Well Done!

Listen to today’s passage – Deuteronomy 32 – 34

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Deuteronomy 32

Second Milers also read – Colossians 1 – 4;  Proverbs 11; Psalms 51 – 55

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17

Read the “0311 Evening and Morning” devotion  by Charles Spurgeon.

Imagine standing on a mountaintop at the end of your life, looking back with no major regrets—only the quiet satisfaction of knowing you finished what God gave you to do. That was Moses’ story.

“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. … And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” – (Deuteronomy 34:5, 10)

“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” – (Hebrews 9:27)

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:” – (Acts 13:36)

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” – (2 Timothy 4:7)

Moses: A Life Well Lived

In Deuteronomy 34, we see the death of one of God’s choicest servants, Moses. Moses had served in the will of God for forty years, leading a stiff-necked and rebellious group of people through the wilderness, finally delivering them to the border of the land that God had given them. Moses had finished what God had called him to do. God was well pleased with the service of Moses and I am sure that he heard the Lord say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” – (Matthew 25:21)

The Danger of Regret

I think if we look back on Moses’ life, we can certainly see that he had a fulfilling life. Most people never find that kind of fulfillment. They live their lives trying to accumulate toys and experience all the pleasures of this world, but in them they never find the fulfillment for that empty cavern in the center of their souls. Too often people die with many regrets, many unrealized dreams. They often wish that had a chance to do it over again or at least were granted a little more time to make things right.

I don’t think that Moses had too many regrets. I’m sure there were moments—like the incident at Kadesh—where he wished he had responded differently, but for the most part, I believe that Moses was ready to go home to the Lord.

Get Busy Fulfilling God’s Will Today

Moses found the will of God for his life and he fulfilled it. I think that statement really sums up the secret to living a life that ends without regret. By the way, he also poured his life into others before he left so that they could carry on the work when he was gone.

What are you living for? I think most of us who know the Lord really have a desire built into us to accomplish great things for Him but we often put God’s will on the back burner so that we can do our own thing for a little while. The devil tricks us into thinking that there will always be time later on in life to get busy serving the Lord but all too often the days just race by and before we realize it, our lives are at the end. Time flies by, doesn’t it?

Let me encourage you to not wait another minute to start the process of finding God’s will for your life and then fulfilling it. What does God want you to do? Get busy! You will someday be on top of Mt. Nebo yourself and then you will realize that your time is up. Like Moses, you will be able to see from that vantage point, not only what had been accomplished, but also what could have been accomplished. We will all have some regrets, but if we get busy now, we can die with the joy of knowing that we fulfilled God’s purpose for our lives.

So what is one step you can take today toward discovering or advancing in God’s will for your life? Don’t wait—time really does fly.


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Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

Today’s Passage – Numbers 32 – 33 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Proverbs 27; Psalms 136 – 140)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song  – Micah 6:8

Read the “0227 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

 “And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” – (Numbers 32:20-23)

I have used the phrase “be sure your sin will find you out” many times as a parent, as a school teacher, and as a preacher. I usually use it as a warning to people who are in a situation where there are no human eyes on their conduct in order to try to keep them from the temptation of yielding to sin. For example, in our little Christian school, I have often had to walk out of the room when the students were taking a test. I would remind them that cheating is a sin, and that they could be sure that somehow I would find out about it, and even if I never did, God knows what they are up to. I remember telling my children when they became young adults that I could not be everywhere they were, monitoring their every move; but God saw everything that they were doing.

It is interesting, however, that I have never used this phrase exactly in the same way that Moses used it in the context of Numbers 32. In our text this morning, we see the tribes of Reuben and Gad asking permission of Moses to let them possess and develop the land that was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. This particular area was not originally supposed to be inhabited by Israel, at least not yet. Israel was instructed by God to cross the Jordan, and take possession of the land that was on the west side. Moses, at first, objects to their request because he says that the tribes of Reuben and Gad were needed to fight along with the other ten tribes as they took possession of the land on the other side of the river. Moses actually compares the situation to when the 12 men went in to spy out the land; ten of them returning with “an evil report,” which discouraged the people. Moses told Reuben and Gad that their absence from the battles will cause the other tribes to become discouraged as they finished the job of removing the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.  An agreement is finally reached when the men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad offer to go with the other tribes across the Jordan, and remain with them until all of the enemies of Israel have been removed from the land, and then when the job was done, they would then cross back over to their families and cattle waiting on the other side. However, Moses warns them that if they don’t follow through on what they promise to do, their sin will find them out.

Perhaps the best way to apply this principle to us today is to use it the way Moses used it. Let me explain. Just as Reuben and Gad’s potential withdrawal would have weakened the whole nation’s advance into God’s promise, our reluctance to fully engage in the local church today can hinder the spiritual progress of the body of Christ. God has given us an assignment today just as he had given the children of Israel. Our job is not, however, to invade the land and remove people. Our job today is to invade the land and save people. Well, we don’t save them, but we can introduce them to the One who can. Then we are to train these people through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God so that they can become less like the Canaanite world around them, and more like the Lord Jesus Christ; and as they become more Christlike and equipped through training, they then begin to influence the people around them. So, how does this relate to what Moses warned the people of Gad and Reuben about? Moses was concerned that the lack of participation on the part of these two tribes would discourage the rest of the congregation from doing what they were called to do.

Are you getting it? When we don’t participate in the Great Commission: when we don’t support the services, the studies, the Sunday School, and the soul winning programs of the church with our presence and participation, it discourages others, and may cause them to want to stop coming as well. When we don’t participate in giving our tithes to the local church, and our offerings to special projects like world missions, it can be very discouraging to the others in the congregation. Our support is not only commanded, it is very necessary. When more of God’s people are involved, it encourages, and motivates the rest of the church to get more involved as well. But, if we don’t do our part, we are indeed sinning against the Lord, and that sin will come back to haunt us eventually. Get involved. Find ways to increase your participation in the ministries of the local church. Your involvement will encourage your pastor tremendously, and it will also stir up the people around you to get on board as well.

If you think about, when people get involved, it actually promotes revival. I know it revives my heart to see God’s people motivated and excited and present in their service for God. When the church house is full on Sundays and Wednesday evenings it excites the whole congregation. When the soul winning bus is full of people who are participating in distributing the John and Romans in the community that motivates and encourages others to get involved. Don’t sin against God and discourage others by not getting involved in His work.

If you’ve been on the sidelines, know that God is gracious and ready to forgive and restore. Start fresh today—your step forward will bring joy to the Lord and to your church family.

What Can You Do?

  • Be faithful in your church attendance – as many services and studies as you can come to

“23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb 10:23–25)

  • Get the growth and training you need through biblical discipleship

“2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2)

  • Give to and through the local church

“34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” (Acts 4:34–35)

“33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33)

  • Get involved in the soul winning outreach of the church

“14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:14–15)

  • Find a ministry to serve in

“10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” (Rom 12:10–11)

“2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” (Ps 100:2)

  • Don’t discourage others with a negative and critical spirit

“21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Prov 18:21)

“29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Eph 4:29–32)

 

 


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Ithamar the Accountant: Faithfulness in the Details

Today’s Passage – Exodus 36 – 38 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Luke 19 – 20; Proverbs 1; Psalms 6 – 10

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read the 0201 Evening and Morning devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from the passage – “Too Much?”

“21 This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 22 And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 23 And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.” (Exodus 38:21-23)

The Details of the Tabernacle

In this morning’s reading from Exodus 36 – 38, we see a detailed account of the construction of the Tabernacle including all the furniture items as well as the hangings that were used to make up the walls. It is very interesting that God gives us very precise details of the dimensions and descriptions of every aspect of the Tabernacle (See Graphic Below).

The Duties of Ithamar

My thought this morning is about Ithamar, one of the four sons of Aaron. Ithamar was responsible for overseeing the Merarites and the Gershonites, which were two of the families of the Levites that served as ministers for the Tabernacle. The Gershonites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “hangings and coverings” of the Tabernacle (Num 4:21 – 28). The Merarites were responsible for setting up, dismantling, and transporting all the “boards, bars, pillars, and sockets” (Num 4:29 – 33). There was another family, the Kohathites, who were responsible for the transportation of all the furniture items, but the Kohathites were not directly under the supervision of Ithamar. 

A second duty of Ithamar that we see from our reading passage today in Exodus 38 is that he was responsible for accounting for all the gold and silver that went into the Tabernacle. He had to work closely with the builders, Bezaleel and Aholiab, to make sure that they had everything they needed to complete the project. We learned from chapter 36 that they had collected far more materials than were necessary for the project through the freewill offerings of the congregation. The people were actually told to stop giving. According to most estimates, the amount of gold that went into the Tabernacle was over a ton (approximately $156 Million today), along with approximately four tons of silver (approximately $9 – $10 Million today), and two and one-half tons of brass. This was likely bronze, which is an alloy made up of mostly copper plus tin – approximately $30 Thousand today. [Note: These are spot values for pure metals; actual worth would be higher with craftsmanship, and prices fluctuate daily—check current markets for the latest!]

Thoughts from the Passage

There are two thoughts that I would like to point out from this passage:

  • The task of accounting is something that we do not normally associate with the office of the priest. Yet here we clearly see that Ithamar was given this responsibility. Sometimes ministers will have to do all kinds of duties that are outside of their main job description in order for God’s service to function properly. Paul called the elders from Ephesus “overseers” (Acts 20:28). Today, there are deacons that assist churches in both ministry and administratively (Acts 6). Romans 12 speaks of people who are specifically equipped to rule (“he that rulers” προΐστημι – proistēmi), which means to superintend, guard over, or protect. 
  • The priest office was very much a family affair. Moses and Aaron were brothers, and the main priests in the Tabernacle were Aaron’s sons. I once had a man tell me that he left a church because the pastor had hired his son as an assistant. He claimed that it was “nepotism” and that someone outside of the family should have been hired. However, there is no biblical admonition against hiring family members, and here in Exodus it was actually God’s plan for this family to serve together.

How does seeing God’s detailed accounting in the Tabernacle challenge your own stewardship of time, talents, and treasures today?


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