Week 8 Day 4 – Cities of Refuge
Numbers 35:1-34
Here at the close of the book of Numbers the Israelites are gathering at the east bank of the Jordan River, getting ready to storm into Canaan, conquer the inhabitants, and take over the land that God had promised to Abraham many centuries earlier. The men were gearing up for battle, conquest, and settlement. One of the many purposes for the books of Moses was to instruct the people as to the geographical distribution of the tribes. In other words, it was a real estate guide, divvying up the land to each of the tribes of Israel.
Each one got a piece of the pie. Each one, that is, except for the Levites. Remember, in Exodus the Levites were set aside as the priestly tribe. They were not allowed to own land. They were dedicated to the Lord and were set apart to facilitate the Israelites’ worship of God. In this chapter we see that the Levites were sprinkled throughout the tribes of Israel, much like one would sprinkle salt all around one’s dish of food. Hmmm....salt.
There are some observations and applications we can make from this chapter:
The priests of God were sprinkled like salt throughout the nation. Peter tells us that we, as followers of Jesus, are a royal priesthood. The church is like the tribe of Levi in the world. We are to 1) not consider the land our possession, we are just strangers and sojourners in it, 2) infiltrate the culture and be present "in it, but not of it" (John 17:15-19) in order to be "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-16) in the world. God distributed the Levites throughout the nation because He knew that without the presence of the priests in their midst, the nation would be tempted to follow the idol-worshipping nations around them. The hope of the world is the church scattered throughout it. It is the presence of God-focused, Christ-centered, Spirit-filled Christians in the midst of pagan worldviews that will slow the rate of decay and be a conduit of hope to the lost and dying world.
One of the purposes of the Levitical cities was to protect people from their own sinfulness. They were to be a haven of refuge. Notice an important piece of the instructions regarding the city of refuge...if a person was guilty of intentional murder, then they deserved to be punished. However, if a person did something stupid and it ended up in a terrible result, like death, then the offender needed a place of refuge. The avenger of blood was hot on his heels and he needed a place to hide out, be safe, regroup, repent, and wait for the day of deliverance. When the high priest died then the killer could be released from the bondage of guilt and allowed to return to a normal life.
Let’s draw an analogy from this for the church. If Christians are like the Levites, being the royal priesthood, and are sprinkled throughout the world like salt, then one aspect of the function of the church is that it should be a city of refuge for the spiritual refugee. We live in a world where people are being spun around so fast by the whirlwind of sinfulness in our dominant culture that people are hurting each other and themselves needlessly, "innocently" all the time. That is not to say that people are innocent and not responsible for their actions. It is to say that the majority of sinners are such because of the dominant influence of evil in the world. These lost souls need a place where they will be welcomed in and sheltered from their great accuser, the avenger of blood, their enemy, the accuser, and allowed to heal. When the high priest dies, then their sin will be forgiven and they can be set free.
Guess what...the high priest died. When Jesus died He set the captive free.
As the church, let us consider how each meeting place could consider itself a city of refuge for the people in its surrounding neighborhood. As we gather each week to worship God, we are like the Levites, shining the light of God’s truth. People in the immediate vicinity should be able to detect that something is going on. Through our prayers and our intentional relational outreach, they should be able to smell the joy and hope that comes from that church. If our churches would view themselves as little outposts of the Kingdom of God in our neighborhoods, then we can serve as cities of refuge for the sinner to enter and be healed.
Week 8 Day 3 – What Goes Around
Numbers 32:20-24
Numbers 33:50-56
We live in an age where popular Christianity has emphasized the grace, love, forgiveness, and "fun" aspects of God. Hey, why not? God is gracious, loving, forgiving, and "fun." Yet, we need to be careful about painting a caricature of God and reducing Him to a "right jolly old elf." God is the almighty creator of the universe. He is Holy and hates sin. He punishes evil.
If you track through the pages of church history you will notice the pendulum swing regarding the emphasis that the church places on God’s love vs. God’s justice. The current "kinder, gentler" God image is a reactionary movement to the rigid, hypocritical, and condemning spirit of fundamentalism at the turn of the 20th century. Fundamentalism was a reactionary movement to the rationalistic liberalism of the 19th century that reduced the gospel to nothing more than being loving through social action.
As we read through the entire Bible it will serve us well to explore and keep in balance both sides of God’s nature. Today we will look at the side of God that is probably more uncomfortable for most of us. Nobody likes to be "guilted" into doing good. Most of us have been manipulated too many times by overbearing, hypocritical, judgers. While it is a sad reality that this type of brow-beating does take place, that does not excuse us from the truth of scripture. Our focus today is the phrase in v. 23, "you may be sure that your sin will find you out." Moses warns the people to not trifle with God and say they are going to do one thing and then do another. God is not some peasant that can be used for one’s own gain and then be discarded. While we would probably never admit openly that that we think we can "pull one over on God" or that we can sneak a little sin in here and there and God won’t notice, many times our actual behavior demonstrates that this is, indeed, what we believe. We think we can just skirt along the edges of God’s will and perfect standard and pretend that He does not notice the selfish motives behind our quasi-spiritual activity. Don’t be fooled. God knows your motives better than you do.
Is it time to come clean and let God look into the deepest, darkest corners of your life and get those nasty little cobwebs out?
Spend some time meditating on the following verses and ask God to shine the light of truth and justice into your soul today.
Genesis 4:6-7
Exodus 34:6-7
1 Corinthians 4:5
Hebrews 4:12-13
Week 8 Day 2 – A Pattern of Worship
Numbers 28:1-29:40
We have discussed this point once before in the devotionals when we were studying Leviticus. As with all core truths, repetition is a good thing. There are two observations that can be made from these two chapters.
1. A relationship with God and with others requires sacrifice. We must not forget that core truth. Of course, in our day, we are not referring to the blood bath of killing animals. Today, it is because of Jesus’ final sacrifice of Himself that we are free from the system of animal sacrifice. Yet, when Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God and lifted the external code of Moses, He did not set us free to run around under our own libertarian indulgences. Quite the contrary. When Jesus proclaimed the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, He intensified the Law of Moses and transferred it from the external law of ritual washings and animal sacrifice to the internal law of the heart, demanding the sacrifice of self from the citizens of the Kingdom. If we are going to have a right relationship with God and with each other, then we are going to have to sacrifice our own selfish ambition and self-serving desires on the altar. We are going to have to be willing to say, "Father, this is YOUR kingdom and I am your servant, I am your child. What would YOU like me to do today?"
2. The frequency and pattern of sacrifice is significant. Notice how the pattern works.
- Daily sacrifice. Every day we should get up...and die. When your eyes open in the morning your thoughts should be, "Good morning, Lord? How can I serve you today?" For most of us, the typical first thought of the day is, "Oh Lord, its morning! How can I get 5 more minutes of sleep?" If we will set aside time each day, as a spiritual discipline, to clear our minds, confess our sin, soak in God’s Word, and be filled with His Spirit -- sacrificing ourselves on the altar -- then we will be able to overflow all day with the grace and the Kingdom of God.
- Weekly Sabbaths. Once a week it is important to observe a Sabbath day in community. One of the biggest traps of our society is to believe that our spiritual life is a private affair between us and God. This is not true. We were created to be in community. The two major purposes for the Sabbath were to 1) create space for the individual -- regardless of social status -- to experience rest and re-creation; to create balance in the hectic pace of life. 2) to create space for community to happen among the people of God. God knew that, left to our own devices, we would tend to fill our lives with busy-ness and view people as objects to be manipulated for our personal ends. With the creation of a community Sabbath, everyone can come together on equal ground, with no time pressures, take a deep breath, and begin the awkward process of getting to know one another. This is why the letter to the Hebrews says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
- Seasonal Celebrations. God knew that humans need variety. When life becomes monotonous we can tend to drift into apathy. God created the year with seasons. There are seasons of intense work and there are seasons of rest and contemplation. Peppered throughout the year there are special celebrations that keep us connected to the key historical events that define our communal identity. As Christians we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. In the spring we celebrate both the Passover and the Resurrection of the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, at Easter. Throughout the year there are special days, like Thanksgiving, to stop, reflect, and celebrate. Don’t underestimate the significance of these special celebrations.
Evaluate your own schedule and see if your offerings are taking precedent as "big rocks" or "A-1" events in your life. Or, are these the optional, squeeze-them-in-when-you-have-a-chance activities. This pattern of offerings is not intended to be an oppressive burden of "have to or else" legalism. The purpose of these offerings is to give us a support structure of activities that will create adequate space in our lives to allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in us and cultivate the growth of the Kingdom of God in our hearts.
Week 8 Day 1 – The Confusing Story of Balaam
View the Updated Numbers Page
The story of Balaam raises many questions. We could spend pages trying to sort through them. Here are some observations from the Balaam story.
1. There was God outside of Israel. When we read through the books of Moses it is very easy to think that the whole story of the universe is wrapped up in the story of the Exodus. In other words, it is easy to think that God established the Law as a universal law for all people, at all times, and that it is only through the observance of this law that one can possibly interact with God.
Then we meet Balaam. He is much like Melchizedek, whom we met back in Genesis. Both of these men had a direct and intimate relationship with God. God spoke to them just as he spoke to Moses. And yet, neither of them were Israelites. Neither of them worshipped at the tabernacle or observed the law.
Why is this important? Too many times we limit God to the box that He has built for us. Yes, the law was limiting and restrictive. But the limits were not for God, they were for the people. Israel was an infantile nation riddled with fear, bitterness, grumbling, and treacherous tendencies. As a loving father, God had to impose harsh boundaries on them until they grew up.
But that was God’s deal with Israel. We tend to forget that there were Balaams and Melchizedeks all over the planet. Just because God was leading the Israelites out of Egypt doesn’t mean he was forsaking all other people on Earth. God deals with everyone, all the time. He’ll interact with anyone who honestly wants to reach out to Him. Even if they don’t look like us, or follow our rules.
That is still true today. Over the centuries Christianity has become little less than a bunch of rules and cultural mores that restrict human behavior. The traditions are not in themselves, but they tend to foster a spirit of superiority and/or hostility toward the Balaams and Melchizedeks of our time.
Let’s be careful how we treat others who have a relationship with God that looks different than ours.
2. God can speak through a donkey. Hey, if God can use a donkey, then most of us who write or teach are in good company! Enough said.
Week 7 Day 5 – Honor
Numbers 20:1-13
Wow, this is a harsh passage! How could God come down so hard on Moses for a simple thing like hitting a rock? After all, Moses had just spent 40 years listening to these people do nothing but whine and complain. A lesser man would have snapped long before Moses did. How could God have denied Moses the pleasure of entering in the Promised Land that he had worked so hard to reach?
There are a few lessons in this passage:
1. Moses sin was not that of hitting the rock. His sin was in the fact that he did not honor God as holy in the sight of the people. God’s instructions to Moses were to speak to the rock and it would gush forth water. (note: This was probably a natural spring that was dried up at the time). Notice what Moses did.
First he said, "listen you rebels". He had finally slipped into the vengeful place where he began to hate the people. Up until this point it was Moses that was interceding on behalf of the people to stave off God’s wrath. Now Moses was burning with wrath against the people. He began to buy into the idea that this was really all about him.
Secondly, he said, "must we bring water out of this rock." Whoa! Who’s going to bring the water out of the rock? Moses started believing his own press. Moses was going to take the credit for the miracle that God was about to perform. In so doing, Moses had dishonored God by stealing His glory and making this a personal issue between Moses and the people.
As a leader, it was Moses’ job to stay transparent and allow the people to see the true picture of God through him. To "honor God as holy" is translated "sanctify," and "set apart" God in other translations. It is the verb form of the word kadosh which means to "be set apart". As soon as a leader does not point the glory to God and begins taking credit for God’s work, his ministry is over.
2. Sin is sin and consequences are consequences, no matter who you are. In this final act of judgment, God drove home the point to the people that, if Moses could suffer consequences because of sin, then sin must be serious business. It is a strong temptation for leaders of any level to begin believing that they are above the law; that the rules don’t apply to them. We must remember this: in the kingdom of God the gift of leadership is just another one of the many gifts. We are all members of the body of Christ and there is only one head, Jesus Christ. The human leader in the church is an important role, but it is not one that is elevated above any others. That is why Jesus told His disciples that if they wanted to be great in the kingdom of Heaven then they must become least. A leader is the chief servant. As soon as a leader in the church begins to buy into the aristocratic models of leadership upheld in the world’s systems, then they are done for. The Promised Land of walking in the Kingdom of Heaven in the fullness of truth and unity with God and His people will be out of reach.
3. God will accomplish His purposes with or without us. For every Moses there is a Joshua who is in the wings to fill in the gaps. It is a danger to believe that one individual is indispensable to the accomplishment of God’s mission in any given circumstance. Many times we can take on too much responsibility for the health and stability of whatever ministry we are leading, whether it be our family, our relational evangelism in our workplace, our church, etc. Yes, God expects faithfulness and diligence in whatever assignment He has given us, but when we take on the load of believing that we are absolutely necessary to the success of the ministry, then we have slipped into dangerous territory. God wants us to experience the joy of serving Him well, but He will not allow us to take the glory and the credit for the work that He is doing. You can be replaced, don’t forget that.
The last two days of devotionals have been pretty heavy handed, that is true. Don’t be discouraged, though. The truth about these heavy devotionals is that, when they are fully realized in your heart, they will bring the most ultimate sense of peace and fulfillment possible. Here’s why...God is in control, not you. God loves you and wants you to experience the fullness of knowing Him. When we get out of His way and admit that we aren’t smart enough or strong enough to "do" what He wants us to do, but that if we yield ourselves to His strength and "be" available to Him, then we will experience unthinkable joy in serving our King.
Week 7 Day 4 – Mutiny!
Numbers 16:1-17:13
Following God in obedience is a difficult task. Here is a harsh truth that would serve us all well to remember: when you step out in faith and follow what you feel God is asking you to do, you will almost always be misunderstood by the crowd around you. Jesus told us that in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. He said, "Blessed are you when men insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
So, how should we react when we are misunderstood, falsely accused, and abused? Our natural tendency is to slip into the "fight or flight" instinct and protect ourselves. Depending on the circumstances and our personality we may either retaliate with a "holier-than-thou" explanation about how WE are actually obeying God while THEY are apathetic sideliners. Or we may shut down and remove ourselves emotionally from the relationship in order to protect ourselves from the pain. We may become bitter and resentful towards those people. Or, we may even begin to resent God for allowing this persecution when we have sacrificed so much to do what He asked us to do.
So how should we react? We can learn a great lesson from how Moses and Aaron reacted...
1. They fell on their faces. To fall on one’s face, in those days, was to place oneself in a position of humble submission to another. Here Moses and Aaron were the God anointed spiritual and political leaders of the people who were being accused by the "peasantry." In human standards Moses and Aaron had every right to flex their leadership muscles (which had been given to them by God, remember) and push this rabble back into their places. But they didn’t. Instead, they humbled themselves before the people and acknowledged that God alone was the leader and that they were merely vessels. In a sense, they were acknowledging to their accusers that there may be some truth in the accusation and that they were willing to entertain the idea.
2. They left the battle up to God. Moses and Aaron knew this simple truth: if something is ordained by God, then it is going to happen. If it is not of God, then it won’t. Here is the trap that many leaders fall into. We start off by following along with God’s direction. In the beginning we see that it is God at work and that we are just vessels. Eventually, though, we can start to take the credit for the things that God is doing, as if it was our cleverness and strategizing that made this thing work. Then, we begin to attach our identity to the successfulness of the ministry that we are leading and become dependent upon its success to feel good about ourselves. At that point, if our leadership is challenged, or we are misunderstood, or accused of wrong-doing, we feel personally attacked and our own sense of self-worth and identity is at stake. With those lenses on it becomes very easy to start fighting back against our assailants.
Moses and Aaron believed that God had appointed them to be the leaders. If this accusation was true, and God was now ready to remove them from leadership, then there was nothing they could do about it. If this accusation was false, then God would make it clear to everyone who He wanted to be the leaders and who he didn’t.
3. If we leave it up to Him to fight the battles, then He will make truth clear in the end. In the end of this story the rabble-rousers were swallowed up by the Earth. That is not generally how God does it any more when we are falsely accused. However, if we step out of the way and let our accusers run their course, they will eventually be swallowed up by their own selfish and sinful motives and desires and be exposed for who they really are.
So, the next time you are misunderstood or falsely accused, take a deep breath and ...
1. ask yourself, "Is there any truth in what these accusers are saying?" If yes, then thank them for exposing a blind spot in your life and repent of it.
2. If no, then turn the other cheek to them and allow God to defend you. You just stick to the agenda that God has given you and don’t let nay-sayers and rabble-rousers set your agenda for you.
3. Remember that this is God’s agenda and not yours. If at anytime God wants to give you new marching orders, then so be it. You are just along for the ride! All glory belongs to Him anyway.
Week 7 Day 3 – Too Little, Too Late
Numbers 14:1-45
What does forgiveness mean? When discussing God’s grace and forgiveness in light of God’s Law and justice, there seem to be two camps in the Christian community that sit on opposite extremes of the continuum. On one side there is the camp that says that God is so loving and so forgiving that He will always forgive you no matter what you do and no matter how many times you do it. On the other side of the camp there are those who say that God cannot tolerate sin and that when you finally cross over the line for the final time, you cannot be forgiven.
Today’s story in Numbers 14 sheds some light on the issue for us. The Israelites were complaining against God and were not willing to trust that God would actually deliver the promise that He had made. They saw the giants in Canaan and could not see how they could possibly defeat this formidable enemy. Their fear drove them to the point of even wanting to kill Moses and elect another leader to take them back to Egypt. This was a major sin of rebellion.
Here are some observations and application points from this story...
- Following God is a scary thing and the natural reaction is to run back to the familiar land of slavery and sinful patterns.
- God takes obedience to Him and trust in Him very seriously.
- There are consequences to sin and to rebelling against the name of God.
- God is a forgiving God, and will always forgive the repentant.
- Forgiveness does not remove consequences.
- When we move on without the blessing of God, we will always fail.
Let’s camp on that phrase, "forgiveness does not remove consequences." God forgave the rebellious generation. He continued to lead them through the wilderness for another 40 years. His presence went before them and He provided the food they needed every single day. They had a relationship with Him, but He did not allow them into the Promised Land.
This is a truth pill that is very hard for us to swallow. There are consequences to our actions that will have a lasting effect on our lives. If you take drugs you will damage your body, permanently. If you drink and drive, you may kill an innocent person and they will never come back. If you get a divorce your children will be emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives. If you lie you will tarnish your trustworthiness and will have to work very hard to build back trust.
Does God forgive drug addicts, drunk drivers, divorcees, and liars? Absolutely. If we truly repent and ask for forgiveness then He has promised that He will remove the guilt of that sin from us as far as the east is from the west. Will He remove the consequences? No. Will a person who has had an affair, divorced their spouse, remarried, and is living in a blended family situation ever be able to experience the wholeness of a united and sanctified family? No. They will not get to enter into the Promised Land of the blessing of family that God intended for them. Does that mean that they cannot know God or follow Him? No. It just means that they cannot pretend that they are "all better" now that they are forgiven. There are deep wounds of relational devastation that will carry on throughout the generations because of those actions. God can heal those wounds and work with those wounds to make strong scar tissue, but the scars will never go away.
Here’s the point. Be careful to not fall into the trap of thinking, "I’m going to commit this sin, even though I know its wrong, because I know that God will forgive me afterward." That is dangerous thinking. When we do that we will be like the Israelites who said, "Oh, Lord, we’re sorry for rebelling, we want to go fight now." Moses said, "I’m sorry, that’s too little, too late. God will not be with you in that endeavor."
This is a heavy devotional, and perhaps a controversial one. Yet, it is important for us, as followers of Jesus, to never take lightly the instructions that we have been given. God loves us so much and has such rich blessings in store for us, that it would be foolish for us to flirt around with sin and miss out on the good stuff. We just don’t have time for that. Let’s keep our eyes focused on Jesus and keep loving each other with God’s kind of love.
Week 7 Day 2 – What’s at the Center?
Numbers 9:15-23
How did God lead His people in the desert? Did He sit down with Moses and map out a strategic plan for how they were going to systematically march on Canaan and take it over? No. God led His people with two fundamental principles. If we would simply follow these principles, much of the stress in our lives would be removed.
1. Live principle centered lives. God established the Law for His people so that the people could be whole and holy. It was a simple plan...obey and live. Admit that God has a much better plan for living than you do, give up trying to run your own life, and submit to the authority of scripture and the Holy Spirit which is at work in your life.
2. Follow the cloud. The first time this principle really came through clearly for me was when I read about it in Gordon MacDonald’s book Ordering Your Private World. He talked about the difference between being driven and being led. A driven person has specific, tangible objectives that he has set and has attached his self-worth and significance in life contingent upon the completion of these goals. He is driven to accomplish these goals at all costs. A led person has yielded her life to the authority of God. She wakes up in the morning and says, "Lord, how may I serve you today? What are my orders?" This doesn’t mean that she isn’t organized or doesn’t set goals and objectives for the plan of her week (that is a matter of personality type and time management issues). The difference between being driven and being led is one of the attitude of the heart.
In the book of Numbers the people of Israel did not know where they were going. None of them had ever been there before. They were trusting that God had their best interest in mind, so they simply "followed the cloud." As individuals, as families, and as a church, we need to continually check our hearts against these two principles. Are we submitting ourselves to the authority of God each day? Are we creating space in our lives, both individually and corporately, to clear out the clutter and distraction so that we can hear the voice of God and discern which direction the cloud is moving?
May we be a people that can see the cloud of God, discern where it is moving and, no matter where it goes or what the cost, may we have the courage to follow it.
Week 7 Day 1 – A Blessing
Numbers 6:22-27
Spend some time reading this blessing slowly. Read it out loud. Stop on each key word and ask yourself, "How is this aspect of God true or not true in my life right now?"
Bless -- to bless is the Hebrew word barak which means to bow before someone; to be for someone and not against. Do I feel like God is for me today?
Keep -- God is your guardian. He is the watcher and keeper of your life and your soul. Have you trusted yourself to God’s protection, or are you trying to defend yourself?
His face -- Here is the key to the gospel, the good news, of the entire Bible. God is facing you. In the Old Testament the image of facing someone was an image of showing that person that you loved them and were interested in their well-being and in having a relationship with that person. Think about our human relationships. When you are fighting with your spouse, friend, child, or parent, the natural tendency is to turn away from them. When we are in good relationship we turn toward them, open our arms to them, and draw them into a loving embrace. God is facing you. His arms are wide open. Your salvation is at hand in the strong, protective, loving arms of your Heavenly Father. Are His arms around you today?
Gracious -- of course the concept of grace follows quickly on the tail of the image of God’s loving embrace. That is because it is only on account of His graciousness that we can receive that embrace. An embrace from a mutual friend is wonderful, but the authentic embrace of forgiveness in the arms of someone whom we have truly offended is infinitely more meaningful. When God embraces us it is not because we deserve it, but because He has extended forgiveness to us, has cleansed us from sin, and is willing to restore our broken relationship. Are you receiving God’s grace in your life today, or are you allowing shame to stiff arm God?
Peace -- This is the final piece of the equation. When the strong arms of the father graciously embrace you, the result is peace. In that strong embrace nothing can harm you. You are not in conflict with God, you are not struggling with yourself, and you are safe from your enemies. This is peace, this is the Kingdom of God. Are you experiencing this peace today?
One more thought from this blessing. Many scholars see the Trinity present in this blessing. The Father is the strong protector. The Son is the means of Grace through which we have access to the embrace. The Spirit is the Spirit of peace through whom we experience the loving embrace and the daily walking in the Kingdom of God.
Now try saying this blessing to another person…and really meaning it. How does it change your outlook on that person?
May this meditation encourage your soul today.
Week 6 Day 5 – Special Jobs
Numbers 2:1-4:49
In today’s reading we see the practical side of a worshipping community. Up to this point in Exodus and Leviticus the people have been instructed concerning the worship of God through burnt offering and cleansing rituals. The worship of God revolved around the tent called the Tabernacle.
Now, let’s put this into perspective. The book of Leviticus was not a story (with the exception of the brothers toasted). Leviticus was the Law itself. The story left off at the base of Mount Sinai where Moses had a close encounter of the Divine Kind. Now, at the beginning of Numbers the story is about to continue. Do you remember what is happening in the story? God had promised to Abraham that He would give him the land of Canaan. The Israelites were currently a mobile nation, on the move to the Promised Land, being led by the pillar of cloud/fire, and being fed by manna.
So, what does this mobility mean for worship? It means that somebody had to pack up the Tabernacle and transport it to the next camping site. How do you transport the Most Holy Place that is never to be seen or touched? God had to set aside people to be God’s tent movers. This was probably hard, physical, and tedious labor. Every time the pillar started moving, the Levites would have to kick into gear, tear down the tent, carefully pack it up, physically carry it to wherever the pillar landed, unpack it, set it up, and then begin proper worship again.
Here are some observations about this process that can have application to us:
- The people of God were mobile, flexible, and ready to move whenever the pillar led them.
- It was the pillar that dictated when they moved, how far they would travel, and where they would stop. God led, not the people.
- There was hard, physical, and unglamorous work involved whenever God led them out.
- God appointed certain people to certain tasks. Each section of the community had their specific task, and if each player did their part then the whole community would be able to move without any problem. This seems to be a similar image to the New Testament analogy of the people of God being the body of Christ. Each person has a part in the body. No part is higher or lower than another. All parts are necessary to the health and functionality of the community.
Today, ask yourself a) am I open to God leading me wherever and whenever He wants? b) do I know what part of the body I play?
As with the Tabernacle, there are many roles to play in the body of Christ and in being a worshipping community. In a place of worship—whether a house church or a cathedral—there are physical things that need to be done in order to create a re-creative space. Facilities need to be cleaned, food needs to be prepared, children need to be watched and taught, and kitchens need to be cleaned. It’s not glamorous, but it is worship. So, the next time you are doing your "family chore" remember the Levites as they were rolling up the Tabernacle tent and hoisting it on their shoulders for the long walk. As a community, we all pitch in and do our part so that God can be glorified, we can be edified, and the Kingdom of God can have space in which to grow in our lives and in our neighborhoods.
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- LeRon Shults A theologian
- Mark Scandrette a leading voice in the conversation
- Mercy Seat Luthermergent Community in Minneapolis
- ReImagine an emergent ministry in San Fransisco
- Renovare A Spiritual Formation Organization
- Spencer Burke a leading voice in the conversation
- Stanley Grenz A theologian
- The Ooze An online conversation
