Tag Archive | holiness

Numbers 3&4 – Whatever your hands find to do…

Good morning Y’all. Today we are looking at Numbers 3 and 4

I struggled a lot with these two chapters 😦 to find something that I can apply to my life. with more research and help of the Holy Spirit, I was able to come up with the points below

I pray you are blessed as you read πŸ™‚

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1) God is a God of order. He has a order in which things need to be done. He gave specific instruction to the Moses, Aaron and the Levites on how to carry out their tasks and in the order it has to be done.

“Then the Lord said to Moses,  β€œSummon the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron as his assistants. They will follow his instructions and perform the sacred duties at the Tabernacle on behalf of all the people of Israel. For they are assigned to him as representatives of all the people of Israel. They are in charge of all the furnishings and maintenance of the Tabernacle. However, only Aaron and his sons may carry out the duties of the priesthood; anyone else who presumes to assume this office shall be executed.” (Numbers 3: 5-10 TLB)

2) We are set apart for Gods use.  The moment we gave our lives to Christ, we transferred ownership of all that we are or ever hope to be to God. Not that it was ever ours anyway πŸ™‚ . We are set apart for His use just as the levites were.

Eph 1: 4-5  says “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (NLT)

1 Peter 2:9 says ” But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (NKJV)

3) Each of us has a part to play in Gods kingdom. Just as the levites each had a task to perform (see Numbers 3: 21 – 37), so also we have individual roles to perform.

“When their names were recorded, as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry”. Numbers 4:49 NLT

Each of us has been assigned a role to play and we should do it cheerfully no matter how small or big it may be. Notice the Levites weren’t envious or trying to do another persons role. I guess after God made an example of Nadab and Abihu (see Numbers 3:4), they understood the importance of obeying and doing things Gods way.

I found the below commentary by David Guzik regards verse 49 –

“Each according to his service and according to his task: Each of these had a role to play in doing the work of tabernacle, and God made them all dependent on each other to do that work. “It is worthy of note that these Levites, although they were all equally consecrated to God, had not all exactly the same work to perform. God is not the God of all uniformity. There is a wondrous unity of plan and design in all that he does, but there is also an equally marvelous variety.” (Spurgeon)
Paul says the church is to work like a body – many parts, looking different, doing different jobs, meeting different needs, some more visible, some less, but all essential – and all with the same DNA code!
Much trouble is caused in the service of the Lord by those who desire a different calling than they have, or who are jealous of those who have a different calling, or by those who exalt one calling and abase another. Everyone has a place and a job, and all can be about doing it!” (Guzik, David. “Commentary on Numbers 4”. “David Guzik’s Commentaries
on the Bible”. ;. 1997-2003)

In summary, let’s remember that our God is a holy God and delights in our obedience. Let us carry out our roles with gladness and not look down on the task we have been given. if our role is to clean the toilets in Gods house, lets do it cheerfully, if its too lead people in worship, lets do it cheerful and unto God. scripture says whatever your hands finds to do, do it with all your might (Eccl 9: 10, Col 3:23). Scripture also says he who is faithful in little things will also be faithful in much (Luke 16:10)

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thots on the chapter.

Have a blessed day πŸ˜‰

***With God all things are possible***

Leviticus 21 – Set apart as Holy

Good afternoon y’all. Today we are studying Leviticus 21.

Be blessed πŸ™‚

Reading through the chapter, it dawned on me that holiness is not a choice, it’s a command from God. It’s what we have been called into as Christians; and it’s essential if we truly want to serve God in spirit and in truth.

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“They must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. (Leviticus 21:6a NLT)

God’s desire is for us to be sanctified and set apart for His use. He told the priests that they are to be set apart and holy for Him and they mustn’t do anything to bring shame or dishonor to His name.

This applies to us as well.1 Peter 2:9 tells us “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light”. (NLT)

We are priests as well and God’s will for us is to be holy and set apart for His use. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 confirms this –
“God’s will is for you to be holy….”(NLT)

We mustn’t indulge in anything that will contaminate us or bring shame to the name of God. Our lives should portray Jesus in everything we say and do. There shouldn’t be any form of ambiguity that would make people question God or make them dishonor Him, based on the way we live our lives.

“No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the lord . Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings”. (Leviticus 21:18-22 NLT)

The priests had to be without defect. Any that had defect wasn’t allowed to minister. Though God still included them by ensuring they get to share in the meals reserved for the priests.

Thanks to Jesus, now we can all come in including those of us with physical defects. We are all included in Christ. We can boldly approach the throne of grace. Hallelujah!!!

“….You must consider them holy because I, the lord , am holy, and I make you holy”. (Leviticus 21:8b NLT)

“…I am the lord who makes them holy.” (Leviticus 21:23 NLT)

We need to understand holiness is not something we can achieve on our own.  God said to the priests; ‘I make you holy’.  This tells me we need God’s help to live a holy life. We need to yield and work in agreement with His Spirit so we can daily live a life that is holy and pleasing before Him.

Holiness should be what we long for every second, minute, hour, day of our lives.

Prayer:
Dear God thank You for the privilege to know You. Please help us live holy and not do anything that will bring shame or dishonor to Your Name. Help us get rid of the sins that contaminate us and give us grace to yield fully to Your Spirit at all times. Thank You dear Lord. In Jesus’ Name we’ve prayed. Amen.

***With God all things are possible***