leaders and people

 

These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550.

Numbers 2:32

And with the figure at the end of this verse, we understand how the book of Numbers got its name. Man, that is a lot of people. And it was missing a substantial portion since the Levites were not counted. This is approximately only 91.667% of the people. It's a big number. I know I'd prefer not to be camping in a desert with that many hungry and thirsty people at once. But that was the task facing Moses as he led Israel.

Leadership is never easy. That will come out even more vividly in the book of Numbers as Israel is consistently complaining to Moses and to the Lord. There will be a series of divine punishments for their grumbling. And it was all complicated by their nomadic existence in the desert, and also by the fact that the slave memories of Egypt were still so recent for them. With a crowd that size, complaining could easily grow into a serious threat. Moses had quite a situation on his hands.

This is why leadership is intimidating. The faith necessary to lead people and the tests on that faith multiply greatly by the sheer numbers of the people. That is why Christians are commanded to pray for not only church leaders, but also secular authorities, whoever they may be, and with seriousness and spiritual focus. We should be quicker to pray for them than to complain about them. We should be first to talk to God about the hearts and lives of our leaders rather than to talk about them or to simply protest. There are times to point out corrupt laws and practices (Jesus did indeed call Herod a fox, which was not flattering), but we do so with a level of civil respect for their authority (after all Jesus said to give to Caesar what belonged to Caesar). The balance is hard for those being led. It is also very hard for leaders, and we should understand this and pray for them.

reversed kingdom

 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:31b

Those who thought themselves righteous

smugly confronted Jesus

but they never saw the power of God

even when watching the glory of God

in what Jesus did

they thought their religion got them in

But Jesus challenged their thinking

with truth that He was saying

they could not enter the kingdom of God

without humbly repenting before the Son of God

they were such blind

leaders of the blind

Cheaters and whores entered heaven's streets

instead of self-righteous Pharisees

because they repented and believed

and the truth of Christ received

not on works they did to please Him

but only by trust and believing Him

No righteousness I do is right

to get the kingdom by my own might

only faith in the Son of God

through the gospel truth in the Word of God

will open heaven's door

for me to enter forever more

courage not complaint

 

And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

Acts 28:15

Paul's response upon meeting members of the Roman church was meaningful. This was the end of a long journey and the culmination of a desire he had been pursuing for many years. He longed to preach the gospel in Rome. His path to that opportunity was led by God in ways he never would have guessed. But here he was in Rome, thankful to God to have gotten there alive, and encouraged to meet fellow believers.

Paul was encouraged in these circumstances not because of hospitality (he was still the prisoner of Rome with a soldier as his constant guard) nor was it because of any single gift the brothers brought him. Rather, it seems Paul was thankful to God that he was privileged to meet the people for whom he so faithfully prayed, to whom he had written passionately about the gospel (the epistle to the Romans), and now he was able to see God grant this request. He thanked God to be in Rome. It didn't matter how long it had taken, or how limited he was by Roman chains. God had answered his prayers.

Paul was able to see God's provision of an answer, even when things did not go right. He thanked God and praised Him and was encouraged even in the most difficult of circumstances. He did not complain, but instead rejoiced. He did not shrink away in discouragement. Rather, he took courage in the sovereign hand of God and the beauty of Christ's church. What an example of unwavering faith for me, because I tend to lose heart when the least thing does not go my way!

God's big heart for me.

 

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told.

Psalm 40:5

God is good to me. He has blessed me. He is pouring out His grace upon me in Christ Jesus. I am given so much mercy, love, and good pleasure than I as a sinner ever deserved. God has not just added good things to my life, He has multiplied them.

I love how this psalm tells me that God is gracious not only in deeds toward me, but in His thoughts about me. Because I am forgiven in Jesus, God sees me as His child. I am infinitely loved and thought about. I am never far from God the Father's thoughts. God loves me like a dad. I know that my own adult kids are never far from my thoughts. Even in my busy workday I surround myself with photos and reminders of them. I can't help it. I want to think about them. They are my own family. I love them. I plan to be with them. I still want to give them good things. It is perfectly part of me and I think about them so much.

And now I look at God's love in the same way. He multiplies His actions and thoughts toward me because He loves me. It is His Father's heart for me that is the living foundation of all that amazing grace. It is worth it to love and worship Him back because He loves a sinner like me, saved me through His Son, and made me His child. And nothing compares to being loved like that!

holiness, sacrifice, and atonement

 

Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.

Leviticus 5:10

God is holy and to worship Him in His holiness requires that we take our own lack of holiness very seriously. God must atone for our sins. And Leviticus has a heavy emphasis on God's holiness, human sinfulness, and the way in which God provided for atonement for sin via sacrifices through the priestly system under Aaron and Moses. The intense regulations for sacrifices emphasize the degree of sin's offense against God. The ways in which the sacrifices could atone for anyone regardless of economic ability (they could bring a bull to be sacrificed, down through a list of smaller animals, or simply fine flour if they had no livestock), emphasizes the grace of God in atoning for sin. 

Yet each of these levitical sacrifices was only temporary. Repeated sacrifices had to be made so that sin could be atoned. The priests were constantly bloodying the altar with the sacrifices of repentant sinners. It was a brutal and demanding reminder of the pervasive depth of sin. It kept Israel always aware of the need for God's wrath to turned as the price of sin was constantly being paid in sacrifices that brought atoning mercy to the nation.

God was gracious to provide the means through priests, altars, and sacrifices for His people to receive mercy. The near constant stream of sacrifices kept humility and confession visibly in front of the people. And the atonement at the altar kept forgiveness at great personal cost always on their minds. Looking back on Leviticus now through the gospel, I am so grateful Jesus made complete atonement at the greatest cost so my sin is forgiven completely, once for all forever.

The wonder of His glory; the awe of His voice

 

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

Matthew 17:1-2

This is Jesus in all of His glory. The earthly veil of His human appearance was briefly removed on the mountain of transfiguration and all the glory of God shone through -- quite literally according to this account. His face was a radiant burning star of God's glory and His clothing became light itself. That would mean that these three disciples saw what nobody on earth has yet seen. They alone of all the people on this planet saw the blinding radiance of the reality of complete glory of deity in Jesus.

Not only did Peter, James, and John see Jesus in His glory, but they heard God the Father directly speak to them in loud command to focus on Jesus and obey His beloved Son. And in that voice they fell in fear to the ground, quite overwhelmed by it all. They saw God's glory and were amazed. They heard God's Word though, and were very afraid.

I find it interesting that the really powerful moment during the transfiguration came at the Word of God spoken by the Father. We may long to see God's glory wth our eyes, but it is His Word coming to our hearts that will make us tremble. The power of God moves in the Word of God. It has been that way since the creation of the universe. And God's Word should be what brings awe to His people. The Word of the Father knocked Jesus' disciples to the ground in reverent awe (Matthew 17:5-8). And I can "hear" the Word of my God every day in the pages of scripture... do I let it sink in powerfully as I should?

O God,

Speak as You have already spoken. I will listen. I know Your Word is life and truth. I know Your voice in what You say in Your Holy Scriptures. I repent of my desire to "see" without listening. Oh my I listen to and obey the voice of Your Son!

Amen

advantage: divisiveness

 

And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

Acts 23:7

God used generations of theological divisiveness to save Paul's life in the Sanhedrin's trial of him. Paul was accused before the Jewish religious authorities of breaking the Law by bringing a Gentile into the inner courts of the temple. But this was a manufactured accusation with no factual support. As he stood before the governing body, composed of both theologically liberal and ultra-conservative Jews, his stated belief in the resurrection of the dead (the centerpiece of the gospel's power) became the issue dividing those who were judging Paul. Paul boldly declared his conviction and let them degenerate into bickering from there.

The Sadducees disavowed all miraculous theology, including resurrection, while the Pharisees believed in all that is miraculous. The Sanhedrin's effort to attack Paul quickly splintered off into a sort of theological cage match. As Paul's stated faith sided with the Pharisees, they switched to his defense strangely, and soon the Sanhedrin was in chaos. God used theological fighting to advance the gospel ministry of Paul. How wonderfully sovereign!

The Roman tribune was so afraid of the physical violence that erupted from the frenzied mob of distinguished clergy that he took Paul out of the Sanhedrin by force. Paul is rescued by Rome and by the sovereign God Who uses even theological bickering in the tapestry of His wisdom to advance the gospel.

God is in control, even when human disagreement turns dangerous or violent. He will work His will even when people cannot figure God out. He can use even our struggles ove theology and scriptural teaching to advance His goals. You cannot understand God's power if you only allow humans to be saccharine in their interactions with one another. Even the most deeply rooted of human arguments will be won by God!