OUR SAVIOR AND "CITY OF REFUGE"

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In Christ, Mark

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

On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, "Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks and all their other livestock.”

"The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west, and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.”

"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all, you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."

Then the Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens, and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.’

'If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or if in hostility he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.’

'But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.’

'But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which he has fled and the avenger of blood finds him outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. The accused must stay in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may he return to his own property.’

'These are to be legal requirements for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.’

'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.’

'Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.’

'Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow him to go back and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.’

'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.'”

Numbers 35

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

As we have seen in prior instances from studying the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, God held a special place in His heart for the Levites, the tribe of Israel who descended from Jacob’s son, Levi, and carried out the priestly duties within the tabernacle. Here in chapter 35, we find the Lord giving special attention to His beloved tribe as He had done in the past.

For after addressing Israel's territorial borders within Canaan and how the land would be divided among, we find God dedicating time to ensure the Levites would be well taken care of, saying this to Moses:

"Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for their cattle, flocks, and all their other livestock. The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend out fifteen hundred feet from the town wall. Outside the town, measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west, and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns”

“In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few."

The Levites had spent their time during the wilderness journey, camped out around the tabernacle any time the Israelites would stop from their travel. Now that they were about to enter the Promised Land, they would enjoy the same improved living conditions as the rest of Israel with ample space for their animals. We should also note that the Lord didn’t want them to be segregated from the people of other tribes. Rather, the priests would live in the midst of the others so God's people would be able to receive spiritual leadership and service when needed.

In all, we read where the Levites would have forty-eight cities in total with a few on the east side of the Jordan where the Reubenites, Gadites, and half of the tribe of Manasseh would live. Of these forty-eight cities, the scriptures tell us that six were to be set apart and designated as "cities of refuge" where "a person who (had) killed someone accidentally (could) flee". These special cities, three on the Transjordan region where the two and a half tribes would be and three in Canaan where the rest of Israel would abide, were to be safe havens for anyone who had accidentally killed another. Once within the city of refuge, the person would be protected from ant vengeance brought by the family member of the one who was killed and this immunity was available "for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them".

We also see God delineating between killings that were willful and accidental. Here’s what He had to say about each:

1. The intentional murdering of another.

"If a man strikes someone with an iron object so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a stone in his hand that could kill, and he strikes someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. Or if anyone has a wooden object in his hand that could kill, and he hits someone so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies or, if in hostility, he hits him with his fist so that he dies, that person shall be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him."

2. Unintentional killing of another.

"But if without hostility someone suddenly shoves another or throws something at him unintentionally or, without seeing him, drops a stone on him that could kill him, and he dies, then since he was not his enemy and he did not intend to harm him, the assembly must judge between him and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send him back to the city of refuge to which he fled. He must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.”

In the instance of murder, note that it would be pretty cut and dry. The relative who would serve as the “avenger of blood” could hunt down the killer and put them to death.

But it was different when it came to an accident that took someone’s life. In those instances, the person who killed the other would remain safe and shielded from harm as long as they remained within the city of refuge. However, if they would choose to venture out from the city, they became fair game and could be killed by the "avenger of blood" who would not be considered “guilty of murder" for the execution. .

In the end translation, God reminded His people that He expected their new life within the Promised Land to be holy, just, and fair, a land that was sanctified and set apart as ultimately belonging to Him as it was rightfully His first. Here’s what the Lord added to underscore this:

"Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites."

As we go on and study the history of the Israelite people, we see where they didn’t exactly comply with this demand from God because there would be many murderous actions and abundant bloodshed within Canaan to come, all which would serve to “defile” and “pollute the land” God had provided to His people as a blessed inheritance.

You know, I often wonder how God feels about our world today. For although it isn't the Promised Land of Canaan, it is the land that He created that is inhabited by the people He created. And just as He had expectations for Israel, so too does He have them for us. No one should think for a minute that the ten commandments issued to the Israelite people in Exodus, chapter 20, are any less relevant today than they were back when they were first given. Specifically, in the case of our study from Numbers, chapter 35, we see where God doubles down on his order not to murder, showing that it wasn’t acceptable then just as it isn’t now. We even see Jesus taking this commandment and taking it to a whole new level in His discourse within the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22).

In regard to commands that are just as active today as when God first gave them, we can throw in disrespecting one's parents, stealing, committing adultery, worshipping false idols or gods, coveting what another has, or giving false testimony about someone. And yet, too often we act as if these expectations of our Lord are optional, not mandated.

Here’s a good thought provoking question:

If God were to call us before Himself for a formal review our lives, assessing how obedient we have been to Him, how well would we stand up?

Unfortunately, I don’t think that would go well, if we’re totally honest. In fact, we would be doomed by our sins if keeping all of God's commandments (aka perfect adherence to the Law) was the sole requirement to gain salvation. All would be destined to the eternal damnation and torment of Hell if that was the case.

This is why God sent His Son to save us and in doing so, watched Him be nailed to a cross and sacrificed so to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase our pardon.

In other words, Jesus became our personal city of refuge, the only place where we could go for protection from our wrongs and avoid the death penalty. He was the eternal Messiah, Savior, and High Priest who would rise from the grave and live forever so that anyone who would enter into fellowship with Him would find protection and victory over Satan, the evil one. Indeed, only through belief in Jesus, the Lamb of God who came and took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) can these words from the eighth chapter of Romans ring true in our lives:

"…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

Friends, if you are reading this and have accepted Jesus as your Savior through faith, you get to celebrate every day knowing that you are an inhabitant of His city of refuge.

On the other hand, if you are reading this and you have yet to receive Jesus as your personal Savior, I encourage you to change that right now and without delay. For Satan, your enemy who is ruling your life, whether you want to concede it or now, wants to continue to stake claim to you, leading you to the same destruction he is destined for, the destruction grounded in an eternal life in Hell.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to end that way for you. It doesn’t matter how long you have lived without Jesus. What’s important is that you choose to believe in Him now and let Him make you a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Part of that spiritual birth and the ensuing reformation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that you will receive, the “Spirit of life” that Paul talks about in Romans, chapter 8. This Spirit will work to “set (you) free from the law of sin and death”, leading you instead on the narrow path that leads to true life (Matthew 7:14), a blessed life full of the living water of Christ that will well up to eventual eternal life when this earthly existence ends (John 4:13-14).

This is my prayer for all people...that they would come to Jesus and find refuge from sin and death in and through Him.

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.

GOD SETS BOUNDARIES

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.

The Lord said to Moses, "Command the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance will have these boundaries:’

'Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. On the east, your southern boundary will start from the end of the Salt Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin, and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Sea.’

'Your western boundary will be the coast of the Great Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.’

'For your northern boundary, run a line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron, and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.’

'For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Kinnereth. Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Salt Sea.’

'This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.'"

Moses commanded the Israelites: "Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise."

The Lord said to Moses, "These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua, son of Nun. And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. These are their names:

Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah;

Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon;

Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin;

Bukki, son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan;

Hanniel, son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;

Kemuel, son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;

Elizaphan, son of Parnach, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;

Paltiel, son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar;

Ahihud, son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher;

Pedahel, son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali."

These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.

Numbers 34

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

As the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, there were some other details that needed worked out first. As we have seen, God addressed how the land would be divided amongst the tribes of Israel but the boundaries of the Promised Land were yet to be established, something we see the Lord taking care of in Numbers, chapter 34.

There, we find God speaking through Moses to tell His people about the exact placement of the northern, southern, eastern, and western boundaries of their nation. He then reminds the Israelites that they are to “assign (the) land by lot as an inheritance”, giving it “to the nine and a half tribes”.

Why nine and a half tribes and not twelve?

You’ll recall that “the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh” had asked for and received land on “the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, toward the sunrise." They would still cross the Jordan to fight alongside the other Israelites but once the conquest was over, they would once again cross the Jordan to join their families who would be left behind in fortified cities.

As for assigning Canaan to the other nine and a half tribes, we find God designating “one leader from each tribe to help assign the land” by name.

While this particular scripture passage seems pretty cut and dry, I believe it offers us this important truth about God:

He is a God who sets boundaries. He did so for the nation of Israel and He does so for us as well in regard to our behavior as believers. Consider these words from Galatians, chapter 5:

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Vv. 16-21

Within the scriptures, we often see where God sometimes sees boundaries as territorial.

One example of this is looking at the tabernacle for we know that the Israelites weren’t permitted to enter the Holy Place or the Most Holy Place. Only the high priest was permitted to do that.

You’ll also remember that the people of Israel weren’t allowed to set foot on Mount Sinai while Moses went up to meet with God.

And here, we see how He set the exact location of the perimeter of the Israelite nation.

As for us today, God also established places that we shouldn’t go, places that would serve to lure us into sinfulness more than righteousness. For example, strip clubs are very prevalent in our society and they cater to men and women. It’s not a place that Christian believers should be visiting given that they are havens of sexual lust and immorality and yet, it happens. For some reason, disciples of Jesus willingly choose to go places where He would never have gone unless it meant rebuking sinful behavior and offering a better life in Him.

And although not all bars, nightclubs, and parties might be bad, most of them do breed rather illicit behavior from its patrons, especially if alcohol is served. I’ve seen this first hand during my time in the Navy while serving as a drug and alcohol program advisor. It was sad witnessing so many people louse up their lives and military futures because of alcohol, either through addiction happening or violent or illicit behavior stemming from alcohol impairment.

In regard to the latter, my view is that alcohol simply assists someone in changing who they are when sober, releasing inhibitions that are usually kept in check. In other words, alcohol doesn’t actually cause bad behavior but just opens the gates for that dormant bad behavior to emerge.

Here’s a few scenarios to serve as examples:

Those who drink and then have an affair would want others to believe that the alcohol caused them to cheat. But the truth of the matter is that the person always had a lustful heart but never acted on their desires when sober. Then, after drinking alcohol and losing their control over acting on impulses, the person can now act on their once repressed lusts and they often do, surrendering to sin which is adulterous in many circumstances.

Then there are those people who fight after drinking, even though no one has ever seen them get violent with anyone before. Again, it’s not like the person didn’t want to punch someone in the face before but they were always able to keep that urge under wraps. But then, after alcohol is consumed, that same person believes they could take on anybody and when they do, I have seen the outcome have mixed results.

I think we can see why we need boundaries, spiritual guardrails to keep us from running off of the narrow road that we’re to walk in Christ Jesus. We’ll only stay on course if we have our right mind about us and that’s not going to happen when we allow alcohol to cloud and alter our judgment and decision making. Frankly, I think believers would be far better off by abstaining from drinking altogether (I have done so my entire life and this includes nearly thirty years in the military) but if one chooses to consume alcohol, they will need to accept the consequences that come with it.

Going back to the passage from Galatians, we see where there are a lot of other boundaries that God places on our behavior. There, we find Him warning against “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” These requirements are not just meant to dictate what we do but also what we say and think. For committing any or all of these transgressions draw us away from Jesus, the One who we are supposed to model our lives after. To be truly Christian is to be totally Christ-like and we never see Him drunk or committing any of the iniquities mentioned in the Bible because He was perfectly right and righteous...and wants us to be the same.  

So how do we stay clear of all these things that God warns us about?

Well, we can go right back to the fifth chapter of Galatians where we find God giving us another set of standards, guidelines that are to help us act, speak, and think the way He desires. Here’s what we should be allowing to dominate and define who we are as we strive to be more like Christ::

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Vv. 22-25

Note here that the Holy Spirit is the key, the Holy Spirit that comes to dwell within every Christian believer the moment they place their trust and hope in Jesus.

When we consult the Spirit regarding how we should live, we will always be guided to a place where we can bear the fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” all which are the polar opposites of the list of sinful behaviors such as “sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies.” This life, a life defined by the Holy Spirit, draws us closer to Jesus and as the scriptures promise:

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

In other words, those who are in Christ have taken their sinful nature and nailed it to the cross, committing to not behave in that way again.

Friends, thanks be to God that He has set boundaries to dictate our proper behavior before Him. Now all we need to do is to remain within those boundaries in complete obedience.

Submitting fully to the influence of the Holy Spirit above anything else will get us to that place.

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.

BARBS AND THORNS

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.

Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord's command, Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:

The Israelites set out from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover. They marched out boldly in full view of all the Egyptians, who were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them; for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods.

The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Succoth.

They left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.

They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of Baal Zephon, and camped near Migdol.

They left Pi Hahiroth and passed through the sea into the desert, and when they had traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they camped at Marah.

They left Marah and went to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.

They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

They left Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

They left Terah and camped at Mithcah.

They left Mithcah and camped at Hashmonah.

They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.

They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the border of Edom. At the Lord's command, Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor, where he died on the first day of the fifth month of the fortieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming.

They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, on the border of Moab.

They left Iyim and camped at Dibon Gad.

They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, near Nebo.

They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.

On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.’

'But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.'"

Numbers 33

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

One prevalent theme in this Book of Numbers is that there are places where we see very specific accounting happening. This is particularly evident in two separate censuses we find taken of the Israelite people with separate counts made of the Levites, those who were the priests who oversaw the sacrifices and worship requirements within the tabernacle (chapters 1 and 26). You’ll remember that the first happened in the “second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt” (1:1) for the purpose of knowing how many men would serve in the Lord’s army. That number was 603,550 (1:46),

The second census happened at the tail end of the forty year judgment the lord has imposed on His people for their rebellion at the first time God worked to bring them into Canaan. You will recall that the forty years was intended to kill off the sinful generation so that they wouldn’t experience the land God had promised. That privilege would go to their children who numbered 601,730 when the second census was taken while the Israelites were encamped in the plains of Moab (26:1-56). This count was done as a precursor to dividing up the land in Canaan as it was distributed to the clans of Israel.  

This brings us to chapter 33 of this book where we see a summation of Israel’s travels, from the time they departed Egypt to the present as they were ready to invade and conquer the nation of Canaan to make it their own.

As we see, the Israelites had certainly traveled most of the time from when they departed Egypt through the miraculous Red Sea crossing. During their journeying, we know that God was with them every step of the way, providing guidance and provision for His people and here in this chapter, we see where He continues to do so as the people of Israel get ready to cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of the Promised Land. We read where God provides the following message via Moses as the Israelites were camping “on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho”:

“When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."

These words from the Lord carried a reminder and a warning.

First, He commanded Israel to “drive out all the inhabitants of the land”, destroying “all their carved images and their cast idols” and demolishing “all their high places”. The Israelites were to “take possession of the land and settle in it” for the Lord had given it to them “to possess.”

After this, we find Him reminding the Israelites of how He wished for the land to be apportioned, saying:

“Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.”

Finally, we find the Lord warning Israel about what would happen to them if they failed to carry out His orders in complete obedience:

“…if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."

Here we find God making it clear that if the Israelites failed to totally eliminate their enemies in the land of Canaan, those foes would return to be “barbs in (their) eyes” and “thorns in (their) sides”. In regard to the latter, we now know where the age old expression “a thorn in my side” originated from, a saying that is centered on someone or something that brings difficulty and annoying hardship to someone.

This would be bad enough but God added one more element to the consequences that His people would face if they didn’t comply with His wishes. For we read where He promises His people that they would face the judgment reserved for their Canaanite enemies if they didn’t carry out His command fully. Unfortunately, as we continue to study through the Old Testament, we will see where Israel does indeed sin against God by not following this direction and as a result, suffers the punishment He promised here.

As I stepped back from this chapter and thought about the concept of completely driving something out of my life or face the prospect of it coming back to be the barb in my eye or thorn in my side, I couldn’t help but think how I have done well in this regard in some instances and not so well in others. Maybe you can relate.

Through it all, I have learned that when I fail to eliminate a sin in my life, I subtract from my progress in becoming the kind of person the Lord wants for me to be. The worst part about it is that I placed my desires on something that was an abomination to God (all sin is, by the way) instead of making Him my greatest delight. This clinging to a worldly pleasure over making the Lord my biggest treasure placed resulted in a spiritual deficit in my life. And as much as I tried to hide my inability to completely rid my life of the sin, I found that the Lord continued to convict me more and more each time. He never stopped attacking my consciousness until there was no pleasure anymore in doing the things I knew I shouldn’t be doing. Only guilt and shame remained as I discovered myself feeling like David when he said this in the thirty-second Psalm:

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Vv. 3-4

In that place, I learned that the only way I could get the barb out of my eye, to extract the painful thorn in my side, was through genuine, heartfelt repentance. Not just the artificial, superficial repentance I had given God so many times before, the multiple times when I said I was sorry when I was already thinking about an opportunity when I could sin again, but rather now saying I was sorry for good as I looked to the cross of Calvary and reaffirmed how He was nailed there in my place because of my sinfulness.

Friends, when that happened, I felt an unexplainable liberation and relief, the polar opposite of the incessant condemnation and conviction I felt before. It was then that I experienced the full power of God’s love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness which led me to be able to rejoice like David when he confessed this:

“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ - and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.’”

“Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:5-7

As I close, if you have a sin in your life that is like a barb or thorn, now is the time to do something about it. I encourage you to fall on your knees and confess your sin to the Lord, the only One who can remove it and provide spiritual healing and restoration, the only One who can lead and guide you to stay on the path of righteousness and holiness during every day of this earthly, human existence.

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.

NOT REPEATING THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST

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.

The Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were suitable for livestock. So they came to Moses and Eleazar, the priest, and to the leaders of the community, and said, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon - the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel - are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes," they said, "let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

Moses said to the Gadites and Reubenites, "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - not one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.”

"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following Him, He will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

Then they came up to him and said, "We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

Then Moses said to them, "If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies out before Him - then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.”

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."

The Gadites and Reubenites said to Moses, "We, your servants, will do as our lord commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says."

Then Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar, the priest, and Joshua, son of Nun, and to the family heads of the Israelite tribes. He said to them, "If the Gadites and Reubenites, every man armed for battle, cross over the Jordan with you before the Lord, then when the land is subdued before you, give them the land of Gilead as their possession. But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must accept their possession with you in Canaan."

The Gadites and Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the Lord has said. We will cross over before the Lord into Canaan armed, but the property we inherit will be on this side of the Jordan."

Then Moses gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan - the whole land with its cities and the territory around them.

The Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran as fortified cities, and built pens for their flocks. And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, and Kiriathaim, as well as Nebo and Baal Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.

The descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. So Moses gave Gilead to the Makirites, the descendants of Manasseh, and they settled there. Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, captured their settlements and called them Havvoth Jair. And Nobah captured Kenath and its surrounding settlements and called it Nobah after himself.

Numbers 32

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

As we see in Numbers, chapter 32, Israel on the brink of entering the Promised Land. All of Israel, twelve tribes in total, was to cross the Jordan into Canaan and possess the land God was providing and this would most certainly include armed conflict as the present inhabitants of the land would seek to defend themselves.

It was into this scene that we find two of Israel’s tribes, Gad and Reuben, approaching Moses with the following request:

"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon - the land the Lord subdued before the people of Israel - are suitable for livestock, and your servants have livestock. If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan."

The Israelites had already won victory over the “lands of Jazer and Gilead” and that territory was “suitable for livestock”, something that was very appealing to the “Reubenites and Gadites who had very large herds and flocks”.

As we see in the passage, the request for the land wasn’t as big an issue as what they said at the end of the request:

“Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

It was a rather short-sighted ask and one that Moses bristled over because it amounted to the Reubenites and Gadites getting out of helping their brothers and sisters fight for the land they would possess, the same people who had helped conquer the land they wanted.

Well, it doesn’t take Moses long to rebuke the two clans, reminding them of the sinful behavior of their ancestors, saying:

"Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them. The Lord's anger was aroused that day and he swore this oath: 'Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years old or more who came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - not one except Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua, son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' The Lord's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.”

He then finished with this:

"And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel. If you turn away from following Him, He will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction."

Moses had to remind the Reubenites and Gadites of how God had passed judgment on their ancestors before, making them wander an additional forty years in the desert for refusing to enter Canaan as He commanded the first time. He did it then and He could do it again now. That was the point Moses was trying to make. The request was only going to repeat the mistakes of the past and that was utterly unacceptable.

Do we do this as well, easily forget the mistakes of our ancestors and then end up committing the same wrongs in life?

If we’re truly honest, I’m afraid it happens far more than we would like to admit.

Well, going back to the scriptures, we find that Moses’ words resonated with the Gadites and Reubenites for they ended up revising their proposal, saying:

"We, your servants, will do as our lord commands. Our children and wives, our flocks and herds will remain here in the cities of Gilead. But your servants, every man armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the Lord, just as our lord says."

"We would like to build pens here for our livestock and cities for our women and children. But we are ready to arm ourselves and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance. We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan."

So the Gadites and Reubenites were still interested in the land east of the Jordan but note that they would send all their men into battle and fight alongside the other tribes of Israel while their women and children would be protected in fortified cities they would construct. This revised plan was one that was obviously far more to Moses’ satisfaction as he said this to them:

"If you will do this - if you will arm yourselves before the Lord for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven His enemies out before Him - then when the land is subdued before the Lord, you may return and be free from your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the Lord.”

"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Build cities for your women and children, and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised."

In other words, woe be it for the Gadites and Reubenites if they go back on their promise.

So after the tribes of Reuben and Gad accept Moses’ proposition, he informs Eleazar of the arrangement and then “gave to the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, king of Bashan”. This included “the whole land with its cities and the territory around them”. Then we read where the Gadites, Reubenites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built the fortified cities to protect their women and children as the men crossed the Jordan and went into battle.

This scripture passage for today underscores the importance of not repeating the mistakes of the past. For had Moses not spoken up, sparking the change of plans, the nation of Israel would have been destined for further consequences from God which could have included being turned away once again to wander the desert wilderness one more time. Fortunately, that didn’t happen as Moses performs one more act of strong leadership before he died, convincing the Reubenites and Gadites to make the needed corrections to their plan so the move to Canaan could stay on schedule. In the end translation, this new generation of Israelites would enjoy a life far better than their relatives, all because they focused themselves on being obedient to their God.

Friends, this same principle can be applied to our lives as well. For we all should step back and evaluate the lives of our parents, other family members, and friends, paying particular attention to how they have failed through sinning in life. Then, we should take whatever steps necessary within our own lives to make sure we don’t repeat their transgressions all over again, breaking what could be a vicious cycle of iniquity that could then be passed onto the next generation…and the next…and the next. You, I, and every other believer have the amazing power to establish change for the better and the Holy Spirit is ready to lead us there if we will only submit ourselves to His lead.

Indeed, we can only be successful in living in righteousness instead of wickedness if we surrender our will to the will of the Lord, asking Him to guide us each and every day while delivering us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). Through Him, we can always guarantee that we won’t repeat the mistakes of the past as He directs us toward obediently fulfilling His blessed purposes that always bring Him the honor, glory, and praise that He deserves.

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.

OUR PROPER TRIBUTE

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.

The Lord said to Moses, "You and Eleazar, the priest, and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar, the priest, as the Lord's part. From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle."

So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.

The half share of those who fought in the battle was:

337,500 sheep, of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;

36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;

30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61;

16,000 people, of which the tribute for the Lord was 32.

Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar, the priest, as the Lord's part, as the Lord commanded Moses.

The half belonging to the Israelites, which Moses set apart from that of the fighting men - the community's half - was 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 people. From the Israelites' half, Moses selected one out of every fifty persons and animals, as the Lord commanded him, and gave them to the Levites, who were responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle.

Then the officers who were over the units of the army - the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds - went to Moses and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the Lord the gold articles each of us acquired - armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces - to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord."

Moses and Eleazar, the priest, accepted from them the gold - all the crafted articles. All the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds that Moses and Eleazar presented as a gift to the Lord weighed 16,750 shekels. Each soldier had taken plunder for himself. Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gold from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord.

Numbers 31:25-54

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

Look up the definition of the word “tribute” in the dictionary and you will find this:

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English tribut, from Latin tributum, from neuter of tributus, past participle of tribuere to allot, bestow, grant, pay, from tribus tribe

Date: 14th century

1 a: a payment by one ruler or nation to another in acknowledgment of

submission or as the price of protection; also: the tax levied for such a payment

b (1): an excessive tax, rental, or tariff imposed by a government, sovereign, lord, or landlord (2): an exorbitant charge levied by a person or group having the power of coercion c: the liability to pay tribute

2 a: something given or contributed voluntarily as due or deserved; especially: a gift or service showing respect, gratitude, or affection

b: something (as material evidence or a formal attestation) that indicates the worth, virtue, or effectiveness of the one in question

In yesterday’s message from the first twenty-four verses of Numbers, chapter 24, we saw where the Israelite army had returned from their conquest of the Midianites and having not carried out God’s command appropriately, received judgment from the Lord. As we turn to the final verses of this chapter, we see where the matter of the spoils from battle is addressed with God passing on the following guidance through Moses:

“You and Eleazar, the priest, and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. Divide the spoils between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, or goats. Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar, the priest, as the Lord's part. From the Israelites' half, select one out of every fifty, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord's tabernacle."

The scriptures tell us that “Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded” and we should note that the spoils were divided in an interesting way. For the total plunder was divided between “those who fought in the battle” and the Israelite community with each receiving 337,500 sheep, 36,000 cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and 16,000 people.

After this, there was a second dividing of the spoils with one portion going to the Lord and the other to the Levites.

In regard to the Lord’s share, we read that “one out of every five hundred, whether persons, cattle, donkeys, sheep or goats” were to be “set apart as tribute for the Lord” from “the soldiers who fought in the battle”. This tribute was to be given to “Eleazar, the priest” and when the apportionment ended, the scriptures detailed it as follows:

- from the 337,500 sheep, the Lord was given 675.

- from the 36,000 cattle, the Lord was given 72.

- from the 30,500 donkeys, the Lord was given 61.

and from the 16,000 people, the Lord was given 32.

All these were given to Eleazar as a tribute to the Lord by Moses, just as God had ordered.

Meanwhile, the Israelite community as a whole was supposed to provide a share of their spoils with their portions going to the Levites, those Israelites who the Lord had set apart to care for His holy Tabernacle and the worship within. We see that their share equaled what was given to God.

You know, the overall theme of this passage, paying tribute, got me thinking about believers today and how well we either do or don’t pay proper tribute to the Lord in our own lives. This leads to some self reflecting questions such as:

How well do we honor Him each and every day with what He has blessed us with?

If we do, are we giving Him our best, our first fruits just as He give us His?

Are we intentional every day with wanting to glorify our Lord by giving back a portion of our time, talent, and/or treasure?

In considering these, I want to offer a few things that come to mind.

First, as we consider what we should pay back to the Lord in tribute we could easily over-think the whole process. Let’s not make it hard and know that we only will honor the Lord properly when we choose to give Him our all, whether body, mind, soul, or anything we possess.

To inform this response, we need to carefully consider and inventory all that God has provided. When we do this properly, we should gain a proper appreciation for just how good He has been to us and this should manifest feelings of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts.

The bottom line is that everything we have been given – whether past, present, or future – comes from our Lord’s divine provision and providence as He lavishes us with His rich and abundant blessings.

Further, God didn’t stop at just providing for us materially but went well beyond that. For after seeing how all sinners were in such a helpless, destructive state, destined for an eternity in Hell if left in their sinfulness, He chose to provide atonement through the sacrifice of His one and only Son, Jesus, so that through His death, all who believe in Him would live. Indeed, there was a steep price that needed paid for the willful, transgressive disobedience of sinners and their obstinate insistence in doing what they wanted to do vice what God willed for them. This included a belief that all things earned were through the work of our hands, not the Lord’s.

Brothers and sisters, it’s time for us to step back and reset, seeing that God has given us His all, all that we need in order to fulfill the purposes He has us in this life to accomplish. In response to this, our only appropriate tribute is to show gratitude for His blessings and then use them in ways that bring honor and glory to His holy name.

God gave us His greatest gift by surrendering His only Son. With an attitude of gratitude, the least we can do is give Him everything we have in return as our proper tribute.

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.