Be Careful of the Fire - It Burns

So, the other day I was reading in everybody’s favorite book of the Bible, Leviticus.  There is a quick story about Aaron’s sons that I find pretty interesting and a little scary…It is tucked away in the middle of all kinds of rules and regulations that God was setting up for the people and Israel and the priests that were going to be serving them…Let’s read the story and ask some questions to see if we can’t learn something from their experience.

Background:

¨  Aaron and his sons (descendants) were to serve the Lord in a special way for the Lord.  They were to offer sacrifices, declare people clean or unclean, speak to God on behalf of the people, and much more. 

¨  They were called to an even stricter diet, a holy lifestyle, different clothes, special ceremonies and washings, etc.

¨  They were also the only ones that were allowed to perform certain rituals and ceremonies in order to worship God and ask for forgiveness on behalf of the people. 

¨  In short, they were called to be “priests” – to stand between God and man and serve as a go-between.   

Leviticus 10:1-7

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. ² And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. ³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.

⁴ And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” ⁵ So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. ⁶ And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled. ⁷ And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Things to think about:

¨    Does this sound harsh to anyone else?  Why do you think God just killed Aaron’s sons?  Why not give a warning?  A timeout?  A spanking?  Straight to death…was the crime so offensive to the Lord?  (I think the answer is obviously yes it was so offensive – but, why?)

¨    What do you think Aaron was feeling at that time?  I think the most shocking sentence in this passage is in verse 3, “And Aaron held his peace.”  God just burned his children to death.  Wow.  What is our normal response to God’s righteous judgment? 

¨    They were not allowed to mourn in the usual way – for their was a seriousness that God wanted all the people to see.  God takes sin very serious.  The punishment for sin is death – it always has been.  It is only grace that prevents the fire of God from flying out of heaven and consuming us every day when we sin. 

¨    But, this passage points to a priest that came and stood in that place for us!  Jesus was the high priest that took the consuming fire judgment in our place that resulted in His death and our life!  Let us stand in awe of God’s righteous judgment and wrath toward sin, but let us shout with joy to our Lord who took that wrath for us and offers us complete forgiveness! 

Have a great day!

Too much money? Really?

  Have you ever been to a church where they told you to keep your money because, “they have enough already?”  Imagine getting your tithe check back in the mail with a note that said, “we had enough for all of our bills this month, thanks for giving, but you might need this more than we do…”  What if the government said that?  Ha!  Like the government would ever admit they had enough money…There is an interesting story in the Bible where people were trying to offer up more gifts and give more money, but the leaders said, “no, we have enough, in fact, we have too much!”  What?!  How do you have too much money?  Well, let’s read and find out.

Background:

·    The Israelite people have successfully been rescued out of Egypt.  They cross through the Red Sea on dry ground and have received the 10 commandments.  Moses is leading the people as they establish all of the laws, rules, regulations, and priestly order that God has given. 

·    God gave very specific instructions on how to best worship Him, how to be a nation of priests that lives in a sinful world.  The whole nation was to follow certain rules and laws to remain pure and holy – a people set apart for God’s purposes. 

·    Some of these very specific instructions included how to build the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant (essentially a box covered in gold with angels on top where Aaron’s staff, the 10 commandments, and some Manna where kept)  Most importantly the Tabernacle was were God dwelt with His people.  God said He would rule them and live with them from the Tabernacle.  Just read through the end of Exodus to see how much detail God gives (basically a blueprint)…There were also other things they had to build alters, curtains, poles for carrying the Ark, special utensils, etc.

God calls for a collection from the people in order to build all of these items…here is that call.

Exodus 34:4-9

⁴ Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. ⁵ Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁶ blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats' hair, ⁷ tanned rams' skins, and goatskins;^[a] acacia wood, ⁸ oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, ⁹ and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breast piece.

Here is what happened after they started up that collection…

Exodus 34:20-29

Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. ²¹ And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord's contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. ²² So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. ²³ And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams' skins or goatskins brought them. ²⁴ Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. ²⁵ And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. ²⁶ All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats' hair. ²⁷ And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breast piece, ²⁸ and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. ²⁹ Israel Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

And they are so generous that this happens…

Exodus 36:3-7

 And they received from Moses all the Israel freewill offerings every morning, ⁴ so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, ⁵ and said to Moses, “The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” ⁶ So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, ⁷ for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

Things to think about:

·    When was the last time your heart was stirred in such a way that your generosity overwhelmed someone or an organization?  What if all of our hearts were stirred in a similar way?  Think of the amazing things we could do?

·    Do you think some people felt guilty that they waited too long to give?  None of their offering was needed?  They missed out on giving something that could have been part of the Ark or the Holy of Holies?  What an honor!  But, they missed it.  What do we miss out on when we seem to wait too long to be generous with what God has given us? 

·    Did God need their gold?  I don’t think so, I think He could have created all the gold he wanted…he did make it rain bread after allJ  Why not rain gold one day for the people to use to build stuff?  I think God wanted to people to give generously so they could participate in the work that God was doing.  Does God need your money today?  No, He could make money come out of a rock, just like he could have water come out of a rock…but, maybe God wants you and I to participate in what He is doing…

Have a great day!  Be generous and let your heart be stirred to make a difference in this world – before it is too late!!

Dinner Party with the LORD?

What if you were invited to have dinner with the Lord?  Would you go?  What would you wear?  What would you say?  Do you think you would be extra careful about your manners?  Is it rude to talk with your mouth full if you are talking to God?  What if you don’t like the food?  Could you ask the Lord for something different?  Would you ask Jesus to pass the salt and complain that the chicken is dry?  So many questions…Why do I ask these questions?  Well, the other day I was reading in Exodus when the people of Israel were being rescued out of Egypt by the Lord and God hosted a dinner party.  Moses, Aaron, and seventy elders of Israel were in attendance at that meal.  I wonder what that would have been like?  Let’s read the story and see if we can’t learn something from this experience.

Exodus 24:1-11

Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. ² Moses alone shall come near to the Lord, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”

³ Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules.  And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do.” ⁴ And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁵ And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. ⁶ And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. ⁷ Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” ⁸ And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

⁹ Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, ¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. ¹¹ And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.

Things to think about:

·    God had just rescued his people out of Egypt and shown them some pretty amazing miracles.  He showed his power and his authority over any army or Pharaoh and even nature itself.  I think the people had a pretty healthy respect for God and even an understandable fear of God.  How would your relationship change if you had first had experience of the 10 plagues and the parting of the red sea?

·    Do you think you would have answered the way the people did when they heard the words of the LORD?  “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do…”  Did they keep that promise?  Can anyone keep that promise?  I think only God could keep that promise to obey all the words of the LORD…hmm, I wonder if that was the plan from the beginning? 

·    Do you think you would have new understanding of the need for blood to forgive sins if you were there watching Moses throw blood all over the place?  How big is an ox?  How many oxen were killed?  How much blood are we talking about?  Gallons?  Bathtubs full?  Blood was probably flowing like a stream from the alter…Does that make you stop and think about the seriousness of our sin?

·    Read verses 9-11 again…does this small paragraph totally shock you like it shocked me?  The elders and Moses “saw the God of Israel?”  “They beheld God, and ate and drank.” Wait, so they sat down in the presence of God and ate dinner?  Where did the food come from?  Did they have to cook it?  Did they show great manners?  Would you be nervous eating with God?  Did God eat too?  I just have so many questions that the Bible is totally silent on…

·    Some bigger questions would be: How could they see God and not die?  Did they see God in the same sense that Moses saw God later when God’s glory went in front of Moses and he saw the “back of God?”  Did they see God in the same way we will see God when we are in Heaven? 

·    Notice that when Moses (the author) describes this scene he give basically no description of God or what He looked like, but rather he describes the ground on which God was standing…even that seems to be beyond description! 

·    Only through the blood of Jesus Christ can we enter into the very presence of God and we will one day not only see the ground upon which He walks but will see the face that loves us more than we could ever imagine!  

A Prayer From the Heart

Dear Everyone,

At our Wednesday night AWANA program the high school students and I are studying the book of Philippians.  This past week we talked about the first paragraph of the book and Paul’s specific prayer for the church in Philippi.  I thought it was pretty good, so I wanted to share it with you as well.  Here are Paul’s opening comments to this church that he started and whom he loves dearly.

Philippians 1:1-11

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. ⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Things to think about:

·      In verse 6 what is Paul sure of?  Who does Paul look to for that completed work?  Where does the power come from?  Where does that confidence come from?

·      With Paul’s confidence in Christ to complete what He started by saving you – what does Paul pray for in verses 9-11?

·      If you were describe a completed Christian how would you describe him/her?  If Paul’s prayers were answered by God in verses 9-11 would that person be a completed Christian? 

·      Do you think Paul is praying for something that he has confidence will already happen?  Should we pray for things that God has already promised with happen?  Should we pray for things that are already lined up with God’s will, God’s desire, God’s plan?  If it is going to happen anyway, why pray? 

·      Notice that Paul cares very deeply for this church – who do you care deeply about and how do you pray for them?

·      Maybe spend a few minutes today praying these “big faith prayers” to God for the people you know.  I will try and do the same for you!