Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' "The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." So Moses went back to the Lord and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin." And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made." Exodus 32:26-35
Moses had seen the sinful actions of the Israelites and the leadership failures of Aaron first hand. The disgust he felt led him to smash the stone tablets written on by the finger of God…just as the people of Israel had destroyed the very covenant that was on the tablets. Now, Moses was ready to reassume control and take initial steps to correct what had happened. We read first that Moses poses a question to the Israelites. It was a simple, fundamental question. One that didn’t require too much thought but did require response.
For Moses asked, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me" and we read where "all the Levites rallied to him." The question posed to the Israelites gave them a choice. They could either be for the Lord which meant that they were willing to take a stance on God’s side and be on His team or they could choose to not be for God which meant they would rather stand on the side of evil and sin. The question would literally be one of life or death.
Question: How would you respond if you were asked, "If you’re for the Lord, come with me." Would you go to stand with those who chose to be for Him? Or would you stay stationary and choose to turn from Him?
As we see in the passage, everyone except the Levites decided to turn away from God. They chose to separate themselves from Him vice stand for Him. Their decision was a fatal one. For we read that Moses gave the Levites the following guidance from God:
"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' "
Imagine of you were one of the Levites and heard this direction from the Lord. You had agreed to be for Him and now He was using you as an instrument of judgment on those who chose to not to be for Him. And this was not just any judgment but the death penalty…a death penalty that was equally applicable to their own family members who chose to stand against God as it was to those outside of their families. In response to God’s command, the Levites "did as Moses commanded", served as executioners, "and…about three thousand of the people died."
The actions of the Levites in response to God’s command underscores several key points we must remember:
1. God hates evil and sin. The Supreme Creator of all things would not tolerate anyone who chose to turn their backs on Him because turning from Him was akin to favoring evil and sin more and literally choosing spiritual death over spiritual life. Supreme disrespect to the Supreme Creator resulted in supreme judgment.
2. God expects our absolute loyalty. This means that we have to choose God over our own family if it comes right down to it. The Levites had to kill their own family members who chose to turn from God. They displayed that our relationship with God is the most important relationship we can have, far beyond our relationship with our kin.
In regard to the Levites and their loyalty, Moses said, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day." In other words, the obedient actions of the Levites were pleasing to God…so much so that the Levites would be set apart and traditionally be the spiritual temple leaders from this point on.
3. Atonement does not come without a cost. Moses tells the Levite survivors, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement…" Moses then returns to God and once again intercedes for them saying, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." In other words, Moses was willing to accept the judgment for his people…to allow God to blot him out of the book He had written…the book of life. Moses knew atonement came with a price. In the yet to be constructed tabernacle, it would come by way of the animal sacrifices and the blood shed. Now, he was willing to have his own blood shed to spare his people.
This Lenten season, we are reflecting on One who did likewise, God’s only Son Jesus Christ…our precious Savior, Redeemer and Friend. He saw a people who were also in trouble…sinful and in need of atonement. Rather than see their blood shed, He chose to shed His own blood on the cross of Calvary, bearing the sins of mankind. Indeed, our atonement came at a very heavy cost.
4. Sinful actions result in negative consequences. Our scripture closes with God refusing to accept Moses’ willingness to pay the price for the people of Israel. Instead, "The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." In other words, every person is accountable to God for their own sins…and their sinful actions bring negative consequences. For God did not let the camp survivors go unpunished but "struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made." Clearly, God would not tolerate willful disobedience, even from those who later committed to be for Him.
Question: Have we adopted too much of a cavalier attitude toward God when it comes to the way we live, sinning when it’s convenient for us to meet our own desires? Have we forgotten that God hates sin, so much so that he couldn’t even look on His Son on the cross, leaving Jesus, our atoning sacrifice, feeling forsaken and forlorn? Have we discounted the fact that God can and still administer judgment on those who choose to not stand for Him?
Friends, we serve a merciful, loving God but He is also a jealous God…One who expects our undivided attention, respect and loyalty. We each have a choice. We can either be for Him or against Him. There is no middle ground. Where do you stand?
In Christ,
Mark
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