BSF Moses 2014-15 – Page 5 – The Notes are Good

19.5 Moses 19, Day 5

God is God. God’s attributes that we have the ability to learn through the scriptures, are revelation of God. God speaks through the Holy word of Scripture.

But, God’s ability to “speak through” and to reveal His character and attributes is not limited to the words in the Bible. Nothing else revealed will contradict the bible, nor will it replace or even add to what is revealed in the bible, but it is still real and God still fully has the ability to use it.

For example, nature. Who can truly look at the beauty and magnificence of nature and not have sense of the Creator within it? Take hymns, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, “What a friend we have in Jesus”, “How great thou art”. Take a pastor or preacher with a Holy Spirit enabled gift to paint a picture for us to apply the words of the bible to our lives. Or a writer who challenges our thinking and pulls our heart closer to God.

For that matter, what about me and you? Not only can God (who by the way can do anything) speak through us, but He does. Those around you see the Lord in your life. They see your deeds. They see your service. They see your attitude and your dedication and from these things they learn about God.

All things on heaven and earth are for God’s glory.

Through all of the lives of all the people, God’s glory, all of His attributes and who He is, continues and continues to be revealed. The same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always reflect highly on us!

We see this with Miriam in our lesson today. She asked the question, “doesn’t the Lord also speak through us?” And, He did. He spoke in righteous judgment for one who speaks against one of His faithful servants.. He spoke in the power and control over illness and disease (even those we consider uncureable). He spoke in the mercy He showed in forgiving and healing. He spoke in the Fatherly love of holding to consequences for significant wrongs and bad teaching from those He has placed in a leadership position in the church.

We see volumes in lessons about God and who He is through this situation with Miriam. All of it is true and all of it is positive.

But if Miriam sought additional attention from the Israelites, that happened as well. Not only during the 7 days the entire encampment sat in wait, but, can you even imagine the “walk of shame” as she re-entered the camp?

God does speak through me and you. Whether we do right or wrong, it doesn’t change who God is and the truth of His revelation. But when we sin, God’s light isn’t dimmed, but our ability to reflect that light is tarnished and muddied. People see more of our faults and less of God’s reflection.

Where do you need to “polish your mirror?” What traits or habits are present in your life that, if revealed, would tarnish your ability to reflect God’s light? What is going to get you to change?

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to have to hear God use the “Dad voice” with me to get me to change, like He did with Miriam and Aaron :

Listen to my words (what dad hasn’t used that one?)
In my house (about moses, “he is faithful in all my house) – (this is my house and in my house…)
Why then…? (if you were thinking, how could you have possibly thought this was a good idea?)
The anger burned and He left. (I think sometimes the most convicting thing (terrifying thing) wasn’t when Dad took action but when he was so angry he walked away from the discussion).

My Answers:

10.
a.
Brought all three parties together, called them to the tent of meeting, came down in pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance and summoned Aaron & Miriam, told them “listen to my words”, laid out the circumstances, asked why they were not afraid to speak against “my servant Moses”, anger of the Lord burned, He left them, Miriam skin turned leprous

b.
“he is faithful in all my house”, “my servant Moses”

11.
a.
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles, he sees the form of the Lord

b.
All of creation is God’s house – Moses is faithful at all times and in all places

12.
a.
skin became leprous

b.
He would have had to examine her and judge her unclean and she would have been sent permanently outside of the camp

c.
He prayed for people who had unjustly wronged him and received a just penalty, but asked for their healing and forgiveness

d.
He healed her disease, but there was still justice and teaching. God forgives our sins, but still teaches us necessary lessons

19.4 Moses 19, Day 4

Complaining springs from ingratitude

Part of our aim for this week is that complaining springs from ingratitude. I love the imagery of the spring in that line and we see it in today’s lesson.

Miriam and Aaron have gotten themselves all wound around the axle about Moses’ new wife. We don’t have a lot of information here. We don’t know if something happened to his first wife. We don’t know if there was some other tension or jealousy. We don’t know if it had anything to do with race or nationality. We just don’t know and I don’t think it wise to try to fill in the blanks.

What we do know is that “because of his Cushite wife” Miriam and Aaron “began to talk against Moses.”

What is interesting in the imagery of the spring is that, while they were wound up about his wife, that is not what popped out. They way they sprung up against Moses was by attacking his relationship and standing with God. The words punched at his relationship as being nothing unique or different. “has the Lord spoken only through Moses?”, “Hasn’t He also spoke through us?”

There are times in our lives where we, too, can get “all wound up” about something. Just like that spring, the issue coils around our heart, storing up all this negative energy. When we release it, it springs out, uncontrolled and normally not in a matter that has anything to do with what the real issue is, but just a way to inflict harm to the other person.

But, not only is that not a healthy approach, but it is also not the biblical approach. God recognizes we are human. He recognizes there will be disagreements among us. Have you noticed all the laws and guidelines He has been putting in place to address these disagreements and disputes? Have you noticed the 70+ elders he has put in place to help the people in these areas and how he equipped them with His spirit? God does not paint some make-believe land where everyone just gets along. God knows we are going to get wound up from time to time especially about family and especially about leaders and especially about family who are leaders and believers. We hold them to a higher standard and, well, sometimes we see things in them that we consider to be unaddressed faults.

But the biblical approach is not to become a spring. Instead, we are called to unwind the concern with a fellow family member to the brother in the presence of God. We are to release the energy, not attack with it, and get to the core of the situations. We are to trust God and hold to His words, but also to model His mercy and grace.

What are you wound up about? When have you felt the negative energy stored up in your heart? Who or what have you sprung out against, especially in a way that is totally unrelated to the core issue? What fellow christian can you join with to unwind the energy and address the issue with your brother and with God?

Start with a focus on gratitude to God. Start with the words, “thank you, Lord” and then keep saying it as you let the negativity unwind.

My Answers:

8.
a.
Moses’ sister, watched over him in the nile, approached pharoah’s daughter, lived as a slave in Egypt, was a prophetess, leader, singer of songs
b.
He married a Cushite woman. We don’t know enough to draw conclusions (what happened to 1st wife) other than the fact that God, who knew her heart, was displeased and the wording in the bible implies jealousy and lack of humility

9.
a.
He didn’t respond, at least not directly. He likely talked with God about it (history of doing that)

b.
grow sad, frustrated, humiliated, angry.

19.3 Moses 19, Day 3

Joining the Rabble = Rejecting God

There is always the rabble. No matter the setting, it seems like when you get a group of people together, there are always some who choose to be unhappy, discontent. No matter the blessings all around them, they find something to complain about.

If you are one of those people – stop it. It is not constructive criticism if you are not picking up your tools and helping construct something better – it is just criticism. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” “No corrupting talk”, “building up”, “give grace.”

If you are around “the rabble”, do not fall in with them. As Christians, we know we are on God’s team. We love Him and honor Him, but we also hear the voices of the complainers. Not only in our private lives or at work, but even at church. But this passage tells us God’s view of us when we turn our attention to the rabble. From His perspective, we aren’t just casually listening to them, instead, we have turned out back on Him. By joining with them, even if only in listening and allowing our heart and minds to be stirred, we reject God.

Our passage also clearly points out that we don’t have to live our life in denial. Sometimes things are hard. Sometimes our burdens are great. Sometimes things are not going at all like we want or need them to go. We get frustrated. We get annoyed. We get overwhelmed.

But, when that happens, just like it did to Moses, we are called to do what Moses did and turn it over to God. The difference is in this question, “Do you want to enjoy wallowing in the complaining or do you want to solve it?” If you want to solve it, turn to God – He has the power to solve anything and everything. If you want to just enjoy having a pity party – well – that is not your best idea!

The people lashed out against each other, against God, against Moses. Ping, ping, ping, drip, drip, drip. Just like a continual dripping on a rainy day. Each comment added to the annoyance, but resolved nothing. But Moses didn’t drip. He unwound all his issues at God’s feet. He didn’t lack for drama (just kill me), but god didn’t chastise him. The difference is that when Moses unwound it all to God, he was done and trusted in God for a solution.

God showed He had the power to provide. He provided 70+2 elders empowered with His Spirit to help Moses. He provided quail 3 feet deep. He had the power to provide. But, there is also a lesson here as well. When our heart and words are focused purely on ourselves and not God, God may give us what we think we want, but it is not going to bring us peace and fulfillment – it brings plagues and death and un-fulfillment instead.

My wife had a good perspective on this. She said, I wonder if, before they left Egypt, God and Moses had sat the Israelites down and had a talk with them and said, “We’re going to take you out of slavery and bondage and into the promised land flowing with milk and honey. You’ll defeat pharoah’s armies, you’ll have riches of gold and jewels, food will be provided each day that tastes like honey, nations will fear you, and God will dwell among you, but, for a period of time, you won’t have fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions or garlic.” Just how many people do you think would have stood up and said, “hold on, that’s a deal breaker – just leave me here in slavery.”?

My Answers:

5.
a.
free fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic

b.
slavery, hardship

6.
a.
He was troubled – overwhelmed

b.
It is what he was honestly feeling and he took it to God. A bit dramatic, but, yes, the people were a burden.

c.
Shared the burden with 70+2 = 72 = 12 x 6 elders equipped with His spirit. (note: 72 is the same number Jesus appointed to be sent out in Luke 10:1)

d.
Through others and by showing He is present and faithful and has a plan

7.
a.
They had rejected Him

b.
Brought a plague on them

19.2 Moses 19, Day 2

Hardships are real. But in the same way that cataracts can cloud our vision to the point of blindness, hardships can cloud of perspective of God’s purpose for our lives.

I’ve been in situations where people treated hardships as a competition. This will sound horrible, but I was in a bible study where people were sharing some of their struggles so the group could pray for them. One man opened up that he had lost his wife to cancer 2 years prior and had just found out that his daughter had leukemia. The next person started their comments with “well, I can’t beat that.”

There is nothing wrong with facing our hardships and confronting them, but they are situations, not what defines us. We should name them, not as badges of honor, but as things to be turned over to God for prayer and support.

The challenge is that we, all too often, look to outside influences to make us something. To make us happy. To make us content. To make us fulfilled. But outside influences whether given (money, food, clothing) or taken away (fear, pain, hardship) do not “make us.” Case in point, their are incredibly wealthy people, who lack financial security. There are very well fed individuals, who crave certain foods.

The point is that the only way to “be” something else is from the inside out, not the outside in. Nothing pushing on the outside of a balloon is going to fill it up. Ful-fill-ment starts on the inside. That is where God comes in, by, literally coming in to your life. God is not an influence, He is a “be”ing. He says, you will “be” my people and I will “be” your God. He fills us with the Love of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He writes His name on us and claims us as His home, a place to fill with Himself.

When your focus turns to struggles, worries and hardships, as the song says, turn your eyes upon Jesus. In so doing you can “be” delighted in your inheritance, “be” patient and not fret, “be” still, and most rewardingly, you can “be” content. Content is an interesting word. The origin of the word is the past participle of the Latin word continere, meaning: to contain.

My Answers:

3.
a.
grumbling

b.
fire burned among them and consumed the edges of the camp, that is how He chose to reveal His wrath so they could see what they truly deserved.

4.
a.
Cried to Moses

b.
grumble, worry, pray

c.
16:6 – boundary lines, delightful inheritance
37:7 wait patiently, do not fret about others
4:11-12 be content

18.5 Moses 18, Day 5

Multi-Sensory Experience
I was struck in our lesson today about how God connects with us not only on every level but through all of our senses.  The sight of the cloud by day and fire by night.  The smell of the burnt offerings and incense.  The feel of hands upon the scape goat.  The sound of the trumpet.  The taste of the unleaven bread and roasted lamb of passover.
It reminded me of a Sunday school lesson on Daniel in the Lion’s den from Daniel 6.  After the angel closes the mouths of the lions and Daniel survives his night locked in their den, King Darius issues a decree recorded in Daniel 6:26, “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.””
Our God is alive.  He is not some talisman or good luck charm.  He is not a rock we rub for good luck or a piece of wood we wave about.  He is not your lucky pair of gym shorts (although those may be alive in a different, gross way).  God is living.  He hears, He smells, He gives, He looks, He wept, He is jealous, He created, He has a mighty hand, He breathes, He speaks and He loves.  (some related verses from the bible)
God’s wants to connect with us in every way, not only in every sense (literally), but even ultra-sensory.  He wants to dwell within us, to wash us clean of our sin and to tend to and grow the garden of our heart.  He wants to continue doing this.  With special days of celebration.  With sabbath days and years of peace and rest. But also in every moment.  Accepting God isn’t an event that is done and complete.  It is more like a wedding or even more so, a birth.  It is the start of a whole new life in every way, shape and form.
What dead charms do you put trust in instead of God?  How are you approaching the living God?  Are you doing it with a repentant and humble heart or with pride in the good works you’ve accomplished?  Do you seek a real relationship with Him?

My Answers:
11.

a.

1 year (it was the beginning of the second year, passover occurs on the 14th day of the new year, or at least it did at that time until the Jewish new year was changed after the time of Jesus when the temple was destroyed).
b.

It was a commandment of God.  It was a commemoration of a critical event.  It only happened once a year.  It was defining.
c.

Sometimes get distracted but ask God to continue to show that He is present in the worship
12.

a.

the cloud covered it when the tabernacle was set up and looked like fire at night, whenever it lifted they set out til stopped
b.

2 trumpets, all called to order, 1 only heads of clans, when blast east tribes set out, when 2nd blast south side, sons of A blow
c.

with sight and sound, by what I see and hear

18.4 Moses 18, Day 4

Missed Blessings

My mom relayed a conversation she had with the pastor at her church. She was talking with him about attendance at church service. She wanted him to know that there were some days that she just didn’t feel up to making it to church. It wasn’t because she didn’t like the music or the liturgy of the service. It wasn’t anything against his sermons. It wasn’t because she was behind on tithing. To use her term, “some days I’m just old.” I thought his words back to her were very wise and thoughtful. He told her that if she could make it at all, come for the last 2 minutes of the service and if she couldn’t make that to call him. The final part of the service is a benediction. Most of the time, it is the exact same words that God told Moses to tell Aaron to say. The pastor explained to her that this was a special blessing for her. While it was said to everyone in attendance, it was an individual blessing, something special and specific for each individual. If she wasn’t there to receive the blessing, she would miss out on it. If she simply couldn’t physically be there, then she should call him and he could give her her blessing.

When we recite the blessing in Number 6:24-26 we forget verse 27. “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

These weren’t just words or good wishes. While it is a “good word” or benediction, it is more than that. God told Moses to tell Aaron to “put my name on the people”. God didn’t say and I might bless them, He said “and I will bless them.”

Aaron didn’t originate the blessing. Moses didn’t originate the blessing. God originated the blessing. But, like in many other things, He allowed the priests, who were brothers to the community, to participate.

When we think about church attendance we tend to focus on the sermon or prayers or communion or songs. All of those are great and help us pour our heart out to God. But the blessing – that is something special, a gift from God given through the minister, specifically for you.

What blessings are you missing out on because you aren’t showing up? When you receive a blessing are you grabbing on to it and pasting it into your heart? Do you accept the gift? Do you bow your head or raise your hand and receive His name being written on to you? Do you desire His radiance, His grace, His peace, His blessing?

My Answers:

8.
When parting friends, blessing to children

9.
It is for God’s glory not my own. Give the required tithe plus more. – Tribe of Judah gave first 4th in line, Reuben, Simeon, Levi… But also the lineage of Jesus.

10.
a.
Given wholly to God who took them in place of the firstborn Israelites. Given as a gift to Aaron and his sons to do the work

b.
1. God can do what He wants (He is God), 2. From the passover every firstborn belongs to God, set apart. The Levites were taken in their place

c.
25-50

18.3 Moses 18, Day 3

Stopping things that spread and Letting go to gain more

What do skin disease, wronging another, and jealous husbands all have in common? They are all things that if not properly addressed can grow and spread and cause hurts that cannot be healed.

Take the requirement of restitution. We all grew up with the understanding that if you take something without permission you have to return it. But, we also know, that is insufficient. The item is returned or the cost of it is provided but there is still pain and hardship. Paying to fix someone’s car you wrecked is required but insufficient. They have to get estimates, be without a vehicle, etc. The Hebrews were given the +20% rule. Fix the car + 20% more of the cost. Buy the new sweater that you borrowed and got a hole in, plus a new scarf. Because, if you don’t, there is still resentment. The person wronged doesn’t feel whole. The relationship suffers, the parties suffer, the hurt spreads.

Jealousy. If a spouse believes the other is unfaithful, no level of discussion alone is going to bridge that gap. If one party thinks the other capable of lying and deceit, they aren’t simply going to believe reassurances. And, in a relationship between a man and women, the physically stronger man can cause far more than mental anguish. Instead, the matter is taken out of the hands of the husband and given to God and the priests.

Immediately after the conditions to deal with these areas of division, the Nazirite vow is discussed. In the Nazirite vow, certain things were set aside as they dedicated themselves to the Lord. Grapes, wine, haircuts. Clearly these are not significant material things that cause someone to sin, but they are symbolic, while still being tangible and visible.

Think about it this way. Have you ever been frozen in fear? It may have been on a ladder or the high-dive at the swimming pool. It may have been standing on a ledge of a ropes-course. You know it is unrational. You know you just need to move forward, but your body won’t take that step. You grasp ahold of something, anything. Don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe there is any such thing as a “leap of faith” with God. God never expects us to just “hope” He is there. He gives us so many assurances. He lights our path. He carries our load. But we can still get stuck in fear. When we do, the answer isn’t to force ourselves to move forward, to make the “leap”. Instead, it is to the answer is to first begin to let go. When a person took the Nazirite vow, they let go of little things, wine, personal grooming. In doing so they trusted in God. By releasing their white knuckle grasp on something insignificant, they opened their hand for God to take them by the hand. By dedicating themselves to Him for a time they entered a period of little releases while standing firmly on His foundation.

The whole Nazirite thing can seem silly to our modern ways of thinking, but it actually is a great lesson. It is like fasting. Denying yourself food for a period doesn’t make you stronger. Physically, it would make you weaker. But letting go of eating solid food for a 24 hour period of time as a vow of dedication to God for that period pays huge dividends. By letting go of little things, you participate in the vow. By honoring your separation, you honor your dedication to God and honor God Himself. You are not going to starve in 24 hours. This is truly insignificant physically, but spiritually it opens your hand to allow God to place it on the next rung of the ladder.

If you don’t believe you are frozen in place, let me ask you a question that challenge me this week. What can you name in your life that you completely and fully rely upon God to provide? No contingency plan. No backup strategy. Start by naming one material, significant thing. If you can name one, great, what else? As Christians, shouldn’t we all be fully trusting and relying on God for, if not all, the vast majority of the important things in our lives? But we grasp ahold and try to hold onto little things like control and self-sufficiency while mentally understanding that both of those are really just illusions. Maybe it is time to renew a vow of dedication.

My Answers:

6.
a.
1-4: Send away from the camp all who had a defiling skin disease
5-10: Make full restitution for wrong
11-31: Take wife who is suspected of unfaithfulness to the priest

b.
2 Million people, while they followed God, they also had issues and grievances that could have torn them apart. God provided a fair way to address these issues

c.
“Justice” was not put in the hands of a jealous husband. The test was put to God through the priest.

7.
a.
A vow of dedication and separation – a full and deep devotion. Samson, JTB

b.
prayer and fasting

18.2 Moses 18, Day 2

Order and Organization

Side Note:

Before I discussing today’s lesson I want to share something that really helped me with these first chapters. I tend to get tripped up on all the names. I don’t know how to pronounce them and I stumble and get distracted. But, this week, I used the YouVersion bible on my tablet. Not only does it have the scriptures in text that I could read, but it also had an audio version. I played the audio version and read along and didn’t need to worry about any of the pronunciation!

God is all knowing. This attribute of God simply, but completely, means that God knows everything at every time. Nothing is hidden from Him. Nothing is missing or lost. He knows every star and asteroid, every tree and flower, every animal and even the number of hairs and each atom.

God doesn’t need organization and storage. Nothing is ever lost or missing. God doesn’t need a census. He not only knows how many people there are, but He also knows them all by name.

This is an interesting thing to keep in mind as we open the book of Numbers. None of this is for God’s benefit. All of it is for ours.

We do best when we have structure, a place, a home, a family, a tribe, tribal leaders and a community. God helps establish that for the Israelites before they leave Mt. Sinai. He calls forth the leaders (by name). He organizes the living arrangements by directions on the compass. He puts Himself in the center. He puts those dedicated to the care of the holy things immediately around the holy things. He give every person and every tribe equal access. He not only organized them by tribe (interesting that aver 400 years of slavery everyone knew which tribe they belonged), but we see the strength of large families.

He also instructed Moses to count the men. The total number of fighting men, ages 20+ was over 600,000. This is an army approximately 3 times larger than the entire colonial forces in the American Revolution. It also shows for them and for us how God keeps His covenant with Abraham. 70 Hebrews went into Egypt. 2 to 3 Million came out.

Do you fight the organization and structure that God has provided? Do you rebel? The only reason it is in place is for our benefit. How can you look on it as a blessing instead of a burden?

Do you every feel insignificant or anonymous, just another number? There was no estimation in this census, no rounding, each person was counted and their name was written down. You are part of God’s plan and important to Him.

My Answers:

3.
a.
Count of men over 20 able to serve in the army

b.
God said – they were called into different service, service to the tabernacle

c.
603,550

d.
>2 Million

e.
70 came into Egypt with Jacob

4.
a.
the tent of meeting

b.
He was to be at the center of everything they did, everyone would have access to Him

c.
service, trying to be a witness to God’s love and provision

5.
a.
Three (living) — Aaron; Eleazar; Ithamar

b.
v9. the Levites in place of the 1st born of every tribe – they were care-takers

c.
when they sided with moses and took their sword against brother

d.
The honor of being behind the scenes

17.5 Moses 17, Day 5

Holy Heart not Holey Heart

God has tremendous blessings in store for all of His children. Bounties of harvest so great that farmers would need to move the old crops out to make room for the new ones coming in. They would not need to build larger store houses, because there was so much security in God’s promise they didn’t need to worry about storing up more. God promised them peace and safety, from war, from wild animals, from enemies. God promised might and victory. Unprecedented might and victory, where 5 people could defeat 100.

Even more so God offered to dwell among His people.

But, that isn’t where this chapter starts. This chapter starts with specific commands. No idols, no graven images, observe the sabbaths, have reverence for the sanctuary. How do these things go together?

This isn’t quite equivalent, but try this as an explanation: You have been invited to the top artisan ice cream shop in the world. You are given free access to every flavor, every topping ever accompaniment you can imagine. But it is BYOB – Bring Your Own Bowl. How would you feel if you showed up and your bowl was dirty, broken, cracked, with holes.

In this case, though, the bowl is your heart.

God wants you to enjoy the bounty He has in mind. God has carefully prepared for you the things your heart craves. He really doesn’t want you to show up with a bowl that is broken and full of holes. If you don’t get the message from the promise of the blessing, then He will provide other forms of discipline. If the carrot doesn’t work, then maybe the whip will. God does not want to punish you, no more than a loving parent wants to punish a child, but if that is what it takes to get you to show up with a clean and ready bowl – that is up to you.

Leviticus 26:40-45 confirms this. Repent. Get your heart back in line, and God freely hands you the golden ticket to His ice cream shop.

What is the state of your bowl (your heart)? Have you asked God to “create in me a clean heart”? Have you asked God to help mend your broken heart? Have you repented and showed the chips and holes to the one who can fix them. ? Do you have a Holy Heart, or are you showing up with a Heart full of Holes?

My Answers:

10.
a.
1. do not make idols or bow down to carved stone, 2.observe the sabbaths and have reverence for sanctuary

b.
3-5: send rain in its season, ground will yield crops, trees fruit,… you’ll eat all the food you want and live in safety
6-8 peace and safety, remove wild animals, no wars at home, defeat military enemies (5 chase 100) 11-13 God dwell with them, safety and freedom – He would be their king

c.
14-17: Illness, famine and defeat
18-20: Drought and bad harvest
21-22: Multiplied afflictions and destructive wild animals
23-26: Diseases and destruction by enemies

11.
a.
If repent and approach with a humble heart, God will remember His covenant

b.
That the holy of holies is open, Jesus is my high priest and He is redeeming me daily, despite my sin

12.
a.
2. a person (child or otherwise), 9. an animal, 14.a house, 16. family land, 22. purchased land/fields

17.4 Moses 17, Day 4

Being poor is a situation not a station

The first time the word poor shows up in the NIV version of the bible is in Exodus 23. This is the chapter where Moses is giving instruction to the Hebrews that he received from God, and the chapter where he says, in verse 11, “but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it.” In other words, the same dialogue we are studying today in Leviticus.

Even in the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey, there would be poor people. These people would likely be believers in God. Some of them were clearly from the ranks of Hebrews. There was no indication that they were poor because these people were being punished, nor that they were inferior. They were just poor.

As we read these chapter of Leviticus, it is easy to fall into a “prosperity gospel” mindset. God, the creator of everything, has unimaginable abundance and a love to pour that out upon His people in grace and great bounty. And, all of that is actually true. But, there will still be people who are economically poor.

However, the other thing we see from this is that being poor, at least as used here, is not a station, it is not a position in society or a caste, it is just a situation. During someone’s life, there may be times when they are economically wealthy and other times where they are economically poor. Again, they have not “earned” either situation and both situations can bring us closer to God. We can be on the right path of faith and still experience highs and lows, both spiritually and economically. God can use these times to teach us and help us grow.

On one hand, this is refreshing and encouraging. On the other, it can really challenge us, too. For example: understanding poverty in this way draws us to approach helping the poor in a different way. We are called to give and help the poor in what they need rather than in what we have in abundance. Stop and read that last sentence again.

This is not “drive-by charity”. This is a lot more challenging, it means interacting with and getting to know people who are experiencing a time of poverty. This means not only giving stuff, but giving of ourselves so that we can give the message of a relationship with God. It is a lot, lot, lot messier. It is a whole lot easier to just load up a basket of food or clothes and drop them off at some collection center. We can still do those things, they are good, just not sufficient. Mostly because they provide a hand-out, but not a hand-up. If these are the only approaches to charity and the poor that we take, then we need to ask “are we giving to help others or because it makes us feel better about ourselves?”

The fact is, drive-by charity is not how God approaches me or you. God listens. God knows us. God shows compassion. God gives us what we need. Sometimes what we need and what He provides is an easy road. Sometimes, however, it means being bent over picking up the left-overs of the field. Both are compassionate, because, in both situations, God knows us well enough to know this is where we need to be to have the opportunity to become spiritually rich. God is compassionate enough to allow us to be economically poor at times if it will help us to become eternally spiritually wealthy. He is also compassionate enough to allow us to be economically wealthy to test our commitment to our faith walk. “it is far easier for…”

When you are thinking this week about how God’s treatment of you can influence your treatment of others, think first about God’s patience and how many times He has heard you repent the same thing and how many times He has held your hand and been with you even when you were not paying attention to the fact that He was there. Food, money, shelter, clothing, are all things we should give, but the greater gift we can give is the present of actually being present. Through this relationship, others can see a true relationship with God. Even in these chapters in Leviticus, God isn’t just discussing providing for the people, He is talking about dwelling among them.

My Answers:

8.
Do not treat outsiders better than your own, help them, provide for them without interest, Do not withold food for profit.

9.
a.
38. I am the Lord, 42 the Israelites are my servants…, fear your God 55. they belong to God as servants, He brought them out of Egypt. “I am the LORD your God.”

b.
Today – safety, shelter, food, fellowship, a ministry, love, family, care for family, provision, a church, the bible, a relationship with Him

c.
My help to others should reflect God’s love. I belong to Him. They belong to Him.