Loving One Another

Readings for today: Leviticus 19-20, Psalm 36

Everyone is a fan of love. We all want love. We all need love. We all crave love. It’s essential for the flourishing of human life. Without love, we fail to thrive. Without love, we struggle to connect. Without love, we become isolated, alone, afraid, and anxious. If we remain without love, our hearts fill up with hate, rage, and potentially, even violence. Violence against others. Violence against ourselves. Communities that lack love are fractured, divided, abusive, and exploitative in all kinds of ways. Nations where love is absent are chaotic, unjust, oppressive, and volatile. The lack of love in our world today creates all kinds of trauma and brokenness in our lives.

This is why God gives us a law. He is not only seeking to restrain our worst impulses as human beings but also seeking to create an environment where love is put into action. Don’t glean to the edges of your fields. Why? Because you are to love the poor. Don’t dishonor your father or mother. Why? Because you love your parents. Do not steal or lie. Why? Because you love your neighbor. Do not have sex with someone other than your spouse. Why? Because you love others and don’t want them to be exploited for your own sexual pleasure. Give the land rest from agriculture. Why? Because you love creation. Offer pure offerings before the Lord. Why? Because you love the Lord. Such boundaries are not arbitrary. They are absolutely necessary to create the conditions for love.

Loving one another is not an abstract idea. It’s not an aspirational idea or wishful thinking. Love takes concrete form in laws and regulations and policies and healthy boundaries that define relationships. The relationships might be familial or collegial or communal or civic. As much as we may resist them at times, they are essential for us to experience love or learn love or show love to those around us. The fact that we don’t often associate laws with love - especially God’s Law with God’s Love - only shows how much we need them. As you read through the laws in Leviticus, I know many of them may seem archaic and strange. It’s because they were designed to some extent for a far different world. Don’t let that throw you. Instead, think about how such laws might promote the experience of love in an ancient near east context. Now think about the laws we live by in our own world. The moral law God has given us through His Word. The civic law we live by in our communities and nation. Prayerfully reflect on how such laws lead you to experience love and share love with others.

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 21-23, Psalm 37

Fear of Disease

Readings for today: Leviticus 14-15, Psalm 34

One of humanity’s deepest fears is disease. Pestilence. Plague. Something unseen that steals life. We’ve all felt it. We’ve all struggled with it. If not personally then with those we love. Unseen proteins build up in the brain, robbing us of our memory. Unseen plaque builds up in our arteries, causing our hearts to fail. Unseen blood clots break loose, laying us low with a stroke. Unseen cells go haywire and we’ve got cancer. Unseen viruses infect and millions die.

I think of the rising anxiety and panic in the gay community in the early 1980’s as a mysterious disease began to appear in different clusters around Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. A new epidemic had been born that seemingly attacked the human immune system. As gay men began to die in ever-increasing numbers, the reaction was tragic. Preachers called it God’s judgment on immorality. The government put quarantines in place and began stopping the infected at the border. Those exposed to the disease were isolated and ostracized as our society gave into her homophobic instincts. Thankfully, there were many who fought their fear and took action. Raising awareness and funds for research. Lobbying the government to institute more humane public policy. Developing more effective treatments that allowed those with the disease to live relatively normal lives and put an end to the stigma that isolated them from society. More recently, of course, we all know about COVID. A disease that has impacted just about everyone on the planet. Mass quarantines. Mandatory masking. Government bailouts to stem the economic fallout. Treatments and vaccines being fast-tracked in order to save as many live as possible. Wave after wave of variants. Fears about the potential of overwhelming hospitals and other health centers. It’s been crazy and it only illustrates how deep our fears run when it comes to disease.

The ancient Israelites were no different. They too struggled with all kinds of anxiety over disease. They feared what they could not see. What they could not understand. They had firsthand experience watching a plague burn through an entire village. They knew what could happen should disease be left unchecked. So they were meticulous. When someone’s skin erupted, they were sent to the priest. When someone’s home showed signs of mildew or rot, they were quick to respond. When mold started to grow on clothing, they wasted no time. Please note the goal was never to marginalize the sick. Never to tear down a home or burn a garment. The hope was always to restore. To trust God for healing and provision. However, there were times when extreme measures had to be taken to protect the rest of the village or community.

Thankfully we live in a time where medical miracles have become the norm. Modern medicine. Surgical techniques. Treatment options. These are signs of God’s Kingdom breaking into our world. It is part of the dominion God originally intended for human beings. We were designed to be healers. To care for all creation. To mend that which is torn. To restore that which is ruined. To make the broken whole. This is why so much of Jesus’ own ministry was one of healing. One of restoration. One of purifying the unclean. God desires that all should be saved and salvation impacts the whole person. God desires our healing from disease. Our healing from isolation and loneliness. Our healing from marginalization and ostracism. Yes, such healing may not come this side of heaven but it is always what God is working towards. It is what we should be working towards as well. This is the heart that beats behind the words of Leviticus.

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 16-18, Psalm 35 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Clean vs. Unclean

Readings for today: Leviticus 11-13, Psalm 33

As I said a few days ago, Leviticus can be very challenging. Holy. Unholy. Clean. Unclean. Common. Polluted. Lots of words that we don’t think much about in our own context and culture. This begs for some explanation. Scholar Gordon Wenham does a great job describing the distinctions in his commentary.

“Everything that is not holy is common. Common things divide into two groups, the clean and the unclean. Clean things become holy, when they are sanctified. But unclean objects cannot be sanctified. Clean things can be made unclean, if they are polluted. Finally, holy items may be defiled and become common, even polluted, and therefore unclean… . cleanness is a state intermediate between holiness and uncleanness. Cleanness is the normal condition of most things and persons. Sanctification can elevate the clean into the holy, while pollution degrades the clean into the unclean. The unclean and the holy are two states which must never come in contact with each other.” (pp. 19-20)

Why does all this matter? Because God’s stated goal for His people is for them to be holy as He is holy. “For I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy.” (Leviticus‬ ‭11‬:‭45‬ ‭CSB‬‬‬) Yes, in Christ the ceremonial laws of Leviticus have been fulfilled. We no longer need to worry about clean and unclean animals. (See Peter’s vision in Acts 10 as an example.) We no longer need to fear being made unclean by touching lepers or coming into contact with the dead. Through His shed blood, Christ has not only washed us clean (in the Levitical sense) but also sanctified us permanently. This is incredible to think about as we read about the rituals the Israelites had to perform.

At the same time, the call to personal holiness has not been set aside. God still calls His people to be set apart. By thought, word, and deed. We are called to “be holy as He is holy” and to offer our lives as “living sacrifices” according to Romans 12. The moral law is still in effect. God still has expectations for His people. Sin is still serious and should not be treated casually. This is why Jesus spends a great deal of time talking about the heart in the Sermon on the Mount and Paul spends a great deal of time on the ethical obligations of Christians in most of his letters. As Christians, we no longer need to undergo elaborate rituals to maintain a state of cleanliness or sanctification before the Lord but we should undergo regular examination and confession of our sin in light of the Word of God. 

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 14-15, Psalm 34

A Higher Standard

Readings for today: Leviticus 8-10, Psalm 32

I was always taught that leaders are held to a higher standard. As an Eagle Scout, I was held to a higher standard than a Tenderfoot. As a senior on the football and lacrosse teams, I was held to a higher standard than a freshman. As a leader in my college youth group, I was held to a higher moral standard than someone who just attended. As a Manager of Patient Access Services at Boulder Community Hospital, I was held to a higher standard than my employees. And, of course, as a pastor, I’ve always been held to a higher standard because of the nature of my position in the church.

It’s why it’s so painful when leaders fall. Over the years, I’ve been called to help in situations where pastors have failed. Sometimes it’s a moral failing usually having to do with sexual sin. Sometimes it’s a leadership failure usually having to do with the sin of pride. In either case, the fallout is brutal. The congregation suffers the most. Their trust is broken. Their faith is shaken. Their fellowship with believers is typically torn apart by division as people take sides. The pastor’s family suffers as well. Especially in the case of sexual sin, there is often a divorce. The wife and children lose friendships and community as the pastor is no longer allowed to be part of the church. And then there is the pastor themselves. The damage to the soul of their leadership is almost incalculable. Not to mention the loss of a job or career or livelihood. Most refuse to walk the road of restoration and instead try to find ways back in without having to repent. It’s painful to witness.

Nadab and Abihu are prime examples of what happens when leaders fall. They have been instructed by Moses in how to perform the sacred rites. They are entrusted with the worshipping life of Israel. Through their priestly actions, the people of Israel are given an opportunity to experience the glory of the Lord. There is no higher calling. Nothing more sacred or precious in ancient Israel than to be called a priest of the Living God. But they decide to do things their own way. They decide to offer “unauthorized fire” before the Lord. No one really knows what constituted the “unauthorized fire” but what we do know is it dishonored God. They deliberately presented something unholy before the Holy One and they paid the ultimate price. Fire came down from heaven and consumed them on the spot and they died “before the Lord.” Their disobedience was so severe, their father, Aaron, and their brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar, were forbidden to grieve. Why did God treat them so harshly? Here is what He says, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.”(Leviticus‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God will not be mocked. He will not be trifled with. He will not be taken for granted or treated with contempt. His glory and holiness are a double edged sword.

This is worth thinking about in our own lives. All of us hold positions of influence and power in some way, shape, or form in life. It may be in our homes. It may be at school or at work. It may be in our church or community. The greater the influence and power and leadership entrusted to us, the more God expects of us. The more He demands from us. And the greater the consequences when we fail. As Christians, all of us are called to a higher standard. The standard set by Jesus Christ. How are you seeking to embody that standard today?

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 11-13, Psalm 33

Holiness

Readings for today: Leviticus 5-7, Psalm 31

“Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16 CSB) God created us to be holy as He is holy. He created us to be perfect and pure just as He is perfect and pure. He created us as eternal beings, vessels made in His image, literally built to carry the weight of His glory. But we fell from grace. We sinned and went our own way. We decided we wanted to be our own gods. As a result, sin and corruption and impurity and unholiness polluted our souls. We are conceived in iniquity. Born with a sinful, broken condition. Our loves are disordered. Our desires disoriented. Our focus is inward rather than outward and upward. And this creates separation between us and God. So how do we bridge the gap? That’s the question this section of Leviticus is attempting to answer.

The first thing to remember is Leviticus comes from God. In this book, He is providing a way for the breach to be repaired. Through His laws, He is offering to restore that which was broken. It is at God’s initiation. God takes the first step towards us. He builds the bridge from heaven to earth in order to give us a chance to walk across it and return to Him. He does this eyes wide open. He knows the depth of our sin. Still He shows us grace. Still He provides a way. Still He longs to be in relationship with us. And yet, He also refuses to take away our voice. He refuses to deny us agency. He offers us a choice because love must be freely offered and freely given. It can never be coerced or forced.

The second thing to keep in mind is the vast chasm between a holy God and an unholy people. We can’t begin to fathom the distance between us. We can’t begin to understand the sheer breadth and depth of the void we created when we walked away from God. The reality is we don’t take God’s holiness nor our unholiness with enough seriousness. If we did, we would find the stories of the sacrifices told in these chapters far more palatable. We would understand our need for atonement. We would fall on our knees in worship and deep gratitude for all God has done.

The third thing to remember is God’s mercy and grace. He meets us where we are in life. The poor are not required to give a disproportionate sacrifice. Means are offered to make their offering proportional to where they find themselves. Two turtle doves. Two handfuls of flour. God makes allowances for each and every one of us. It’s yet another powerful reminder of His amazing grace.

I know the Old Testament sacrificial system seems weird and arbitrary and archaic. We are too far removed from the ancient world and therefore have a difficult time wrapping our minds around all the death and blood. But when we fast forward to Calvary, we see where it all comes to fulfillment. God offering up Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin. God building the bridge all the way from heaven to earth. God making us holy by washing us clean once and for all through His shed blood.

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 8-10, Psalm 32

Sacrifices

Readings for today: Leviticus 1-4, Psalm 30

Today we dive into Leviticus and the reading gets significantly more challenging. The biggest reason is the cultural distance between us in the 21st century and the people of Israel living in the ancient near east. Much of what you will be reading was fairly normative back then. Sacrifices were made to gods and goddesses of all kinds throughout the region. At the same time, there were some stark differences between Israel and her neighbors which we will see as we move through this book. What was the point of all the sacrifices and especially, all the blood? Purity. Ritual purity before the Lord. Ancient Israelite culture - much like ancient near east culture - was deeply concerned with purity. There were very specific rules regarding what was clean and unclean, pure and impure, holy and unholy. And when those rules were violated, a sacrifice was required to “atone.”

Atonement is a reparation made to right a wrong or restore that which was broken or repair an injury. It’s a key word in Leviticus. It’s God providing a way for Israel to dwell in His Holy Presence. Remember, everything we’re reading must be seen through the lens of relationship. God wants to restore the relationship He once had in the Garden of Eden with humanity. But humanity has fallen. She is unclean, impure, and unholy. So God, in His graciousness and because of His great love for us, provides a way to reverse our condition. He gives us specific instructions on how to maintain our relationship with Him. It requires a series of sacrifices and, as we’ll see as we get deeper into Leviticus, a specific way of life but it’s all done so that we can walk with God and talk with God just like it was in the beginning. In fact, one might argue what we’ll read here in Leviticus is what life would have looked like in the Garden pre-Fall and it is what life will look like in the New Jerusalem when Jesus returns. In the Garden and in the New Jerusalem, there is no sin. The law of God is written on our hearts. We walk in obedience out of our deep love and affection for the Lord. This is what God desires but we live in the “in between.” We live in the “already but not yet.” And that requires us to resist the desires of our sinful nature and walk by the Spirit.

So why don’t we perform the sacrifices listed here in Leviticus? Why don’t we follow all the laws we’ll be reading about in the days ahead? Because of Jesus. Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice. On the cross, He made full atonement for all our sin. He is the “once and for all” sacrifice that puts an end to the need for bulls and goats and sheep. His blood is powerful enough to wash away the sins of the world. Jesus also perfectly fulfills the law. And because He lived the life you and I were designed to live, we are set free from the tyranny of legalism and offered forgiveness and grace. This brings us back to the video we watched for our devotional about the favor of God. The favor of God is granted to us not through human effort but because of what Christ has done. Thanks be to God!

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 5-7, Psalm 31

No Such Thing as Ordinary

Readings for today: Exodus 35-40, Psalm 29

When I graduated from college, I had one mission. To become a pastor. I wanted to go to seminary. I wanted to get ordained. I wanted to serve a church. God had other plans. My grades from college were terrible. I flunked out after my sophomore year due to excessive drinking. When I became a Christian, my life turned around and I re-applied and got back in under probation. Though I did pretty well my last two years, the hole I dug for myself was deep so I graduated by the skin of my teeth. The chances of me getting into grad school were slim at best. Two weeks after graduation, I got married to the love of my life and our mentors advised us to wait at least a year before going off to school. Looking back, it was great advice but it didn’t feel good in the moment. It felt like yet another barrier to me doing what I felt called to do. So I got a job. I went to work for Boulder Community Hospital. I hired on as an admissions clerk, making $7.75/hr. My wife and I rented an old, run-down apartment and did our best to make ends meet. Honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened to me.

When we read the Bible, it’s tempting to focus on the main characters. Guys like Moses. Women like Miriam. But what about the lesser known characters? Those entrusted with the more mundane aspects of Israel’s life together? What can we learn from guys like Bezalel and Oholiab? They didn’t see a burning bush. They didn’t hear the voice of God. They didn’t go up on the mountain with Moses. They were not warriors. They were not leaders. They were not among the seventy elders Moses called. They simply were two people with God-given talent and a passion for craftsmanship. Prior to building the Tabernacle, I imagine they spent most of their days in obscurity. Building carts. Repairing tents. Making clothes. The everyday, ordinary, mundane work required to sustain God’s people on their journey to the Promised Land. Amazingly, their work caught the eye of God. “Moses then said to the Israelites, “Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every kind of artistic craft. He has also given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. He has filled them with skill to do all the work of a gem cutter; a designer; an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen; and a weaver. They can do every kind of craft and design artistic designs.” (Exodus‬ ‭35‬:‭30‬-‭35‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Because these men had been faithful in the small things, God entrusted them with the most sacred work imaginable…building a home for God!

When I started at Boulder Community Hospital, I was per diem. I would only be called in when people were out sick or on vacation. Within a few weeks, several people in my department quit so I was asked to go full-time. Within another few weeks, the lead in my department quit and I was asked to take her position. Within six months, my manager resigned and I was asked to step into her shoes. Within a relatively short period of time, I was managing four departments and about 50 employees and I was all of 24 years old. I have no way to explain how this happened. I had no previous healthcare experience. I had never managed people before. My resume certainly didn’t fit the responsibility I had been given. The only way I can explain it is God. God filled me with His Spirit. He gave me ability and intelligence. He instilled in me, through my parents, a strong work ethic. He gave me a knack for working with people. And as I proved faithful in the small things, like checking in patients day after day, He entrusted me with greater things like managing all of “Patient Access” services. 

Bezalel and Oholiab are great reminders that all of us have been gifted by God in some way and all of us are called to use our gifts for His glory. It’s not just pastors or missionaries who are the heroes or heroines. It is the people of God exercising the gifts God has given each of them for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ and the glory of God’s Kingdom. When we fail to exercise our gifts or diminish our gifts in any way, we lose out on at least part of what God has planned for us. And those around us lose out as well. Think about how impoverished we would be if there had never been a Bezalel or Oholiab? Think about the impact on the worshipping life of Israel if there were no craftsmen around to make all God had planned? Now think about our life together. Think about our worship together. What gifts do you bring? Is it the gift of music? The gift of prayer? The gift of friendship? The gift of production? The gift of preaching? The gift of teaching? The gift of serving? If you are a Christian, you have the same Spirit of God filling you that filled Bezalel! This same Spirit imparts all the gifts and talents we need to worship and serve God as He demands. So how are you exercising your gift? How are you seeking to use your gift to build up others in your home, your neighborhood, church, and community?

Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 1-4, Psalm 30

Worship

Readings for today: Exodus 30-31, Psalm 27

“I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.” (Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is the heart of every believer. We long to be in God’s presence. We long to hear His voice. We long to experience the power of His Spirit. This has been true throughout the centuries going all the way back to ancient Israel. The cultural forms of worship have obviously changed since those days. We no longer need to engage in elaborate rituals in order to approach the throne room of grace. Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, has opened the way. His blood has washed us clean. Made us pure. Sanctified us so we can enter God’s presence without fear.

The Israelites didn’t have the benefit of Christ’s saving death but everything they engaged in prefigures what He does for us. The sights and smells and sounds of Old Testament worship is but a foreshadowing of Christ’s saving work on our behalf. Just as Aaron burned fragrant incense morning and night throughout the generations, so Christ Himself becomes the fragrant incense for us. Just as Aaron and his sons had to engage in ritual washing so they presented themselves clean before the Lord, so Christ washes us clean by His blood. Christ embodies and fulfills every single part of Old Testament worship and this is an important truth to keep in mind as we read. It helps bridge the cultural distance between us and ancient Israel and makes the readings more relevant to our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 32-34, Psalm 28 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Intercession

Readings for today: Exodus 28-29, Psalm 26

I remember my ordination service. It was nothing like what we read about today thankfully! ;-) No sacrifices. No special anointing oils. No incense. No elaborate dress. I was 29 at the time. I stood before my colleagues in the Presbytery of South Alabama and took vows to serve the Lord and God’s people with all my heart and all my strength. When I read these verses about the ordination of Aaron and his sons, it feels strange. The cultural distance between our time and ancient Israel is vast. I struggle to connect or even picture all the rituals and sacrifices. However, there is one thing I do understand. Every time Aaron entered into the presence of the Lord, he carried the names of Israel with him. His job was to keep their names ever present before God. He interceded for them. He understood their needs, wants, and desires and brought those to God. His job was to represent the people to God and God to the people. “Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder…Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel’s sons over his heart on the breastpiece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord.” (Exodus‬ ‭28‬:‭12‬, ‭29‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I feel very much the same way. I don’t have gold breastpieces or gemstones or anything else to carry with me when I enter God’s presence but I do take the time and make the time to intercede for God’s people. I meet with lots of folks on a regular basis so I can understand their needs, wants, and desires and bring those before the Lord. I represent the people I am called to serve to God and God to the people. However, this calling is not just for pastors. It’s for every believer. We are a royal priesthood according to 1 Peter. Each of us is called to act in a priestly fashion and intercede for our families, friends, churches, communities, nation, world. We are called to bring the names of those we love and even those we hate before the Lord to ask for His grace and mercy on their behalf. We are to bring their needs, wants, and desires and submit them to God. We are to represent them to God and represent God to the people.

It’s a sacred responsibility and a precious one. To think that God knows each of us by name. He wants to hear about our lives. He wants to know all we think, say, or do. Not to curse us but to bless us. Not so much to judge us - though there is some of that - but to love us. Not to tear us down but to raise us up. Not to ruin us but to restore us. This is God’s will for us and why He calls each of us to a ministry of intercession.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 30-31, Psalm 27

God’s Dwelling

Readings for today: Exodus 25-27, Psalm 25

God’s desire from the beginning was to dwell with the creatures He made in His own image. He will stop at nothing to have a relationship with us. He will allow nothing to get in the way. No matter how far we run or how often we hide or how many times we sin and turn away; God refuses to let us go. Yes, He exiled us from Eden but it was for our own good. He refused to let us eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in our sinful, broken condition. His plan has always been to restore us and the world to its original condition. This is why He instructs His people to build a Tabernacle. A sanctuary where God will dwell. A place for them to talk with Him and meet with Him. “They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8 CSB)

It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of passages like the one we read for today. All the instructions for all the liturgical furniture. The Ark of the Covenant. The Table of Presence. The Tabernacle itself. It’s hard for us to see or understand why this is important. But take a step back for a moment. Look at the big picture. God wants to dwell with His people! God wants to walk with us just like He did in the Garden of Eden! God wants to meet with us and speak with us and have a relationship with us! It’s amazing. Especially so in light of what the New Testament says about the new tabernacle. “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭CSB‬‬) By faith, God makes each of us a Tabernacle. Ever since Pentecost the Spirit of God no longer dwells in a building but in each and every believer’s heart. God walking with us and talking with us as we move throughout our lives.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 28-29, Psalm 26

God’s Invitation

Readings for today: Exodus 22-24, Psalm 24

I love the invitation God extends to the leaders of Israel. He invites them to cross from earth to heaven. From the dimension of this world to the dimension of the world to come. It’s a great reminder to us all that heaven is not “up there” somewhere in outer space but a reality that exists all around us all the time. It’s the dimension where God dwells and it’s the place God is actually preparing for us as His people. The leaders of Israel get a taste of this reality when they ascend Mt. Sinai with Moses. “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him….Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. God did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw him, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Can you imagine the moment when you cross from rocky ground to pavement made of gemstones and sit down at a table to eat with God? It must have been incredible and it makes the choices some of these men make a little later in the narrative even more heartbreaking.

God’s invitation is still there for us. It’s not just for special people or holy people or people who went to seminary and became pastors. Jesus Himself says He goes to heaven to prepare a place for us so we can live with Him for all eternity. The visions recorded throughout the Bible of the heavenly realm describe it as a place of breathtaking beauty and splendor. And the reality is we can experience a taste of it even in this life. How you ask? Listen to the Psalmist. “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not appealed to what is false, and who has not sworn deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who inquire of him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” (Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God promises that all those who seek Him will find Him if they will seek Him with all their hearts. The key is not perfection but an honest and authentic desire to truly dwell in God’s presence and walk in His ways.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 25-27, Psalm 25

Relationship before Laws

Readings for today: Exodus 19-21, Psalm 23

“Christianity is not about rules, it’s about a relationship.” I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard this or said this myself over the years. It’s true of course. But too often people make the mistake of thinking this is a New Testament idea when in fact its roots go much farther back. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who revealed Himself fully in Jesus Christ, reveals Himself to His people at Mt. Sinai as a God of relationship. A God who brought them out of Egypt on eagle’s wings. A God who delivered them from bondage and slavery. A God who refuses to abandon His people but remains faithful to the covenant He first made with Abraham and Sarah,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” (Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is where the Ten Commandments begin. Not with a rule but with a relationship. Not with law but with love. “I am the Lord your God…” God has laid claim to this particular people. He has set them apart as a nation of priests in order to bring blessing to the world. They will serve as an example to the nations of what it means to live by faith. To walk in holiness and purity before the Lord. And to help them understand their new identity as God’s chosen people, God gives them a set of laws to govern their lives in an ancient near east context. Some of these laws - like the Ten Commandments - are transcultural, meaning they remain in force in every time and place. Some of these laws will be ceremonial, meaning they govern the worshipping life of ancient Israel and no longer apply in our context. Some of these laws are civil in nature, meaning they apply to the nation of Israel, a theocratic state that no longer exists. Don’t get lost in the details. The main point is to stay focused on what God has done to save and set apart His people.

The Apostle Peter will pick up some of these same ideas in the New Testament. He will call the people of God a “a chosen people” and “a nation of priests” and a “people set apart for God’s own possession.” You and I are grafted into the covenant. Through Jesus Christ, we enter into a relationship with God whereby He delivers and saves us from our sin. Jesus is the greater Moses. He accomplishes eternally what Moses can only do temporally. He secures for us a place in God’s eternal Kingdom and when that great day comes, we too will be lifted up on eagle’s wings to dwell with the Lord forever.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 22-24, Psalm 24

Sabbath

Readings for today: Exodus 16-18, Psalm 22

I was talking with a colleague recently about keeping a Sabbath. One day out of every seven to rest and recharge. We discussed how he spent his Sabbath. The kinds of things he did in order to renew his soul. He intentionally spent time with the Lord in worship. He went on hikes in the mountains. He played with his grandchildren. He read. He worked out. All great practices for a Sabbath day. We then started talking about how he spends his time on the other six days. And though his approach to the Sabbath is deeply biblical, his approach to the other six days is much different. He started talking about his need to guard his time. His need to set boundaries around work. His unwillingness to work past certain hours or respond to emails, texts, and phone calls unless it worked for him. He talked about his right to have a certain number of days off each week and each year. He talked about his right to take a sabbatical (three months off) every five to seven years. I asked him if he felt his approach to his work was as biblical as his approach to his Sabbath. After taking a few moments to reflect, he was honest, “probably not.”

Six days shall you work and the seventh day you shall rest. This is the divine rhythm set up by God for human beings to flourish. Six days we shall go out to gather. Six days we shall work on some level. It could be at our jobs. It could be around our homes. It could be with our families. God has provided six days to take care of our responsibilities. Six days to be fruitful and multiply. Six days to labor and exercise dominion over all He has entrusted into our hands. And then on the seventh day, we are to rest. We are to honor God by reminding ourselves we live “not by might, not by power, but by God’s Spirit.” We are to remind ourselves that everything we have is a gift. It’s divine provision. Our time. Our talent. Our treasure. All of it comes from the Lord. God instilled this way of life into his people in the wilderness. Six days they were to go out and gather manna from heaven. Six days they were to harvest from the land. However, on the seventh day, they were to rest. They were to honor God by trusting His ways over their ways.

Following the Sabbath principle in our lives is a test. It tests us because many of us are want to work seven days a week. We labor and labor and never take the time to rest. We push ourselves so hard with all the activities we build into our schedules and our lives. We set a pace that is unsustainable and it eventually causes us to crash and burn. But it also tests us on the flip side as it relates to our work. Many of us are just working for the weekend. We do the minimal amount necessary to get by. We punch the clock either literally or mentally and refuse to do anything more. We believe we have a right to an American weekend. We believe we have a right to work forty hours or less. We believe we have a right to several weeks of vacation. In certain professions, we believe we have a right to sabbaticals which become extended periods of time off. According to Scripture, work is not a necessary evil. Sabbath rest is not laziness. God has created us to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. We are created for rest in Christ. We are created for this divine rhythm God has set for eternity and we find our deepest fulfillment as we align our lives with Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 19-21, Psalm 23

Preparation

Readings for today: Exodus 10-12, Psalm 20

Several years ago, I read a book about the leadership principles of the Jesuit Order. If you don’t know the history, the Jesuits have been around for over four hundred years. They have established themselves across the globe in many different cultures. They are adaptable, flexible, and highly successful at accomplishing their mission. The current pope is a Jesuit by training. They mainly focus on education but are highly engaged in their local communities as most Roman Catholic orders tend to be. One of the four principles they base their way of life on is to always live “with one foot raised.” In others words, they are always open to what’s next. They are willing to go wherever God calls them to go. Do what He calls them to do. They are prepared to leave at a moment’s notice when His call comes.

I find this way of living inspiring and it reminds me of how the Israelites prepared for Passover. Of all the instructions given, the one that intrigues me the most is the one about how they should dress. “You must be dressed for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.” (Exodus 12:11 CSB) God was getting ready to do a mighty work in their lives. He was preparing a miracle just for them. The meal they ate was a sign of the deliverance that was to come and they were to dress in such a way that they could take advantage of the kairos moment when it arrived. Imagine the kind of faith it must have taken for these beaten down, broken people to trust Moses when he said God’s deliverance was on it’s way. They had been slaves for four hundred years. They had lived for generations under the merciless lash of the Pharaohs. But now things had changed. God remembered them. God saw them. God heard their cries. And the time had come for them to be set free.

What about you? Do you live with one foot raised? Do you live in anticipation of what God can do in your life? Do you trust God? Despite your past, despite your circumstances, despite your fears and failures? Do you believe God is at work even now to bring you greater freedom? Greater joy? Greater peace? Greater love? Greater blessing? Are you willing to dress for that future? Prepare for God’s future? Step into it when it arrives?

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 13-15, Psalm 21 (No devotionals on Sundays)

Hardness of Heart

Readings for today: Exodus 7-9, Psalm 19

I used to have little sympathy for Pharaoh. I would read through this section of Exodus and shake my head at the number of times he hardened his heart against the will of God. I considered him evil and therefore not really worthy of my attention. He was the enemy of God’s chosen people who oppressed them in all sorts of terrible ways and therefore didn’t deserve any mercy or grace at all. Furthermore, God seems to feel the same way about Pharaoh. After all, He tells Moses He will harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to demonstrate His greatness over the nations of the earth. He will display His glory for all the earth to see as He humbles the greatest ruler of the greatest empire on earth at the time.

However, as a pastor, I have sat across the counseling table with far too many people and have watched them harden their own hearts against the will of God. It is heartbreaking to witness. People I love dearly who are experiencing all kinds of crisis and still they resist God. Often they will take steps to follow God initially when things are at their darkest, just like Pharaoh does throughout our reading today. At times it seems he is on the verge of letting God’s people go only to recant once a particular plague has passed. The same is often true of the people I work with. As soon as the worst of the crisis passes, they return back to their old ways.

The mystery of who hardens Pharaoh’s heart is a challenging one to grapple with. Does God harden Pharaoh’s heart? Does Pharaoh have a choice in the matter? Does Pharaoh harden his own heart? Does God simply reinforce the choices Pharaoh is already making? I honestly do not know. Neither does the Apostle Paul who grapples with this very question in Romans 9. There he essentially asks, “What if God raised Pharaoh up so that He might display His power in him and proclaim His name in the whole earth?” Does this make God unjust? Not so, says Paul. For God is God and He is fully within His rights to show mercy on whom He will show mercy and harden whom He wants to harden.

At the end of the day, none of us can answer this question for anyone but ourselves. Are we hardening our hearts towards God? Are we thinking and acting in ways that reinforce sinful patterns in our lives? Have we truly humbled ourselves and surrendered to God? The Scriptures say God desires all to be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. They say God so loved the world that He gave His only Son and whosoever believes in Him shall not perish - shall not have their heart hardened - but shall receive everlasting life. Do not harden your heart today. Respond to the call of the gospel. Give your life to Jesus Christ and He will give you a new heart, one that can never be hardened again.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 10-12, Psalm 20

Second-Guessing

Readings for today: Exodus 4-6, Psalm 18

We all second-guess ourselves. We all question ourselves at times. Especially when we are about to make significant decisions or take great risks. I remember when I was thinking about asking my wife to marry me. Although I was pretty sure she would say “yes” after a year or so of dating, there were no guarantees. So I second-guessed myself. I wasn’t worthy of her love. I wasn’t the man she needed me to be. I didn’t have great job prospects after college. I wouldn’t be able to provide for her like I felt she deserved. I remember when I was getting ordained. Although I was pretty sure God had called me, I didn’t feel worthy to serve Him in this way. I know my sin. I know my struggles. I know my fears. I know my doubts. I wondered if these things disqualified me. I’ve served three churches since graduating from seminary. The risks in each situation were great. Things could have gone very wrong and in one case did. There were no guarantees that I would be successful in leading those churches. I was anxious at times. Struggled with self-confidence. Wondered at certain moments if I should go and do something else. But through it all, God was faithful. He kept encouraging me and working with me and challenging me to surrender more and more of my life to Him.

The same is true for everyone we encounter in Scripture, including great leaders like Moses. Today’s reading includes one of my favorite stories. I love how vulnerable Moses is before God. He expresses his fears and doubts. He wonders if he’s the right man for the job. He struggles to accept God’s call on his life. And how does God respond? He is patient. He works with Moses. Encourages Moses. Even gets stern and challenges Moses. As a result, Moses goes back to Egypt. Back to the place where he was wanted for murder. Back to the place where he grew up. He goes back to face his fears and failures. And he takes nothing with him except a staff and a promise from God. It’s a powerful example of how God can use anyone to accomplish His purposes.

Perhaps you know how Moses feels? Perhaps you’ve second-guessed yourself a time or two? Perhaps you have fears and questions and doubts? We all do. And the great news is God invites us to share those things with Him. He invites us to be vulnerable before Him. And He encourages us to remember it is not by our might or our power or our wisdom that we make our way in this world. It is by God’s Spirit. Read and re-read Psalm 18 today. Let those words fill your heart with the confidence that can only come from God. No matter what challenges you may be facing in your life, know that God is with you! “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.” (Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 7-9, Psalm 19

Progressive Revelation

Readings for today: Exodus 1-3, Psalm 17

It’s hard for us to imagine what it must have been like for the ancient Israelites. We live two thousand years post-resurrection. We have the full counsel of God revealed in a complete Bible. We have generations of church history to look back on where we can see the hand of God at work. Most importantly, we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit inside us, keeping us in constant contact with our Heavenly Father. The ancient Israelites had none of these things. Four hundred years had passed since they last heard from God. All they had were a few family stories to go on of this God who occasionally spoke to their ancestors. They had no Scripture. No worship. No Law. Nothing to go on. They didn’t even know God’s name.

One of the things we have to remember as we read through the Bible is the nature of progressive revelation. God reveals Himself in different ways to different people in different situations over time. He speaks to them in a language they can understand, taking into account their particular time and place and culture and worldview. This can result in misunderstandings about God. When we see Him reveal Himself in different ways, we might be tempted to think He is contradicting Himself. But nothing could be further from the truth. God’s character and nature are eternal and unchanging and everything He does has a purpose. It is geared to bring about His great salvation plan.

Consider the plight of Israel. They have lived for hundreds of years in exile from the Promised Land. The king of Egypt no longer remembers the contributions their forefather Joseph made to the nation. As the Israelites grow in number, they represent a potential threat. After all, no empire wants a powerful people group living on their border. So Pharaoh acts decisively to enslave them and decimate their population by killing all the male children. It’s brutal. It’s violent. It’s terrifying. Such was life in the ancient world. One wonders why God didn’t intervene? Why did He not reach down and strike Pharaoh down? Why did He not pluck His people up and bring them back to the Promised Land? Why did God allow such evil and suffering? Once again, we come face to face with God’s unchanging nature and character. He absolutely refuses to change His eternal plan. In the beginning, He gave humanity dominion over all He had made and He has never taken that gift back. So if salvation is to come to the world, it must come in and through the creatures who bear His image. The creatures He set up to reign and rule over all He has made.

I love the end of chapter two. “After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the Israelites, and God knew.” (Exodus‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭CSB‬‬) God heard. God remembered. God saw. God knew. God never abandoned His people. He was always there though they could not see Him or hear Him or perceive Him. God was always faithful and at the right moment - after the king of Egypt had died - God raised up a deliverer to save His people.

Now think about your own life. Think about the many ways you groan due to difficult labor or cry out due to struggle and heartbreak. Sometimes it may seem like God is silent. It may seem like God isn’t responding to your prayers. But God is faithful, friends! And at the right time, He will act. He will send deliverance - usually through another person - to bring you comfort and peace.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 4-6, Psalm 18

Turning Evil to Good

Readings for today: Genesis 48-50, Psalm 16

God specializes turning what we intend for evil to the good. The history of humanity is replete with example after example of humanity making decisions that serve their own selfish purposes. The problem with this approach to life is that it creates a ripple effect that invariably impacts others in a negative way. All of us fall prey to it. All of us struggle with it. There is no such thing as a decision that has no consequences. Every decision or even non-decision creates conditions that others experience as frustrating, painful, or disappointing. Some even create conditions that are harmful or life-threatening. The more power and influence one has, the greater the ripple effect but even those who have little to no power or influence can still have an impact.

Several years ago, I was traveling with a team to one of the poorest places on earth. As we ministered all week alongside and among those living in life-threatening poverty, one of the members of our team pulled me aside and asked how God could allow such conditions to exist. It was a great question. One everyone should ask when they come face to face with extreme suffering. As we talked, I asked her why she was so quick to blame God. She replied with the classic theological answer that since God was in control over all things, He must be responsible when things go south. I then asked her if she felt any responsibility herself for the conditions of the people we were serving. She did not. I asked her why. She shared with me that her life was lived on the other side of the world, in a different country, and she didn’t have either the power or the opportunity to change things. I challenged her on this line of thinking. Imagine, I said, if she reoriented her entire life around relieving conditions like what we had just experienced. Imagine if she recruited friends and family and neighbors to the cause. Imagine entire communities or even nations rallying together to provide clean drinking water and food security to every single person on the planet. It certainly could happen. We simply lack the will because we all ultimately want to take care of ourselves first. And therein lies the problem. Thankfully, God is faithful. He works through His people in all sorts of amazing ways to meet the needs of the poor and powerless and marginalized and broken. Billions of dollars are given each year to relieve life-threatening poverty and provide access to education and all sorts of other opportunities for people around the world. God promised Abraham that it would be through him that all the nations of the earth would be blessed and God has never wavered on that promise. It is through us that God will work His perfect will for the world, turning what we often intend for evil for His good.

This essentially is the narrative behind Joseph’s story. God takes what Joseph’s brothers intended for evil - selling him into slavery - and turns it to the good. God takes what Potiphar’s wife intended for evil - falsely accusing him of rape and throwing him in prison - and turns it to the good. God takes what the cupbearer intended for evil - by promptly forgetting Joseph once he was restored to his position at court - and turns it to the good. God takes a massive famine - a natural evil - and turns it to the good by providing an opportunity for Joseph to step into leadership. Over and over again, God uses the circumstances of Joseph’s life to mold and shape and prepare him for the good that was to come. As a result, Joseph was able to not only save his family but all of Egypt from a mass starvation event.

When one looks back at Joseph’s life and takes each incident in isolation, it would be tough to see where everything was headed. However, once the full picture is in view, one can easily see the hand of God at work. The same is true for us. If we focus on the isolated events of our lives, it’s hard to see the impact - good or bad - that we make. However, if we step back and look at the big picture, we can see how God is at work using all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 1-3, Psalm 17

God’s Tenderness

Readings for today: Genesis 46-47, Psalm 15

There are moments in the Bible when we see the tenderness of God on full display. I cannot imagine how Jacob must have felt when he first received the news that his beloved son was alive. For years, he had grieved Joseph’s death and it has taken its toll on him. When he appears before Pharaoh, he describes his life as short and hard and not on the same level as his ancestors. “My pilgrimage has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard, and they have not reached the years of my ancestors during their pilgrimages.” Jacob has endured a lot of emotional and relational turmoil. He grew up in conflict with his brother. He took advantage of his ailing father. He deceived his uncle. He buried a beloved wife. He believed he lost a beloved son. And yet, God has been faithful. He has never left Jacob’s side. And now at the end of his life, God has one final surprise for this man He loves so much.

“I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.” (Genesis‬ ‭46‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬) Jacob will get to see Joseph again. Not only that but Joseph will be the one to close his eyes in death. Joseph will be the one who will secure his body and make sure he is buried in the Promised Land. Joseph is the one who will make sure all of God’s promises come to pass because Joseph is God’s chosen instrument. The one God sent before Jacob and his entire family in order to preserve God’s plan of salvation. God could easily have accomplished all this without giving Jacob this special gift but God loves Jacob. God has loved Jacob from before he was born and God will love Jacob all the way to the end. In His tender mercy, God allows Jacob to see His plan come to pass. It’s a beautiful and tender scene.

Friends, God looks at us with that same tenderness in His heart. The Bible says it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. It is God’s love that drives His relentless pursuit of us. It is God’s desire that all should be saved and none perish. As we move into Exodus in the coming weeks, we will see God literally define Himself as the God of compassion. Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast, loyal love. This is who God is, friends. Today, yesterday, and forever. As you approach God in prayer today, come with the sure and certain knowledge that God loves you with such deep tenderness. His heart is for you. It breaks for you when you go through pain. It rejoices with you when you have success. It mourns with you when you experience loss. It is stirred for you when you are excited. God loves you, friends. There’s no greater news in the world!

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 48-50, Psalm 16

Full of the Spirit

Readings for today: Genesis 41-42, Psalm 13

When I played lacrosse in college, my coach would often talk about how all the great athletes had “it.” You couldn’t really define “it” but you knew “it” when you saw “it.” It was a special quality. A character trait that gave a person confidence to step up in critical moments like when the game was on the line. An instinct that not everyone possessed that allowed a woman or man to take advantage of a moment and elevate not only themselves but those around them as well. In today’s vernacular, we talk about an athlete being “Him” or “Her” and we marvel at their greatness. They always perform at their highest when the lights are brightest.

Joseph had “it.” Joseph was “Him.” He found success wherever he went whether it was in Potiphar’s house, the prison, or before Pharaoh. He never missed a moment. Never failed to take advantage of the opportunities God was giving him along the way. Why was Joseph so favored? It wasn’t because Joseph was especially smart or strong or gifted in any way. There’s nothing in the text to suggest Joseph was anything but an ordinary man. No, the one thing that set Joseph apart was the Spirit of God. After spending years in prison, Joseph appears before Pharaoh. His life is on the line. If he fails to perform, he could easily be thrown back in prison for the rest of his life or even executed. But when the lights were brightest, he turns to God. He doesn’t claim any special powers for himself. He doesn’t try to steal any of the credit or any of the glory from God. He doesn’t promote himself at all. He simply stands before the most powerful man on earth at the time fully trusting in God’s ability to deliver an interpretation. And after he does so, what is the response of the pagan king? “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?” (Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭38‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Do you have God’s Spirit in you? He’s really all you need. If you want to live a life full of blessing and favor from God. If you want to experience God in a profound way on a regular basis. If you want to walk in close companionship with God. Then you need the Holy Spirit. He is God’s faithful, abiding presence. He indwells the heart of every believer. He grants us the gifts and graces to live in complete contentment and fulfillment and joy. When we are full of the Spirit, we are given access to divine wisdom and strength to tackle the most difficult problems and overcome the most challenging obstacles. So how do we be filled with the Spirit? We must deny ourselves daily and follow Christ. We must empty ourselves of “self” and ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit. We must keep in step with the Spirit every day of our lives, walking in obedience to His will and His way. Most importantly, we must allow the Spirit to sanctify our character and nature so that we become more and more like God.

When I think of the greatest people I have ever known, the number one quality that stands out is that they are full of the Spirit. They are people no one has ever heard of who played a critical role in my life. They are men and women of deep faith who taught me more about Jesus than I ever thought I’d learn. They showed me by the way they lived what it meant to walk in the Spirit and be full of the Spirit and, as a result, they lived some of the most extraordinary lives. Most of them were not rich or well-known. They were not influencers by any stretch of the imagination. They were simply ordinary people who had given their lives to an extraordinary God and God blessed them immeasurably. That’s what I want for my life as well.

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 43-45, Psalm 14 (No devotionals on Sunday)