Tag: Old Testament

Posted on

Rule Followers?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.”‭‭ Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Alright, I can admit this right up front. I’m not a great rule follower. I try to justify it by my own origin story being a chaotic mess, our blended-family lacking the basics of safety, consistency and definitely boundaries. At some point I had to face reality – rules, laws and boundaries are good and I missed out and messed up by not understanding that. It didn’t help much that before Jesus, I had no guilt triggers either.

There are so many lessons to be learned from these books of the law. One big one, God, being the creator, gets to set the rules. We, as the created, do not. That’s a hard one for us. In our humanness there is a massive, “I get to be my own god” syndrome. The other huge lesson is so practical, so pragmatic – if we obey, we will enjoy a long life. I guess it’s parenthetic that we don’t agree with God on what the “good life” looks like.

I look at the ten commandments from my past non-churchgoer perspective. They are not that hard to understand or obey. It seems the biggest issue is a perceived loss of autonomy. For example, God says, “take a day off and give it a rest,” to which we say, “I don’t want to.” Just below these demands to obedience comes an even stricter law – “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Notice both the absolute, declarative truth – The Lord IS our God, the Lord ALONE,” and the following mandate… “you MUST.” God was not gentle parenting here! There was no, “I would suggest,” or “It’s in your best interest to.” And, we find no echo from God’s children (Israel) asking… “WHY God?” Isn’t it obvious? Because God said so!

I think God puts up with plenty of “why’s” from us, and He is so long suffering and patient towards us. “Why did I get cancer?,” “Why did he leave me?,” “Why did my child die?,” “Why don’t you give me a house, car, job, money, or success?” Ask away, no problem. But on the matter of who God is and will He be shared with other fake deities? Absolutely not.

There are far more than just boundaries and truth in these rules that come from the character of who God is. There is safety, security, hope, love, assurance and complete confidence in our obedience to God. Would you really want God to be more like us? For God to be duplicitous, fickle, selfish and ultimately undependable? That’s just silly. We need God to be God over all, over everything – over us. And, we need to quit pretending that our versions of God would be much better. God knows what He’s doing, so let Him do it – ultimately it’s in our favor!

Prayer

Dad,
Even knowing your ways are above my own. Even knowing your will is right and good, beyond my own understanding and expectation. Even knowing that, I still see rebellion rising within me. I still feel the tug of sin which is determined to find a different way, a better way, a faster way to get what I want, when want it. I want to obey, but I struggle in submitting to your way of doing life! Help me, Oh Lord. Forgive me, Oh God. Your way, your will, be done in me and through me.

Posted on

Aaron’s first official day on the job!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, consecrating him to serve me as a priest. Then present his sons and dress them in their tunics. Anoint them as you did their father, so they may also serve me as priests. With their anointing, Aaron’s descendants are set apart for the priesthood forever, from generation to generation.” Exodus‬ ‭40:12-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a day. The level of attention to detail is astounding. God instructed Moses, talking to him of course, about exactly what he wanted and where he wanted each item to be placed. Then a whole other checklist of details for himself and the priests that would serve as hosts and mediators while in the desert and throughout all generations. This was a serious assignment.

This job came with serious consequences for error. I can almost imagine a sign posted as you approach the tabernacle reading like a safety record, “0 Deaths” while serving God this month.

Each and every detail had purpose behind it. Nothing was random and without design. It all seems to me as I read through the instructions of attending to the tabernacle, which would later transfer to the temple, it is overwhelming. But I’m sure there was slow, methodical checking and routines that made it possible. God wanted anyone that approached the place of covenant to be washed, dressed appropriately and anointed – all to be set apart, to be holy before God. None of this would have been taken lightly. It was very serious to be called to be a priest.

Here Moses mentioned the sacred garments, the uniform while on duty. It was also extremely detailed. The entire 28th chapter of Exodus covers it – “Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service.” Exodus‬ ‭28:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬.

I love the idea of a generational anointing, a blessing setting them apart for service to God and to the people. I especially like the idea that this anointing for Aaron and his sons would be forever. Does that mean that even though Jesus fulfilled all the functions and duties as the once-for-all high priest that Aaron’s progeny would still be in service though no longer as mediators? I think so! How interesting. We know from history that this priestly journey for Aaron’s kids were a very bumpy one, yet a promise is a promise – right?

I enjoy thinking about God’s attention to detail when I read through the Old Testament because it reminds me to pay attention to the details that show up in the New Testament. With God there is always a perfect WHY behind ever WHAT – we just don’t know all of them because God is both so far above and beyond us AND He’s awesomely a mysterious God as well!

PRAYER:

Dad,
I don’t know if I would have done well in the Old Testament/Covenant context. There are so many stories of extreme highs of faithfulness and horrible lows of sin and disobedience. Then there are amazing stories of heroism and great feats of faith as well as brutal, even violent behaviors of evil towards you and their own families. I think that hardest part would be keeping your laws and not being drawn way or distracted by the way other nations did things. I am certainly glad to under the law of grace as well as the covering of Jesus for my sins and failures. For that I am eternally grateful.