March 15, 2012

You Shall Not Worship the Lord Your God in That Way (3/15)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 11-13.

Yesterday we noticed a warning about forgetting God in the midst of prosperity. Today we see another warning to the Israelites, but this one has to do with their worship to God.

“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it” (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, ESV).

Though the other nations would be driven out of the land, there was a danger in being too curious about what they did in their worship to their gods. Curiosity is not bad in itself. But the warning to the Israelites was about learning their ways so that they could do the same in their worship to the Lord. God gave them a pattern to follow and they were not to borrow anything from the worship practices of these other nations.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: ,
March 13, 2012

When Your Son Asks You (3/13)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Deuteronomy 5-7.

Knowledge of God’s word and obedience to it are not just for one generation, but they are to be passed down to the next. The Israelites were to remember this when they entered into the land of Canaan.

“That you might do [the commandments] in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged” (Deuteronomy 6:1-2).

But the people were not just to teach their children to obey the Law. They were to teach their children why they should obey the Law.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , , ,
March 3, 2012

Moses Struck the Rock (3/3)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Numbers 18-20.

On this particular occasion when the Israelites complained as they usually did, God provided for them, but punished Moses.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.’

“So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, ‘Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?’ Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons is Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them’” (Numbers 20:7-12).

God gave Moses a simple instruction: speak to the rock. Yet Moses struck the rock instead. The end result was the same – the people received water – but Moses’ actions were still condemned.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , , ,
February 15, 2012

One Unauthorized Action (2/15)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Leviticus 8-10.

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:1-2).

The account of Nadab and Abihu is an excellent example of the need to do those things which God has authorized and refrain from those things which He has not. But this event is not without a context. This happened during the time when Aaron and his sons – which included Nadab and Abihu – were consecrated and sacrifices were offered to God. Notice some of the phrases that describe what was done during these events:
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
February 12, 2012

Moses Finished the Work (2/12)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Exodus 39-40.

“When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. He erected the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the veil for the gateway of the court. Thus Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:32-33).

When all the work for tabernacle was finished, Moses erected the tabernacle according to the pattern he had received from the Lord (Exodus 40:17-33). He used every piece, leaving nothing out. He did not add anything that the Lord had not commanded. He did not change the layout, dimensions, materials, or any other detail. He followed the pattern (Exodus 40:16) and finished the work (Exodus 40:33).
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
February 8, 2012

"I Am the Lord their God" (2/8)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Exodus 28-29.

Amidst the detailed instructions regarding the pattern for the tabernacle, its furnishings, the priests, and the sacrifices, God reminds the people why they were to obey.

“I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God” (Exodus 29:45-46).

Why were they to follow the instructions? The instructions came from the Lord their God.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
February 7, 2012

According to the Pattern (2/7)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Exodus 25-27.

“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it” (Exodus 25:8-9).

God was about to reveal His instructions to the Israelites regarding the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings. In these instructions, the Lord was very specific about what He expected them to do. He did not explain a vague concept He had for the tabernacle and allow the people to use their creativity to fill in the details. Nor did He permit them to create something that would be more “personal” so that the worshipers would be better able to “connect” to God and the worship “experience.”

God gave His instructions for a reason: He expected the Israelites to follow His instructions.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , , ,