You Can Take The Fire Part 5 – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Numbers 8 – 10
(Second Milers also read – Exodus 7 – 9; Proverbs 18; Psalms 86 – 90)
My apologies if I get too graphic in my descriptions. I began writing this fifth part on Monday the 13th. As I sit here looking at Melissa, her fingers showing the almost 30 year battle she had with arthritis. Her body riddled with cancer. I am reminded of my mom. My mom went home to be with the Lord either at the end of October, or the beginning of November 1999. My mom had bone cancer. It was very hard on me being in Texas at the time. I wanted to be back in NJ, but I couldn’t. I managed to get home early October to see her. But seeing Melissa in the same condition as my mom, that’s been rough. Until this morning. God gave me a thought about what picture He was painting here.
It’s a picture of love.
Those of you with children, you can probably relate better to this than a single person. You know how our children do bone-head things, refuse to take direction, and are generally disobedient – you know, normal. Well, looking at Melissa, as tears start to flow, I realize just how much I will miss her, though only for a season. God put this thought in my head, that as much as I love her, He loves her more. This is just a sample of His love. All the things our children did, the anger that we had at their foolish acts, mean nothing: it’s the way God looks at His children. I got to see that: to experience it with the love I had for Melissa. We have all been disobedient at one time or another, but God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Our kids are still our kids no matter what they do or have done. I kind of have an idea of how God the Father felt watching His only begotten Son die on the cross. There was nothing He could do: the work started would be completed so that one day we could have a home in heaven. God’s love is a perfect, unconditional love.
Then came Wednesday night. Melissa’s breathing was very hard and labored. I could picture Jesus hanging on that Roman cross, lifting Himself up to breath, then His body collapsing slamming his back into that old rugged cross. I could hear Mary crying in the background, “My baby! My baby! Why is this happening?”
I can see the disciples watching in shock as the life of their Messiah comes to a close. They cry out to God for mercy: for God to end it soon. Jesus speaks from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
At 1:10am, Melissa gathers enough breath to say a few last words. Just a few more breaths after that, and she was safely in the arms of Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ went through so much agony to be able to receive Melissa back to her real home. And every other believer too. Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross to pay for our sins. And He made it so simple for us to be with Him someday. All you need do is know that you are a sinner, and as a sinner you cannot save yourself. You need a Saviour. Jesus is the only one who ever fulfilled all the prophecies of Messiah. And Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
And He laid down His life for you. If you haven’t, you need to call upon the name of the Lord to save you. Tell Him in your own words that you are a sinner, and ask Him to come into your heart to forgive your sins, and to save you. And He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
So what were Melissa’s final words? She said what Jesus said in deed on the cross. They both said, “I love you.”
I love you.
I love you.
That’s what Calvary said.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you, written in red.
Peace. (Melissa Dilley: 12/6/75 to Eternity)
Posted in Devotions, Guest Posts by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Voice of God
Today’s Passage – Numbers 7
(Second Milers also read – Acts 4 – 6; Proverbs 17; Psalms 81 – 85)
Scripture Memorization for February – Psalm 100
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 92:1 – 4
Read “The Humility Question” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.” – (Numbers 7:89)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” – (John 10:27)
Chapter 7 of Numbers is certainly a long chapter, and not exactly what I would call great devotional reading. However, as with the rest of the Bible, this is a very important passage. Here we see the heads of the tribes of Israel all presenting to the Lord their offerings at the dedication of the Tabernacle. Each tribe had to offer the same thing which includes some gold and silver; incense and flour; and an assortment of animals. We certainly can see from this passage, and from many other recent chapters that the Israelite were certainly dedicated in the area of giving; but they not only gave what was required, they also gave over and above what was asked of them.
The last verse of this long chapters tells us that after the offering was made, Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with God, and he heard the voice of God coming out from between the cherubims on top of the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to hear the audible voice of God; to actually hear Him speak personally to my physical ears. I can, however, hear the voice of God today as much as I desire to because He speaks to me through His Word. The Bible is God’s voice. He spoke to me this morning about this dedication offering. He also gave me some wisdom from Proverbs 17. And then he motivated me and stirred me as I read about Peter and John and the other apostles and deacons from Acts 4 – 6. By the way, if you also read that passage from Acts you saw that there was a special offering given there as well. Unfortunately, two of the people giving offerings, Annanias and Saphira, decided to lie to God about their offering and as a result were put to death.
I digress. My intention is not to focus on offerings this morning, but talk about God’s voice. God speaks to me in other ways also besides the Bible. This morning as I was walking and praying God spoke to my heart about a few of the things that I was praying about. Now, we have to be careful about these “still small voices” that we hear in our heads and our hearts. We need to be sure that it is God that is talking to us. Sometimes our flesh and even the devil will put thoughts in our heads that are not of God. One way you can tell if it is actually God talking is if the thing that He tells you is in agreement with the Word of God. He never goes against His Word. It always disturbs me when people tell them that God had told them to do something that was a complete contradiction to His clear revelation from the Bible.
Have you listened for His voice today? Did you open up your Bible this morning, along with your heart and mind, and hear what God has to say to you? Have you waited on Him today in your prayer closet to hear Him speak to you about specific areas of your life? It is not that God is not still speaking today as much as it is that His children are not listening.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee
Melissa Dilley went home to Heaven early this morning. She was a wonderful person, a good friend, and a faithful servant of the Lord. She will be greatly missed. Please pray for Ted and Camille.
Today’s Passage – Numbers 5 – 6
(Second Milers also read – Acts 1 – 3; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
In chapters 5 of the Book of Numbers, God is instructing the children of Israel about what they should do if a man suspects that his wife has been unfaithful to him. The Bible talks about “the spirit of jealousy” that comes upon a man if there is something going on behind his back. I believe the same holds true for the wife. I know that today we don’t often think of jealousy as being a good thing; but interestingly, the Bible records that God is very jealous over his children. I do not think it is wrong either for their to be a healthy dose of jealousy within the marriage either. A man should love his wife to the extent that he cannot bear the thought of her being with anyone else. The same applies to the wife. Jealousy is, I believe, a God-given emotion. Now it must be controlled, just as all of our other emotions; and we cannot let it cause us to sin, but I believe it to be a good thing nonetheless.
Chapter 6 primarily deals with the rules concerning the vow of the Nazarite. When a person took this special vow of consecration in Old Testament days, he would not cut his hair or his beard, and he was not permitted to touch any alcohol, or come near anything (or anybody) that was dead. This vow was a vow of “separation unto the Lord”. The person that took this vow was declaring that his or her life was wholly dedicated to God. Usually, a person would be under this oath of separation for a period of time, not for his entire life. By the way, don’t confuse a Nazarite with a Nazarene, which is a person that comes from the city of Nazareth. Jesus was a Nazarene.
I was captivated this morning by the prayer of blessing found at the end of chapter 6. It seemed almost strange for this beautiful prayer to be place in this particular place. I mean, we have been reading a lot here lately about a bunch of commandments, sacrifices, rules, etc. Here, God tells Aaron that he wants him to pronounce this prayer of blessing over the people. I think God just wanted to remind the people that he loved them and that He was for them. I think we can learn a couple of lessons from this as well. First, we need to be reminded that God loves us and wants nothing but the best for us. We often will think about God as this angry, cold dictator that is ready to pounce upon us when we do wrong. That is not God. He loves us and He wants to give us the richest blessings, and a life full of abundance.
The second lesson that we should learn from this is that when we are trying to teach our children, we need to remember to let them know often that we love them. Yes, we need to give them all of the rules, commandments, and instructions; and yes we ought to discipline them when they do wrong; but we also need to make sure that they know that we (and especially God) are in their corner, and that we want nothing but the richest blessings for their lives. This would be a good lesson for preachers and other mentors to learn as well. In our zeal to instruct, we sometimes come across as being uncaring and unloving. You have heard the old saying: “People do not care about what you know, until they know that you really care.” Well, we ought to really care, and we ought also to express that love and care often to the people that we are trying to help.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
The Ministry?
Today’s Passage – Numbers 3 – 4
(Second Milers also read – John 21; Proverbs 15; Psalms 71 – 75)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 89:1
“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.” (Numbers 3:6)
In chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Numbers we see God’s instructions to the families of the tribe of Levi. They were placed in charge of the ministry of the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons were the priests, and they were put in charge of the service of the other families. The Gershonites were responsible for the setting up, taking down, and transportation of all of the curtains and coverings of the Tabernacle with the exception of the vail. Only Aaron and his sons were to remove the vail, and it was to be placed upon the Ark of the Covenant. The Kohathites were responsible to transport all of the furniture in the Tabernacle, though they were not permitted to touch any of the “holy things”, or even be present when they were being covered by Aaron and his sons. The Merarites were responsible to set up and transport all of the boards and bars that served as the framework of the Tabernacle. Each family had their responsibility; and each family had their place where they were to camp around the Tabernacle.
The thought I had this morning regarding this passage is this: what if one of the Merarites didn’t want to transport bars and boards? Maybe he wanted to transport coverings instead like the sons of Gershon. The point is that these people were not given the choice about what they wanted to do. They were assigned a task by God and were expected to do it. It is sort of like the military. They don’t really care about what you want to do; but they are going to assign you a duty, and you will be expected to do it.
It is not at all like this in the local church today. We tell people that they can do whatever they want to do. We tell them that they have the liberty to choose where, why, and how they can serve the Lord. But should it really be that way? Shouldn’t we still be seeking to discover what the Lord’s will is regarding who will serve, and in what capacity. There are many guidelines given in the Bible regarding service within the local church, and that certainly is where we should start the process; but we also ought to be very careful that we are very prayerful about what each person is given to do within the body. We also need to be careful about just sticking people in positions simply because there is nobody else to do it. We see a perceived need, so we place anybody we can find in the position. I believe that if the need is genuine, God will supply the right person. Maybe we are creating needs and positions that are not of God. I remember at one church we were serving in years ago, I felt that it was my duty to fill every perceived need that was present. I was working with the youth, junior church, bus ministry, Sunday School, and much more. The problem was that it wasn’t God’s will for me to be doing all of those things, so I began doing them in the flesh, which profited nothing. And maybe somebody else was missing out on their true calling because I was doing too much.
I believe that God has got a job for everybody to do within the local church; and also believe that God has got the right person for every need within the body. Leaders need to be admonished to pray earnestly about finding the right, biblically qualified person to do the job; and the people need to be willing to fulfill God’s will for their lives, whether it be teaching people or cleaning toilets. Every task within the church is important, and every worker within the church is equal in the sight of God, as long as they are doing what God has called them to do. The ministry is much more than just preaching and teaching the Word of God. In order for ministry to take place in a local church there are a lot of tasks that need to be performed. God has gifted certain people to perform each of these duties. I believe that all ministers need to be willing to do whatever is necessary in order for the ministry to function; but we also need to be constantly on the lookout for people who will be willing and able to do all of the things that need to be done. Every duty is important, and every person that performs these tasks is also important to the cause of Christ. The janitor that does his job well is just as much in the center of God’s will as the preacher who prepares, prays, and preaches.
What is your job within the local body of believers? What has God equipped you to do? Find your niche within the church, and help your church fulfil the Great Commission.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
In the Midst of the Camp
Today’s Passages – Numbers 1 – 2
(Second Milers also read – John 19 – 20; Proverbs 14; Psalms 66 – 70)
Scripture Memory for February – Psalm 100
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
View “Making Marriage and Ministry Work” by Pastor Paul Chappell
Read “Twenty Reasons To Avoid Premarital Sex” by Cary Schmidt
“Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards.” – (Numbers 2:17)
In Numbers chapter 2, God gives us a description of what the camp of Israel looked like when they were not on the move. A careful reading of this chapter will reveal that the nation of Israel was divided into 13 different groups, which included 11 of the original 12 tribes; and also the two half-tribes of Joseph (Manasseh and Ephraim). These groups were all strategically placed around the tabernacle. Immediately surrounding the tent on all four sides was the tribe of Levi. They were placed there as closely as possible to the tabernacle because that was their place of service. They were the ministers and priests of the Lord. Beyond the Levites the remaining twelve tribes and half-tribes were positioned by threes in each direction. For instance, on the east side of the tabernacle, beyond the Levites, were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon. There were also three tribes on the west, south, and north. The thought that I am trying to develop here, however, is that the tabernacle was in the very center of the congregation. The tabernacle was the place where God dwelt, between the cherubims on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. God, and His designated place of worship, was the very center of the lives of the people of Israel.
Now let’s fast forward a few thousands years to the time of the local church. I realize that today God dwells in the hearts of His children, but the local church is God’s designated place for corporate worship, and it is the place where we are to be organized and mobilized for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” – (1 Timothy 3:15)
God should still be at the center of our lives; and the local church should be at the center of the life of our family. I have been a pastor now for over ten years, and I have been involved in God’s work for twenty-two. I have observed that the families who place a high value on the local church, recognizing it’s importance, tend to be stronger and happier than the families that do not. Don’t misunderstand, I do not think that the church has a higher priority than the home; but I do believe that successful homes are built around a strong, Bible believing, New Testament church. The churches’ role is critical to healthy marriages and to the spiritual development of our children.
Take a moment to consider the role that the local church plays in your life; and then consider the role that you play in your local church. We need to keep our local churches strong, and I believe that there are many ways that you can help:
1 Participate in the local church – attend the services and find something that you can do that will serve others. God has uniquely equipped you in certain areas that can be used in the local church.
2 Pray for your church and your pastors and leaders. The ministry can be very discouraging, but you can be an encouragement to the people that minister to you simply by lifting them up in prayer. It wouldn’t hurt for you to let them know on occassion that you are praying for them.
3 Support your church with your tithes and offerings. The work of God cannot go forward without the tithes of God’s people. When you don’t give you are telling God and the church that they have no place of value in your life. You can also support the church by not bashing it. Let people know where you stand. If you are for the ministry, speak out for it, and don’t let others run it down in your presence. Negativity and complaining are like cancers inside the church that will destroy it from within.
Is the local church important to you, or isn’t it? God says that it should be. Remember, He died for the church. It’s His body. He places a great value on it, and so should we.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
First Things First
Today’s Passages – Leviticus 26 – 27
“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” – (Leviticus 27:30)
I really do not understand why the subject of giving back to God is such a difficult one for many people. Everything we own ultimately belongs to God anyway. We are merely custodians, or stewards, of His possessions. The principle of tithing has been around for a long time, well before the Law was established. You will remember that Abraham gave tithes to Melchisedec, and Jacob promised God that he would give Him the tenth all that God blessed him with. Jesus even commented that the Pharisees were right when they gave their tithes on mint and anise, and cummin. I do not believe, however, that the New Testament Christian is under any law to give ten percent of his or her income to the church. We do live in the age of grace, and all such laws have been nailed to the cross. Having said that, though, when I teach new believers regarding principles of stewardship, I will tell them that the tithe is a good place to begin in giving. They often look at me as if I am crazy, and I guess if you were to judge me by the world’s standards, I am. But, think about it. What better way is there for a young believer to declare that they acknowledge God’s ownership of their money and possessions; and there is also no better way for them to demonstrate their dependence upon the blessing of God. To many new Christians, this is a tremendous leap of faith, and unfortunately, some will never take it.
I remember when I first trusted Christ. My wife and I were only married a few years, and as is typical with many young, married couples, my financial situation was a mess. Wouldn’t you know it, the first church service that I attended as a new believer, the pastor preached on tithing. I was sure that all that these people wanted was my money. Slowly, however, God began to impress upon my heart that I needed to trust Him and to put Him first in my life, and if I was going to do that, it would mean that I would have to trust Him with my money. We started tithing, fearfully at first, but God has always kept His end of the deal. He has been faithful to take good care of me and my family. There has always been food on the table, clothes on my back, and a roof over my head; and their have even been many wonderful “desires” thrown in along the way. God is good.
Recently, my son and his wife purchased a beautiful home in a nice part of our community. He paid less than half of what his neighbor paid for a similar house ten years ago. We have other young couples in our church who are about to purchase homes, and I know that they will be similarly blessed. Why? Because they have learned to put God first. They have recognized that God can be trusted to take care of them. All of these couples that I am thinking about right now give far above the tithe by the way. Like the Macedonian Christians of Paul’s day, “they gave their own selves to the Lord”. And God is blessing them abundantly.
Friend, you can trust God. Keep first things first in your life; and the first thing needs to be God.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
“Get Real” by Melissa Dilley
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 24 – 25
Second Milers also read – John 15 – 16; Proverbs 12; Psalm 56 – 60
Scripture Memory for February – Psalm 100
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
“After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people
(1 Kings 13:33-14:2)
At the end of the chapter we find Jeremiah doing evil – he is making anyone and everyone a priest. Anyone who would do his bidding, anyone who had itching ears, he would surround himself with those who would agree with him.
But the very next chapter tells us that his son became sick. His son was dying and all of these “spiritual men” could do nothing. The “yes men” were of no help whatsoever and Jeroboam knew it. So he asks his wife to go to the real man of God. He knows there is only one place to go – the real priest. Jeroboam knew who the real priest was (Ahijah), he knew where to find him (Shiloh), he knew the prophet would tell his wife what they wanted to know, and he even knew of the priest’s eyesight problem (he told her to disguise herself).
When the chips are down, and when the world reaches the end of the rope, they are going to want a real man of God. When they reach the end of the highway, they will know where they can go. They know who the real ones are. I know that I have been openly criticized for mentioning God, or faith, or salvation. But when those same people needed prayer or needed true advice they could call on me.
Be real. Sometimes it’s hard. You may be mocked or even yelled at. Some will ignore you, and some may even persecute you; but there will also be people who will listen and will respect you. There will be a handmaiden that says, “There’s a man of God who wants you to dip in the Jordan seven times.” Countless people swarmed to Jesus because they knew he was real. You be real.
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from 1 Kings by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Build Or Break? – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 22 – 23
Second Milers also read – John 13 – 14; Proverbs 11; Psalm 51 – 55
Scripture Memory for February – Psalm 100
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Good morning. I want to delve somewhat into Psalm 51. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Of course his sin found him out, and he wrote Psalm 51 of what he was going through and praying for. But before we go there, John chapter 8 tells the story of a woman caught in the very act of adultery. The scribes and Pharisees took her to Jesus. They told Jesus what the law said, and then asked if they should stone her. After a few minutes of writing in the sand, He stood up and answered them saying, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” And as Mike Warnke tells it: they dropped their rocks and split.
In the end, there was only the woman and Jesus. It will be the same with us when we sin. It’s going to be me or you and Jesus. That’s what the Bible says in John 8:9…
“And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.”
God knew what the woman did. God knew what the scribes and Pharisees did. God knows what you and I did. God gave us a conscience. David told God, in Psalm 51:3, that his sin was ever before him. David cried out to God for mercy, to have his transgressions blotted out, and to be washed throughly and be cleansed from his iniquity and sin.
Certain signs followed him while David was in this fallen state. He could not hear the joy or gladness going on around him (vs. 8). He knew God had seen what he did (vs. 9). He could feel the broken fellowship with the Lord (vs. 11). He had no joy or security in God’s salvation (vs. 12). He lacked in teaching God’s Word and soul winning (vs. 13). And he could not sing praises to God (vs. 14).
David was in a mess, and this was someone of whom God called a man after Mine own heart. But God doesn’t make mistakes. The first four verses in Psalm 51 say it all…
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” (Psalm 51:1-4)
1John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Back in John chapter 8…
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (John 8:10-11).
Can you imagine how the woman, and David felt to have there sins forgiven and restored to fellowship with the Lord? All the joy, gladness, and singing. Praising God for His wonderful works. Can you imagine that? You don’t have to. To borrow a slogan from Lance Inc…
“Don’t go ’round hungry!”
Peace. (Mark 9:50)
Posted in Guest Posts, Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
What’s The Difference?
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 19 – 21
Second Milers also read – John 11 – 12; Proverbs 10; Psalms 46 – 50
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.” – (Leviticus 19:2)
“And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” – (Leviticus 20:26)
In the passages which we have read from Leviticus today, we see that God intended there to be a difference in the people of Israel from the world that surrounded them; or actually would surround them when they finally entered into the land of Canaan where God was bringing them. God warns them not to be like the people of the land. God was removing them (the Canaanites, etc.) from the land because of their sinful lifestyles. God’s people would have to be different, or God would expel them out of the land as well.
In the three chapters that we have read today there are many different commandments from the Lord regarding how they were to be a holy people, set apart from the rest of the world. I will not take the time to deal with all of them, but I will mention a few here in this devotion. Think about the world we live in today as we examine these thoughts; and see if we, as Christians, are as “set apart” as we should be. Let’s take a quick look at how the children of Israel were to be different:
1 They were to be different morally. Much of chapter 20 deals with sexual sins such as adultery, homosexuality, and even bestiality. God says that the previous inhabitants of the land were all guilty of these things. The people in our world today are also very perverted in their ability to live morally pure lives. We live in the era of “if it feels good, do it.” God says that His children are to be different.
2 They were to be different in their compassion for others. They were to make provisions in their crops for the poor and the stranger. God reminds them that they were strangers at one time. He wanted them to leave the corners of their fields, and the gleanings for people who needed help. How concerned are we today about helping people? Many of us have been blessed of God with abundance. God wants us to share part of that blessing with others. I think the key here is that God wants us to remember that it all comes from him anyway. We are often like the kid who was eating with his dad at McDonalds. When his dad reached for a french fry out of his son’s meal, the son pulled them away. Not very wise considering the dad supplied the meal in the first place, and would be the supplier of many future meals.
3 They were also to be different in their faith. The people of the land were very superstitious. They worshipped all kinds of “gods” and idols. Some were even guilty of sacrificing their own children. God wanted the people of Israel to stay far away from all of that stuff. No wizards; no witches; no familiar spirits; no divination; no astrologers; no soothsayers; none of that junk. God wants his children to be wholly dependent upon Him; and He does not want to share His glory; or His worship with anybody, or anything else. We have a lot of “idols” in our society today also, don’t we. They may not be little statues, but they are there none the less. An idol is anything that comes between us and God.
4 They were to be different in their respect for the older folks. I think that we are getting away from this in our world as well. There used to be a time in America when Granddad and Grandma were the patriarchs and matriarchs of the family. They were deeply revered and respected by their children and grandchildren. It isn’t like that any more; but we need to get back to it. Today, even young children will mock their elders, and answer back to them. Christian parents need to be very careful that they do not tolerate such behavior in their children.
5 They were to be different in their business dealings. They were to be fair and honest with people; never cheating them with unjust balances and such. The world today is replete with people who will are trying to steal money away from others. There are myriads of scams out their designed to rob others. God’s people should never be involved in any business dealing that is not providing a good product or service at a fair price.
These were just a few thoughts from the passage. There are many more examples contained in the text. But how do we fare today in this present world that we live in? Are we any different from them? Or are we just like them with the exception of the “fish emblems” on our cars. As time goes by, there ought to be more and more of a striking difference between God’s people and the people of this world. Just a thought.
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It’s Still in the Book
Today’s Passages – Leviticus 16 – 18
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” – (Leviticus 18:22)
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” – (Romans 1:26-27)
In chapter 18 of Leviticus, God gives His people His laws regarding marriage and sexual purity. He goes into great detail explaining who they could not “uncover”. He also specifically forbids a man lying with another man. It was very clear to the saints of old that sodomy was a sin, and was to be removed from a godly society. However, in recent years, the sin of sodomy, or homosexuality, has become a very unpopular sin to preach against in our churches. Our modern culture has gone beyond just tolerating this “abomination”, and has even promoted it in many ways. Many of our pulpits have been intimidated into silence, choosing to just leave this particular sin alone. It is not “politically correct” anymore to preach against homosexuality. Some “churches” have even ordained “gay” ministers. God help us. This is clearly a fulfillment of what God said in Romans 1 about the state of mankind as they get further and further away from Biblical principal, and closer and closer to the return of Christ. And the fact that our churches no longer talk about it is also a fulfillment of what God says in 2 Timothy 3:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” – (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Well, I don’t want to be “wishy-washy” about this subject. God has not changed His mind about it, so neither should I as a preacher – Homosexuality is clearly sin, and as such should be preached against with the same spirit and zeal that we might preach against any other sin. By the way, fornication and adultery are also still in the book, and should also be preached against in these modern times. However, as much as we need to be clear in our condemning of the sin, we must also be just as clear in informing the sinner of God’s love for them. I believe homosexuals can be saved; along with adulterers, fornicaters, liars, and any other type of sinner. I believe we all fall into one of those categories. I do realize that there will come a time that if a person continues in their sin, and also continues to reject Christ, their conscience will be seared, and their mind will become reprobate; and when a person gets to that point they will have no desire to repent of their sin, and come to Christ. But I also believe that the vast majority of the people that are living in sin, even sexual sin, still have a conscience , and can still come to Christ for forgiveness. However, once a person becomes saved, they must foresake the sin that they repented of. Jesus did tell the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more”.
One more thing – the rainbow is God’s symbol. It does not belong to the gay rights crowd.
Posted in Thoughts from Leviticus by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.