Faithful...and Barren

Scripture: And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

Observation: Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous. They were faithful. They believed God. They had been this way all their lives. Yet all of this obedience did not shield them from the pain of barrenness. Elizabeth refers to this as her “reproach.”
Now, ultimately, God does bring a child into their lives—and what a child he was! But at the time of verse 7, this couple had felt God’s silence into a deep area of life.
So obedience and faithfulness do not always equal timely blessing, as far as our timing is concerned. Even good-hearted believers, faithful followers, can know the pain of unmet dreams. They can feel like God has not looked at them.

Application: I live in a Proverbs theology: Generally, faithfulness equals blessing. It does, but not always in the timing and manner we expect. This is a good guideline for me as I begin 40 days of listening and expecting from God. Can I expect blessing? Yes, but it may not come in the shape or timing I want. Some blessings come much later, but as I learn from Elizabeth and Zechariah, they do come.

Prayer: God, let me be faithful. Let me obey even if I do not see the fruit. Even though the barrenness. And let me trust you these next 40 days that you know the best time and way to bring blessing into my life.

Thomas, a Slave of God

Scripture: And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect… And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me, then I also will walk contrary to you. Leviticus 26:13, 23-24.

Observation: God has delivered his people from the bondage of slavery. They are free. This freedom from bondage gives them freedom to have covenant with God. God here lays out the terms of his covenant with his people. If they are faithful, God will bless. If they are unfaithful, God will curse. So have the people exchanged one slave master for another? Both God and Pharaoh had terms that were similar. Obey and live. Disobey and suffer. How is God’s mastery over people different from Pharaoh’s?
Later, in the New Testament, a dominating term for followers of Christ was slave (Colossians 1:7, 3:22-23, 2 Timothy 2:24, Titus 1:1, James 1:1). These early believers saw themselves as slaves to Christ.
How do we reconcile such a negative word, fraught with baggage of abuse and mistreatment, with the freedom of Christ?

Application: Maybe I can’t, not fully. I could talk about the difference in serving a dictator like Pharaoh, and a benevolent God. Or I could try to downplay the terms of the NT and say that slave really means servant. Or I could let it be what it is: I am free to be a slave to Christ. As Lord, he has the right and authority to direct my life and lead me. He has the right to expect from me loyalty and faithfulness. When I do not provide that—he disciplines me in love. His goal is always that I would turn back to him and walk with him.
In the words of John MacArthur:

You’re going to be a slave to someone. Being a slave to Jesus Christ is beyond any kind of slavery that anybody ever knew because this master makes us sons and gives us all the rights of His own sons. He adopts us into His family, calls us joint-heirs with Christ, takes us to heaven where we rule and reign from His own throne and pours out all the lavish riches in His possession forever and ever and ever for our own unmitigated joy and His own glory. Who wouldn’t want to be a slave under that master? What a joy to be a slave of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Today, Lord, I reaffirm my chains. You have set me free from the chains of bondage. You have also chained my life to yours. You are my Lord. I turn to you and walk with you. Help me serve you.

Jesus is Our Goat

Scripture: And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness. Leviticus 16:21

Observation: God is describing the Day of Atonement, a ceremony of purification and cleansing for God’s people. Two goats are used. One is killed as a sin offering, and one has the sins of the people transferred to it and is sent away. Death and Separation, the two consequences of sin. I am not sure how shed blood pays for sin, or how an invisible thing like guilt is transferred to a goat. I wonder how much the people of this day even understood it.
As they watched the goat go away, what did they feel? Was it joy, watching their guilt walk away? Was it sadness, seeing their guilt manifest itself in a poor creature?
I am not sure exactly how this ceremony worked in dealing with sin, but the visual of the consequences of sin and the promise of forgiveness were unmistakable.

Application: The cross is the visual aid for us. Jesus is our goat, killed for our sin. He is out goat, sent away to bear the weight of our guilt. I see the cross with joy, knowing I am forgiven. I also see it with sadness, knowing my guilt put Christ there.
Today, I choose to believe I am forgiven. The blood of Christ has purified me to serve God. The goat has left.

Prayer: God, help me live today like a forgiven man. Your sacrifice was not in vain for me. I want to walk through today with the joy of freedom and forgiveness and extend that to others.

He Has Made Me Clean

Scripture: Having determined the allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God. Acts 17:26

Observation: Leviticus 13 and 14 are in the middle of detailed priestly instructions concerning one point: How priests determine who is ritually clean and unclean. Food, disease, childbirth—all sorts of things made someone ritually unclean. While there were probably health reasons, Acts 17 sheds some light on this. God set the boundaries (including ritual rules), so that people might seek God. How do rules about leprosy help people seek God? Seeing the value God places on being ritually clean would remind people of the value God places on being spiritually clean. And ultimately, we are unable to keep clean on our own. So our only option is to seek God. The lambs and doves sacrificed to make atonement for physical uncleanness are insufficient for dealing with our spiritual uncleanness.

Application: If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleans me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Today, I give thanks that Christ delivered me from the rigorous rituals of cleanliness. And I praise Christ that he has made, and continues to make, me clean.

Prayer: Jesus, being clean before God is a big deal to you. Forgive me for not honoring that in my life. I trust you to forgive me and cleanse me today.

Because I Am the Dad, That's Why

Scripture: For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:44

Observation: God gives several chapters of explicit instructions on what his people can and cannot eat. While it is not clear why some animals are acceptable and others are not (no geckos!), the reason for these rules is more clear. God wants his people to practice cleanliness in their rituals so that they might practice cleanliness in their actions and attitudes. The reminder not to eat a pig would help them remember not to speak in anger. After this long list, God says something for the first time, “For I am the Lord your God.” God’s people might have questioned the makeup of the list, but they could not question its authority. God gets to make the rules because he is God.

Application: Did God just pull the, “Because I’m the dad and I said so,” line? I think He did. This line trumps all arguments and ends all discussion. It is often the last resort for a frustrated parent, tired of trying to explain why. As a father myself, there are times when I have to say, “Because I am the dad.” Times when my kids just would not understand the explanation. Times when they might understand, but disagree. But when God uses this line, it is infused with an authority that no earthly father can possess. God is able to ask this of his people because he is God and he said so.
Are there times when I do not understand what God has directed in my life, or I don’t like it? Sure. Do I think God is being a little harsh with some of his commands to me? Yes, but the bottom line is, he is God and he said so.

Prayer: God, I want to be holy as you are holy. I pray specifically for the things I allow my mind to meditate on. You have told me to take every thought captive. I want to do this because you said so. I can only do this through your power. Please teach me how to keep my mind holy, as you are holy.

The Glory of Chores

Scripture: Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses. Exodus 38:22
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

Observation: Exodus 37 and 38 go into great detail to describe the construction of the tabernacle, especially the ark, the furniture, and the décor of the room. All of this seemed to be crafted by Bezalel.

Application: When I first saw today’s reading, I thought, “What can God say to me through a description of a room?” As I read, I saw the detail, the care, the craftsmanship that Bezalel displayed in his work. His work was not merely a job; it was for the Lord. His handiwork proclaimed his belief in the glory of the Lord.
How I work with my hands can honor and proclaim God. While I work hard at my job, the chores I do around my house don’t get the same attention. But viewed the right way, even these acts can be a way for me to honor God. And it can be something I teach my kids—the simple value of a job well done, done for the Lord. I think specifically of our back porch, covered with leaves for months now. There is a way for me to clean that as unto the Lord. As I work with care, I can do a good job because my God appreciates craftsmanship and work done for him. You can tell by looking at the sky above. I’m doing the porch this weekend.

Prayer: God, I want to learn the value of work well done, and instill that in my kids. Help me to joyfully embrace chores around my house, especially those cleaning days that seem to cause so much friction in our home. Let me work with the detail and care of Bezalel.

Go With Me, or I Don't Go

Scripture: “Show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight…if your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” Exodus 33:13,15
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11

Observation: God has instructed his people to leave the desert, and go to the Promised Land. But after the debacle of the golden calf, He tells them he will send an angel to lead them but that he will not go with them, out of concern that He might destroy them.
Now, if God commanded you to leave the dry desert, after decades of manna, to enter a land of milk and honey, and he promised to drive out all the enemies before you, and he promised to send an angelic escort, that would be fantastic news, right? Yet Moses calls this command “disastrous.” For Moses, angels weren’t good enough. Instruction was not good enough. Fighting battles for them wasn’t good enough. Moses wanted God himself. In fact, if God is not going to personally go with them, then Moses would rather stay in the desert.

Application: Of all the things I want…success, impact, influence, carrying out the mission, do I want the presence of God above all else? Do I want what God can provide, or do I want God himself? Do I believe that in God’s presence there is fullness of joy? A friend handed me a book with the title, “God is the Gospel.” Is God a means to my end or is he my end?

Prayer: God, I do not want your blessings apart from your presence. Would you show me your ways, the way of life? Would you go with me? Really, the fear is that I would not go with you. Help me to spend time today pausing to experience your presence.