Faithfulness to the Lord can be tested.

You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
Deuteronomy 13:4

This is a call to faithfulness to the Lord. It is a command surrounded by a warning to not drift into any kind of idolatry. There are three ways in which the worship of other gods might drift into Israeli society. These were to be guarded against.

The first warning (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) is to guard against false prophecy. It was likely that someone might initially seem to speak words from God. They might twist His words to their own agenda. That kind of thing might even be accompanied by some display of unusual spiritual power. But if the prophet leads people away from the worship of the Lord, he is to be rejected by the people and executed. He is an idolater.

The second source to guard against was close association of family or friends (Deuteronomy 13:6-11). If anyone wants to advocate the worship of anyone by the Lord God of Israel, they are leading people into idolatry. The temptation might come from close associations and thus be socially complicated, but it is still to be dealt with severely.

The third influence in this chapter (Deuteronomy 13:12-18) was from cultural forces outside immediate personal contact. These cultural forces were never to be allowed to twist thinking towards the acceptance of idolatry. Fierce loyalty to God was to mark all the relationships with family, with friends, and even with the culture in Israel. And they serve as reminders to watch these relationships in ourselves today.

- Posted with my iPad. The Apple Kool-Aide tastes fine.

When God Sings

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

This verse gives an important insight into the heart of our saving God. God loves to be the God of deliverance and salvation. The precious promises found in this verse come after severe judgment and justice come among God's people. They would pass through a refining fire. Arrogant leaders and profane priests would be eliminated (Zephaniah 3:3-4). The humble and lowly would be left with an attitude of seeking the Lord (Zephaniah 3:12). Then salvation would work again among God's people.

I love the three ways this affects God. 1) He rejoices over the people whom He has saved and who now serve Him. Our salvation and service bring joy to the heart of God. 2) He will quiet the hearts of His people by His love. He enters into a relationship with us that brings peace and love into our troubled lives. He settles us down. 3) The wildest part of this is that God will break out in exultant, loud singing over our salvation! He sings over us. Imagine that! We worship Him in song in our humble praise, but God loudly sings over us when we are saved by Him. Salvation's joy is a duet, song by man and God!


- Posted with my iPad. The Apple Kool-Aide tastes fine.

The Idol Factory

Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places.

Numbers 33:51-52

 

God wanted the idolatry of the Canaanites eradicated. Israel was supposed to do this fully when they moved into the Promised Land. God warned them that if they did not obey Him in this matter, idolatry would lead to their own regrettable demise (see Numbers 33:55-56).

 

By now in the story, this generation of Israel should have had ample opportunity to have this taught to them. They had grown up with the Ten Commandments. The first two of these explicitly deal with the exclusivity of a relationship with God and forbid any semblance of idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6). They had seen their parents flagrantly disobey with the golden calf. They had seen the more recent Midianite flirtation with idolatry and sexuality and how it devastated the camp. This warning was quite real.

 

The propensity of the human heart for idolatry is enormous. We always want to make our own god that we can control. We want tangible gods with tangible results. And this is not just an Old Testament warning. The apostle John warns us today of the idol-making and idol-following ways of the human heart (1 John 5:21). Left to myself, my heart is an idol-making factory looking for something other than God to worship. I have to shut it down in real worship and obedience to God my Father!

 

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The lesson of the staff

And the LORD said to Moses, "Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die."

Numbers 17:10

 

 

The Lord created this little object lesson for Israel to prevent any further uprisings against the household of Aaron in the priesthood. The test was a simple one. A staff was collected from the elders of each of the twelve tribes. One staff for each tribe, with Aaron’s standing for Levi. These staffs were placed before in front of the ark of the covenant in the tabernacle for an overnight stay in God’s presence. The next morning Aaron’s staff had miraculously budded, bloomed, and produced almonds. That got the attention of Israel as a confirming sign. This was exactly what God wanted.

 

The response of the people in Numbers 17:12-13 is fearful, respectful and contrite in repentance. They are so overcome by this sign (coming right on the heels of God’s swift judgment at Korah’s rebellion) that they are afraid to even come near the tabernacle to worship. Continued revelation from God in the next chapter will help reassure and lesson this anxiety. For now, it is healthy. God’s goal was to quash rebellion in the worship of Him and the display of His power. And that has happened with this simple yet powerful symbol.

 

The rod of Aaron’s that budded was kept inside the ark of covenant as a reminder of this moment in Israel’s journey. It served to confirm both the power of God and the perpetuity of the priests who would serve Him and the nation at the altar. God will confirm His right to receive our full worship, not because His is bound to do so, but out of His mercy to His people. This brought His people back from the brink of destruction. God knew this. And they said as much themselves. It is right for God to use His power (the staff of Aaron that budded) and His justice (instantaneous destruction of Korah and those who took part in his rebellion) to call His people back to the proper worship that is due to God alone.

 

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complainers

And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.

Numbers 11:1

 

I hate to see this. Israel’s track record to this point in the Book of Numbers has been good. But just under a third of the way through the book, the story takes a rough turn. One of the features of the Book of Numbers is its recounting of Israel’s grumbling, complaining, and rebelling against God. And this chapter records the first few moments of that part of the story.

 

There complaints start out as a very generic kind of griping. They complain about their misfortunes. Undoubtedly there were murmurs about desert life, about being forced to eek out a nomad’s existence. And God chose to get their attention through a fire that consumed the outward edges of the camp… perhaps where the grumbling originated. And this got their attention. Moses interceded with God and the fire was quenched.

 

The second episode shows that they did not learn their lesson. They missed the perceived smorgasbord of food that was theirs in Egypt. Of course the tradeoff was slavery, which they neglected to mention in their sinful reminiscing. God again was upset at them, but graciously provided more quail than they could handle. During their feast, a plague breaks out (could it have been some kind of food poisoning?) before they have even finished eating (the text is very direct - “while the meat was yet between their teeth”). So a second episode of complaining has resulted in judgment. Has Israel learned a lesson yet? Wait and see.

 

Watch where you complain. God can quickly show you that your perspective is short-sighted by taking you a place you never wanted to go. I know this thought has my attention right now. I think I will look for ways to find praise for God in my present circumstances. When things aren’t as I want them to be, it is time to be drawn to worship, not whining!

 

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Mobile worship

And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, "Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you." And when it rested, he said, "Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel."

Numbers 10:35-36

 

God literally led the nation of Israel in the wilderness. Most of this chapter goes into long and involved detail as to just how the camp was moved from location to location. First, the cloud of God’s presence would lift from above the tabernacle. Trumpets were blown to summon the people to muster for moving the camp. Then the tribes went forward in specific formation and order, following the ark of the covenant to a new campsite.

 

Moses made these times significant for worship by focusing on God Who was leading them. He had a special prayer for when the ark set out. He had another one for when God’s presence settled back in and the relocation was complete. These became spiritual moments for Isarel, even as they packed and moved and relocated the camp.

 

Following God is worshiping Him during the hard work. That is a simple, but meaningful truth principle to remember. And it may involve daily routine as well as breaks in that routine that shake us up. Israel worshiped in the tabernacle when camp was set up. And they also worshiped by literally looking for God’s leadership as they moved about the wilderness, not sure where they would end up. So worshiping is both a time for “standing still” and an experience we can know while “on the move”.

 

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Manly worship.

According to the commandment of the LORD through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 4:49

 

This unique census of the three major clans of families among the Levites was meant to establish roles and responsibilities for those who would minister to Israel’s camp at the tabernacle. These were men who would work hard in the worship of the Lord and in obedience to His commands. Over 8500 of them were recruited from this census to assist in the daily activities of sacrifice and worship.

 

The text breaks down their duties into two main divisions of their ministry: serving or carrying. Serving meant just that. They assisted the priests in the physical tasks at the sacrificial altar. They made sure all the needed implements and essentials of the worship of God were available at the tabernacle. They were also charged with the proper “set-up” and “tear-down” of the tabernacle during those times when the camp of Israel was on the move. Both of these main tasks required muscle, co-ordination, and willing service. I imagine some burly guys who could get their hands dirty without crying about it.

 

Really, worship is not glamorous. We have turned it into a light show with artists and rock stars. But the Kohathites show us something better. Worship is sometimes simply about getting a job done for the glory of God. It requires hard work, sweat, and the biggest need at the moment is a task that requires a sacrifice of time and effort. Every church needs Kohathites! The ministry of the gospel is carried by those willing to serve unseen and to be rewarded by the motivation that God is pleased with their hard work.

 

A life of worship will realize that worship has very little to do with singing on a Sunday, taking notes during a sermon, or clapping or raising hands in an emotional chorus with the congregation. These may be good as part of the bigger picture of worship. But worship is different. It is about a life that will carry what God says to pick up and carry and that will serve where God says He wants us to serve. Worship is obedient work for the glory of God.

 

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Worship as a national pastime

Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle.

Numbers 3:6-7

 

Under a theocracy, worship was a different experience. Numbers shows us this. There were two main duties for the Levites as detailed in this section of the Book of Numbers. They were first charged with guarding the tabernacle and its immediate perimeter from intruders. no “unauthorized personnel”  were allowed in places reserved for the priests and the Levites. Their second major duty was to transport the tabernacle and its furnishings whenever the camp of Israel moved in the wilderness.

 

God entrusts His worship and honor into the hands of these men. They were considered His possessions. They were the “firstborn” redeemed from among the nation to God’s service under Old Testament Law. In fact, the rest of chapter three details the census of Levite clans, as well as a general tallying up of all the males in Israel who were the firstborn in their families. A special tax was then raised from this group that helped pay the expenses necessary for the Levites to labor exclusively in the service of the Lord in His tabernacle. There were more firstborn males than total Levite males and this was offset by this unique “redemption” tax. It honored God whether it was a life of service or a financial gift of service.

 

I am at a loss for any direct application discussion for this text. The ministry piece is always a springboard, but I’ll steer clear of it for now. God wants people in His service today, but certainly not in the mandatory way these Levites served. Redemption is a concept in play here, but the New Testament concept of salvific redemption should not be read into this text. And I cannot see a direct tie to giving either, since this special assessment was really a kind of tax under the theocratic rule of God in Israel. Probably the safest, simplest concept to apply here in this passage is this one: the worship of God is a serious matter worth investing lives and fortunes in service to Him.

 

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God at the Center

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.”

Numbers 2:1-2

 

The content of chapter two of the Book of Numbers seems to read like a military manual, with detailed descriptions of how the nation of Israel was expected to camp in the wilderness and march on campaign. But there is an interesting informational piece that provides a valuable spiritual lesson. Ad the people of Israel assembled to either travel or set up camp, God was kept at the center of Israeli life.

 

The physical encampment was interesting. The site was always arranged in something like concentric circles with God in the center. Immediately surrounding the Tent of Meet were the priests and Levites. Then the various tribes arranged themselves in a set pattern around the Tent of Meeting, taking care according to God’s command to pitch their tents so that they always faced God’s presence at the center.

 

This was a physical reminder of a spiritual truth. Every morning these people would awaken and leave their dwellings always taking their first step out of the door toward the worship of God. The first thing they ever saw from the door of their tent was God’s presence in fire or the cloud that overshadowed the Tent of Meeting. The worship of God was central to their lifestyle. They still had daily subsistence tasks, but God stayed in the center.

 

The same was true while on the move. The twelve tribes divided into four divisions with a fifth column surrounded by the two divisions front and back. That center division was made up of Levites who carried all the worship essentials with them on the march. God never left center focus for Israel.

 

If God cared enough to never leave center focus for Israel, what does that teach us today? God is more than a Sunday sermon with an hour one day a week. Jesus gets more than sixty minutes a week, doesn’t He? He is not an add-on or a hobby. He is a central focus for a true Christian. Worship is a daily lifestyle and not just a short activity endured for the length of a TV drama. We can learn this from God’s instruction to His people in the wilderness!

 

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what God deserves and demands

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.

Haggai 1:7-8

 

Once again, God calls the Jews to get back to the task of building His temple in Jerusalem. There has been an agricultural and economic recession among the people. God takes credit for it (Haggai 1:9-11). He tells the people to repent of their materialistic ways which He has brought to nothing and instead to concentrate on His worship. And He will be worshiped, even if it means withholding from them as they have withheld from Him. Covenants certainly have a painful side to them.

 

What God is asking for is a renewal of their since and full attention in worship. And He draws all focus on Himself since they would not. There were two reasons why they needed to heed this call and get back to work on the temple. They are God-centered reasons.

 

The first reason to get back to the task was to please God. This was the covenantal reason. When God took pleasure in their work of building His temple, they in turn would find happiness, peace, blessing, and fulfillment. That was the way God had set up things with Israel through Moses and the Law so long ago.

 

The second reason was to glorify God. This was the worship reason. God is the only being in the universe Who deserves and demands worship. He is the only One with “glory” and should be glorified. In the context of Israel’s relationship with God under the Law, this came through obedience and sacrifice. And for now, Haggai’s call to build the temple meant just that. They had not obeyed. They had not sacrificed. God could not be worshiped and neither could He be happy with them until they did so. God deserves our full obedience. His Word should be followed. God deserves our worship. He should be glorified in our lives.

 

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spiritual lethargy

Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,  "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.”

Haggai 1:3-5

 

The prophets often had to confront spiritual laziness at various times in the history of Israel. No two messages were ever quite exactly the same. The unique circumstances in which Haggai’s message came are worth careful reflection. They can enlighten our attitudes toward love for the Lord.

 

The post-exilic Jews had returned from Jerusalem. They came from poverty and servitude to a new degree of self-determination. Some were becoming wealthy in their endeavors. Their one specific task under Zerubbabel as governor was to rebuild the temple. This is why they had been released from captivity. Nehemiah and Ezra give us the other side of the projects these new settlers were called to do. For some reason, the work had slowed down and suspended. The people grew materialistic and contented in their own homes. They invested time, energy, and money in decorating their own houses while the house of God lie unfinished. Haggai is tasked with the messages from God to call them back to this work.

 

The message calls them to think about their circumstances. God was not being honored. They had put their personal comfort above spiritual commitment. And they were not really prospering there. God was not blessing their spiritual apathy. They were not keeping covenant with Him and He was not going to bless disobedience (Haggai 1:6).

 

There is instruction here for our own days. No place or time has been so blessed and so easily apathetic than our own. Even in the worst economy in 60 years, materialism abounds. The housing market may be down, but you can’t tell it by what people want. Luxury is still worshiped in America. And Christians are not immune to the apathy and lethargy of materialistic thinking. We need to consider our ways. We need to remember that our commitment is to honor and worship God in and with all things, not just have the things in and of themselves.

 

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Superlative in the Gospel Narrative

As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Luke 13:17

When describing the work and wonder of Jesus, Luke slips into praiseful superlatives. How else are you going to describe the ministry of God on earth? Three times in this simple, short verse Luke uses the superlative “all” in reference to Jesus and each one magnifies the other exponentially.

This section of Luke mingles the teaching of the kingdom with various miracles and confrontations with those who oppose Jesus. It is a unique feature of the gospel of Luke. And pause is made to describe the combined effect of what Jesus has done. The three “all”s are worth examination.

The first “all” is in reference to the adversaries of Jesus. His teaching and work effectively silenced their critical statements and actions. Not one effort succeeded against Him. All of them failed. Luke says they were put to shame, the ultimate defeat in shame-based Eastern culture. That is because the truth is self-authenticating in Jesus. HE IS THE TRUTH. He is unique in that way.

The second superlative is in reference to the crowds around the Lord. Every one of them was impressed. Jesus made an impact on every person in the crowd. They could not deny it. The result was praise. All the people rejoiced. That is one of the proofs of Christ’s deity. God demands praise from us. He will not let us praise another. And when God is present, glory is drawn to Him. Jesus was a magnet for both joy and praise.

The final “all” describes Jesus’ work and ministry. All his works are called “glorious”. The glory of God is revealed in all the work of Christ. The crowds saw this, which is why they worshiped. I see this right now and praise my Lord.

Jesus is worthy of praise. His glorious work is completely the work of God. And He draws praise to Himself by displaying God’s glory. Everything He has done for me is glorious and I will join the marveling crowds who worship Jesus!

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a cycle of relationship

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 9:22-24

There is a cyclic pattern to the book of Leviticus that is seen in its completion in this passage. It looks something like this:

First, God issues a series of commands. In this case, it was all the detailed description of sacrifices at the altar along with the consecration of the priests. Then there is an opportunity for accompanying obedience where Israel follows the commands. The text is detailed in both the command stage and the obedience stage to carefully show how Israel followed the Lord. This pattern actually began at the end of the book of Exodus with the tabernacle construction. Thirdly, God blesses the obedience of the nation. He makes Himself known in some great way. We see this at the end of Exodus as well, when God’s glory fills the tabernacle. Here, fire from the Lord consumes the sacrifices made by Aaron and his sons. The final piece of the cycle comes together with Israel worshiping God for who He is.

I believe the general principles still remain for us today in terms of relationship with God, We obey God’s commands as He clearly shows them in scripture. The teaching of the Word of God is vital to this process. When we obey, God blesses us, not necessarily in terms of physical prosperity, but with a clear demonstration of His person and His power (I have personally seen this at Mill Creek through the Greater Impact campaign… we have already seen tremendous work in hearts and lives with our steps of obedience as a church. It will only continue.) And the result is that God is worshiped. He is worshiped in understanding His commands, in obeying them, in His blessing to us, and as we offer praise back to Him. This is a beautiful thing.

What still remains to seen is exactly where God is going to take Mill Creek over the next three years. The details may be dynamic, but His sustaining hand and mighty power are going to be the constant experience. Do we need anything else? We will continue to sacrifice. He will continue to bless that obedience. And lives will be changed. Our worship becomes very real and very visible… just as it was for Israel.

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Without blemish.

If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.

Leviticus 1:3

I will spend the next five weeks or so working through Leviticus. I have to admit that it is the most difficult part of the Bible for me to study through. But it is worth the effort, because the holiness of God is one of the very clear themes. And even though the responsibilities of the Levitical system are no longer a requirement since Christ’s final atonement, they are instructive on the nature of God, and the nature of our commitment to Him.

There were a wide variety of offerings that were part of the worship of God by Israel, and it is important not to confuse them when reading this book. The ESV Study Bible has this excellent chart to keep them in perspective (click on the table for a larger version).

The main requirement for the burnt offering was that it be a male from the flock “without blemish”. God was not going to take the second best, or something that no one else would have been satisfied with as a gift. God wanted the best. And He is owed that in our worship. So many times I am tempted to give Him my leftovers and blemishes today. One reason that I feel compelled to cultivate the habit of getting into His Word within the first hour of my rising in the morning is that for me, that is the most unblemished part of my day. I am at my most alert (most mornings), most optimistic, and most receptive. It is also the quietest part of my day because I have made the effort to wake up a good hour before the rest of my family. And the dark early morning has become the time that I offer in worship to God. I do not regret it.

Lord, Here I am at this unblemished time. Please show me the importance of offering to You the best that I have. In the thick of my busy, insane schedule and demanding ministry I am often tempted to just find the leftovers for You. I know that is not what is best for us. Train me to be holy in my time and in my commitment. I want Your to get the best, the all, the offering of this life. Amen.

Technorati Tags: Leviticus,Sacrifice,Worship

Obedience in worship.

This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did. In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected.

Exodus 40:16-17

The bane of twenty-first century worship is the consumeristic self. We tend to approach a worship service with what we want to get out of it. “I want a challenging, short, and pithy message by an entertaining communicator.” “I want the kind of music I like.” “I want drama.” “I want video.” “I want to dance.” “I want free donuts and really good coffee.” “I want the service to address everybody at once, from 9 to 90 with perfect applications and family challenges.” “I want all of that in less than an hour.”

But we ought to be worshiping God. And that means that maybe, just maybe, we ought to approach worship with what He wants and not what we want. This is the lesson we learn from Moses and the children of Israel as they built the tabernacle. God made it very clear what the tent of worship was to look like. And He asked for Israel to obey. And they did. The call was to obedience, not personal preference. And that was the heart of worship. I believe it still is.

The result of the worship of God in obedience for Israel was profound: God visibly made His presence known in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). In fact, God was so powerfully known that no one, not even Moses, was able to enter the tabernacle for a while because God’s glory was so pervasive. Think about that. Moses had communed with God on the mountain to get the Law. He had asked God to show him His glory, and God let him glimpse the backside of His glory while covering Moses with His hand. Yet when the work of Israel’s hands was complete and the tabernacle was set up, God brought so much glory to that obedience that Moses dared not enter!

God blesses obedience in our worship. If we really want to see our worship services blessed by God, it will not come by a new musician, by better lighting, by moodier music, by really well roasted coffee and donuts or by a more dynamic speaker. It will come by our obedience to what God asks us to do in His word.

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More than music.

These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Exodus 38:21

Current evangelical culture tends to see Sunday morning church service worship more like a Las Vegas show than anything else. Some churches have a band of professional musicians, an orchestra, professional vocalists, lighting, fog machines, perfectly quaffed pastoral staff in the latest styles, and full-blown video graphics that rival a television network production studio. Some churches even have dancers. Really. All that for an hour a week. When I ask most people what constitutes worship, they say something along the lines of “music”. Big battles get waged over musical style, preference and volume. It never ends.

But taking a look at the construction of the tabernacle shows a different story. It shows common people who worshiped God by giving what they had to contribute. And they were so willing to give that they eventually had to be told to stop because more than enough material was given. That’s worship. And a group of skilled craftsmen (see the complete list in Exodus 38:22-23) gave their skills to the construction of the tabernacle to the exact specifications God gave to Moses. That’s worship. Funds were collected from the nation as well (see Exodus 38:24-29) in the form of gold, silver, and bronze. That’s worship. A team of administrators faithfully recorded the gifts and the materials and the construction of the tabernacle. That’s worship. And not one single service has yet to be performed in the tabernacle. The picture of true worship emerges from this text. It is about everyday action, not special convocation.

I worship God when I honor Him and submit to Him at my computer keyboard. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him behind the wheel of my car. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him in my conversations throughout the day. I worship God when I honor and submit to Him by serving the people God has put in my life on the job, in ministry, in my day-to-day business, or in my family. Worship is really what happens outside of a sanctuary on Sunday. That is where real worship begins.

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Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning

"You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.

Exodus 27:20-21

In the midst of a long list of supplies and an elaborate blueprint for the construction of the tabernacle, Israel is instructed to donate the simplest and most common of household resources for the worship of the Lord. An oil lamp would be built, and kept burning before the Lord’s presence. And Israel would provide the olive oil to fill its reservoir. This was a contribution any Israelite could make to the worship of the Lord.

God delights in both the common sacrifice, and the wildly generous gift. Gold and silver are nice. Exotic skins for the tabernacle tent and highly crafted textiles for the curtains were only one part of the supply list. Other materials were readily available in the home of any family among the camp. And the olive oil was the simplest and most available for ready supply (though perhaps only through trade at the time of the desert wanderings).

I like the thought that individual families could all donate some olive oil, and that this was kept in a common supply. Did the oily gifts of all the different families mingle into one common supply jar, or did individuals drop off a daily ration so that it was always fresh? Either way, each family could have contributed their own part of what became the flame the burned before the Lord. There are no insignificant gifts. Poor families might think, “Maybe I have no gold, but I do have cooking oil. I can give that!” And God will be worshiped with that.

In a time of economic thrift, Joni and I have begun to feel huge sacrifices with our increasingly smaller gifts. There was a time in my life (about a decade ago) when we could routinely give away nearly a quarter of our income and not feel challenged by it. But the kids have grown into really hungry teenagers, inflation has grown, cost of living increases (it never decreases),  and unanticipated medical expenses have shown up as we have aged, even as salary has shrunk. And now to give even the simplest of gifts to the work of the Lord is felt. To give over and above a simple amount feels impossible (even though I know it is what we should do if God has asked it of us).

The lesson of the olive oil is that there are no small gifts. And I take comfort in that. In the past we have easily been able to provide much larger gifts. But for whatever reasons, God has placed us in the olive oil category for now. I know that we can provide those sort of things, and as we sacrifice further, we can find God helping us to be generous in many small ways with what we have been blessed to share. And that is really the whole point of the matter. It humbles my pride. If all I have left is olive oil, will I see it as an item with which I have been blessed in order to share in ministry and worship God? The choice is mine. I can see the present circumstances as an economic downtown and lock away my chances to serve God with what we do have. Or I can see it as a challenge to find new ways to be generous in my worship of the Lord. I really believe God is asking me to grow during this time to practice the “olive oil” alternative.

Technorati Tags: Exodus,Stewardship,Giving,Worship

Voluntary giving is worship.

The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for me.”

Exodus 25:1-2

It can get lost in the excruciating details of God’s design for the tabernacle, but the project of building a portable sanctuary for the worship of Yahweh happened because people chose to give the materials for the tabernacle. The remarkable phrase is “from every man whose heart moves him”. This was voluntary generosity. The Lord wanted people to want to give.

Why? Isn’t it true that Moses could have come down from the mountain with a fully built ark of the covenant, as well as all the furnishings for the worship of God? God had a design in mind, so it is evident that God knew what was needed. But God wanted to worship from His people. And that can only be given voluntarily. And it was His desire to receive personal, willing worship. Material provisions were part of that worship.

This is still God’s desire. He wants people to willingly worship Him through praise, prayer, heeding His word, and giving to His kingdom’s advance. This giving comes in various forms, but it is most noticeable in terms of personal financial commitment and sacrifice, as will be seen when Israel generously provides so much for the tabernacle that Moses eventually has to command them to stop!

So when the plate makes its rounds on Sunday, or when a personal sacrifice is made to travel on a missions trip, or needs are presented for a ministry opportunity, it is all worship. It is sincere, real, visible worship and its most personal and meaningful, and we should not be shy of it just because some hucksters of the gospel have abused it in the past. They will suffer for their fraud. But God is real, and giving is real worship.

Technorati Tags: Exodus,Giving,Generosity,Worship

Music of the Redeemed

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

The Exodus narrative suddenly turns into a musical! After Israel has been delivered out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and has witnessed God wipe out their oppressors as the Egyptian army drowned behind them, a worship service begins complete with musical performance. And it is Moses who leads Israel in this song. I have to think through the process.

Israel must have encamped on the “redemption” shore of the Red Sea for a while. It takes some time to creatively compose music, particularly and epic opera such as The Song of Moses in Exodus 15:1-18. And Miriam, Moses’ sister, who is now called a prophetess, appears to have choreographed a version of it as well according to Exodus 15:20-21. This would have taken some time. No one knows how long it took, but I would think that at least a couple of days transpired for this worship celebration to be planned and performed. And praise the Lord, the main content of it is recorded in scripture so that generations after this one can catch the power of God in the wonder of His deliverance. We can worship right along with a grateful nation!

From what I can tell, this song of Moses became the first liturgy in written form for Israel to use in worship. That is significant. I am sure the stories of Creation, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were told around family fires for generations. But the nature of this poetry would require it to be recorded. And so I think Exodus 15 just might represent the first portion of scripture to be recorded in a long record of God’s revelation that has culminated in the Bible I am reading this morning. It is instructive on worship. It is instructive on the nature of God. It is instructive on the power of God to save His people.

God deserves the worship of His redeemed people. These are the facts we glean from this song of Moses: God is mighty to save. He is glorious in power. He is great in majesty.He is majestic in holiness. He is awesome in His glorious deeds. God does wonders. He leads His people in steadfast love. He redeems His people. He guides us by His strength. God reigns forever and ever. There is a theology textbook worth unpacking just in this worship song!

Technorati Tags: Exodus,Worship

The real hallelujah chorus…

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.”

Revelation 19:6

This loud rejoicing comes in heaven as two things occur. First Jesus and His saints prepare to wipe out the beast and false prophet at the final battle of Armageddon. All opposition is defeated by the word of Jesus’ mouth. And justice is finally met against all the evil that has arisen against Christ at the end. That is cause for rejoicing and praise.

The second event is the preparation for the marriage supper of the Lamb. It is there that Jesus and His church experience the joy and the celebration of the church’s redemption and Christ’s final possession of the church. And it is a feast… a party like none other. This brings on the songs of praise from the vast multitude in heaven as they anticipate this great event.

So praise can be offered both in judgment and in joy. We can rejoice that God is just and the giver of our mercies. We can worship the God Who is simultaneously our Great Lover and the Fearsome Judge of all who reject Him. He deserves this type of praise.

Technorati Tags: Revelation,Worship,Justice,Church