A CALL TO ACTION

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses: "Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. If only one is sounded, the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal.”

"The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God."

Numbers 10:1-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the end of Numbers, chapter 9, we saw how the Lord led people through the wilderness from Mount Sinai to the promised land of Canaan. You’ll remember that the divine guidance system involved a cloud that the Israelites were to follow every time it lifted from the tabernacle and began to move. This cloud could even be followed through the night as it became like fire to light up the dark sky.

As we move to the opening verses of chapter 10, we find the Lord commanding Moses to fashion “trumpets of hammered steel” which would be used to sound signals to alert the people of God to do what He wanted them to do.

There were to be two of these trumpets and we read where the Israelites would know what the Lord desired by number of trumpets sounded. The scriptures tell us that if both trumpets were sounded, then the people would assemble at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting but if there was only one trumpet blown, then just the "leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel" were to assemble.

There were also different kinds of calls, ones that would come from the trumpets but with different, easily distinguished sounds such as when the Israelites were to set out from their camps. When this particular trumpet blast was sounded, "the tribes camping on the east" were to get up and move out. Then, at "the sounding of a second blast", "the camps on the south" were to go.

Finally, we read where these trumpets were also sounded when the people of Israel were going into battle or rejoicing during "appointed feasts and New Moon festivals" which included "burnt offerings and fellowship offerings."

Today, believers are still called into action like the people of Israel were but that calling isn’t from a trumpet but from the Lord and Savior Jesus Himself as he gave His Great Commission contained in the following words from the Gospel of Matthew:

“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Note that these words aren’t passive in nature. Rather, Jesus commanded that His followers should go and make disciples, to baptize them, and teach them all He had commanded. There is no questioning that our Savior called every single one of His followers to take action and to do so in His name out of the authority His Father God had given Him.

Given this, how well is the church of Christ doing today? How effective are the efforts to make disciples of all nations?

Frankly, let’s say there’s a lot of work to be done.

For when we look at the world’s population today, we find that it’s in or around eight billion people.

How many are Christians?

It’s believed that there are approximately two billion of the aforementioned eight billion and in case math isn’t your strong suit, that’s only 25 percent.

I don’t think I have to tell you that there’s a lot of potential for disciple making or as Jesus put it:

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37

And so, it’s time the church gets to work, not disempowered by the fragmentation caused by a multitude of denominations, but rather united for the cause of the One we all believe in and serve, the Lord Jesus. Go back to when the church started and it was one group of Christ believers with a singular purpose to carry on His work and help others find their way to the salvation that was only possible through Him. It’s time to get back to that, for all Christians to stop focusing on denominational differences and instead living out this exhortation from the Apostle Paul as He wrote to the church in Ephesus:

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:1-3

Christ’s Great Commission was first given to His disciples who had no denominational separation. They set out together, united to do His will in accordance with the calling they received, with one common goal: to spread the good news of Jesus to others, witnessing first in Jerusalem, then in all Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And as they witnessed to others and planted new Christian churches, therefore increasing the number of believers, they never grew comfortable of complacent in carrying out their Gospel mission. With every moment the Lord gave them, they were committed and devoted to the cause of Christ.

Fast forward now to today and ask yourself these questions:

Where is the common cause evident within Christian churches today?

What has happened to the unity of Spirit within the Christian church of the 21st century?

I’m afraid that many churches have become too comfy within the confines of their own congregations. They perform localized efforts and then pat themselves on the back so they feel good about what they’ve done.

But what if this is just what the enemy wants from the church of Christ today? What if he is loving this, seeing how Christian churches are reluctant or even unwilling to join hands together to make disciples, to baptize, and to teach all that Jesus commanded?

Friends, if the Christian church is truly going to make a dent in the six billion people who are unsaved in the world and destined for an eternity in Hell, we’re going to need to get back to basics, back to when the New Testament church was born, back when everyone worked as one within the Gospel mission field.

And just in case you think this is a hopeless cause, it’s not. In fact, true, exponential revival in this world is as close to us as the noses on our collective faces. For if all two billion Christians in the world would unite for the cause of the Gospel, there would be a powerful groundswell of a spiritual movement, the likes of which the world has never seen as the Great Commission power of Jesus is maximized to the fullest. And the multitude of people lost and looking for the next great thing to follow after would get caught up in the Christ movement, all rescued from Hell and destined for the glory of Heaven. Further, this world would be transformed, moved more to a place where peace and love dominate over hatred and conflict.

As I close, I hear way too many Christian believers speaking out in condemnation of this world, saying something like this:

"I’m sure that the end times are just around the corner and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jesus comes back right this very moment."

There’s only one part of this that is acceptable and that’s the part of Jesus coming back at a time that no one knows. Outside of that, this kind of mindset is exactly what’s wrong with our current evangelistic attitude in the church for it’s a lot easier to just give up and wish for Jesus to return than it is to do something, like getting to work to do something to impact the vast number of unbelievers in the world and how their sinfulness impacts the world we live in.

The bottom line is that all Christians have a sure calling from Jesus, a call to action. It’s time we all do as much as we can collectively as believers to carry out the Great Commission and bring the Gospel to the unsaved of our world.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GUIDING PRESENCE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning, the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.

Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord's command, the Israelites set out, and at His command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.

When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord's command they would encamp, and then at His command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.

Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord's command they encamped, and at the Lord's command they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Numbers 9:15-23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The people of Israel had been counted, organized in tribes for encampment around the tabernacle, and spiritually led by the Levites who were assigned for their duties by God. As we see in today’s passage and our continued study of Numbers, chapter 9, it was time for the Israelites to journey from Sinai to the Promised Land of Canaan.

Up to this point, we have seen the Lord provide His people all the guidance they needed to live the way He expected and they would now put it into practice as they journeyed. But there was only one issue. The Israelites needed directions to where God wanted them to be.

Enter God and His holy guidance system that had a special cloud at its heart, a cloud that was nothing short of holy.

As we see in our passage for today, this divine, holy cloud that covered the tabernacle (or Tent of the Testimony) looked like any other cloud during the day but when night came, it transformed to look like fire, a fire that would light up the dark sky. This ensured that God’s place of worship would never be in the dark.

Okay, so how would the Israelites know when to move?

The scriptures tell us that this happened whenever the "cloud lifted from above the Tent", a signal for God’s people to follow the cloud until it settled. At that location, the Israelites would set up camp and remain there "as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle". They wouldn’t pick up and set out again until the cloud once again lifted and moved them to the next stopping point,

In essence, we need to see that the Lord was guiding every step of His people, expecting that they would remain obedient to His leading.

Today, we may not have a cloud that helps lead us from place to place or tells us what to do but we do have the Lord’s Holy Spirit dwelling within that serves the same purpose, to be a guiding presence for all believers. Here’s what God’s word tells us about this guiding Spirit:

"…do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." Mark 13:11

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21

Here we see how the Holy Spirit can help us find the right words to say as we journey through each day the Lord has granted. I don’t know about you but I find this to be a great comfort to know the Lord is willing to place His words in our mouths to make sure we speak in ways that honor and glorify Him.

Perhaps there is no time that this is more important than when we are boldly going forth to minister in the Lord’s name. Although sometimes answering this call to evangelism can be scary, we gain courage and strength through knowing that we aren’t carrying out our Great Commission responsibilities on our own. This is because Jesus promised His followers that He would be with them until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20b) and through the Holy Spirit, He always makes good on that promise. Look at these additional words from our Savior:

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:25-26

Friends, when it comes right down to it, life is one big learning process and the only way we can stay ahead of the learning curve is to surrender to the Lord’ will and way through the Holy Spirit who illuminates all things, whether when we’re reading the scriptures or praying over matters we need help with. Through it all, we learn that our Lord is always there to guide, teach, and lead us, all the while reminding us of all that Christ commanded.

"God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." Acts 5:31-32

The scriptures are clear that the moment anyone places their belief in Jesus, they receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Like the disciples on Pentecost, this activation allows a Christian to be able to go forth and effectively make disciples, just as Christ commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus affirmed this before His ascension in the first chapter of the Book of Acts:

“So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:6-8

With this, do you feel and sense the Spirit’s leading within your life?

My prayer is that you have fully felt His guiding presence in your life, a presence that ensures you are pursuing the Lord’s desires instead of your own. For the truth of the matter is that without the Spirit, we are powerless but through Him, we can do all things because of Christ who strengthens and empowers us by His Spirit, the Spirit he sent to us (Philippians 4:13).

Indeed, the Holy Spirit is a rich gift and blessing from the Lord, one that helps us guard the Gospel which God entrusts to all who believe in His Son. Consider these words from Second Timothy, chapter 1:

"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." 2 Timothy 1:13-14

Brothers and sisters, Satan would like nothing more than to steal away us the Gospel message which includes God’s plan for salvation, the “good deposit” that He has implanted into our hearts and minds. This includes the “the pattern of sound teaching” grounded in “faith and love in Christ Jesus”. People go to great lengths to protect their worldly treasures but what we’re reading about in these passages is something of immeasurable wealth and worth, something we should protect with all that we are, no matter the cost.

In the scriptures for today, we saw how the Lord showed the Israelites that He was willing to guide and lead them to the place He wanted them to be. All they needed to be was obedient to Him.

Today, nothing has changed except the means by which the Lord is leading and guiding His people. And while we aren’t moving or staying put in tandem with a cloud, we are directed by something even better, the Holy Spirit who always leads us in the ways of Jesus, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. both now and forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A REASONABLE FATHER

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, "Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations."

So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses. But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day and said to Moses, "We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?" Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you."

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the Lord's offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.’

‘An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born.'"

Numbers 9:1-14

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Up to this point in the Old Testament scriptures, we have seen God mandating many rules and regulations for the way He expected the Israelites to live and worship. In regard to these directives, we have also seen how He has been inflexible and uncompromising when it came to His people adhering to them. He expected the utmost obedience from His people then just as He does today.

With this, we find an interesting, rare exception to the Lord’s strict compliance rule as we look at the opening fourteen verses of Numbers, chapter 9, verses that we see deal with the holy observance of the Passover. Through His response to an issue regarding uncleanliness and participation in the sacred day, we find that while God does expect obedience to His commands, He is also a God of grace and reason, a God who shows us that the essence of worship is more important than a legalistic adherence to law.

The chapter begins as if there were no problems existing. The Lord tells Moses to celebrate the Passover at the appointed time which was designated as "twilight on the fourteenth day of this month". We read where He expected the Passover to be conducted "in accordance with all its rules and regulations" and the scriptures tell us that the Israelites did as He demanded, celebrating Passover "in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month" and doing "everything just as the Lord commanded Moses."

But then read about a concern that bubbled to the surface right on the Passover day. We read where "some of them (the Israelites) could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body." These effected people came to Moses and Aaron saying, "We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?" Their request clearly shows a deep desire to be able to participate in the Passover sacrament and it’s within this passion that they ask their question to Moses. In essence, they didn’t see where being “unclean” because of a “dead body” should be a disqualifying factor.

And so knowing this was a call that the Lord needed to make, we find Moses going to Him with the question at hand and we might expect that God might say something like this:

"My commands are My commands. They are unclean and cannot partake in the Passover. I am the Lord!"

But that’s not happened as God shows that us once again that mercy and grace are key components of His character. We know He is a God who peers into the hearts of His people, able to see their inner motives and desires. He could see their strong spiritual fervor and devotion for Him and I believe this is what led Him to respond to the request as He did, saying this to Moses:

"Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.’"

Through these words, we find God not only making accommodations for those who may have inadvertently become unclean on the Passover but also those who had been away on travel. In either instance, the Passover could be celebrated one month after the normally prescribed Passover day (in other words, a second Passover celebration could be held) but note that God makes it clear that all regulations of the prescribed Passover day must also be followed on the second one.

In the end translation, God made sure that those who wanted to participate in the special observance marking His deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt could do so. Even "an alien living among” the Israelites could take part but only if they had been first circumcised prior to the Passover feast (Exodus 12:48). With this, we see that there was room at the Passover table for non-Israelites (aliens) who had come to believe and trust in the God of Israel.

Through our verses for today, we see how the God we serve is a reasonable Father, One who sees and knows the faithful desire for Him within a believer’s heart and will honor those desires by providing the opportunity to celebrate Him in worship. Conversely, as we see in verse thirteen of this passage, the Lord will bring judgment on anyone who is able to take part in His prescribed worship observances but chooses not to, an act He saw as a sin.

“But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the Lord's offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin."

Yes, we know God is a God of grace but He still is a God who expects every believer’s reverence and respect. He will not stand for willful insolence and shows that judgment is prescribed for anyone who chooses to exercise it. Indeed, He expects those who place their belief in Him to worship and there can be no greater expression of honor for Him as when His people come before Him in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving, acknowledging His absolute sovereignty and authority.

For us today, this is done through a church where a body of believers gather in corporate worship of the only One who is worthy of it. It can and should be carried out daily as part of the spiritual discipline of any Christian.

For everything we have is a gift, right? And this includes the time that we’re taking up right now, I writing this message while communing with the Holy Spirit and you later reading it once it is posted.

Further, life itself is such a rich gift. Wouldn’t you agree?

It’s true and we need to see that every breath of air we take in and breathe out is a breath of the Lord’s grace and mercy. Take away breath and a person will die, and without God’s grace and mercy, as set forth through His Son Jesus, we would cease to live in glory, both now or in the hereafter.

Friends, our reasonable Father loved us so much that He didn’t want for us to perish and so He saved us, offering up Jesus to atone for and take away our sins (John 1:29, 3:16). He has blessed us at the highest level possible with salvation, although none of us have done any work in life that has earned it. Rather, all we needed to do is believe in His Son as Savior. That’s it.

With this, our only proper response is to offer Him all our praise, honor, and glory within every breath He provides, showing our heartfelt gratitude unto the One who has given us all we could ever hope for and all we could ever need through Christ, His Son and our Savior.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com. 

PREPARATION AND SEPARATION

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with Him. Numbers 7:89

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and say to him, 'When you set up the seven lamps, they are to light the area in front of the lampstand.'"

Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.

The Lord said to Moses: "Take the Levites from among the other Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves. Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.”

"After the Levites lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, use the one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.”

"After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the Tent of Meeting. They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to Me. I have taken them as My own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. Every firstborn male in Israel, whether man or animal, is Mine.”

“When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. Of all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary."

Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. After that, the Levites came to do their work at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.

The Lord said to Moses, "This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the Tent of Meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the Tent of Meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites." Numbers 8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

You may remember back in Numbers, chapter 3, that a count was made of all Levite males a month old or more. Included in this census were the Gershonites, Merarites, and Kohathites with the total number coming to 22,000. The Lord then ordered the counting of all Israel’s firstborn, a month old or more, and that total came to 22, 273. Then, after both these counts were made, the Lord said this to Moses:

"Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be Mine. I am the Lord." Numbers 3:45

In other words, God was saying that the 22,000 Levites were a substitute for 22,000 of the firstborn of Israel and you’ll recall that the Israelites had to redeem the other 273 firstborn with redemption money (five shekels each).

Fast forward now to Chapter 8 where the Levites are dedicated to the Lord’s service and we need to note that our scripture passage today further expounds on why God took the Levites in place of the firstborn of Israel:

"They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to Me. I have taken them as My own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. Every firstborn male in Israel, whether man or animal, is Mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for Myself. And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. Of all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary." Vv. 16-19

Here, we find the Lord making a comparison to the Passover day in Egypt when He passed over the firstborn of Israel while killing all of Egypt’s firstborn as a penalty for Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to release the Israelites from their captivity. And so just as the Lord set apart Israel’s firstborn then, we see He now is setting them apart again but the difference is that He now was taking the Levites in their place so to "make atonement” to prevent any “plague” from striking “the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary." The Levites were also to be a gift "to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of the Israelites".

Before any of this could happen, we see where the Levites had to go through a conversion process before they could officially assume their duties in the tabernacle. This process involved intentional preparation to separate and sanctify the Levites for their service for God so to fulfill His purposes. The preparation phase was pretty involved and centered on purification as the Levites were to go through the following steps:

1. Be sprinkled with water for cleansing.

2. Be shaved over their whole bodies.

All hair had to be removed because follicles trapped dirt and impurities. God expected the Levites were to be completely cleansed.

3. Wash their clothes.

Not only were their bodies to be cleansed but what they wore needed to be clean as well.

4. Finally, sacrifices had to be made for atonement.

We read where two bulls, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering were required along with a grain offering of "fine flour mixed with oil".

After their cleansing, the scriptures tell us the Levites were brought to the "front of the Tent of Meeting" where "the whole Israelite community" was assembled. Moses was required to "bring the Levites before the Lord" and the Israelites were to "lay their hands on them". You may remember from earlier study in the Old Testament that hands were placed on sacrifices so to pass the sins of the person onto the object that was being sacrificed (most often an animal). Through this ritual, the sins of the people were symbolically passed onto the Levites but only temporarily. For after Aaron presented the Levites "before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord", the Levites laid "their hands on the heads of the two bulls" of which "one (was) for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites." And so, the sins of Israel were passed onto the Levites who then in turn passed the sins onto the bulls, serving to atone not only for their sins but the sins of the people.

Through this entire process, the Lord’s end goal was to "set the Levites apart from the other Israelites" so they would belong solely to Him and work at the Tent of Meeting, assisting Aaron and His sons. The preparation led to the separation from the other Israelites and thus their sanctification.

Today God still expects the hearts of people to be converted through acts of preparation and separation.

For to truly be a Christian, one who believes in the Father God who not only created us but sent His only Son to die for our sins and purchase our pardon, we must first be changed from the inside out, divorced from the world and its ways that too often pull us down into the realm of sinfulness instead of the righteous, holy life that the Lord expects us to live.

Indeed, God wants us to be believe in His Son and also be baptized just as Jesus was, personally proclaiming and experiencing His death and resurrection into new life, a new life which makes us a new creation and outs everything that was in our past gone (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Just as the Levites shaved off all their hair, shedding themselves from what was, we too are to shave off our old ways, shedding ourselves of our sinful habits while allowing the Lord to grow new and holy ones from within our hearts and souls, all the while transforming our inner spirits with His Holy Spirit.

Indeed, we need to wash away every single thing we used to wear that is not of Christ Jesus and put on new, divine, clean clothes, ones that radiate the light and love of our Savior to all who look at us. Through the shed blood of our Savior, all believers are washed white as snow (Isaiah 1:18, Revelation 7:14). 

Ultimately, we need to dedicate ourselves before the Lord as individual wave offerings, surrendering ourselves to His will and way while devoting ourselves to His service.

Friends, when we reach this point of preparation where we are truly willing to deny ourselves and come after Jesus as faithful, obedient disciples who are willing to take up His cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24), then and only then will we have made it to the point of separation, the point where we have chosen to set ourselves apart, the point where we say “goodbye” to the ways of the world and “hello” to the blessed ways of Jesus, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life, the only One who can bring us to God the Father so to live with Him now and forevermore.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

RETURNING BLESSINGS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.

The Lord said to Moses, "Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man's work requires."

So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible. When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. For the Lord had said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar."

The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon, son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon, son of Amminadab.

On the second day, Nethanel, son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel, son of Zuar.

On the third day, Eliab, son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab, son of Helon.

On the fourth day, Elizur, son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur, son of Shedeur.

On the fifth day, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.

On the sixth day, Eliasaph, son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph, son of Deuel.

On the seventh day, Elishama, son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

On the eighth day, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate, weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.

On the ninth day, Abidan, son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Abidan, son of Gideoni.

On the tenth day, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai.

On the eleventh day, Pagiel, son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Pagiel, son of Ocran.

On the twelfth day, Ahira, son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahira, son of Enan.

These were the offerings of the Israelite leaders for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver sprinkling bowls and twelve gold dishes. Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy shekels. Altogether, the silver dishes weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. Altogether, the gold dishes weighed a hundred and twenty shekels.

The total number of animals for the burnt offering came to twelve young bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs a year old, together with their grain offering. Twelve male goats were used for the sin offering. The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old.

These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

Numbers 7:1-88

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the end of Numbers, Chapter 6, we looked at the Aaronic benediction where the Lord told Aaron and his sons through Moses to bless the Israelite people.

As we turn the page to chapter 7, we see where the people of Israel return the favor by blessing the Lord with offerings in what had to be a magnificent procession across twelve days, one each for each tribal camp of Israel.

Before these offerings were presented to God by His people, the scriptures tell us that there were gifts presented to the Levites. These gifts included "six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two" which were presented "before the tabernacle". All that was donated was to be "used in the work at the Tent of Meeting" and we read where the Lord commanded Moses to "give them to the Levites as each man's work requires". And so in obedience to God’s tasking, Moses distributed the gifts as follows:

1. He gave “two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required”.

2. He gave “four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required”.

3. He did not give any to the Kohathites, because “they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible”. You see, the work of the Kohathites didn’t require a cart or oxen like the Gershonites and Merarites. You may remember that they had been commanded by God in chapter 4 of this book to "carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting" (v.15b).

Once the Levites had received their gifts that were needed to transport the tabernacle items and "when the altar was anointed", the leaders of each of the twelve tribes "brought their offerings”, dedicating and presenting “them before the altar". The scriptures tell us that this was done in obedience to the Lord who had said to Moses, "Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar."

And so it was.

For twelve straight days, one camp at a time brought their offerings before God. They came as they had been arranged, with the camps from the east coming first followed by the south, west, and finally the north. We should note that each day’s offerings were identical and while it could have been easier for the book’s author to simply say the other tribes each brought the same offerings over the next eleven days but that would have removed the visual appreciation for the reader over the celebrations that took place. Every day, the procession of gifts to the tabernacle was special, a show of devotion for the clan was presenting to the Lord.

And let’s not think for a moment that these camps were rich. We need to remember that they weren’t that far disposed from being delivered from their Egyptian captivity and were still nomads in the wilderness, journeying toward the land God had promised. With this, the tribes sacrificed what wealth they had in their giving and showed that their true affluence was found in their faith and obedience to God, the God who had richly blessed them, the God that they now were returning blessings to.

How should we apply this message to our own lives?

The starting point is first realizing just how much we have been blessed by our Lord. This assessment and inventory of blessings shouldn’t be limited to physical and tangible things like money, a job, a home to live in, a vehicle to drive, or food to eat. We should be careful to include spiritual gifts from our God, ones that we cannot assign an adequate value to. These include grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, and salvation, all critical to keep in the forefront of our minds if we are to fully appreciate all that the Lord has done for us.

Of course, Satan is also in the midst of this matter, ever trying to derail these efforts to realize blessedness and respond accordingly with thanksgiving and a desire to give back to God. The enemy would convince us that we don’t have enough, leading us to covet more than what the Lord has provided. He seeks to move people to where they aren’t satisfied with what they have, always thinking things would be better if they would just have more money, a better job, a bigger house, a fancier car...I could go on and on but you get the point. We typically fail to sit down and really appreciate how very blessed we are.

Going back to our passage for today in the seventh chapter of Number, I believe the people of Israel show us the beauty found in receiving blessings from God and then seeking to reciprocate those blessings. My prayer is that we follow their lead in the way we conduct ourselves before the Lord in response to all He does for us, giving back to Him as a sign of our adoration and gratitude. And frankly, we all have something to give back to Him, whether it be our time, talent, and/or treasure.  

In closing, I want to offer you these words from the Apostle Paul as he wrote to the church in Corinth:

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Truly, our God has cheerfully given abundantly to us. Let us return blessings back to Him with gladness.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GOD WHO BLESSES

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’"

Numbers 6:22-27

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The closing verses from Numbers, chapter 6, form what has been widely referred to as the Aaronic Benediction. In it, we find the Lord telling Moses to have Aaron and his sons bless the Israelite people with words spoken from His mouth.

Indeed, the words of the Lord here offer meaning to the word “benediction”, a word we commonly relate to concluding a service of worship or other special events. In fact, we use the word so much in relation to finishing something that we might come to think that the word actually has a root meaning associated with an ending but a close examination of the word’s origins refute this possibility.

When we research the word "benediction", we see that it is derived from the Middle English word, "benediccioun", which was came from the Latin word, "benedicere", meaning "to bless". Further, “benedicere” could be broken down into two individual Latin words: "bene", which meant "well", and "dicere", meaning "to say".

Putting this all together, we see where benedictions are literally blessings that should speak well in some way about someone or something.

With this in hand, let’s now go back to our scripture passage where we find God certainly giving Aaron and his sons words that speak well to the people of Israel and to us as well.

Let’s take a close look at the blessings within this Aaronic Benediction:

1. The Lord bless you and keep you.

In this blessing, the word "bless" means to "invoke divine care upon" while "keep you" speaks to the protection and sustenance God wishes for His people. The bottom line here is that the Lord deeply cares for His people and wants the best for each and every one of them, a truth that should always place us in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving unto Him.

2. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

When the Lord shines His face upon us, it’s because He is pleased and we have found favor with Him.

Perhaps there is no greater example of Him shining His face upon us than when we consider what He did to save us through His Son Jesus. For instead of allowing us to die a certain death with an associated final destiny of Hell, He willingly surrendered His Son, offering Him up as a living atoning sacrifice, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). This act was absolutely gracious and merciful, an act born out of pure and perfect love.

And so if we want to see the full light of the Lord’s face shining on us as Christian believers, all we need to do is look to the cross where we’ll see it in full brilliance.

3. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

The King James Version of the Bible renders this translation to these words:

"The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

So what does it mean to have the Lord’s face toward us or His countenance upon us?

Simply put, it’s to be in the midst of His care and presence.

We should see that as believers, we matter to God and He wants to watch over us. After all, through our belief in Jesus, we are His children and that makes Him our Heavenly Father.

And so like any decent father, God, our Father in Heaven, doesn’t wish for us to live in anguish. Rather, He blesses us with life so that we can rejoice and be glad in it, regardless of our circumstances. In his letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul put it this way:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" 4:4

Sound easy enough, right? But the reality is that it can be easier said than done, especially when the trials and tribulations of life come upon us.

So how can we possibly live in a spirit of rejoicing, even in difficult times?

Going back to Paul, he also answers this question in the same chapter of the same letter, saying:

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Vv. 11-13

The truth Paul conveys to his readers is that through Jesus, and only through Him, believers can find the strength to do anything, in good and bad times. This includes rejoicing in our Lord always. Without Christ, a person will be living without hope and destined to destruction and damnation. And so there should be an abundance of peace found in all Christians, who have been rescued from Hell and guaranteed eternal life in Heaven with God the Father through placing trust in His Son, the One who is the way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

Indeed, through God’s redeeming work of salvation, carried out by Jesus on the cross of Calvary, we see how He blesses His people beyond belief, loving them more than they could ever love Him in return. Today and every day, let us give Him all our praise, honor, and glory until that day when we see Him face to face and abide with Him forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

TOTAL DEDICATION REQUIRED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the Lord as a Nazirite, he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.’

'During the entire period of his vow of separation no razor may be used on his head. He must be holy until the period of his separation to the Lord is over; he must let the hair of his head grow long. Throughout the period of his separation to the Lord he must not go near a dead body. Even if his own father or mother or brother or sister dies, he must not make himself ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of his separation to God is on his head. Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the Lord.’

'If someone dies suddenly in his presence, thus defiling the hair he has dedicated, he must shave his head on the day of his cleansing—the seventh day. Then on the eighth day he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him because he sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day he is to consecrate his head. He must dedicate himself to the Lord for the period of his separation and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because he became defiled during his separation.’

'Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over. He is to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. There he is to present his offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil.’

'The priest is to present them before the Lord and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to the Lord, together with its grain offering and drink offering.’

'Then at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that he dedicated. He is to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.’

'After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair of his dedication, the priest is to place in his hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and a cake and a wafer from the basket, both made without yeast. The priest shall then wave them before the Lord as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.’

'This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord in accordance with his separation, in addition to whatever else he can afford. He must fulfill the vow he has made, according to the law of the Nazirite.'"

Numbers 6:1-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the first twenty-one verses of Numbers, chapter 6, we find the Lord giving guidance on how an Israelite could become a Nazarite, fully separating themselves from the world to devote themselves to Him.

In this passage, we see where there was stringent requirements for anyone who desired to take what was known as the “Nazarite vow” and we should note that the spiritual expectations are the same that God expects from anyone who would place their trust in Jesus and therefore become one of His children (Romans 8:14-17).

Here are three key areas I would like to highlight in regard to any person – past, present, or future – who is motivated toward total dedication to God:

First, dedication to God requires commitment.

As we read through these verses, we see that the Lord wasn’t commanding every Israelite to become a Nazarite. Rather, He put the invitation forward with the associated required obligations clearly stated for the one who may have been thinking about taking the vow. With this, it was up to the individual man or woman to make the commitment to follow their God in such a special, devoted manner.

Today, the level of devotion to the Lord is still placed in the hands of people who can choose whether or not they want to believe in Him and then submit to His will and way. He doesn’t coerce or force anyone but rather wants them to come willingly, ready to surrender themselves to Him while living a faithful, obedient life that seeks to glorify Him in all things.

A truly dedicated and committed God-believer is one who seeks to carry out the desires of the Lord in all facets of their lives and this leads me to point number two.

Dedication to God requires personal discipline.

Anyone can proclaim a vow and profess a willingness to obediently devote themselves to God but putting those words into action is a totally different story. As the old saying goes, "Talk is cheap", and often it is our behavior that will either validate or invalidate the things we say.

We need to know that our Lord wants us to not just "walk the walk and talk the talk" but to "walk His walk and talk His talk". He doesn’t want us to merely "mean what we say and say what we mean" but rather "mean what He says and say what He means". In other words, He wants us to exercise inner self control to the degree that we willfully separate ourselves from any worldly influences around us so that all that we say and do is completely from the Lord. In that place and space, He and He alone dictates everything in our lives.

To accomplish this, we need to exercise great personal discipline and that only comes from embracing the strength of the Lord through the Holy Spirit who lives and abides within every person who believes in Jesus as Savior. In the end translation, not one single person is strong enough to stand using their own power. We are called to total surrender and we’ll only be successful in doing that by allowing the Lord to help us and not depending on anything we might be able to do.

This takes me to the final point in today’s message:

Dedication to God requires sacrifice.

The man or woman who wanted to set themselves apart for the Lord was to give up certain things. They were supposed to "abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink." They also were expected to "not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins." Additionally, "no razor" was to be used on the head and their hair was to "grow long" during their period of “separation to the Lord". They were also to avoid dead bodies, even if they were their own family members, although we read that provisions were made if the person inadvertently came in contact with someone who had died.

At the end of the period of separation to the Lord, the scriptures tell us that the person was to come to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting where they would present the following offerings to the Lord: "a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made without yeast—cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil." These expensive offerings, along with the shaving of the hair off the Nazarite’s head, were just a further extension of the sacrifice required of one who was fully devoted to the Lord.

Today, the Lord requires no less of a spiritual sacrifice from us. For when we commit ourselves to fully follow Him, we need to be ready to lay everything aside, just as our Savior Jesus did in His life, willingly carrying out the will of God the Father by bearing the sin of the world while being sacrificed on the cross of Calvary. Through this selfless act of love, God surrendering His only Son who was a Nazarene, we see first-hand what total dedication looks like so that we know what’s expected of us as we commit ourselves to separate from the world in order to be set apart and sanctified by Him and for His service.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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