Category Archives: Holy / Set Apart

Fear / Reverence for God, Guide, Holy / Set Apart, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer, Purposeful / Intentional

Yeshua Sets The Example In Submitting Fully To God’s Will

Reading in Luke 22 about Yeshua’s arrest in the garden, we see that He went voluntarily, without fighting or resisting. Yeshua was committed to obeying the will of the Father. He was to fulfill the plan YHWH had for our salvation by suffering for our sins and dying on the cross. Once again in Luke 23 we see this attitude reinforced.

Luke 23:1-7

Jesus before Pilate

     1Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” 3So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.”

      6When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.

Yeshua had been explicitly asked about paying taxes to Caesar and His answer was to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. He did not tell people to avoid paying taxes. Those who wanted to destroy Yeshua lied. This should not surprise us.

Mark 12:13-17

 13Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. 14They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15“Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 16They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

Yeshua ignores the lies and responds only to the question from Pilate, and not in a way that appears to be trying to defend Himself or get released from punishment. Even still, Pilot found no guilt. None the less, YHWH used Pilate and others to facilitate His plan. Rather than releasing the man in whom he found no guilt, Pilate sent Yeshua to Herod.

Yeshua sets the example for us to follow in submitting to the will of the Father, even when it seems not in our own perception of our best interest. YHWH’s plans are bigger than any one of us. His vision and wisdom far exceed anything we could hope to achieve. He is infinite…without limits and boundaries. We are certainly not.

Let us submit to YHWH and seek His will. Pray for the Spirit to guide us and work to develop a relationship with YHWH through time together in prayer, worship, and study of the scriptures. Ask also for the courage and conviction to submit and obey even when it is hard. In this way we become holy, which is to say set apart for YHWH’s use.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Be Imitators Of God

Be imitators of God, walking in love and righteousness. Be apart from the world and its ways. Try to learn and live according to what is pleasing to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:1-21

Be Imitators of God

     1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

      3But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

      6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9(for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

14For this reason it says,
“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”

      15Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Submit, Resist, Draw Near, Purify

All too often we either ignore the devil as if he does not exist or grant him in our minds too much authority and power and fear him. The truth is that he is as wicked and evil as he is powerful, but our Father is infinitely more powerful and righteous. The devil can do nothing unless the Lord allows it.

However, clearly there is a spiritual battle and the Lord has allowed Satan to exercise some power in the world which is obvious from so much wickedness and sin. How shall we overcome Satan? There is much to study in the Biblical text, but James 4 provides a concise summary as a starting point.

James 4:7-8

7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Submit – to God

Resist – the devil

Draw Near – to God

Purify – our hearts to focus solely on God and avoid double mindedness where we try to submit to God without letting go of the worldly things

Pray for the Spirit to help guide you and transform you. Pray for the Lord to deliver you from evil. Make choices to turn away from temptation or the devil and submit to God and God’s word. Avoid rationalizing why you continue to accept worldly priorities and values as this is exactly what one would call double minded and keeps you from truly drawing near to our Father.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Cleanse and Purify The Chosen; Let Them Be Separate

There is tremendous depth in the symbolism of scripture. We can read it and gain value at a surface level and also dig deeper and deeper and find more and more treasure of insight waiting to be found. Numbers 8 is no exception. At the very surface level we can appreciate that Jehovah calls some of us to be set aside for His purposes. To do so effectively, we must be cleansed and separated from the world. We can not be set aside to be holy and serve Him and yet still blend in with the world around us.

Do not limit your thinking only to pastors and missionaries as the “chosen”. These roles may be chosen, but so too let us consider all of us chosen to follow Christ. We must cleanse ourselves of sin and the ways of the world. We must be different if we are to honor and glorify God and lead others to Him.

Of course, you can study and find much deeper significance as well in Numbers 8. Why using a razor over their whole body? What is the significance of the offering? Why present the Levites in front of the whole congregation? We see also the coming together of the whole congregation to pray over the Levites as they enter the service of the Lord. What is the significance and tie back to the first born and the exodus from Egypt? Finally, don’t miss verse 22, in which the Bible records that the people obeyed the instructions of God. They did not debate them with God or pick the ones they liked and disregard the reset. They obeyed all He told them to do.

Numbers 8:5-22

Cleansing the Levites

     5Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. 7“Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean. 8“Then let them take a bull with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull you shall take for a sin offering. 9“So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, 10and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. 11“Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD. 12“Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. 13“You shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the LORD.

      14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. 15“Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering; 16for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. 17“For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. 18“But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. 19“I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

      20Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. 21The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Take some time to pray for the Spirit to help enlighten your mind to the truth and depth of scripture including its applicability for your life today. Then spend time digging through scripture and studying routinely. It should not be a one time or infrequent activity.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Giving, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Purposeful / Intentional

It’s Not All About Us

Each of us is born into this world with our attention naturally focused on ourselves. We are inherently selfish. Babies need not be taught to cry for whatever they want, but then initially have no awareness of the needs or perspective of others. Even as children get older, it is natural to remain focused on what affects us… what we want, unless and until we are taught differently. Sadly, many adults have not been taught this as children and they still live as if the world revolves around them. They are completely absorbed in how everything does or does not affect them personally.

Our Father wants more from us. He calls us to focus on each other for sure, but also to focus on Him. He is the Creator of the universe, yet He creates each of us individually and wants to teach us and help us grow. He has purpose for each of us. He wants us to submit to Him and trust Him, as a child does to a loving and wise father. The child knows the father cares for him and has his best interest at heart and trusts him even when he does not fully understand.

Jehovah wants us to honor and respect Him. He wants to help us to focus on building our trust and obedience and not lose sight of Him as we get busy in our every day. If we remain focused and submitted to Him, all will go well for us.

I recognize that Numbers 7 has a great deal of significance beyond what I am focused on today, but it truly struck me as I read it today… sometimes the focus needs to be on the Father rather than our own desires. Sometimes He calls a whole nation to focus on Him rather than all of us doing our own thing. It is good for individuals, families and nations to do so. It does not happen often enough, but when it does it can be powerful in helping people get focused on the One who is in control of all things and is infinitely greater than any or all of us. He is to be held in high esteem and reverence. His name is to be honored with more than just lip service but with actions. He is not to just be a sideshow for five minutes a day when we “fit Him in”, but He is to be “the main thing” and the focus of our full attention.

Numbers 7

Offerings of the Leaders

      1Now on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it with all its furnishings and the altar and all its utensils; he anointed them and consecrated them also. 2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ households, made an offering (they were the leaders of the tribes; they were the ones who were over the numbered men). 3When they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders and an ox for each one, then they presented them before the tabernacle. 4Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 5“Accept these things from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” 6So Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, 8and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9But he did not give any to the sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.

      10The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. 11Then the LORD said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

      12Now the one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah; 13and his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 15one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 16one male goat for a sin offering; 17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

      18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering; 19he presented as his offering one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 21one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 22one male goat for a sin offering; 23and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

      24On the third day it was Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the sons of Zebulun; 25his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 27one young bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 28one male goat for a sin offering; 29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

      30On the fourth day it was Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the sons of Reuben; 31his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 33one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 34one male goat for a sin offering; 35and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

      36On the fifth day it was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon; 37his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 39one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 40one male goat for a sin offering; 41and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

      42On the sixth day it was Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the sons of Gad; 43his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 45one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 46one male goat for a sin offering; 47and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

      48On the seventh day it was Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the sons of Ephraim; 49his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 51one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 52one male goat for a sin offering; 53and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

      54On the eighth day it was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the sons of Manasseh; 55his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 57one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 58one male goat for a sin offering; 59and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

      60On the ninth day it was Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the sons of Benjamin; 61his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 63one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 64one male goat for a sin offering; 65and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

      66On the tenth day it was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the sons of Dan; 67his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 69one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 70one male goat for a sin offering; 71and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

      72On the eleventh day it was Pagiel the son of Ochran, leader of the sons of Asher; 73his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 75one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 76one male goat for a sin offering; 77and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

      78On the twelfth day it was Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the sons of Naphtali; 79his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense; 81one bull, one ram, one male lamb one year old, for a burnt offering; 82one male goat for a sin offering; 83and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs one year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

      84This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold pans, 85each silver dish weighing one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the utensils was 2,400 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; 86the twelve gold pans, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans 120 shekels; 87all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, all the rams twelve, the male lambs one year old with their grain offering twelve, and the male goats for a sin offering twelve; 88and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings 24 bulls, all the rams 60, the male goats 60, the male lambs one year old 60. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

      89Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.

Set aside time to focus on our Father as your main priority and focus. Honor Him according to His holy word and not just according to the traditions of man. Pray for our families, cities, states, nations to do the same.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Cleanse and Separate Yourself from Sin

People are very attentive to keeping lepers separate from those who are not affected by the disease. It is in their very tangible self interest to be vigilant on this subject. The Lord wants us to be equally vigilant to segregate those who defile Him through sin until such time as repentance is complete. The greater the claim of a person, family, or group of people to holiness, the greater the need for separation and cleansing from sin.

Our loving Father anticipates that people make mistakes and sin. He provides some instructions for how a person may seek forgiveness and again peace with the Lord and their conscience. We often talk about a “New Testament” God who forgives, but God has not changed. Forgiveness through repentance has always been His way. However, that does not mean there are not lasting consequences even after someone repents and is forgiven.

Numbers 5:1-10

On Defilement

     1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person. 3“You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.” 4The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.

      5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty, 7then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. 8‘But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. 9‘Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his. 10‘So every man’s holy gifts shall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.’”

Think about sin as you would a severely contagious disease. Do you separate yourself from unrepentant sinners or sin (even your own) with as much attention and energy as you do keep yourself separate from a disease? You should. Perhaps more so, since unrepentant sin separates us from the Father spiritually and relationally. A physical disease affects only our body.

Prayerfully consider who and where you are accepting or normalizing sin in your life or the lives of others around you. Ask God’s help for how to separate yourself from this sin. Wholeheartedly seek repentance and reconciliation with the Father.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

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Your Body Is The Temple for the Holy Spirit

It is amazing to reflect on how much care God demands for things which are holy, set apart for His purpose. The items of the temple were set apart to glorify Jehovah and communicate very specific elements of how he wanted His people to relate to Him. It was a place for worship of our Holy God. Numbers 4 (included at bottom of article) outlines just a handful of duties and instructions that were to be carried out with utmost respect and obedience. Violation could result in death.

With the tabernacle and temple now no longer in place, and with gift of the Holy Spirit to come dwell inside followers of Christ, our bodies have actually become temples for the Holy Spirit. We should take seriously how we care for and respect the bodies He has provided us.

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

13Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them.Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 17But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Let us not be reckless or careless but rather good and attentive stewards. That includes spiritual discipline to study the word and prayer and praise to draw us closer to God. It means we should  eat well and exercise appropriately.  Let us not wreck our bodies with toxic substances such as drugs and excessive alcohol. Remain free from sin without exception… adultery, lust, anger, foul speech, etc.  Let us treat our bodies as if they are holy and set apart for God’s purpose dwelling inside us as believers.

Numbers 4

Duties of the Kohathites

     1Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2“Take a census of the descendants of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ households, 3from thirty years and upward, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4“This is the work of the descendants of Kohath in the tent of meeting, concerning the most holy things.

      5“When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; 6and they shall lay a covering of porpoise skin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth of pure blue, and shall insert its poles. 7“Over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall also spread a cloth of blue and put on it the dishes and the pans and the sacrificial bowls and the jars for the drink offering, and the continual bread shall be on it. 8“They shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet material, and cover the same with a covering of porpoise skin, and they shall insert its poles. 9“Then they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand for the light, along with its lamps and its snuffers, and its trays and all its oil vessels, by which they serve it; 10and they shall put it and all its utensils in a covering of porpoise skin, and shall put it on the carrying bars. 11“Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth and cover it with a covering of porpoise skin, and shall insert its poles; 12and they shall take all the utensils of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary, and put them in a blue cloth and cover them with a covering of porpoise skin, and put them on the carrying bars. 13“Then they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14“They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it: the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles. 15“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

      16“The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil—the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

      17Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 18“Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from among the Levites. 19“But do this to them that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons shall go in and assign each of them to his work and to his load; 20but they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die.”

Duties of the Gershonites

     21Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 22“Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ households, by their families; 23from thirty years and upward to fifty years old, you shall number them; all who enter to perform the service to do the work in the tent of meeting. 24“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in carrying: 25they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of porpoise skin that is on top of it, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the gate of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service; and all that is to be done, they shall perform. 27“All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their loads and in all their work, shall be performed at the command of Aaron and his sons; and you shall assign to them as a duty all their loads. 28“This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their duties shall be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Merarites

     29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families, by their fathers’ households; 30from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31“Now this is the duty of their loads, for all their service in the tent of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle and its bars and its pillars and its sockets, 32and the pillars around the court and their sockets and their pegs and their cords, with all their equipment and with all their service; and you shall assign each man by name the items he is to carry. 33“This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

      34So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ households, 35from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 36Their numbered men by their families were 2,750. 37These are the numbered men of the Kohathite families, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.

      38The numbered men of the sons of Gershon by their families and by their fathers’ households, 39from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 40Their numbered men by their families, by their fathers’ households, were 2,630. 41These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Gershon, everyone who was serving in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.

      42The numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari by their families, by their fathers’ households, 43from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tent of meeting. 44Their numbered men by their families were 3,200. 45These are the numbered men of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.

      46All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ households, 47from thirty years and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of service and the work of carrying in the tent of meeting. 48Their numbered men were 8,580. 49According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses, they were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus these were his numbered men, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Take seriously God’s call for us to take care of those things that are holy and set apart. Keep in mind that above all else we, as followers of Christ, are called to be holy. We should take great care in how we live our lives and actively study and pray to understand and obey the instructions of God in all aspects of our lives.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others, Holy / Set Apart, Salvation, Seeking God

Engage God Personally; No One Can Do It For You

It is a fantastic concept… a whole section of the people set apart to be holy and serve God without distraction of trying to provide for their families. It can be very powerful to remain focused on the things of God. However, the Levitical priesthood no longer exists. Contrary to what some teach, there is no longer a priesthood which is supposed to serve God as a focal point and intermediary for the people. With the death and resurrection of Christ, the veil is torn and we are all invited to come before our Father in heaven directly. Pastors may be helpful in shepherding the flock, but they are not intended to replace the individual’s relationship with God. In a way, we are each called to serve Him directly and at the same time Christ is our chief priest or intermediary with God on our behalf. What a great and glorious upgrade from a priesthood of men!

Do not pass up this invitation to engage God personally. No one else can do it for you.

Numbers 3

Levites to Be Priesthood

     1Now these are the records of the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2These then are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron.

      5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. 7“They shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8“They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9“You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. 10“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.”

      11Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine. 13“For all the firstborn are Mine; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, from man to beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD.”

      14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15“Number the sons of Levi by their fathers’ households, by their families; every male from a month old and upward you shall number.” 16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, just as he had been commanded. 17These then are the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18These are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei; 19and the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram and Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; 20and the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their fathers’ households.

      21Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimeites; these were the families of the Gershonites. 22Their numbered men, in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, even their numbered men were 7,500. 23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward, 24and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

Duties of the Priests

     25Now the duties of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway of the tent of meeting, 26and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the doorway of the court which is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords, according to all the service concerning them.

      27Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. 28In the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, performing the duties of the sanctuary. 29The families of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the southward side of the tabernacle, 30and the leader of the fathers’ households of the Kohathite families was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31Now their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, and the utensils of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all the service concerning them; 32and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was the chief of the leaders of Levi, and had the oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary.

      33Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34Their numbered men in the numbering of every male from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35The leader of the fathers’ households of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the northward side of the tabernacle. 36Now the appointed duties of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its equipment, and the service concerning them, 37and the pillars around the court with their sockets and their pegs and their cords.

      38Now those who were to camp before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, are Moses and Aaron and his sons, performing the duties of the sanctuary for the obligation of the sons of Israel; but the layman coming near was to be put to death. 39All the numbered men of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the command of the LORD by their families, every male from a month old and upward, were 22,000.

Firstborn Redeemed

      40Then the LORD said to Moses, “Number every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and make a list of their names. 41“You shall take the Levites for Me, I am the LORD, instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the sons of Israel.” 42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded him; 43and all the firstborn males by the number of names from a month old and upward, for their numbered men were 22,273.

      44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel and the cattle of the Levites. And the Levites shall be Mine; I am the LORD. 46“For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons.” 49So Moses took the ransom money from those who were in excess, beyond those ransomed by the Levites; 50from the firstborn of the sons of Israel he took the money in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, 1,365. 51Then Moses gave the ransom money to Aaron and to his sons, at the command of the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

There are many who serve in ministry activity. Many of those genuinely desire to serve and honor God. We should prayerfully consider how Jehovah wants us to support them as they are a very important part of the body of Christ. However, never let someone else take the place of your having a personal and direct relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Jesus already died to pay for our sins and reconcile us to the Father in a way we can never do on our own. Accept Christ as Lord and ask forgiveness for your sin and turn your life to seeking and following the instructions of God. What a glorious gift from the Creator of everything that we are invited through His son to have a relationship with Him directly and personally! Don’t give it up and let someone else do it for you. You will not be blessed with His presence in this way or find your way to heaven in this way. You must have the relationship with Christ. No one else can have it for you, on your behalf.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Compassionate, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Purposeful / Intentional, Thankfulness

Serve Him In Joy Rather Than Guilt or Obligation

There are times when we may feel an emotional desire to dedicate our lives, the lives of our family, and / or property to the service of the Lord. It appears to have been somewhat common in Israel, perhaps associated with gratitude for some healing or blessing or to ask for such healing during tough times. Perhaps someone just moved with joy to dedicate their lives to the Lord. We can conclude from Leviticus 27, however, that people may have had second thoughts after the emotions passed or settled down a bit. God gave Moses a set of rules for redeeming such things or persons that had been consecrated to God so that people could have a way to still honor God, but exit the formal dedication / consecration.

As always, our loving Father is wise. He does not want anyone to feel trapped into serving Him, but rather to do so willingly on a continuing basis. He does not want a single point in time commitment to be driving us to serve Him out of guilt or obligation. He wants us to serve Him continually out of love… always in free choice to submit to Him and love Him or not.

Leviticus 27

Rules concerning Valuations

     1Again, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man makes a difficult vow, he shall be valued according to your valuation of persons belonging to the LORD. 3‘If your valuation is of the male from twenty years even to sixty years old, then your valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4‘Or if it is a female, then your valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5‘If it be from five years even to twenty years old then your valuation for the male shall be twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels. 6‘But if they are from a month even up to five years old, then your valuation shall be five shekels of silver for the male, and for the female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7‘If they are from sixty years old and upward, if it is a male, then your valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 8‘But if he is poorer than your valuation, then he shall be placed before the priest and the priest shall value him; according to the means of the one who vowed, the priest shall value him.

      9‘Now if it is an animal of the kind which men can present as an offering to the LORD, any such that one gives to the LORD shall be holy. 10‘He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. 11‘If, however, it is any unclean animal of the kind which men do not present as an offering to the LORD, then he shall place the animal before the priest. 12‘The priest shall value it as either good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be. 13‘But if he should ever wish to redeem it, then he shall add one-fifth of it to your valuation.

      14‘Now if a man consecrates his house as holy to the LORD, then the priest shall value it as either good or bad; as the priest values it, so it shall stand. 15‘Yet if the one who consecrates it should wish to redeem his house, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may be his.

      16‘Again, if a man consecrates to the LORD part of the fields of his own property, then your valuation shall be proportionate to the seed needed for it: a homer of barley seed at fifty shekels of silver. 17‘If he consecrates his field as of the year of jubilee, according to your valuation it shall stand. 18‘If he consecrates his field after the jubilee, however, then the priest shall calculate the price for him proportionate to the years that are left until the year of jubilee; and it shall be deducted from your valuation. 19‘If the one who consecrates it should ever wish to redeem the field, then he shall add one-fifth of your valuation price to it, so that it may pass to him. 20‘Yet if he will not redeem the field, but has sold the field to another man, it may no longer be redeemed; 21and when it reverts in the jubilee, the field shall be holy to the LORD, like a field set apart; it shall be for the priest as his property. 22‘Or if he consecrates to the LORD a field which he has bought, which is not a part of the field of his own property, 23then the priest shall calculate for him the amount of your valuation up to the year of jubilee; and he shall on that day give your valuation as holy to the LORD. 24‘In the year of jubilee the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25‘Every valuation of yours, moreover, shall be after the shekel of the sanctuary. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs.

      26‘However, a firstborn among animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may consecrate it; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’S. 27‘But if it is among the unclean animals, then he shall redeem it according to your valuation and add to it one-fifth of it; and if it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.

      28‘Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD. 29‘No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death.

      30‘Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S; it is holy to the LORD. 31‘If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. 32‘For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD. 33‘He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed.’”

      34These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai.

Do not let your commitment to God be driven by a one time commitment and a sense of guilt or obligation. Instead, take time to evaluate your motives in serving Him. Serve Him willingly and out of love and obedience. Serve Him with joy!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Consequences of Sin, Controlling Thoughts, Discipline / Correction, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Justice / Judgment, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Self Control, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Holiness Contrasted with Rebellion and Disrespect

God paints quite a contrast in Leviticus 24 between holiness and rebellion. He wants us to actively focus on keeping relationship with Him all day, every day… just as the Levitical priests were to keep the lights burning continually before Him.  We are not simply called to spend an hour a week in church listening to His word, but rather have a relationship with Him daily. With the temple gone, and the veil which separated us from God now torn open, we are invited through Jesus to be in relationship with the Father directly rather than just indirectly through the priesthood. We are still to spend even more time with Him on Sabbath as the Levitical priests did with the frankincense and bread. As we take a day off from working, we certainly have time to rest and pray and study the word… maintaining and growing our relationship with the Father.

Contrast that with how God deals with those who blaspheme and curse Jehovah. He is not pleased. It is deeply offensive to Him. There is simply no good reason for a godly, obedient person to curse the Father. Sadly, it is common place today in our culture to show complete lack of respect for His holy name. While you will not be stoned for such an infraction today, consider that our Father is just as displeased as He was by such action back in Levitical times.

Leviticus 24:1-16

The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary

     1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. 3“Outside the veil of testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 4“He shall keep the lamps in order on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

      5“Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it; two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. 6“You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the LORD. 7“You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the LORD. 8“Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the LORD continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. 9“It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the LORD’S offerings by fire, his portion forever.”

      10Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. 11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 12They put him in custody so that the command of the LORD might be made clear to them.

      13Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 14“Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him. 15“You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear his sin. 16‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

Pray for our cities, states, nation, and around the world. Pray that people would once again gain a deep respect for Jehovah and put aside rebellion, denial of His existence, and worship of self. As a believer, be a light before men to show them the ways and love of God.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.