SOAP 03/06/2015; Numbers 2:17

Today's reading: Numbers 2

S) "¹⁷ Then the tent of meeting shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their standards."

Numbers 2:17 (NASB)

O) There is a logistical, strategic element to putting the priests and the tabernacle elements in the middle of the camp (both in the encampments and in the marching). But, there's also a spiritual and emotional aspect to this. While they were encamped, every tribe was equidistant from the LORD. No one was closer than another tribe. Also, it represents keeping God central in their lives. While marching, God was again in the middle of them. This meant that, while on the move, God was both before them and behind them (collectively).

A) When I am at a resting point, not much going on in my life, I must do everything keeping God central in my life. Whatever I'm doing, God should be close, just as close in my heart and mind, in every circumstance - equidistant. When I'm on the move, marching toward something, with tasks in front of me, I need to remember that God goes before me. He fights my fights for me, with me. He prepares my way. At the same time, He also stands behind me. He gives me strength and confidence, and protects me from what I cannot see.

P) Father, You are so good. Be before me and behind me. Protect me and fight with me, and for me. Help me to keep You centrally in my focus when I am camped. And when I am moving, give me the confidence and comfort of knowing You are both before me and behind me. Thank You for this comfort, protection, and provision. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/05/2015; Leviticus 27:30-33

Today's reading: Leviticus 27

S) "³⁰ Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. ³¹ If, therefore, a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he shall add to it one-fifth of it. ³² For every tenth part of herd or flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the Lord. ³³ He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it; or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy. It shall not be redeemed."

Leviticus 27:30-33 (NASB)

O) Tithing is the principle of giving a tenth of every part received, back to the LORD. Throughout Scripture, God made it clear that He does not need our tithes and offerings. Tithing is more about the people, than it is about God Himself. First and foremost, it is about the giver having the correct heart, then it is also about the receiver being blessed and accommodated. Priests did not have traditional trades, so the tithes were their only livelihood. But, over and over, God addresses the person who is giving the tithe, because it is an act of worship that should be affecting the heart of the giver. That is why here, we see that God put an emphasis on the concerns of the giver, commanding them not to worry whether the tenth sheep, or bundle, or whatever, was a good selection to God. As soon as the person commits it to God in his heart, it belongs to God. It can't be taken back. In fact, God specifies that if the person attempted to exchange their tithe, if they attempted to take it back even if they were replacing it with something better, that it fails at the core, and both become God's.

A) Tithing is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament. Jesus does command to give to God what belongs to God (and to Caesar what is Caesar's), but that was regarding temple taxes, which I do not pay. However, tithing also predates the Law of Moses, as Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek. What the above passage is really highlighting, is that everything we commit to God immediately belongs to Him. When we give, it should be joyfully and with our complete conviction. God does not want people who's hearts are only half way in it. The principle of tithing has certainly changed my view on money. When my wife and I made the commitment to start tithing years ago, everything about our hearts changed, relative to money. I don't bring home cash everyday from work, and I certainly don't produce any livestock or harvest, but the commitment to give to God, regardless of any other circumstances, ensures that money is not becoming an idol in my heart. By choosing to give to God first, before paying any bills on payday, we are declaring that He is our Provider, He is sufficient, and we will look to no one else, and nothing else, to relieve our stresses and give us hope.

P) Father, I was convicted as I read this passage today. I never want to find myself in a place to second-guess the commitment we have made to tithing. I can acknowledge that there were not explicit commands to tithe in the New Testament, and I also know that there is no secret, magic formula that makes tithing a silver bullet to my financial woes. However, I know that tithing keeps me humble. I know that pride messes up everything in my life. So, thank You for the convictions of Your words, Lord. Thank You for reminding me to commit to You with complete conviction. I will hold to the commitment I have made, to make a declarative statement about money, that it is and always will be, a tool to be used and not a god to be served. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/04/2015; Leviticus 24:19-20

Today's reading: Leviticus 24

S) "¹⁹ If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: ²⁰ fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him."

Leviticus 24:19-20 (NASB)

O) This is Law that stood for hundreds of years. This set a standard for the treatment of others, warning people that whatever they did to someone else, it would be done to them. Jesus made it clear, that this method was not part of the new covenant in Him. This was essentially a reactive regulation, consequently governing God's people. If we contrast this with the "golden rule" (see Matthew 7:12), we see that the new way was to be assertive in our positive treatment of others. The underlying point is the same: God has a standard for His people. It is a serious standard, with no room for debate. These principles have not changed in Jesus.

A) The crux of this change (from reactive to active) rests with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Aside from Him, we are not able to uphold the standards God has set. It is the grace of God, that I am to be treated as Jesus instructed, and the grace of God that I am able to treat people the same way. It is little comfort to think that the only thing preventing crimes against me, or my family, would be a fear of punishment. In our society, that is essentially all that there is. Even still, the Law of the Old Testament stands above our government, in that the punishment for transgression was simple, straightforward, and immediately carried out. In this way, we see that God has not become more lenient in His standards (despite the abolishment of "eye for an eye"), but He has actually required a much higher standard. So, it should be that as I strive to the highest standard of behavior, attainable only by the power of God within me, it should be a shining beacon to the world, as the separation of His ways and the world's standards has never been greater.

P) Father, You are slow to anger, and great in Your lovingkindness. Let that compassion, grace, and mercy be in me, a shining beacon to a darkened world. Open their eyes to see that You have a greater standard and in it, a greater quality of life. Be glorified in joy, peace, and thanksgiving. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/03/2015; Leviticus 22:30b-33

Today's reading: Leviticus 22

S) "^30b I am the Lord. ³¹ So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord.
³² You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you, ³³ who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord."

Leviticus 22:30b-33 (NASB)

O) Four times in four verses, God repeats His name, all amidst reminders that He is sovereign, He is holy, and He is gracious. So, when we see in v.32, that the people were told not to profane His name, we should take particular note, since He was repeating His name four times. To profane something, is to reduce its significance. To profane something holy, means to cease recognizing it as special, set apart, and rare, but instead to treat it as regular, common, ubiquitous. Because of the uniqueness of the LORD, that He is totally different than any other god, any other creature, any other thing in all of the universe - He wants us to recognize that. If I disobey precepts set forth by the religion of a false god, then that god has no recourse against me. If I am helplessly lost, bound, or broken, then that false god has no help. If I profane the name of a false god, then there is no repercussion. However, in the LORD, all of these things are quite the opposite. Disobeying the Lord GOD has serious consequences, even in His patience. If I am helpless, He is at His most glorified when He rescues. And, if I profane His name... I rob Him of the glory that He is owed. Whether I am exalting something else up, to lofty heights that are unjustified, or I am trying to pull God down, to the levels of common things, mythologies, philosophies, and traditions - either way is profanity.

A) There is One. I must follow the commandments of One. I must keep holy, the name of One. I must put my hope in the help of One. The LORD is my God, and He is holy, even if I am not always good at treating Him as holy. I am to sanctify the LORD, not in a physical temporal way, but in my heart in an eternal way. My heart holds a throne built for One, and He will not abide insurrection.

P) Father, You reign supremely in my heart. I confess that as a determination, as a choice to submit to Your authority alone. I know there are times when I take my eyes of the importance of this principle. In those times, it is easy to forget that Your glory is at stake, that Your kingdom - at least the part of it that my heart constitutes - is under attack. Help me to recognize profanity in my life. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear, that I may be convicted by the Holy Spirit, and inspired to change by the power of Your hand upon my life. Let the truth of Your words sink deep into my heart, to bear fruit in my life. Be glorified upon the throne of my heart, Lord GOD. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/02/2015; Leviticus 21:1

Today's reading: Leviticus 21

S) "¹Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them:
"No one shall defile himself for a dead person among his people,"'"

Leviticus 21:1 (NASB)

O) The first thing to note is the audience of this chapter. The LORD commanded Moses, to tell the priests these things. These were not just commands for the Israelites as a whole, but especially important for the priests to follow, because they ministered in the temple, and in the holy of holies within the veil. The second thing to note, is the time that this was spoken. These people were under the Law, which was completed in Jesus Christ. Just as the veil that separated was torn (see Mark 15:38), the Old Covenant is not directly applicable. There is no more ceremonial uncleanness, and in the blood of Christ, our sins are completely atoned. So, touching a dead body will no longer defile us, separating us from God, even as we minister as new priests (see 1 Peter 2:4-5).

A) When I read this, I was immediately reminded of the story when Jesus told a follower to become a disciple, he must let the dead bury their own (see Matthew 8:22). Jesus was referring to the spiritually dead, burying the physically dead. In the same way, when I read the verse from Leviticus, I immediately read it in the context of the spiritually dead. In that context, it is still very much applicable to me now. I cannot allow myself to be drawn to sin, while I am trying to reach the spiritually dead. My first priority should be to honor God by preserving the righteousness that He gives me, by my faith in Jesus Christ. I can never allow a compromise to cause sin in my life, even in the name of reaching a (spiritually) dead person among my people (or family).

P) Father, You are holy, and so I strive to be holy. You call me to a different way, distinctly different than the culture surrounding me. I want to walk in a manner worthy of that calling. I want to honor Your name, the name I bear in calling myself a Christian, by the way I live my life. By putting the Holy Spirit within me, You have caused me to spring forth to life, and that life is alluring to the dead. In order to reach them, to bring them to Your redemption, never allow me to compromise the very life You have put inside of me, the very life that is drawing them. Give me trust in Your plan, patience in Your timing, and faith in Your name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 03/01/2015; Leviticus 18:3

Today's reading: Leviticus 18

S) "³ You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes."

Leviticus 18:3 (NASB)

O) This verse captures the essence of the entire chapter. This chapter has an oft-quoted verse (see v.22) that is taken out of context almost every time I've seen it quoted. We must remember what v.3 is showing us about the audience, before we read any of the commands given in this chapter. God was warning His people, His nation that was to be holy as He is holy, that they cannot live lifestyles akin to the culture they'd just left. God was redeeming them from Egypt, calling them to a new home that would be theirs, an established kingdom set apart for Him and to Him. He was also warning them not to conform to the ways of the nations that they would set out and conquer. It was precisely because of the sinful acts of the Canaanites, that they were being cast out of the region in the first place (see v.25). God is telling His people that their ways must be different than what the world thinks. Their ways must be separate, distinct, and set apart. In a word, they must be holy.

A) Even though the commands in this chapter were specific to this people, at this time, between these two regions (coming from Egypt, going to the Promised Land), that doesn't mean I can simply choose to ignore them. They still convey the character of God. Most importantly, from the above verse, I see that God does not want me to revert to the lifestyle and habits I had before He redeemed me. He doesn't want me to conform to the culture of my current society (no matter how politically and socially acceptable it is). There are many, many verses in the New Testament regarding sexuality (which is mostly what this chapter covers), so there is no shortage of instruction on the topic through the New Covenant. Most importantly, I need to remember that God is still calling His people to holiness. He wants us to be distinctly different than the nations around us. It's important to remember that God's kingdom is not a political or military force, but an invisible kingdom of His active saints. As such, we should be noticeably different than the lifestyle we left, and the surrounding cultures.

P) Father, You are holy and so I want to be holy. I want Your influence in my life to be recognizable to others. Just as I bear a noticeable resemblance to my earthly parents and brothers, I want to bear an unmistakable resemblance to my Father in heaven, and my brothers in Christ. Remind me daily, by the Holy Spirit, that Your glory is at stake in everything I do. Be glorified in my life, Father God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.