Sunday, July 25, 2010

Israeli Mosh Pits
Numbers 8: 5-26

Moses received the task of making the Levites ceremonially clean. To make this happen, he was to sprinkle the "water of cleansing" on them (which kind of sounds like what I might just call "water"). Then they were to shave their bodies and wash their clothes.

Then come the offerings- a young bull with its grain offering, and another bull for a sin offering. After that the Levites are brought to to the community where the Israelites lay hands on them. Is this the Holy Land version of a rock star sighting? Bono comes out and slaps some hands before heading back to isolation and getting to work?

Aaron then presents them as a wave offering. Before this happens, the Levites lay their hands on some animals that are then used as sacrifices (sin and burnt). They facilitate sacrifice and then become a sacrifice- not in a burned at the stake, ritualistic, creepy, drink the kool-aid cult kind of way- but in a giving up a life spent with the other Isralites and devoting yourself to the work of God kind of way.

God says that receiving them as a sacrifice replaces the need for the Israelites to give their firstborn to God. When He struck down the firstborn in Egypt, He had them in mind for the Isrealite part of it all. He takes ownership of all firstborn, whether man or animal.

Levite men are to be devoted to the work of God from age 25-50. After that, they can assist their brothers in the work, but they can't do it themselves.

I wonder if when every crop of Levites were cleansed- when the Israelites were laying their hands on them, they consciously thought- if it weren't for these guys, my son would be dead. If these Levites didn't sacrifice- I would lose so much.

And I think of my need to ponder the same thought more often. Without the sacrifice of another infamous firstborn, I would lose so much more.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Don't Even Consider That Whole Under the Bushel Thing

Numbers 8: 1-4

God tells Moses to tell Aaron that the lamps are supposed to illuminate the area in front of the lampstands. Aaron makes it happen. The lampstands are made the way God commanded.

That's it.

It seems fairly intuitive. Were they much into back lighting in this era? Maybe it wouldn't have been obvious to light the area in front of the lights, but if not any doubt is removed.

Maybe the key here is to establish a pattern of communication. God speaks to Aaron through Moses- even for things like where to point the light.


And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
Numbers 7

It is evident to me that Moses never took a creative writing course.

This chapter repeats ad nauseum the offerings of the different families at the tabernacle. This wouldn't be so bad (well, maybe it would) if the offerings weren't all identical. Still, though, Moses finds it necessary to spell it all out.

After he sets up the tabernacle, anoints it and consecrates its furnishings, the heads of the families got together (an obvious influence on the Godfather films)- each family brought an ox- and every two families offered a cart- this went to the Levites.

They split the oxen and carts up as needed- Kohathites got none, because they were supposed to carry things on their shoulders. To dedicate the altar, each day one family leader would come with their offerings. Moses tells us whose day it is and then says

"13His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels,a and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels,b both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering; 14one gold dish weighing ten shekels,c filled with incense; 15one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;16one male goat for a sin offering; 17and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering."

Then he reminds us again whose day it was. He does this twelve times. No twists. No build. No excitement.

I'm not sure why we need such detail. Maybe this was an attempt to stress that all the families were equally dedicated. No one needs to get all Cain and Abel on anyone else.

Maybe this was a repetitive device to help them remember what was sacrificed- although I'm not sure how far after the fact they'd be reading this. It could have been a moot point by then.

Maybe Moses just needed a better editor.

He ends the chapter with a cool image- when Moses enters the Tent of Meeting to talk with God, His voice comes from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the testimony.

This must have been an amazing experience- to talk to God, and to actually hear him talk back. To have a physical place to go and literally have a conversation with God.

Why he spent 88 verses on the sacrifices and one on the conversation is frustrating.




Monday, July 05, 2010

My Breakfast with Blessings

Numbers 6:22-27

Really short section consisting primarily of instructions for Aaron and his sons on how to bless the Israelites.

The blessing is short and commonly known:
24 " ' "The LORD bless you

and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

It's interesting to me that the blessings come from God. So essentially God wishes his own blessings on the Israelites. At first it seems a little silly to me. If God wishes his face to shine upon them, why doesn't He just do it? But maybe from his perspective He's wishing that the Israelites be the kind of people He would shine his face upon.


But regardless, He is claiming the Israelites for Himself. He goes on to say "they will put My name on the Israelites." He wanted them- He was looking to lavish them with blessings.

And as His people today, I'm confident He wants the same for us.

So today- my wish for you is that God blesses you and keeps you. That his face shines blindingly bright on you and His grace pours down on you. May God turn His face on you and may you receive peace.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Almost Cut My Hair

Numbers 6:1-21

So, if you're an Israelite youth who's clamoring for a little more law in your life- the Nazirite vow might be for you. Apparently this is a vow to help you go above and beyond the requirements of the typical child of God. It seems that this vow could be taken by either a man or a woman.

After taking this vow, there are several things that must be avoided:

No wine. In fact no vinegar made from wine. In fact no grape juice. Or grapes. Or raisins. Nothing from the grapevine- not even seeds or skins.

No cutting hair.

No going near a dead body. Not even if someone in your immediate family dies.

If someone dies in your presence- and defiles your hair (I guess this happens by just being in the presence of a dead body? Maybe contact with the body and your hair which would be kind of weird anyhow?) you've got to shave it on the day of your cleansing (apparently the seventh day). On the eighth day the Nazarite is to bring two doves or pigeons to the priest. One is a sin offering, the other a burnt offering- the burnt offering seems to be to make up for being near the corpse.

Following the period of separation- not sure how long that period is- the rules change. He brings a bunch of things for the priest to sacrifice- a one year old male lamb, a one year old ewe lamb, a ram, grain offerings, drink offerings, a basket of yeast-free bread, and cakes and wafers with oil.

The bread and the ram are a fellowship offering. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Nazirite is to shave off his hair and burn it in the fire beneath this fellowship offering. The priest makes a wave offering using a boiled shoulder of the ram, a wafer and a cake. The priest gets to keep much of the meat as well as the waved cake and wafer.

After this, the Nazirite can start drinking wine again. This is all offered in addition to anything else the Nazirite can afford.

This whole concept puzzles me. As best I can tell, this vow is totally voluntary. Who could look at the burdens of the law and think- you know what, I'd like a little more law in my life? It seems a bit like an attempt to show God how great you are.

God, not only can I not steal, lie, covet- etc... but look what else I can do. Pardon me while I flip my hair.

And I have this same hangup. Instead of accepting grace- I try to make things a little harder for myself. It isn't enough that I'm sorry for my sin, that I've prayed about it, that I've tried to stop committing it- I try to punish myself more. It's like I'm saying, God, look how sorry I am. Let me show you why you should forgive me, because deep down, I'm not convinced that you already have.

So let me impress you with all I've done to make up for the wrong I've committed. If I wasn't truly sorry, I wouldn't have gone through this much effort. Get the grace ready, because I'm about to check off the box that will release the grace lever and send it pouring down on me.

And the end result might be best summed up by John Prine, "Jesus Christ died for nothing, I suppose."

Maybe the Nazirites had noble reasons for taking this extra vow. My struggle is to keep cutting my hair, and truly believing that His grace is enough- no extra credit needed.