall not statements, and God is making it clear that these are his statutes and not whomever is delivering them.  God even states in 19:19 You shall keep my statutes.  These aren’t suggestions they are the one right way that God had chosen to communicate love for others by his people.  One section struck me humorously when reading this, it says you shall not curse the deaf or put stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.  I instantly thought of all those crazy warning labels we see on things today, (like.. don’t use this hair dryer in the shower)  you see those things and you are like, really, we really need to say this to people.   But God knowing human nature knows that even the most obvious of wrongs that can be done to one another will in fact be done by someone wanting to take advantage of their neighbor.  I think that is why he includes teaching like this.  Human nature can be an ugly thing and the ways in which people often exploit one anther is unconscionable.  God is making it clear through extreme example that his people are to be better than this.  This is taken even further under the new covenant with Christ.  We as believers trying to transform the lives of others by demonstrating the Body of Christ in action, must go beyond the obvious and truly serve those we come in contact with.

 

Serve one another with gladness.

Rob

 

Leviticus 14-17 = Today's thoughtue;;ed ot

Today’s thought from Leviticus 14-17

 

 

Today’s thought was a tough one, while plenty of ground, somewhat strange ground. Lots of seemingly disconnected verses.  But ultimately it remains further evidence of how difficult it was to stay in a right relationship with the Lord.  And when you weren’t or you had gone through a period of uncleanness, it outlines the various steps that were necessary to make yourself presentable before Him.  This law this code of living and requirement, seems to have an impact that more likely added to the separation rather than added to closeness.  Hopefully tomorrows read will be a little less disconnected for me.