bsfblog – Page 3 – The Notes are Good

29.3 Moses 29, Day 3

Blessings in The Old, The New and the Bridge

I think blessings are a lot of fun. They are fun to receive. They are meaningful to give. Each day I’m thankful to God for all the blessings He has provided and I ask for His blessing and protection on friends, family, co-workers and those in need.

The question that had us compare the lists of the Tribes of Israel through Genesis and here in Deuteronomy really made me step back and think.

The first list in Genesis 29 is in birth order, from first born to last. This is chronological and important for inheritance.

The second list in Genesis 49 is sorted by birth mother. This is structured around the relationship that Jacob had with the women who gave birth to these sons.

The third list in Deuteronomy is roughly sorted by position in the camp. The western tribes together, the northern tribes, etc. This is structured around the relationship between the tribes and the temple of God.

So we have chronology and history. The choices of the parents influence and impact future generations. God’s promises of blessings to parents can span to their offspring. We have relationships with each other and we have relationships with God and His presence in our lives. All of these are important to God.

But there are exceptions in the last list. Reuben, Judah, Levi and Simeon are not presented in the order of their position around the tabernacle as are the others. I am not a bible scholar, but I think there may be a message in this.

Reuben was the first born. He represents the inheritance. The promise of God to Abraham, repeated to Jacob. He reflects the continued fulfillment of God’s covenant relationship with Abraham.

Judah is the lineage of Jesus. He represents the saving grace of Christ who came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

Levi is the the priesthood and the law. He represents justice and sacrifice and teaching; correlations to attributes of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

With this in mind, it is interesting that these three were pulled out separate and first. First, Reuben. As God came first Abraham and his descendents. They were to be his people and He was their God. Second, Judah. The New Covenant of salvation through faith by grace. Not because of who we are but because of what He has done. Then Levi, the law bridges the old and new. Christ said He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.

And what of Simeon. Again, I don’t know, but one consistent biblical message is that each generation, each nation, each tribe, family and person gets choice. They are loved by God. They are desired by God, but they choose whether to receive God’s blessing or not. Simeon was part of the southern tribes. Members from the southern tribes were involved in most of the rebellions in the wilderness. Simeon’s portion in the promised land is within the boundaries of Judah. The tribe becomes somewhat scattered as foretold by Jacob in Genesis 49.

While all these blessings were to the tribes of Israel, I think it is important to note that they reflect God’s power and authority. He had the ability to provide and fulfill each of these blessings then and He has that same power today in your life and in mine.

My Answers:

5.
Gen 29 lists in birth order 12, Gen 49 is blessings from Jacob, listed by mother – 12+2, Deut is blessing from Moses, listed roughly by position around the tabernacle (western tribes together, northern together), Simeon not listed, 11+2

6.
Reub, live not die
Judah, Lord help against foes
Levi, teach God’s law and incense
Ben, rest secure, shielded and loved
Joe, fruitful land
Zeb/Issach, treasures sea and sand
Gad, chose best, carried out Lord’s righteous will
Dan, lion’s cub springing on prey
Napht, blessed by God, SW land by lake
Ash, favored by bros, strong all his life

7.
teach God’s law, carryout His righteous will, be favored by brothers and strong all life, rest secure and be shielded and loved

27.4 Moses 27, Day 4

A Holy Covenant Relationship

All of our study this week in Deuteronomy, starting in Deuteronomy 26:17 and continuing through Deuteronomy 29, reminds me of a wedding ceremony. You can hear it in the language of the scriptures:

¹⁷You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. ¹⁸And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised

⁹Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God.

¹⁰All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, ¹¹together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water. ¹²You are standing here in order to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God, a covenant the Lord is making with you this day and sealing with an oath, ¹³to confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you and as he swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

I believe this analogy is fitting. God wants an intimate relationship with you and with me. He actually wants a vow larger than a wedding vow. A wedding vow lasts for a lifetime. God’s desired relationship lasts for eternity. God’s commitment in His covenant is you will be His and He will be yours.

As we grow in our relationship with God we see and understand more of Him. More time in the Word also builds a closer relationship with God and opens our eyes to His nature and attributes. As God reveals Himself to us, that revelation is something that can never be taken away. God wants to continue to reveal the secret things, the things we cannot understand without first understanding who God is. Each of those “things revealed” is a gift, an everlasting gift. Our mind may not be able to fully understand all of who God is, but that doesn’t mean it is something that is held as a secret from us, it is just something we cannot yet understand. If someone were to ask me a question about Quantum Physics, I wouldn’t know enough to begin the conversation. Yet, someone who has spent their life in study of it may grow in their appreciation of how much there is yet that we don’t know or understand. God is bigger and deeper than quantum physics, yet, like an amazingly patient teacher, each day He is willing to teach us more about Himself.

My Answers:

7.
13. confirm you this day as his people, that he may be your God as he promised you

8.
Idolatry

9.
a.
God’s judgments and His paths

b.
The law, the covenants, God’s love and mercy

c.
God’s warnings to His people out of His love for them. God’s patience. God’s willingness to listen to prayer, that God is approachable. The correct posture for obedience: up/worship, around/love, down/fear of God.

27.3 Moses 27, Day 3

I do it myself

When our kids were younger we would often here them say, “I do it myself”. They didn’t want help. They didn’t want direction. They wanted to exercise their independence.

God doesn’t restrain or restrict our independence. He made us and He made that as part of our nature. He wants us to make choices. But, like a loving parent, He wants us to make the right choices.

God lines up the events of our life. Some to encourage us, some to challenge us and make us stronger. This is in the same way that a parent or teacher or coach would line up controlled events for us to practice and learn and grow. God is in control.

And, He wants to bless us along the path of life. He wants us to be blessed. He wants us to be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Blessed when we come in and blessed when we go out. Blessed in our work and in our leisure. Blessed in our families and against our enemies.

I think of it like a special protective coating that God has for us every single day, like sunscreen or the de-icing solution on airplanes. God wants to wash a blessing over us every single day that permeates our physical self, our thoughts, our words and our actions.

But how often do we side step the blessing or shove it out of our way like a child wanting to “do it myself”? How often do we reject not only the blessing but reject God pushing him to be behind us instead of the one who goes before us? How can you stop right now (seriously, right now) and ask God to pour His blessing over you to change the rest of the way you live out this day?

My Answers:

5.
To be blessed, to be blessed when you come in and go out, to enjoy God’s provision of food/shelter/defeat of enemies, To be established as His holy people, to walk in obedience to Him, abundant prosperity, opening the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty

6.
a.
32. Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.

b.
They disobeyed by not driving out the enemy in the promised land, disobedience led to famine during the time of Elisha, and ate their own children

c.
To have increased obedience. To enter obedience joyfully.

24.2 Moses 24, Day 2

The Madness of Balaam

What does it mean for one to have “madness”. In our modern, clinical world, we tend to equate madness with illness, something that is a disease or affliction that someone has through no control of their own. We consider an insanity as a just reason for someone to not be held accountable for their actions.

But is there a different definition of madness? One that isn’t inflicted upon, but chosen by the individual. Someone who is presented with full knowledge of repercussions, but chooses the foolish path. It would be considered madness for a parent to allow a young child to play in an area scattered with broken glass. In this case we would consider that an act of insanity, but not one that would receive any sympathy or relief of accountability.

It can almost be thought of as dual minded. On one hand, you are consciously aware of the right thing to do, and yet, you purposefully choose to do the wrong thing.

I bring this up because in 2 Peter 2:16 we read, “But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey–an animal without speech–who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness”.

I see this dual mindedness in Balaam. In one mind, he hears God’s voice. He knows to obey. No amount of money can change his pledge of obedience. In another mind, he chooses to commune with evil spirits, to practice divination and sorcery, to go for monetary gain to disobey God and speak against the Israelites. In his other mind, he can witness and angel and bow down in repentance and obedience.

Again, I am not presenting mental illness as an excuse for Balaam, but I do believe his actions (and God’s actions) speak to someone who was mad. Balaam clearly heard the explicit command of the voice of God. The one he (Balaam the obedient) had chosen to listen to and obey. And the very next morning he (Balaam the idolator) was who got up and saddled his donkey.

We see the wickedness in his outburst of anger. We see his separation from obedience to God in his blindness to the Angel of the Lord. It does not say God prevented him from seeing, it only says that God later opens his eyes after allowing the donkey to chastise him. It is clear that this is not the same minded Balaam who obeys God in 7 oracles of blessing (tomorrow’s lesson).

I don’t think God was angry with Balaam for asking repeatedly. Paul asked repeatedly to be allowed to witness to the Jews, and that door was repeatedly closed. God was not angry for Paul’s persistent prayer. I don’t think God was angry with Balaam for not waiting for the officials to come back to him to get him to leave as many commentators have stated. I understand scripturally how they make their argument based on the wording of what God says in Numbers 22: 20 “if” (the Hebrew word ‘im: Strongs H518 = if). But the English translation of that word depends entirely on the tense of the sentence: If the men come to you vs. if these men have come to you (i.e., since these men came to you). Since sentence tense is completely different between Hebrew and English this is why we see differences between bible versions from the KJV to NIV. I’m just not on the page that God was angry because he didn’t wait.

I think it is not only that he went, but what mind he was in when he left. The Balaam that left that morning wasn’t one bent on serving God, it was one seeking profit, power and prestige. It was one who knew what was right, but still had full intent, as he had done repeatedly in the past, to practice sorcery and divinition. God was angry because he (that Balaam) was who was seated on the donkey that day.

I also see this as different than falling into sin as we all as Christians often do. Balaam’s sin was not the result of temptation, it was the purposeful and direct choice to willfully not only reject God’s direct commandment, to reject God and attempt to put Him on the same level as demons and fiction. It is like going in to a test in school knowing all the right answers but purposefully choosing to select the wrong answers. This is a clearly spiteful act and contrasts decidedly from someone performing in error.

The amazing part to me wasn’t God’s anger or even the talking donkey, but the fact that God is so filled with love for His creation that he allows the level of choice that Balaam was executing. To hear the voice of God and purposefully choose to willfully reject Him and commune with the lowest minions of the devil. To sell your services of wickedness and curses. It must break God’s heart to see the depths to which his creation can fall, and, yet, He gave even Balaam, and even a donkey, a voice to speak His truth. We also see His love of Israel. That regardless of the wicked plots of earthly kings, no curse would befall them.

What an amazing God.

My Answers:

3.
a.
King of a terrified people, filled with dread, took action to call on Balaam

b.
buy a curse on the Israelites, then fight them and hopefully defeat them and drive them out of the land

c.
moved, met with, gave passage to, sought to know the God of Israel, invite Moses, repent

d.
fight, conspire against, use power of others such as the courts, try to undermine. Some use diplomacy. Money to buy power or influence

4.
a.
No – Despite knowing the truth he chose to live a life attempting to put God and demons, the divine and divination on the same level.

b.
Do not add to or subtract from God’s word. God’s word can be heard by both believers and non-believers. God is interested in the heart. God can say no to a believer in love and yes to a non-believer to bring both into a state of heart obedience

c.
Taking greater caution to hear all of God’s message, not to add to or subtract from it as Balaam did to suit his own purposes. To put my belief in God, not just have a belief of God

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.

17.3 Moses 17, Day 3

Mine

If you have spent time around toddlers, then you have seen mankind at its most natural state. They can be loving and caring and adorable, but they can also be, well, let’s say – challenging. No parent teaches their child to go and snatch something from an innocent sibling or playmate and scream the word, “mine”, to them.

But that is what toddlers do. That is what you and I did. It is what children did decades and millennia ago. It is who we are.

But it isn’t mine. No matter how you play the game of life, as John Ortberg wrote, “when the game is over, it all goes back in the box.”

We live every day with this concept of scarcity. There is only so much of (insert item here) so I need to get mine. If things keep going like they are going, we are going to run out. For me to have more means someone will have less and I would rather be on the more side than the less side of that equation.

But that is a lie. Historically, it doesn’t even prove out. Each time we form decision on a scarcity mindset, something changes and our strategies no longer work. A famous example of this was the London Crisis of 1894. At that time there were enough people living in the city of London that a lot of transportation was required. The transportation of that day was horse, either individually or in carriages, wagons, etc. The problem wasn’t the horses themselves, per se, but what need to go into the horses and what came out of them. There was tremendous concern over enough land to grow feed as the city swelled into the countryside and whether that land could sustain both human and horse needs. There was concern over the growing piles of horse manure in the streets and the impact and costs it imposed. But, as we know, this entire problem simply went away with the advent of the motor-car.

The God who created everything out of nothing does not have a scarcity mindset and, if our focus is on the right things, we won’t either. If you start thinking about scarcity instead of abundance, remind yourself about love. Remind yourself about freedom, liberty, happiness, peace, joy, goodwill, praise, faith, hope, beauty, grace. Remind yourself about God.

Should I be focused on these things? Can society or a nation? It might be worth doing a search and seeing what is engraved on the Liberty Bell. It might ring true for today’s scriptures.

My Answers:

5.
a.
7×7=49, +1= 50th is another sabbath year. proclaim liberty throughout the land. All purchased farm land returned, all go home

b.
Freedom – freedom from slavery. Honoring of a covenant. The gifts of inheritance belong to the family of the King

6.
a.
to identify fairness in pricing of the selling of land since it would be returned in the Jubilee year – basically you are buying the output of the land, not the land itself

b.
Follow my decrees and obey my laws – safety, crop yield, blessings of abundance

c.
A sabbath year of rest for the land, yes – it has benefits for the land. A period of forgiveness of debts and return of property would not work as well because it would inhibit development, also our land was not a covenant land

7.
a.
to be the kinsman redeemer. Abraham rescued Lot. Boaz with Naomi and Ruth

b.
We have incurred debts we cannot pay and have become impoverished to sin. Jesus came as our kinsman and redeemed us by paying our sin and bringing us into His household as His family.

15.3 Moses 15, Day 3

Listen and obey, come to the altar, and repent

I understand that the point of the question about the “first duty” of Aaron and his sons was that first they made the offering for their own sin. Any one who has flown on an airplane has heard the direction to first put on your own breathing mask and then assist others. We know the scriptural call to “first take the plank out of our own eye”. In order to help others, we must first take repentant steps in our own life to remove the stain of sin.

But, when we peel back the steps leading up to that sin sacrifice, we receive even more insight. The first thing they were called to do was to listen. Moses called them and said… Moses was talking, giving direction, but Aaron and his sons had the responsibility of hearing the words that God had given him.

Next, they obeyed. Vs 5. they took the things Moses had commanded to the front of the tent.

Then they accepted the altar call in vs 7 and finally, they offered the sacrifice for their own sins.

This is the order of the calling each of us can receive as well. First, God is calling to us. He talks to us through His word, through others in our life, through events and circumstances, through the Spirit. But how many refuse to listen? He who has ears, let him hear. Second, upon hearing the call of our Lord, we have free-will. Sadly, many hear the call to salvation but choose to not obey. Third, we approach the altar. We are not called first to “go out”, but we are called first to “come home” to bring ourselves to the foot of the cross. Finally, through repentance, we accept the gift of sacrifice that Jesus made to fully cover our sins for all eternity.

This is important because God’s love is so great for us that He doesn’t insist that we first repent and then receive the call from Him. It is not that we are seeking Him, but like the Good Shepherd, He is out seeking His lost sheep.

This same pattern continues even after we have been saved. We often will pray for “the direction of the Spirit.” However, here is the truth: The Spirit is not lacking in providing direction – we are lacking in reading, hearing and heeding that direction. If you would like more blessing. If you would like more joy. If you would like more revelation of the glory of the Lord. Reading, Hearing and Heeding is a great place to start. That path will lead you through obedience, repentance and into the presence of the glory of God.

My Answers:

6.
a.
From Moses to God

b.
1. Listen, 2. Come to the Altar, 3. sacrifice a sin offereing

c.
They were commanded by the Lord so that the Glory so that the glory of the Lord may appear

d.
1. our order of tasks is the same. 2. The reason for the ministry must (a) come from God and (b) be only for the glory of God

7.
a.
They shouted for joy and fell facedown

b.
When I have felt the full redemption of God from my sins

14.5 Moses 14, Day 5

(Side Note: Before I begin – I was sad to look ahead and see that it does not appear that BSF will cover Leviticus 23. I’m hopeful that it is included as background in the Revelation study because understanding the feasts is very useful as a prophecy/foreshadowing of God’s plan for the future of mankind. I recommend taking a few minutes and reading the information on Feasts on Hebrew4Christians.com for a quick overview).

Defiling the Land

We think of land as, well, dirt and rocks. It is not alive, inanimate. It is neither good or evil, it is just land.

But then we turn around and have hold the consecration of places, rooms and buildings. We pray over and annoint a church building to consecrate it, to literally join it “with sacred”. We set it apart for holy use.

So if a place can be consecrated (joined with the sacred), it can also be desecrated (separated from the sacred). This is not done by something the land does, it is done by the actions of those in the place. They leave a stain, a mark on the land. They take a sacred place and treat it with “violent disrepect and violation”. They act of descrating a place is to defile it.

God warned the Israelite people about their sin. He provided specific rules and laws concerning moral, civil and ceremonial behavior, but the moral code was the one with impact on the land. Acts of immorality separate a place from God.

Many in our time like to believe “I can do whatever I want with my body as long as it doesn’t hurt someone else.” But God is very clear – (1) your body doesn’t belong to you, you didn’t make it, it was a gift from God and (2) immorality always does hurt someone else. We may not see it, but the consequences of immorality permeate the very land we stand on, defiling it and separating it from being joined with God.

Too often the response of Christians is to simply ignore the immorality – live and let live. But Leviticus 5:1 taught that if anyone is a witness and refuses to testify, that is a sin.

So, what should we do? Organize pickets? Hold up signs? Scream and shout? I don’t see that as the model that is set forth for us to follow.

I think our appropriate response is in the instructions that God gave to both Abraham and Joshua about the promised land. Walk through it. Cover the breadth and width of the land. Every where the sole of your foot steps will be given to you. (See Genesis 13 and Joshua 1). While we are walking we need to be praying. Only God has the ability to make something sacred because only He is sacred. Only God has the ability to renew a place. Only God has the ability to redeem a place.

Where will you start? Your home? Your neighborhood? Your kid’s schools? Your church? What if we all showed up 5 or 15 minutes early this week to BSF and walked the halls and classrooms and sanctuary of the church in which we are meeting, asking God to reclaim the land we stand on from the consequences of sin.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of being “vomited out of the land” is really not appealing to me!

My Answers:

10.
The life of a creature is in its blood. Blood is life. Blood is required because loss of life is required. The original gift of God in the first covenant between God and Adam was life – in return he required obedience of 1 law. When mankind chose disobedience, we forfeited any rights to the gift. Atonement is not possible without the return of what was given to us – life.

11.
a.
God has high standards about sexual relations

b.
Listen to God, not what they have observed others doing. “I am the LORD your God.” (my daughter said this sounded like me – “do it because I’m your parent – that is sufficient.”) If you defile the land, it will voit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

12.
a.
Use honest scales – conduct self and staff not with an goal of maximizing possible gain but of being honest and fair and forthright in every business dealing

b.
God’s decrees for a consecrated people are very serious

13.3 Moses 13, Day 3

Within Tolerance

Moses was called on to inspect the work of the craftsmen. God had provided very exact standards in terms of measurement, materials, forms, function and structure. Moses was uniquely qualified to inspect the work. First, because he had heard the specifications first hand. Second, because he, and he alone, had been given a glimpse at the glory of God. While you and I may be enamored with the beauty of the craftsmanship, any handiwork would pale in comparison to the glory of God.

But, what if the craftsmanship was a little off? What if something was a quarter of a cubit short? What if the bronze was just a bit tarnished? What if one of the rods was a little too long? How big of a deal would it be, really? What level of tolerance to the standards was there?

What we see over and over and over again is the work was done “just as the Lord commanded.”

Do we apply this standard in the work we do for the Lord? There is a difference between being perfect and being exact. We are not perfect, no human but Jesus has been. But we can be exact. We can exactly honor the commitments we make to God. If we commit to give a certain amount, we should give exactly that amount (or more). If we commit to spend time in the bible every day, then that should be every day. Once we make that commitment will we immediately face trial and tribulation – Yes – but there are no new trials, just the same old ones that God has helped people overcome since the beginning of mankind.

The people of the church are the building blocks of the church. Each time we give ourselves an extra level of tolerance for inexactness, we cut a corner, slant an edge, or round an end. When others use our work or example to build upon (either with our intent or not), the structure of the church is weakened.

What should we do instead?

Pray and be patient before making commitments. Sometimes we do what we think and then pray for support.
Seek training. The craftsmen were skilled, but they still received training.
Execute exactness – not perfection, but exactness. Why would you give God less than your best work?
Ask God and fellow Christians to hold you accountable and to help your contribution to the church be square and level. When you seek this feedback and accountability it is not a criticism of you, it is a recognition that you want to delivery the best work you can.

Finally, our group got into a discussion about the tent of meeting. The term has 2 different meanings. First, there was the tent of meeting that Moses built outside of the camp where he would go and meet with God. In this regard, you and I may have a “tent of meeting”, a special place where we spend time with God in prayer or praise or study. This may be a place in your home or work, inside or outside. It’s purpose is not to constrain God, but to remove outside distractions. The second is the Tent of Meeting. I’ll call this Big-T Tent. This is the tent inside the tabernacle that contained the table, the lampstand, etc. and had the curtain separating a space in it as the Holy of Holies, the place where the Ark of the Covenant Law was placed. The priests were required to properly wash and prepare before entering this Big-T Tent.

My Answers:

6.
a.
Just as the Lord commanded

b.
Attention to detail – a loving heart for God

c.
Obedience and boldness

7.
a.
14 days before the passover – God announced that He would soon deliver the people from Egypt. This commitment by God was so important that He set it to be the date of the 1st day of their calendar.

b.
They had seen God’s faithfulness and that 1 year to the day He would pick to renew His covenant and live with them

8.
a.
The ark of the covenant law

b.
God’s presence is what made the tabernacle more than a tent

c.
God’s guidance and love