Question of the day: What is a favorite Easter memory for you?
Today our lesson will cover 2.5 chapters. Yep, crazy I know. Actually thought it isn't that many actual verses because we are going to skip a lot of lists! A lot of names. Not that names aren't important, and I am sure there are biblical scholars that are screaming that we are missing the most important part.
We will be looking at chapter 10-12:26.
Don't worry it won't be as much as it seems...
READ
“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”
(Then they list who agrees to this... we will skip ahead to what they are promising...)
29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.
30 “We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.
31 “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
32 “We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel[b] each year for the service of the house of our God: 33 for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings[c] to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.
34 “We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.
35 “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the first fruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.
36 “As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.
37 “Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. 38 A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. 39 The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.
“We will not neglect the house of our God.”
So last week after the time of celebrating the Feasts of the Tabernacles or Tents, the people gather together and with sack cloth and ashes confess. They recount what God has done for them, and how they have failed him.
Then what?
Last week confession - this week?
I heard this past week I heard on a pod cast where a pastor was speaking about his own strong addiction to porn, and now being sober for over 3 years he works with young people who are where he was. He said that he can always tell those who have hope for a new life from those who don't by what they are willing to do after the "confession". The ones who have hope of a new life are those who are willing to move past the confession to taking action and making commitments to change behaviors.
Here the Israelites were ready to make a commitment. A curse and an oath.
We will not read chapter 11-12:26, since it is mostly names. In these passages we get a glimpse into some of the challenges to come. They cast lots to see who will move back into the city. Some volunteer, but most do not and so lots were cast and people were told they had to move back into the city.
Why wouldn't they want to?
The surrounding areas where they were living and the non Israelites with whom they were marrying and their now neighbors and those that they did business with did not look favorably on those living in Jerusalem.
So though they were ready to confess, and even take an oath, to take the financial hit, to move family into the city was an unpopular thing to do and many did not want to.
How many times do we confess our sin, make a promise to God or ourselves and then... find ourselves unwilling to make steps that will actually help.
Here are some steps to change.
- Understand what God has done for us!
- In light of Him we see our sin.
- Confess our sin.
- Make a promise to be obedient to God.
- Be willing to make changes in our lives to facilitate change.
Spending time with God, recounting what He has done for you, are there things in your life you need to confess, and are there some promises you need to make to yourself and God? Then, what changes can or do you need to make to facilitate you in keeping those promises? Are you willing?
Remember that this isn't easy! In fact it will take a lot of strength. That strength will come from the "joy of the Lord."
The strength can only come from Him. His joy, is a joy that comes from this deep yearning to be united with us. The knowledge of that, His desire to be with you, will bring you strength. Strength that will assist us as we take steps forward in our covenant relationship with Him.
This Easter weekend I pray that you will spend sometime really reflecting on what God has done for you! If the joy of the Lord is about being united with us, or joining with us, then I find it interesting that what Jesus went through, what he begged his father to take from him, was the most difficult challenging, the most painful, the most sacrificing. HE GAVE UP EVERYTHING for you and then went through such unimaginable pain FOR THE JOY or JOINING or being brought together with YOU!
There is NO change that God will ask of you that will not ultimately bring you the joy of JOINING with Christ. It may be painful and challenging, but it will bring you joy! If He was willing to give so much for you, what are you willing to do for Him?
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