Today’s Reading: Numbers 14:20 – 15:41; Psalm 95

“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of THIS people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” — Numbers 17-19

When the people of Israel lacked the faith to cross into the land that had been promised to them, Moses interceded on their behalf. He asked God to forgive them for falling short once again. God had rescued them from Egypt, allowing them to see His power at work through the plagues as well as the crossing of the Red Sea. They had walked on dry land, received quail and manna from heaven, and been nourished by the water God caused to flow from a rock, yet they lacked the faith to take the final step into all God had promised them.

BACK TO THEIR OLD WAYS

God agreed to forgive His people once more, but there would be consequences this time. They had experienced the presence of a God, who was willing to come down from heaven and dwell among them, yet they refused to listen to His voice. He had given them multiple opportunities to turn their hearts towards Him, yet they had chosen once again to raise their voices against God’s plan. Their rebellion would not go unpunished this time.

Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.” — Numbers 14:20-25

BACK TO THE RED SEA

Had they learned nothing from their journey with God? His character had been revealed and His promise to provide and protect had been fulfilled, yet they hardened their hearts once more. Because of their lack of submission, tomorrow would look much different. Instead of stepping into all God had beautifully planned for them, they would turn around and head back to the wilderness. For every day the 12 spies had spent in Canaan they would spend one year wandering in the wilderness.

God’s people had accused Him of placing their lives in danger by bringing them to the land of giants. They predicted that their children would be carried off by their enemies. But God told them they were about to find out what it was like for God himself to be their enemy. He had led them with a cloud by day and a light by night, but now they would wander aimlessly without His help. And their children would suffer the consequences of their parents’ lack of faith by spending the next 40 years of their lives in the wilderness. But after the 40 years, all who were now 20 years of age or younger would cross into the Promised Land with Caleb and Joshua — the two spies who believed God would give them victory against the giants in their path. These two young men believed that nothing was too difficult for God, and their faith would bring them to a full experience of God’s power.

BACK DOWN THE HILL

When the Israelites heard God was sending them back into the wilderness to die, they changed their minds and decided they would rather enter Canaan, but it was too late. Moses warned them to stay in the camp because the Lord was no longer with them to give them victory over their enemies, but they once again chose defiance over submission. They charged up the hill, only to be chased back down by the Amalekites and Canaanites.

Just like Moses spent 40 days on the mountain,
Just like Jesus spent 40 days in the desert,
Just like the spies spent 40 days in the Promised Land,
Just like the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness,
Let’s give God our full attention during these 40 days of Lent.

Father God, we humble our hearts before you this morning and ask that you reveal any areas of our lives where we are pulling back from you. Forgive us for our moments of doubt and for our failure to believe that you will provide for us, if only we will step into all you have planned for us. We ask you to give us the faith to move forward; we ask you to give us the courage to trust in you once again. May we continue to experience your presence on this journey of grace, daily responding to the Spirit’s prompting. We surrender our plans to yours and trust you for all tomorrow holds. Amen.

Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care.
If only you would listen to his voice today! — Psalm 95:6-7

Today’s Reading: Numbers 13–14:19; Psalm 57

Now the Lord told Moses to send out men into the land of Canaan to explore the land. Twelve men were chosen, one leader from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

“See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” — Numbers 13:18-20

The men came back and reported what they had found, and they brought back the fruit of the land to show Moses. It took two men to carry a single cluster of grapes. The land was indeed flowing with milk and honey and the fruit was luscious, but the people were powerful and the cities fortified. They celebrated the bounty of the land but also worried about the size of the men in Canaan, calling them “giants”.

THEY CHOSE FEAR INSTEAD OF FAITH.

God was blessing them with a wonderful opportunity — the fulfillment of His promise to them. God had proven to them that He was both their protector and their provider, yet they lacked the faith to step forward in obedience. Thankfully two of the spies saw the size of their God rather than the size of their enemy.

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers and that’s what they thought, too!” – Numbers 13:30-33

The tone set by these men had an impact on God’s people, who began to weep and protest what they believed to be their future against these giants who stood between them and the promises of God. But Joshua and Caleb spoke up: “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:7-9)

Instead of being strengthened by the confidence of Joshua and Caleb, God’s people started planning how they would stone these two leaders. God was angry with the people for once again living in fear instead of faith. They questioned both the power of God and the faithfulness of God to keep His promise to them. Instead of giving God the battles ahead, they whined and complained against God. They looked back at their old life with a longing to return to the way things used to be (slavery in Egypt) instead of trusting in God for a better future. God was ready to destroy the Hebrews with a plague, but once again Moses intervened and prayed for God to forgive His people.

“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty…In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people…’” – Numbers 14:17-19

We serve a God of compassion who was once again willing to look past the doubt of many to see the faith of a few. God recognized in Caleb a different spirit. He saw that Caleb followed him wholeheartedly. Because of their faith in God, Caleb and Joshua would be the only adults over twenty years old who would enter into the land of Canaan.

WHEN OTHERS CHOSE FEAR, THEY CHOSE FAITH.

So do I tend to be more like Caleb and Joshua, or do I fall into a panic like the other spies? Where am I on my faith journey? Do I have the tendency to back away from difficult situations and tough conversations, or do I respond to the Spirit’s leading regardless of my fear or discomfort? Do I choose to live in fear or in faith? I want to be like Caleb, one who has a different spirit and follows the Lord with all my heart – living in faith and not fear.

In 2018, Hillsong Worship came out with a song that beautifully speaks to this confident faith we can have in God, even in our times of uncertainty or fear. I encourage you this morning to let these words of faith wash over you: Be still and know / That the Lord is in control / Be still my soul / Stand and watch as giants fall / I won’t be afraid if you are here / You silence all my fear / I won’t be afraid / You don’t let go / Be still my heart and know / I won’t be afraid [Be Still, Hillsong Worship]

My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. – Psalm 57:7-10

Today’s Reading: Numbers 12, Hebrews 3, Psalm 103

He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. — Psalm 103:7-10

CALLED OUT BY GOD

Have you ever been “called out” for your behavior or actions or attitude? That is literally what happened to Miriam in this next passage of scripture – she was called out. Moses was a very humble man, but Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses out of concern that he was getting all the credit. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?…Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” (Numbers 12:2)

God heard them and called them out of the Tabernacle where they received a good old-fashioned lecture. Miriam had to know she was in trouble the moment she heard God say,

“Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you. Listen carefully to what I’m telling you. If there is a prophet of God among you, I make myself known to him in visions; I speak to him in dreams. But I don’t do it that way with my servant Moses; he has the run of my entire house; I speak to him intimately, in person, in plain talk without riddles: He ponders the very form of God. So why did you show no reverence or respect in speaking against my servant, against Moses?” – Numbers 12:6-8 (The Message)

Jealousy and pride crept into Miriam’s heart and she began thinking more of herself than she thought of the wisdom of God. Not only did she get called out by God, she was placed in a time-out of sorts. Miriam was struck with leprosy and made to spend seven days outside the camp by herself – seven days covered with skin as white as snow, time segregated from her family and friends. She had plenty of time to find the humility she was lacking.

Miriam also had time to consider how her actions were impacting others. While Miriam was in her time-out, the people didn’t move. No progress was made while the Israelites waited for Miriam to learn her lesson. Her bad attitude and jealousy had literally stopped the movement of God’s people. Are there times when our attitude or selfishness is standing in the way of where God is taking His people, His church?

CALLED BY GOD INTO MINISTRY

God made it clear that Moses had “run of the entire house” or as it says in the NLT, “Of all my house, he is the one I trust” (12:7b). The writer of Hebrews also spoke of the faithfulness of Moses and how he was entrusted with God’s entire house (God’s people) because he was a faithful servant. In the same way, Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house for he was faithful to God who appointed him (Hebrews 3:1-6).

And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. — Hebrews 3:6b

So do I tend to be more like Miriam or Moses? Do I worry about receiving glory and credit, fame or attention? Or do I humble myself before God, only concerned that God receives glory? Like Moses, I want to know God intimately and humbly enter His presence. I want to be called by God, not called out by God. I am so thankful this morning for a God who forgives us, even after our most foolish moments.

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him. — Psalm 103:11-17

Today’s Reading: Numbers 11; Psalm 131

Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord — now and always. — Psalm 131

The nation of Israel went through a time of responding to all the Lord commanded them to do through Moses. They were growing in numbers and God’s blessings were evident, but it did not take long for the people to begin to whine and complain.

NO LONGER ENOUGH

The people of Israel (all 603,550 of them plus women and children) were still wandering in the wilderness and had not yet arrived to the land God had promised. Eventually the Israelites became tired of this way of life — wandering from place to place, daily picking up and moving on. They were tired of the manna God had provided for them to eat and they began to whine and complain. Manna was no longer enough for them. Now they wanted meat. Moses became aggravated with the people and began to feel sorry for himself, taking out his frustrations on God.

And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:11-15

“Don’t make me come down there.” This was a common sentence at my house as I was growing up, and in this passage we hear God giving the same sort of fatherly warning. He said He would come down and the Israelites would get what they wanted – Oh boy, would they get it!

DISSATISFIED AND BORED

Moses responded – Where am I supposed to get enough meat to feed all these people?!! Oh Moses, I wish I could not relate to your faithless behavior. I know I serve a God who provides generously, yet I find myself asking how I am supposed to do what God is calling me to do. I can also sadly relate to the people who have been blessed by God but have become dissatisfied and bored, ready for God to bless in a new and different way. Oh, what a patient God we serve! Oh, how we must frustrate Him!

Numbers 11:23a
God answered Moses, “So, do you think I can’t take care of you?” (The Message)
“Has my arm lost its power?” (NLT)
“Is the Lord’s arm too short?” (NIV)

Over and over again Moses had witnessed both the Lord’s provision and the Lord’s anger at the complaints and selfishness of the people, yet here he is — the one lacking the faith to believe that God could do what He said He would do. I would love to sit here in judgment of Moses and shake my head in unbelief but the truth is that I am no better than him. I hear the Lord asking me, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? So, do you think I can’t take care of you? Has my arm lost its power?”

GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. — 2 Corinthians 9:10

Over and over again we witness God’s provision. My prayer for us today is that we know with confidence that God can take care of us, that His arm is not too short. I pray that we remain in a state of obedience without questioning God or praying for more than what God is giving us. I pray that God does something within each one of our hearts today, causing us to only desire what He desires for us and to be content with what He has for us. Lord, may these things be true in our lives today. Amen.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24

Today’s Reading: Numbers 8:5-10:36; Psalm 48

In Exodus 24, the Lord called Moses to come and spend time in His presence on the mountain. There the Lord would give him instructions, equipping Moses to lead God’s people. The Israelites watched as Moses climbed the mountain and disappeared into the cloud, and they did not see their leader again for forty days and nights. In his absence, they lost confidence in God’s presence and created a physical object to worship — the golden calf.

In Exodus 33, we again see the presence of the Lord appearing in a pillar of cloud. If the people needed evidence that God was faithful, He would give it to them.

Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. – Exodus 33:8-10

GOD MADE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN THROUGH A PILLAR OF CLOUD.

When Moses climbed back up Mount Sinai to receive a second set of stone tablets, the Lord came down in a cloud and stood on the mountain with Moses (Exodus 34:5). On that day, the Lord revealed Himself as Yahweh, and He continues to be Yahweh for us today. He is the God of mercy and compassion; He is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. He lavishes this unfailing love upon generation after generation, forgiving us for our iniquity, rebellion and sin, just as He forgave the Israelites for worshiping the golden calf.

In both Exodus 40 and Numbers 9, we read the beautiful description of the Lord’s presence inhabiting the Tabernacle in a cloud. The people had created a place of worship just as the Lord had instructed them to, and God faithfully dwelled among them. Daily the Lord guided them through the movement of the cloud.

On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. – Numbers 9:15-18a

GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE AND HIS PEOPLE WERE FAITHFUL TO FOLLOW.

Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. – Numbers 9:22-23

God also equipped Moses with the trumpet call in order to lead the people where they needed to go. If they heard two trumpets, all of God’s people were to gather at the entrance of the Tabernacle. If only one trumpet was blown, only the leaders needed to assemble. The Lord gave Moses various trumpet calls in order to communicate instructions to God’s people. This provided an organized way to move the large group of people, while also providing a method to signal alarm when enemies would come to attack them (Exodus 10:1-10). God provided a way for His people to see His presence through the cloud and also to hear His instructions through the sound of the trumpet.

GOD’S PEOPLE DO NOT NEED TO QUESTION HIS PRESENCE OR HIS WILLINGNESS TO LEAD US.

We can start our day with confidence in who God is — He is Yahweh, the God of compassion and mercy whose unfailing love is lavished on us as He willingly forgives us for our iniquities, rebellion and sin. Just as He forgave the Israelites when they repented of their sin of idol worship, He is willing to forgive us when we humbly repent of our waywardness.

We can step into our day with the assurance of God’s presence. When we surrender our lives to Him, allowing Him to be Lord, He generously provides His Spirit to dwell among us and in us. Just as the cloud descended upon the mountain and then on the Tabernacle, God is faithful. He never forgets us; He never abandons us. He responds to our worship and hears our prayers.

For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die. – Psalm 48:14

We can daily live out our confidence in the instructions God has given us in His word. Through scripture, the Lord leads us. He has laid out a plan for us, promising to fill us with His righteousness and transform our hearts and minds. He equips us for all that He has called us to be and do. Our God is faithful to guide each decision we face. He is Yahweh, God Almighty, and we can trust Him. Now it’s our turn to look, listen and obey.

Today’s Reading: Numbers 1-8:4; Mark 4:1-25; Revelation 1:12-20; Psalm 80

Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward. — Exodus 25:37

While Moses was on the mountain, God gave him detailed instructions regarding the building of a holy sanctuary where God could live among the people of Israel. Those instructions included specific patterns for every piece that furnished the Tabernacle. Each detail had a purpose.

The Lord said to Moses, “Give Aaron the following instructions: When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand.” So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the Lord had shown Moses. — Numbers 8:1-4

SO THEIR LIGHT SHINES FORWARD

Consider with me the importance of the seven lamps and why their light needed to shine forward. There was an intentionality to direct the light in such a way that others would see it — that they would be drawn to the light. The light had significance and it was meant to be cast forward for all to see. There are many New Testament passages where Jesus’ teaching helps us understand God the Father, and his words in the gospel of Mark help us understand the importance of the direction of the light.

Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” — Mark 4:21-23

This parable of the lamp came right after Jesus had told the large crowd of people the parable of the farmer spreading seed (Mark 4:14-20). The analogy referred to the sharing of God’s word with others, and to the various ways people receive the truth of God’s word. To those who hear and accept God’s word, there is a responsibility to continue planting seeds so that the harvest multiplies in the lives of others. We are to shine our light forward, to place our lamp on a stand for others to see.

SO THE WHOLE WORLD CAN SEE

Just like the lampstands were built by design, we are also created with a purpose. We are to be a light in a world full of darkness. We are meant to reflect the light of God in such a way that the lives of others are impacted by our radiance.

When the apostle John was exiled on the island of Patmos, he heard a loud voice telling him to write down everything he was about to see. The Lord had a message for seven churches, and He was asking John to absorb the message and relay it to the church. This revelation came while John was worshiping in the Spirit.

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

“Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” — Revelation 1:12-20

Church, we are a lampstand; we have been commissioned to be a light in this world. We were designed to let the light of God shine through us to a dark and hurting world. They are hungry for the message God has given us, and it is our responsibility to SHINE THE LIGHT FORWARD so that they can find salvation in Christ Jesus.

Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. — John 12:44-46

Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.
Make your face shine down upon us.
Only then will we be saved. – Psalm 80:16

Today’s Reading: Exodus 34; Luke 4:1-13; Psalm 26

Be ready in the morning to climb up Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. — Exodus 34:2

CALLED ONTO THE MOUNTAIN

The Israelites had sinned against God the last time Moses was on the mountain, because they lost faith in the God who had so faithfully provided for their every need. In recognition of the sinfulness of man, Moses once again climbed the mountain to hear from God. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain with the Lord. Moses came ready to hear from God — to receive instructions for how God’s people were to live.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down all these instructions, for they represent the terms of the covenant I am making with you and with Israel.”

Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him. – Exodus 34:27-30

While on the mountain, God took care of the physical needs of His servant. Moses had no need for food or water because he was in the presence of the God who sustains and restores. God had his full attention. After his time with God, the face of Moses radiated God’s light. His time in God’s presence had made an impact on Moses, and he was now reflecting God’s light for all the people to see. This time spent on the mountain can be compared to the time Jesus spent in the wilderness.

The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. — Mark 1:12-13

LED INTO THE WILDERNESS

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. — Luke 4:1-2

While there is no mention that Moses was hungry during his 40 days on the mountain, the gospels tell us that Jesus was very hungry. His time in the desert was difficult. Jesus knew what it was to battle against the temptations of the enemy. It was not until the devil went away that angels came and took care of Jesus.

Today marks the 17th day of Lent — a 40-day season of preparing our hearts for our celebration of the resurrection of Christ. This length of time commemorates the days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before his ministry began. It is a time of self-reflection — to consider how sinful we are, and to acknowledge that we need God to come in and do a work in our heart. It is a time to consider how our Savior willingly died on the cross for our sins, even though he was without sin.

We get so busy and we allow so many things to fill our lives. Lent is a season of cutting things out of our life in order to make room for God; it is 40 days to simplify our schedules so that we have more time to focus on Jesus and the sacrifice He made for our salvation. It is a time to renew our relationship with God — to experience communion with the Lord. It is a season to focus our attention on what Jesus did for us on the cross.

When Moses came down from the mountain, it was obvious to all the people that he had spent time in the presence of God. By intentionally setting aside 40 days to turn our face towards God, we have the opportunity to radiate Jesus to those around us. Our faith journey can provide the light someone else needs to find their way to God.

We are almost halfway through Lent. Today is the first day of March and we will celebrate our risen Savior on the last day of March. Have you been intentionally focusing on the Lord during this season? What is God calling you towards during the remainder of this season of repentance? What is He asking you to give up or add in order to grow in your relationship with Him? It’s not too late. We have this whole month to spend time on the mountain with our Lord.

My prayer for you this morning is that this has been and will continue to be a special season for you and your family as you celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ — that God will give you a mountaintop experience that forever changes your understanding of how much Jesus loves you. Are you ready for the climb? Don’t give up! The Lord is eager to spend this time with you.

I wash my hands to declare my innocence.
I come to your altar, O Lord,
singing a song of thanksgiving
and telling of all your wonders.
I love your sanctuary, Lord,
the place where your glorious presence dwells. – Psalm 26:6-8

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 20-27; Psalm 97

This is clean; this is unclean. This is permissible; this is unacceptable. You can eat this, but don’t eat that. Chapter after chapter in Leviticus defines how God wants us to separate ourselves from sin and from situations that might tempt us to sin. We serve a God who requires holy living, but who also generously equips and supplies us with HIS holiness. Praise God!

So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God. Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who MAKES YOU HOLY. – Leviticus 20:7-8

I love this! The Lord God, who requires us to be holy, makes us holy. That’s the kind of gracious God we serve! He clearly lays out his expectations of holy living and what it looks like to obediently follow his commands, but He knows we cannot make ourselves holy. It takes the hand of the Almighty to reach down and do something in our lives as we submit our will to Him. Then God gets the glory for our life of holiness.

HIS HOLINESS IS ON DISPLAY AND NOT OUR OWN EFFORTS TO PERFORM.

You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who MAKES YOU HOLY.” – Leviticus 22:31-33

The book of Leviticus lays out the requirements of God for the people of Israel — requirements of how to worship, how to make sacrifices and how to live their daily life. God instructed them on how to live in relationship with a holy God and how to live in relationship with others. Just as we learned in Exodus, God’s command is clear – to love God also requires that we love others.

HIS HOLINESS IS ON DISPLAY WHEN HIS LOVE FLOWS THROUGH US.

Act with justice, speaking up for others (5:1). Do not spread slanderous gossip (19:16). Show respect for the elderly (19:32). Love foreigners as you love yourself (19:33-34). Don’t take advantage of one another (25:14). Help those who have fallen into poverty (25:25,35). Be generous towards the poor:

“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 23:22

More than 2000 years later, the apostle Peter reminded the people again of God’s call to holiness. Just as God commanded in the book of Leviticus, Peter taught the same connection between holy living out of love for God and holy living displayed in our love for others.

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”…For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God….You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. – 1 Peter 1:14-22

The God-required response to our salvation is to love each other. Our salvation is not just about us. We were not saved to live focused on ourselves but we were saved to focus on God in obedience and love. We were called to holy living and that call includes living a life of love and kindness toward others. That is what God required of the people of Israel in Leviticus, that is what God required of the Jewish Christians to whom Peter wrote, and that is what God requires of us today.

…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. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that GOD SUPPLIES. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. – 1 Peter 4:8-11

Our holy God, who calls us to be holy, will make us holy. What He is asking us to do, He will equip us to do. He will give us spiritual gifts and He will supply us with the strength and energy we need to do what He is asking us to do. Why? So that our lives will bring glory to Him. That is my desire this morning – to live a life of obedience, letting God come in and MAKE ME HOLY for His glory and for His purposes. Lord, this is my prayer!

Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.
May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
and praise his holy name! – Psalm 97:11-12

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 11-19; Psalm 116

Chapter 16 of Leviticus describes the Day of Atonement – a day in which the sins of God’s people were presented to the Lord in confession and payment for those sins was made in order to make right what was wrong. The blood and life of an animal was presented to God as a substitute for the life of the sinner. As the animal parts were ceremonially presented to God, His anger was appeased and the worship of His people was accepted.

For the life of a creature is in the blood and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. — Leviticus 17:11

The priests played an important role in this redemption process. Leviticus contains chapter after chapter of specific instructions for priests. They were fully equipped to do what God had chosen them to do, it simply required their obedience. It was an honor to be chosen to lead God’s people through each ritual and religious custom; it was a privilege to be used by God to cleanse His people from their unrighteousness.

“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites. No one else is allowed inside the Tabernacle when Aaron enters it for the purification ceremony in the Most Holy Place. No one may enter until he comes out again after purifying himself, his family, and all the congregation of Israel, making them right with the Lord.” – Leviticus 16:15-17

The role to which Aaron and the other Levites were assigned allowed the Israelites to experience purification. They mediated the covenant relationship between their holy God and a sinful people. As we study the role of the Levites in the book of Leviticus, we see a reflection of the role of Jesus Christ.

JESUS NOT ONLY BECAME THE SACRIFICE FOR US, HE ALSO BECAME THE PRIEST.

Jesus offered himself as the perfect sacrifice and mediated a new covenant between God and His people. Because of this sacrifice, we have been adopted into God’s family and will receive an eternal inheritance. The writer of Hebrews does a beautiful job of explaining this role.

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood – not the blood of goats and calves – he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. – Hebrews 9:11-15

Precious Jesus, thank you so much for dying to set us free from our sin. Thank you for living in us through your Spirit, daily making it possible for us to experience a life of holiness. Cleanse our hearts and purify us from all efforts to be self-righteous and self-centered. Lord, we love you and long to worship you with pure hearts and clean hands. Amen.

“You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2b

What can I offer the Lord
for all he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
I will keep my promises to the Lord
in the presence of all his people. – Psalm 116:12-14

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 1-9; Psalm 56

What is the purpose of the book of Leviticus? It is often tempting to skip over this book full of priestly instructions, but even in this detailed list of rules and how-to’s God makes Himself known to us. We serve a God of details – a very specific God.

By reading through the instructions for the priests of Israel, we better understand the God we serve. We understand that He is a holy God and that He has provided for the atonement of our sins so that we can worship our holy Father and live in a relationship with our holy Creator. Each sacrifice described, each holy day required, teaches us something about the God we serve and what He requires of us.

“For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy….For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.” – Leviticus 11:44-45

GOD CREATED A PROCESS FOR THE ATONEMENT OF THE SINS OF HIS PEOPLE.

The priests were given specific instructions on how to purify the people from their sins and make them right with the Lord so they could be forgiven of their sins. Even when they sinned unintentionally, God required them to respond at the moment in which they became aware of their sin — to respond with a heart of confession (Lev. 4:35; 5:5,13).

When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. – Leviticus 4:14

If the entire community sinned, a young bull was to be sacrificed. If one of Israel’s leaders violated one of God’s commands unknowingly, a male goat with no defects was to be brought to the priest for sacrifice. If a common person was found guilty of sin, they were to bring a female goat with no defects. If what they had to give was a sheep, then a female sheep with no defects could be sacrificed. If they could not afford a sheep, two turtle doves or pigeons would be accepted; if that, too, was out of reach, two quarts of choice flour could be brought before the Lord.

GOD HAS PROVIDED A WAY FOR EVERYONE TO COME TO SALVATION.

All in all, God provided a way for sinners to be made right with him, whether they were blessed with plenty of choice animals or only a small amount of flour. This reflects the compassion of our holy God. We serve a God who offers salvation to everyone — a God who provides a way for us to be made right in His sight.

“Through this process, the priest will purify those who are guilty of any of these sins, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.” – Leviticus 5:13a

A process was designed for the sake of the admission of guilt and the confession of sin. The moment they realized what they had done or recognized their sinful state, they were to admit their guilt (5:3b). The spilling of blood was required in order for God’s people to be made right in the sight of God.

IT IS THE BLOOD OF JESUS THAT MAKES ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS TODAY.

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. – Ephesians 1:7-8

The death of Jesus on the cross makes it possible for us to be in a right relationship with a holy God – a God who requires us to live a holy life. The blood of Jesus was spilled so that we can be freed from the power of sin and filled with the righteousness of God. It is impossible for us to reconcile ourselves to God on our own. Thank God for His generous plan of salvation. Praise the Lord for the blood of Jesus shed for our sins!

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. – Colossians 1:20

Creator God, thank you for making a way for all of us to live in a right relationship with you. We are unworthy of your gift of salvation and incapable of holiness, yet you fill us with your own righteousness and display your holiness through our lives. We are grateful for your mercy and your grace, and we see it as a privilege to walk in the light you have provided for us today. May we remain humbly willing to confess our sins, daily recognizing all that you provided through the blood of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and will offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.
For you have rescued me from death;
you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
in your life-giving light. – Psalm 56:12-13