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Our Father, creator of all that is good in our world, we present ourselves to you, confessing our frustrations and confusion. Create in us a new heart oh God, one that can accept your love for us and our fellowman. Help us to understand the hearts of one another as we seek answers to the pain we experience in our world through your word. Amen.
Response to Leviticus 9:7-10:20
In preparation for the Lord's coming, Aaron the priest first offers sacrifices for atonement for his own sin and guilt. He then offers the burnt offering, consecrating his office in service to the Lord with the help of his sons. After thus being cleansed and set right with God, he can be used of God to offer forgiveness for the people and present their purification to the Lord for use in His Kingdom. Together then, they are able to celebrate fellowship and peace with one another in anticipation of the Lord's coming. What a great symbolic barbecue. What if we all saw this type of symbolism whenever we shared a cookout with one another! But of course, someone else slaughtered our meat and we didn't have to experience the bloody part of the experience. I guess that's kind of like the fact that Christ did the hard part and we just frolic in the celebration!
For those who understand, (Moses and Aaron in this instance went into the house of God to meet with him) perhaps the elect children of God with whom He has chosen to meet, our call is then to come out of the tent of meeting with blessings for the people. Not only have we prayed for forgiveness of our own sins, but for the sins of all who represent the Kingdom of God - all of creation. This is pleasing to God when we understand this. If we, His people, who are called by His name will humble ourselves and fall on our knees and turn from our hatred and anger, confessing our sins as well as those of our world, then He will hear from Heaven and will forgive our sin and heal our world. Leviticus 9:24 He came, His presence was reavealed, He accepted their prayers, their lives, their worship. And the people saw it! They shouted for joy! and every knee bowed down in worship.
In the excitement of the moment, the elect sons of Aaron took glory upon themselves and put fire in their own censers, using the worship due to God for their own glory! They were immediately removed from the celebration as God's Holy fire consumed them. God said "Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored." Again, it is God who makes us holy and blesses us with our callings, our talents, and our abilities. All glory belongs to the creator who made all things. Thus, we see athletes giving glory to God. The same must be true of each one of us. Salvation has nothing to do with our works. He has given us blessings that have allowed us faith, hope, love, joy - all praise belongs to Him. Our love, which He has provided, must be shared with all of creation to bring glory to Him. If it becomes about ourselves, He will remove us from service before Him so that the world will see that it is He who is mighty to save.
How easy it is to look at the deaths of Nadab and Abihu and question God's divine judgement. But how dare we. It is important to remember that He calls us to honor to draw all people to himself. They were God's chosen priests. It is seriously doubtful that He sent them to hell. Yet, on earth, the people again experienced a fear of the Lord and a reminder of His Holiness and the servitude of man. We must be willing to suffer loss for the sake of His ultimate glory and honor on earth. We have an assurance in all things that we will be reunited with our loved ones regardless of earthly tragedy. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When God's presence came to earth and the people worshiped, it was not common men who died, but the most religious - those who were called to serve as shepherds, priests. It was their act of ceremony apart from God's will that were snuffed out. The people then, the people today look at this story and respond in fear and come to a realization that God requires our honor and respect. We should realize that we must be humble before Him and banish our own pride of life. The Israelites, and we, have our reminder in this story to honor God in the service of His kingdom. The people that day were very careful to follow the Lord's commands in the hopes that their lives would be spared. I am guessing this was a sign for those left behind as Nadab and Abihu were snatched into glory. Death is not something we need to fear. Death is a part of life for the believer. It is of benefit for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Yet, it is a struggle and an omen for those who are left behind.
How difficult it must have been for Nadab and Abihu's family to be forced to partake of the fellowship and peace offerings immediately after the death of these two leaders in the family. Moses, in his own fear and attention to procedure struggled to allow the human emotion to affect the situation. Pride and attention to detail had suddenly cast a pall over the worship and celebration of the day. There is joy and celebration when men get together and honor God the father and one another. Yet, when one interferes in such worship or celebration calling attention to oneself, such joy and celebration suffers. Honor God and be humble as servants to one another as we worship and learn more of God together. Just as a Father loves on earth but must be given honor, so God our creator loves us as His children, but deserves our honor, respect, thanksgiving, and praise.
His presence has come down. He is right here, right now. Confess your pride and call on His name. Count your blessings and give Him the honor, thanksgiving, and praise He deserves. Accept His love and offer yours in return.
Response to Mark 4:26-5:20
The parable of growing grain as related in Mark4:26-29 stands alone in the gospels. A brother recently commented to me that as He read the One Year Bible last year, he became frustrated how the earth would be ravaged, yet a remnant would go out and rebuild just to see the earth ravaged again and again. Have you found that to be true? I have. Worship began with Cain and Abel in Matthew 4. The first murder was based on religious practice. Inspiration from this death affected the religious practice of mankind till the present day. Men again began to call on God in Genesis 4:26 in the time of Enosh. Legends rose as the sons of God came in to the daughters of men in Genesis 6:4. Yet, sin became so overwhelming that the sickle came down in the form of a flood and God began again with Noah and his sons. Religion again spread throughout the earth as we read of priests in various places. One of these was was Melchizedek, whom even some devout Christians claim may have been an earlier representation of Jesus Christ. Abraham is chosen and through His seed, God calls all men to himself.
God returns them to the promised land, refining the pagan rituals of worship of the earth in the process. Yet, the children of Israel lose sight of the fact it is God who makes them Holy. Their remnant are dispersed throughout the world and their continuing saga calls all men to Himself again and again as He shows forth His glory within their midst. Eventually, his glory is present in bodily form as fortold, yet they do not recognize this fact. Through His sacrificial atonement, God again calls all men to Himself and the seeds of the Kingdom of God are again spread throughout the world.
And yet, eventually the Kingdom of God as represented through Judaism, Christianity, or Islam becomes a Kingdom based on the pride of men and the judgement of God again scatters and refines the process. The remnant again spreads the seed of the Kingdom and the world responds. And yet, at what point has the Love of God been of paramount importance. How often has the seed been more reflective of the Creator's desire to reunite all of creation unto himself and how often has it been harvested and weeded of human pride and predjudice? Until creation understands His love and His desire for it, the process of seedtime and harvest will continue. Until that point when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess the righteousness and strength found only in the Lord, History is bound to repeat itself.
The parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-34) is reflected also in Matthew 13:31-32 and Luke 13:18-19. If the Kingdom of God is one of Love, Joy, and Peace, and Honor to the Creator, not only does it offer rest and comfort to mankind, but all of creation can once again be in harmony. No longer will death and destruction, hatred and dishonor separate men from men or ravage the earth.
As we move on from parables to experiences of life with Christ in Mark 4:35-41, (also accounted in Matthew 8:23-27 and Luke 8:22-25), the disciples face their own death in a storm on the sea. Jesus wakes and chastises them for their fear of death. He then calms the sea, proving once again that He is Lord of Creation.
Mark 5:1-20 brings the boat to the other side of the sea and mirrors the story as told by Matthew 8:28-34 and Luke 8:26-39. Again, we see a severely demon possesed man. few people, either religious or otherwise - at least in my culture - are unaware of this story. Again, as we have seen many times now, the demon worships Jesus referring to Him as: "Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" This is such a common thread through the Gospel, I feel it carries great importance.
In Revelation 1:12-18 John sees Jesus Christ as Priest in Heavenly glory. When Ezekiel saw this in Ezekiel 1:28, he recognized it as the Glory of the Lord. As Isaiah speaks the words of the Lord in Isaiah 41:4 "Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first,and with the last; I am He.", so this priest in John's vision claims: "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." In Revelation 4, John sees seven torches of fire claiming these are the seven (completeness) Spirits of God before His throne where He sits. The living creatures who are always before the throne never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" In Revelation 5, we meet the Lamb who was slain, with seven horns and withseven eyes, which are the seven (completeness) spirits of God. This lamb, this servant, this (completeness) of God was slain and by His blood ransomed men for Himself from all nations that they might be priests and servants and children within His Kingdom. All to His glory, the creator of all things.
Today, I am concerned that too much glory is given the sacrificial lamb without an understanding that apart from God the Father, the lamb is nothing. The sacrificial lamb provided the way back to the Father. It is the Love of God that makes all the difference. Separating the two into Father and Son could well be the stumbling block of the ages. In Him rests all the fullness and completeness of God. If we truly want to separate the unity and completeness of God, we should not speak of a trinity, but of a Father, a Son, and Seven Spirits. Behold your Creator creation! Your God is One. And you shall worship the Lord your God in Spirit and in Truth, For by His will and for His will you have been created and exist and have your being. And the true Glory is, He loves you as exemplified in His completion within the sacrificial lamb. He now serves as your priest, calling all things unto Himself.
Back to our story. The demon possessed man, healed by God through Jesus, wished to jump into the boat with Him. Yet, he was sent to give his testimony to the world so that others, also, might wonder at the love and power, and wonder of who and what was within their midst.
Response to Psalm 37:30-40
As I spoke yesterday regarding the wicked often being the oppressed, I spoke from a culture where freedom of religion reigns. I am surrounded by the religious. I must step back today to recognize that all the world does not experience the freedoms that I experience.
Wickedness reigns in too much of our world. Death and martyrdom of the righteous is a real and present danger in many parts of the globe and represent a severe threat to the love, joy, and peace many of us experience. With that understanding, many of us may read the Psalms through the eyes of those who live very different lives of faith within other cultures. Thus, although I find much chastisement within scripture for my own prides and prejudice, I applaud and stand in honor of a democracy which seeks human rights and freedoms throughout the world. I know God often uses military might to perform His will. I just pray that such power will not be abused and that the glory be given to God. Through military efforts, doors are being open, soil is being prepped, the seeds of renewal are being planted. God is at work.
To those righteous who are oppressed and afflicted by the wicked, This Psalm carries a promise in verse 34. "Wait for the Lord and keep his way. he will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it."
Sharia law, although it claims righteousness and carries with it much of Old Testament teachings, has allowed itself to be oppressive and misses out on the Love of God we have been discussing. Through Sharia Law, the teachings of Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, a revered prophet within the Islamic culture, the greatest interpreter of the Jewish writings and experiences of the Jewish history, cannot even be given to the common man or woman who reside under it's oppressive domain. Of course, as the United States is supposedly branded a Christian nation, the freedoms espoused by our culture leave much to be desired due to our degradation of honor and lack of personal meekness. Both cultures could use a strong dose of refinement and one can easily see God at work if one would just open His eyes.
Our highlight verses of the day are Psalm 37:39-40. "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in him."
Response to Proverbs 10:6-7
I have hated violence throughout my lifetime. I have always recognized a God of peace and love. If you have a different concept of this, I would love to hear your thoughts and justifications. I find that fighting for peace and love and putting my enemies needs before my own takes just as much effort and strength as fighting for the sake of violence. Bullies are a problem, and the world wishes them adieu. Ghandi and Billy Graham will be remembered with joy and gladness for generations. They are indeed, true heros.
Bless someone today with your thoughts and words.
Rick.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
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