Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Leviticus 10:1-2)

Morning Thoughts,

Leviticus 10:1-2, "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not."

This morning, people like to minimize the importance of truly important concepts.  Most of the time, the minimizing is done to justify their lack of discipline or effort in those areas.  Whatever the justification or reasoning for doing such, we must – as diligent servants of the Master – seek to throw off the shackles of our own thinking and try to focus our eyes on the heavenly plane to see things more like He sees them.  Too much of the time, we hear well meaning people promote some idea or denounce a different idea with little to no idea how the Bible would have us approach the thought.  Their defense of their stance might include something akin to "Well I just think", "Well I just feel", or the shuddering and frightening "God just wants me to be happy."  Friends, no matter what we think, feel, or perceive about God's desires, His standards as penned in His Book cannot be circumvented.  He will never contradict Himself, and when men try to promote things contrary to the word of God while still claiming to be following after God, they are charging God – by their actions – with a duplicitous mind.

What is God's perspective on worship?  How important is order to Him?  Even if we simply peruse the Scriptures through general reading, the answer is inescapable.  God holds worship of Him and the order of it in high esteem.  It should be a premium thought of the devoted follower of Christ to try to "get things right" when seeking the Lord in worship.  He does not deal kindly with those that fly in the face of His pattern.  In our study verses, we read of one of God's more immediate and severe judgments for transgression, and it pertains to the realm of the order of worship before Him.  One of the things that has always intrigued me about this account is how often it is mentioned without talking about what happened before and after it.  As a small aside, it behooves us when studying the Scriptures to try to be diligent to seek out the entire thought and context of a passage regardless of chapter and verse divisions.  Even though our verses come at the entrance of a new chapter, something powerful happened at the end of chapter 9 that (I believe) contributes to the thoughts contained in our study verses above.

In the previous chapter, God has given further instruction about how offerings and sacrifices are to be made.  He tells Aaron particularly how to do it, the pattern to follow, etc.  As God finishes those commandments, He gives a mighty manifestation of Himself by commanding fire down upon the altar to consume the offering upon it.  The people are so awed by the display that they could only shout and fall prostrate before Him. (Leviticus 9:24) Having this transpire immediately before our verses, we can glean a little more insight into the reasoning why Nadab and Abihu did what they did and why the Lord dealt so severely with them.  Since Scripture is silent about their mindset, we cannot speak definitively on that point.  However, seeing that such a great sight of fire immediately happened, we could suppose a fair amount of notions for why they would do it.  Perhaps they were filled with so much exuberance and zeal that they desired to take part in this great ceremony.  Perhaps they wanted to claim some of the "fiery credit" for themselves for what just happened.  Perhaps they ignorantly did something thinking that something should be done on such a grand occasion.  Regardless of what went through their minds – whether something as seemingly innocent as unrestrained zeal or as dreadful as covetous idolatry – the Lord dealt with them severely.

While we cannot definitively say why they did what they did, we can speak with assurance as to God's thinking about His own actions.  God mentions this occasion later in the opening verses of Leviticus 16.  Before God gives the particulars about fulfilling the day of atonement, He specifically addresses the order of the regularity of it.  To prevent judgment and death, Aaron was to do this only one time a year.  Should that directive be ignored, Aaron would end up like Nadab and Abihu.  So, God plainly declares that the reason they died was a failure to follow proper order in God's house.  No matter what those two thought about what they were doing or why they were doing it, God simply states that He holds the directions He has given about order and faithfulness in upholding His pattern to a high premium. 

Could anything be more blatantly ignored today even among many professed followers of the Christ than seeking diligently to follow His order?  Doubtless, there are seekers of fame and wealth who seek to steal away the hearts and minds of God's people.  Whether the so-called preacher on the television or the wealthy member that wants to "run" the affairs of the assembly, strange fire is being put before the eyes of the people to divert attention away from the altar to the one holding the censer.  Doubtless, there are many ignorant people that have not pulled back the fabric of Scripture to find the proper way to attend unto the affairs of God's house and sought to know His way of doing things.  Many others follow the misguided mindset that Paul lamented in Romans 10:1-3 in zealous but ignorant exuberance.  Their zeal blinds their attentiveness to God's pattern of worship and order of conduct.  Regardless of the mindset, all fail in the point of doing it God's way as He has commanded. (John 4:24)

How important is it to God?  On this occasion, two men answered with their own lives for failing to follow God after His prescription.  Whether or not we fully understand why God would say to do it this way or not, understanding of the why is not a prerequisite to actually do what He has said do.  Oftentimes, I read the old law service from the books Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and I am left puzzled as to the reason why things were to be done this way or that – and so specifically as well.  However, whether or not I ever understand why He told Israel to do it that way or not, I am left simply to shout and fall prostrate before Him and say His ways are good and righteous.  Today, we are told to follow Him in the right spirit according to truth.  Whether or not I ever understand why certain points of order are the way they are – for example why He would plainly set forth that expounding in the church would be by two or at the most by three (I Corinthians 14:29) – I am left no reason or excuse not to do it that way. 

Some today might claim that adherence to a rigid structure destroys freedom of expression to follow after the Lord according to the talents that He has bestowed upon us.  I had a progressive one time make the case for musical instruments in the church based on his proficiency on the guitar.  His claim was that God would not have given him such a talent to go unused in worship.  Simply put, God's prescription for worship cannot be improved upon as His structure will perfectly provide the necessary placements for us to worship Him in a way He is most pleased with.  My answer to my progressive friend was this: we all have been given talents, but not all of our talents have been given for use in public worship before the King.  Just because I am proficient in areas of math and science does not give me the authority to impose those talents in God's house by holding teaching sessions to show others the many layers of those subjects.

Strange fire comes in many forms.  It comes from ideas about how to move and live in God's house.  It comes in errant ideas about what God's Book says.  It sometimes appears in the ways which believers behave around one another.  Simply put, strange fire (regardless of the form) is anything that God has not prescribed that is promoted like counterfeit being used in the place of real currency.  God will not have it.  Neither should we.  God frowns upon it.  So should we.  Does that mean God always strikes people down in death because of it?  No, sometimes the judgment is physical affliction, being sickly, and yes, sometimes even death. (I Corinthians 11:30)

May our worship of the Great King be according to things He has prescribed.  Too often, a new idea is promoted with the siren song, "What's the harm in it?"  Friends, God's prescription needs never to stoop to that question.  The real question is, "What's the benefit in it?"  If God did not pattern the thing, then rest assured the perceived benefits will not be long lasting or fruitful.  The damage caused by it will be unimaginable.  If we want to improve, we should seek to improve our walk and manner within God's structure and pattern, not seek a different pattern from which to operate.  May our fires that we offer before Him be true fires.  The word "strange" from the verses above literally can be rendered "to turn aside or depart."  If we know the truth (right order and pattern), may we faithfully follow and adhere to it.  May we never depart into the strangeness of "other thinking" for there we will only find the ruin and death that it breeds rather than the righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Ghost.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (Exodus 36:7)

Morning Thoughts,

Exodus 36:7, "For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much."

This morning, problems abound in the world in which we live.  Scripture declares that the root of all evil is a love of money. (I Timothy 6:10) With all of the economic problems today, can we doubt that this Scriptural statement has lost any of its vitality, freshness, or relevance?  Indeed, many today indicate publicly that they care for "the less fortunate," but their mindset is to gain as much money, power, fame, etc. as they can for themselves.  While it is not the Christian's duty to be entangled with the affairs of this life, we should be diligent to conduct ourselves honourably in all things, and the money question is no exception.  Oftentimes, we might think that as long as we avoid the "rat race" of money-driven society that we will successfully ward off this problem.  However, we can allow the "money question" to creep into our lives by simply having the wrong mindset about what we are doing or why we are doing it.

Admittedly, the subject of money drives emotions higher than any other subject.  Therefore, let us approach this subject Biblically, and attempt to keep any emotional flair out of it.  Our study verse above is set in the conclusion of a rather long context that stretches through the last chapter or so.  The people are bringing money, supplies, etc. to build the articles of the tabernacle as the Lord instructed Moses in the mount.  Others are bringing their skilful abilities to construct the items in question.  So, people are sacrificing their goods, their time, and their abilities to accomplish the building according to God's pattern.  Over and over again throughout this context, we find several phrases appearing again and again.  I encourage the reader to peruse the 35th and 36th chapters in their entirety to number up the occurrences of these phrases.  The people are called: 1. wise hearted, 2. willing, 3. cunning (skilful), and 4. understanding

Looking at these repeated adjectives to describe the people, we are left with little doubt as to the mindset and state of the congregation.  They not only did all these things, but they wanted to (willing), had knowledge of what to do (understanding), were able to do what was required (cunning), and had the courage to see the tasks through to the end (wise hearted).  This collection of characteristics will yield the results and conclusion from our study verse.  Therefore, let us examine these characteristics in turn, apply them together, and find the point they arrived at.

As people examine the "money question" in society, family life, church life, and other venues, one of the shortcomings today is a lack of understanding.  Whether one is describing giving in a church capacity or simply how to approach credits and debits in their monthly budget, they lack understanding or knowledge of what to do and how to do it.  One of man's failings is to blame others for a lack of understanding, but the simple point is that God has not left us without sufficient knowledge about what to do – money included.  Rather, most people have either failed to consider His teachings or have failed to even look for them to know the right way to go.  The Bible plainly and simply states that we should work to eat (II Thessalonians 3:10), be content with food and raiment: the things we have (I Timothy 6:8), and not to be grudging with our means. (II Corinthians 9:6) If these items are followed, people will not live above their means, nor will they be without enough sufficiency to honour God in their spirit and body.

Once someone has the understanding of what to do, the next step is to be willing in their doing of it.  One of the most important lessons about New Testament giving in a church capacity (but applies to all areas of Christian service) is that God loves a cheerful giver. (II Corinthians 9:9) When we render service to God willingly, it is a sweet smelling savour in His presence.  Since Christ was willing and obedient in all that He gave and did, our model is to be likewise.  Not only does it not follow the Scriptural command, but a forced service of payment, time, etc. does not lead to the harmonious outcome that our study verse shows.  When people willingly give of money, service, etc. they do so in a way that can never be imagined under the forced method.

Another impediment to fruitful service and giving is the idea that "I can't really do anything."  Sometimes, people feel insufficient in funds or talents to be worth consideration.  If we have been blessed by God – and friends we have been whether we admit it or not – He has given us rich gifts and abilities to be used in His service.  If we say we have not the ability to really serve, we are implying that He has left us without some necessary item to serve Him.  Such is not and will never be the case.  No, we have not all been given the same types or amounts of things.  Some of us have less money than others.  Some of us have less talents than others.  The point is not how much we have, but the point is how much we do with the means that we have.  He has given us things, and we need to be skilful and cunning in using them to best serve Him.

If we have the understanding, willingness, and abilities to serve and give, what could be left?  Why would we need yet another item?  Sometimes, people have the first three we discussed, but it takes wise heartedness (courage) to see it through.  To follow the Lord's path of service in how we give and how we live, there will be times when we feel discouragement from without and within.  It takes prudence and courage under fire to say, "This is what I'm going to do, and I'll see it through."  Some today have no willingness to do these things, others have no understanding of what to do, and yet others fail to see their God-given abilities and means to serve Him.  Yet others have all of these things but lack the internal fortitude to see it through in fruitful service to Him.  Friends, the world discourages virtuous living, but to be virtuous, we must be courageous, especially since virtue has a connotation of courage (manliness) associated with its definition.

By putting all of these traits together, we get a glimpse to the noble efforts and hearts of the people of Israel on this occasion.  They desired to praise God.  They desired to erect what He said, just as He said to do it, and obey Him from the heart in all things.  To do so, no one had to do a fund drive.  No one had to raise money by pledges.  No one sold goods in exchange for means to construct the tabernacle and the furniture in it.  Rather, they all came forward as willing servants with their gifts in their hands and their abilities in their bodies.  The result was not simply a sufficiency of means and services; they had more than enough (too much).

Oftentimes, men today neglect the willingness aspect of giving as they believe that without it, there will not be enough to make ends meet.  In other words, unless someone has an "imposed minimum" of service, simply commanding willing and cheerful service will yield significantly lower results than the imposed minimum.  This passage indicates the very opposite.  Other men claim that there are not enough talents or abilities to get the job done, and again, this passage contradicts such thinking.  If we apply the Lord's gifts to our service to Him with the understanding of His word out of a willing heart and with the courage to perform it, we will find the same conclusion that they found.  Not only will there be enough to suffice, but the Lord blesses more left over than we needed.  Consider a spiritual parallel to this.  We oftentimes describe the miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000 as a literal story that illustrates the power of gospel preaching in filling God's sheep from His table.  Does the gospel simply suffice our hunger?  The miracle includes that there is more left over than when we started.  The power and miracle of faithfully serving the Lord in giving is that even though we sacrifice our time and means, we actually end up with more of both to go around than we had before. 

Finally, this passage does not prove – as so many in the world today promote – the idea that serving God will make an obedient disciple "healthy, wealthy, and wise."  Rather, serving the Lord requires us to deny ourselves and endure hardships as so many New Testament examples show, but the true "pay-off" is that even though we sacrifice of ourselves in our service and devotion to Him, we will not be left insufficient, and more to the point, we will have more than enough in our service to Him.  Looking back through the years of my short pilgrimage, I see quite glaringly that my times of spiritual coldness have coincided with my periods of greatest languishing.  Whenever I have devoted my energies to serving the Lord, I have more energy, find more time, and seemingly have more left over than at other times.  I am by no means a wealthy person, but the service of God has not left me destitute or impoverished of those things that I stand in need of.  May we renew our sights upon His mark.  As He was courageous and wise hearted, so may we be.  As He was willing in His walk, so may we be.  As He had abilities and talents that He employed with understanding, so may we do likewise.  In so doing, we will find the sweet and fulfilling conclusion that we have everything we need to fulfill our service to the Lord and too much besides.

In Hope,

Bro Philip