Set Apart for the Lord (Numbers 8:5-22)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Consecration of the Levites, by Dutch artist Jan Luyken (1649-1712)

The Lord said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves. Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.

“Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.

“Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

“After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting. They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 

“From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. (New International Version)

Levite priests, by Sefira Lightstone

Holiness is very important to God; therefore, people are to be properly set apart for special divine work.

Perhaps we might think about this in the context of a professional vocation – which requires a good deal of training and development. The process, as well as the participants, need to be certified by a certification body. Without a specialized training, their work may hurt others, and even harm themselves.

Setting apart the Levites for the special work of caring for all the aspects of worship required a particular sort of calling, initiation, and ritual in order to have them ready – without harming themselves, or others. Because God is holy, things must be done in a way that helps, not harms.

The ritual for preparation essentially involved de-sinning the Levites, and purifying them from any ceremonial uncleanness. The community was to lay their hands on them, setting them apart for service as representatives of the people.

The Levites served before the Lord in a vicarious position, that is, all Israel came to God through them. They performed the needed sacrifices, handled the worship symbols and implements, and protected the sacred objects in the tent of God’s presence, the tabernacle.

With the Levites in their sacred role, they were near to the people, but distinct from them. They acted as a conduit between God and the people. Levites were something like the sunglasses protecting the people from the bright sun of the Lord’s presence; and like the workers laboring to make people thrive and flourish before God.

In the holiness of worship, the Levites were living sacrifices, offered to God for sacred purposes. So, as such, they understood their need to be continually pure of heart and free from anything that would defile them.

Sacrificial service was literally the job description of the Levites. They absolved themselves of any self-assertive ambitions, and pursued God’s will for the lives without question. This is, of course, the expected ideal, which would soon become deflated in the lives of the two older sons of Aaron the high priest.

Nevertheless, the descendants of Levi were a permanent visual aid and a daily reminder for God’s people of their unique status before Yahweh, as well as the redemption secured for them from Egyptian slavery. Whenever the people saw a Levite – consecrated to God – they knew that the Lord was with them.

God had said that the Levites belonged to him, were completely given over to the Lord, and set apart for dedicated holy and divine work. Moving into the New Testament, every Christian belongs to God, and those who labor for Christ and maintain holiness of life, demonstrate God’s ownership and special relationship to them.

Self-surrender and commitment to the common good of everyone in the community is supposed to be a hallmark of every Christian person. Whereas others may give themselves to self-discovery and self-fulfillment, followers of Jesus are to wholly dedicate themselves to self-sacrifice.

All believers, much like the ancient Levites, are called to a different life, with Christ as their constant mentor and model.

Loving God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the holy sacrifice of your Son cleanse my soul, strengthen my heart, pardon my past, and restore me in your peace. May I always adore you through my sacrificial service, fueled by your divine love. May I learn to sacrifice my own comfort, plans, and dreams, if it is not for your glory and the good of others. Amen.

It’s In the Details (Exodus 28:29-38)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Aaron the High Priest

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breast-piece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breast-piece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

“Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord. Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable to the Lord. (New International Version)

This area of Holy Scripture is likely not one of the more popular places to read. Frankly, it’s boring and pedantic. Yet, contained within the Bible it is, for us to examine.

After giving Moses the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, the next several chapters, from Exodus 20-31 contain detailed instructions from God concerning the covenant code stipulations with the Israelites. Plans for liturgical and sacrificial worship are covered with a fine tooth comb. Instructions for building implements for worship are precise.

And the special garments of the priests’ clothing are described in detail, both as to their design and the material to be used. It’s as if we’re all sitting in a virtual meeting just trying to stay awake, let alone pay attention. Yet, the fact of the details lets us know that the plan is important.

Aaron the High Priest, by Jan Luyken (1669-1712)

Today’s Old Testament lesson deals specifically with the vestments of Aaron, the first high priest of the covenant. An ephod was made – which is a richly embroidered, apron-like vestment having two shoulder straps and ornamental attachments for securing the breastplate, worn with a waistband. (Exodus 28:1-30)

The garment which Aaron was to wear, when he entered the sacred space, symbolically kept the nation of Israel in front of Yahweh, and also over the high priest’s heart.

There was a robe which covered the ephod, equipped with bells. As Aaron moved, the bells rang, signaling that he was coming into and out of the presence of God. Only the high priest was consecrated to enter the most holy place; and the high priest alone wore the special clothing for the unique service which was done.

The entire ritual of the high priest’s service was a visual display of God’s glory and of the reality that no one may enter God’s presence flippantly or carelessly. God is gracious and merciful; and God also has no tolerance for impurity, unrighteousness, and pride.

God expects divine laws, stipulations, and commands to be obeyed without prejudice. The Israelites could not pick and choose what directives from God they would do, or not do. And that is the core of what holiness before the Lord really is.

An interesting observation about this text of Scripture is that Aaron the high priest is given no instructions or commands about what to say when he entered and then left God’s presence. No mantras. No incantations or formulaic words. The inference is that Aaron was silent.

Instead, the garments spoke. “Holy to the Lord” on the plate affixed to the turban said a lot – along with the ephod and the robe, affirming that holiness is needed in order to make any sort of decisions before God.

We never get an explanation in Scripture about what the Urim and Thummim are – which is why, when translating the words from Hebrew, we merely have English transliterations of them. We only know that they were used when making decisions. Evidently, the high priest was an earthly source of God’s wisdom and direction.

Whatever we think about these verses in the book of Exodus, it seems that we are meant to understand that details matter; and how we go about our obedience, down to the last jot and tittle, matters.

Orthodox icon of Jesus Christ, the High Priest of a New Covenant

In the ministry of Christ, there were people wondering if all of his talk was upending or replacing those detailed imperatives of God. Jesus responded:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18, NIV)

Jesus furthermore upheld God’s expectation that divine commands be obeyed:

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19, NIV)

At issue was the nature of righteousness – right relations with both God and others. Justice is imperative. Being humble, pure, merciful, and a peacemaker matters. The laws and directives of God are never to be used for walking around like a peacock to display what a wonderfully important and religious person you are.

In other words, the ornate garments of the high priest are not the person; they are special clothing used for a special purpose. Clothes may be important, yet it’s the heart that truly matters. And a heart devoted to God will seek to humbly obey God’s words down to the most minute detail.

O God, by whom the humble are guided, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties about obedience, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus Prays For Us (John 17:6-19)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Word of Life, by Millard Sheets

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

“I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

“Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 

But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. (New Revised Standard Version)

It seems to me only fitting that Jesus concluded his time with the disciples in the Upper Room before his betrayal, crucifixion, and death with prayer. It also seems to me that if you really want to know the heart of a person, listen to them pray.

The prayer of Jesus was thoroughly oriented toward the spiritual needs of his followers – even potential believers who will follow him in the future. And it was a prayer completely devoted toward honoring the heavenly Father through praying consistent with God’s will for this world.

Without the physical presence of Jesus – which would soon be gone – his followers would have to rely on prayer. And Christ was intent on instilling within his disciples the confidence and hope they needed for a solid life of prayer.

For post-resurrection Christians living in an ever-expanding world of oppression, greed, and indifference, we can be encouraged not to settle into despair or loneliness. Why? Because believers can have a solid hope and an abiding trust in the continuing presence of Jesus by means of the Holy Spirit.

God Gives

God gives. Jesus gives. Both the Father and the Son are givers. This is a major reason and motivation for prayer because God is not a reluctant giver. In the act of giving, the Father and the Son are fully on the same page; God is ready and willing to give. The Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – are in complete unity, and act as One, in giving to us what we need.

“Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14, NRSV)

“Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27, NRSV)

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28, NRSV)

We Belong

Through giving we are included. Believers and followers of Jesus – having been given the grace of faith – know that they belong to God. Christians are in union with Christ. The redemption which Jesus has secured is a million billion times stronger, and bonds us closer, than any sort of Gorilla glue. And, what’s more, once we belong, we are never forgotten, but always remembered by God.

“The Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:15-16, NRSV)

Christ the King, statue in Swiebodzin, Poland

The Name of Jesus

Because we belong, we know God’s name. The divine name stands for all that God is and all that God has done. It’s all focused in Christ. In the name of Jesus, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have everlasting life, spiritual power, and eternal security.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31, NRSV)

We Have the Word

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus has given to his disciples only those words which he first received from the Father. Those who accept the enfleshed Word and his words have been given power to become God’s children (John 1:12). Because believers belong to God, they know the truth and that truth has set them free.

It is the Christian’s mission to live into the words and ways of Jesus, to follow Christ in thought, word, and deed. The very glory of Jesus in his cross and resurrection is focused within the believing community, who is in union with Christ and belongs to God.

In his prayer, Jesus claimed an intimate oneness in the sharing of concern for people who are the objects of the Father’s gracious giving of love through the Son. All who belong to Christ belong to God, and vice versa. All the love that went into the cross was poured out upon us.

Those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ are the very glory of Jesus, and thus, the glory of God.

Sent Into the World

Because of the Father’s name—because of who the Father is and what the Father has given in love to the Son—we are set apart for truth; the words of God are truth.

Since we belong to God and bear the name of Christ, we don’t belong to the world’s systems of guilt, shame, injustice, and evil. And yet, we are separated from the world for precisely the reason of immersing ourselves in the world. In other words, Christianity is meant for the life of the world, and not as a religion that’s only concerned for itself.

To reach the world, we must be different from it. To reach the world, we need to have boots-on-the-ground in it. To reach the world, Christians are to be both far from the world, and near to the world.

As the Father sent the Son, so the Son sends us into the world – not to be like the world, but to embody the words and ways of Jesus to and for the world.

Just as the world rejected Jesus in his suffering and death, so the world, too, will reject his followers. Which means we will need to pray, a lot! And there is no better scriptural prayer to emulate than the very words of the Lord Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us.

Holy Father, guard our hearts and minds in Jesus, as we pursue this Christian life which you gave as a gift through Christ, so that we can be united, just as the Father and the Son are one. Although we long for heaven, don’t take us out of the world until we have fulfilled our sacred mission to carry the words and ways of our Lord to the world. Make us holy, and give us everything we need for life in this present evil age; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

Being Both Near and Far (John 16:4-11)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading BlogLeave a comment
The Upper Room, by Gail Meyer

I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.

Unless I go away, the Advocate will -not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. (New International Version)

Jesus was in the Upper Room with his disciples, sharing their final meal together. The disciples did not understand everything their Lord was communicating to them. Yet, they picked up that Jesus was going away, and this was a source of grief to them.

It must be this way. But Jesus will always be with them, although not being with them. It sounds contradictory, but nonetheless true.

God is as intimately near to us a parent to a child. God is also higher than we can imagine and very far away. The theological terms about this are that God is both immanent and transcendent, that is, both near and far. God is indeed “Our Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9)

For the disciples, it was good having Jesus on earth, near to them, ministering to people up close and personal. They would soon learn that it will be even better with Jesus far away sitting at the right hand of God in heaven.

For us, this is all good. That’s because we have been given the Spirit, who is the continuing presence of Jesus on this earth. So, Jesus is actually here, but not really here. He’s both – by means of God’s Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is described by Jesus as the Advocate – the one who comes alongside us and is so close that it’s like having Jesus inside us, and not just around us. The Advocate does the important work of helping us to be like Christ, enabling us to follow the words and ways of Jesus.

Although none of us are like God, being both immanent and transcendent, and able to be in two places and everyplace at the same time, we nonetheless are created in the image of God. And a good use of leadership, especially in the church, is to understand that leaders need the tension of being both close and distant.

By Petrina Kent

A leader who is everyone’s buddy and always close is missing half of their leadership. And a leader who is aloof and hard to get to know is only half there. Leaders must embrace the delicate and difficult balance of being both near and far, close to the parishioners, yet also able to keep a distinct big picture perspective through a far off view.

Leaders have a very hard time talking of sin and righteousness and judgment if they only have half their leadership working. Yet, it isn’t only about leaders. Everyone can take a lesson from learning how to embrace the paradox of being both near and far.

No matter who you are – whether a pastor, an elder or deacon, a member, and/or a regular attender or friend of the church – other people are making an example of you. Yes, people are watching; they see what you do, what you say, how you act, and your attitude toward most things. 

Church leaders, especially, are to be good examples to the Body of Christ (1 Peter 5:3). Maybe you don’t think of yourself as an example to others, or believe that more ordinary parishioners have that kind of influence. However, leadership isn’t really about having a position or possessing power; it’s about the actions and/or inactions you take.

No matter your position in the church or any organization, you must take responsibility for the quality of your Christian life. If you are in any kind of leadership role, you have to decide how good a leader you want to be. Are you willing to develop a full-orbed leadership by being both up close and personal and objectively distant?

I used to get discouraged about the reality that I wasn’t a born leader. But then I came to my senses and remembered that I was born. I’m here, so my mother must have given birth to me. In fact, everyone has been born. It’s a matter of what we do with what we have before we die that makes all the difference. 

Holding the Flame of Fire, by Jyoti Sahi, 2005

There is no evidence that people are predisposed with a leadership gene imprinted on their DNA. Yes, in the church there are gifts of leadership given by the Holy Spirit. Yet, that doesn’t get any of us off the hook of leadership any more than not having a gift of teaching means we don’t have to instruct our own kids.

Leadership, being an example, and becoming both close and distant can be learned. It’s a skill and an ability, just like most anything in life. It must be developed and honed, even if one seems prone to be a leader. That means good leadership means being a good learner; and putting in the hard work of practice.

It’s been estimated that about 10,000 hours of deliberate practice over a period of 10 years is what it takes to achieve the highest level of proficiency. Maybe I’ve now lost you. But this is the price of leadership. It doesn’t just happen. People don’t just get zapped by the Holy Spirit like some divine magic trick and automatically become great leaders and persons. 

God calls, molds, develops, and shapes individuals of all kinds for spiritual purposes. That’s why there are so many exhortations in Scripture to be examples, follow godly examples, and mimic sound doctrine. Making disciples isn’t like making microwave popcorn.  It’s much more like the outdoor smoker; go low and slow and let the meat cook just right.

Since the Christian life and Christian leadership is a learned art, then failure is inevitable. We practice to get better at it. We do it, blow it, learn from our mistakes then try it again – over and over and over again. Yet, the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, is there (and here!) giving grace and teaching us.

And that’s all possible because the Christian’s Lord Jesus Christ left the faraway heaven and came among us and was close – then turned around and went back to heaven in his ascension and glorification. Without these redemptive events, there is no union and intimacy with God.

Intelligence is helpful; talking a good line never hurts; confidence is beneficial; but taking the time to practice the skills of leadership with dedicated work and focused motivation is the one thing that anyone can do. 

Be encouraged to know that Christian sanctification is a process; church leadership can be developed and learned. If you desire to be a better example, work at it with all your heart. And have some faith.

Gracious God, in the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you have given us eternal life and glorified your name in all the world. Refresh our souls with the living streams of your truth, so that in our unity, your joy may be complete, by means of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Amen.