It is strange how we can sometimes completely miss Yahweh's perspective. I grew up with the thought that Israel was the Lord's only people and everyone else he considered to be his enemy. The truth is, the Lord is the Lord of everyone and everything, Israel was simply grown by him so he could reveal himself to everyone else through them. They were a nation of priests through whom the Lord wanted to bring blessings to all other nations. Everything is his:
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)
The Lord had told Abraham that every nation of the earth would be blessed because of him. At the time everyone worshiped something because the need to do so was a natural part of them, they just hadn't heard yet the truth about the Creator. But it was through this nation of priests that the Creator would manifest himself to his creation so the world would know.
The problem was, Israel did not remain a Holy people. They failed to be faithful, obedient and trusting. They looked around and wanted what everyone else had; they didn't want to be special. They eventually rejected the Lord as king and wanted a human king. Yahweh, in his grace, allowed for this, working through imperfect human vessels instead of directly with his people. Ultimately the nation failed because they became too selfish, focused on themselves instead of their God and their purpose. There are many parallels with the Church.
The Father revealed his heart to us through Jesus Christ. He manifested himself in human form, to pay the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins, so we could enter into intimacy with him. Those who accept this become members of his family, are members of the Body of Christ and are set aside as "priests" to reveal Jesus to all nations. For this purpose we have been possessed by the Holy Spirit, God himself.
The Lord has no desire to work through middlemen. He set up a class of trainers (Ephesians 4) but not in the sense of the priesthood. We have all been called as "priests". But we did not want to deal directly with our God and so we divided ourselves into the clergy and the congregation. This was not Jesus' plan or design, although in his grace, he has worked with it. But do we really want to settle for less than what Jesus desired for us as members of the Body of Christ? It frustrates me to know what we are suppose to be compared to what we are.
Are there any anointed trainers left to guide us in the path we were suppose to take? Are there any trainers equipped to train us in the Spirit, to show us how to allow the Lord to manifest himself in us? Is it possible for us to get back to our Lord and the mission we have been given as "priests"? There are nations waiting to see the Lord manifested in us.
Showing posts with label Exodus 19. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exodus 19. Show all posts
Friday, February 13, 2015
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
What Is Your Purpose?
Ever wonder about your purpose, your place in this world? Ever ask yourself the question, "Why was I born?" Ever sit in church and question why you were there? It's good if you have because the only way you will get answers is if you ask questions. Yahweh doesn't mind the questions because his desire is for us to seek. We just have to make sure we are seeking in the places he has provided the answers. Let's start with Israel.
Yahweh did not grow Israel to be a pampered nation; they had purpose:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6)
As I have stated before, Yahweh's purpose for Israel was to reflect his glory to the world. The world knew there was a Creator but they did not know who. Israel was a nation grown to know him intimately and through whom the Lord would revealed himself. But Israel blew it because they made it all about them. They became so focused on themselves that they lost their relationship, dependence and guidance. There were great moments when Yahweh was able to reveal himself, such as when they entered the Promised Land. All the nations feared them because of Yahweh, but those moments were few and far between.
Then Yahweh did a new thing.
The old covenant was destroyed and Yahweh brought in a new one through Jesus Christ. In Jesus it does not matter which nation we come from because he has created a new people who call him King. There are no borders and we live according to the rules and principles of the Kingdom of God. We are not united by a common land but by the same Spirit who lives in us. We are called the Church, the Bride of Christ, the children of Father. And what is our purpose?
The purpose of the Church is no different that Israel's, only now we have a better vision, understanding and covenant to share with the world. Our purpose is still to be a nation of priests, servants whose sole purpose is to do Father's will:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Our purpose is to glorify Yahweh in everything he has given us to say and do. Our first need is to accept that he has saved us from our sin and has called him to us as his children. The second is to realize we have given up everything to follow him, to be his servants, to seek and do his will. The third is to obey; to actually do what he has commanded. Our purpose is to be instruments of his glory, so the world will see and understand the name of the Creator. Then we pray they will make the same decision we have made, to love Yahweh with all that we have and are. Enjoy your day of service.
Yahweh did not grow Israel to be a pampered nation; they had purpose:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6)
As I have stated before, Yahweh's purpose for Israel was to reflect his glory to the world. The world knew there was a Creator but they did not know who. Israel was a nation grown to know him intimately and through whom the Lord would revealed himself. But Israel blew it because they made it all about them. They became so focused on themselves that they lost their relationship, dependence and guidance. There were great moments when Yahweh was able to reveal himself, such as when they entered the Promised Land. All the nations feared them because of Yahweh, but those moments were few and far between.
Then Yahweh did a new thing.
The old covenant was destroyed and Yahweh brought in a new one through Jesus Christ. In Jesus it does not matter which nation we come from because he has created a new people who call him King. There are no borders and we live according to the rules and principles of the Kingdom of God. We are not united by a common land but by the same Spirit who lives in us. We are called the Church, the Bride of Christ, the children of Father. And what is our purpose?
The purpose of the Church is no different that Israel's, only now we have a better vision, understanding and covenant to share with the world. Our purpose is still to be a nation of priests, servants whose sole purpose is to do Father's will:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Our purpose is to glorify Yahweh in everything he has given us to say and do. Our first need is to accept that he has saved us from our sin and has called him to us as his children. The second is to realize we have given up everything to follow him, to be his servants, to seek and do his will. The third is to obey; to actually do what he has commanded. Our purpose is to be instruments of his glory, so the world will see and understand the name of the Creator. Then we pray they will make the same decision we have made, to love Yahweh with all that we have and are. Enjoy your day of service.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
A Holy Nation - For What Purpose?
They say that if we do not study history we are doomed to repeat it. That gives us a very good reason to study the Old Testament. I once had someone tell me that there are no perfect people in the Bible except one, and that the LORD had filled his Word with ordinary people so we could discover how extraordinary he is by his mercy and grace. As we study the Hebrew Scriptures we do indeed find a God of mercy and grace who often covered the sins of his people.
What a wonderful LORD we serve who called us by his mercy and grace for his purpose. But in order for us to understand our purpose we need to study history to understand the purpose of Israel. What was so special about them? Why did the LORD choose them to reveal his glory to the world? He seemed to have nothing but problems with them.
First, it was more than a choosing. The LORD grew this nation. He chose a man (Abraham) and then he gave this man a son with a promise that he was the seed of a great nation. From this seed he developed a large family that was blessed with fertility. The Egyptians tried to control the population but could not because God's blessing was upon them. By the time they left Egypt we know there were over 600,000 fighting men so if we add the women and children and the older folk, the population could very well have been over 2 million people. That's in just over 300 years.
The LORD had grown this nation for a specific reason. It wasn't because Abraham was a superstar and the LORD wanted to honour him. It was because our LORD had chosen a period in time to reveal his glory to the world. He said to this nation:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)
He had set this nation aside, giving them a set of laws to follow, and called them holy because he is holy. He poured blessings into them, prospered them, drove out nations from them, created a land for them, watched over and defended them, all so he could show himself to the world.
Now Israel, instead of understanding their purpose and place, became like spoiled and disobedient children. They were a source of heartache for the LORD, yet he gave them opportunity after opportunity to get it right. He had warned them what disobedience would bring. He warned them that there were consequences for rejecting his holiness and their purpose, but Israel still made it about them and the LORD had to bring in severe correction.
Why is this important to us as the Church? Because this is what the LORD has said of the Church, the Body of Christ:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I believe at times the Church has forgotten her purpose; that we, as a nation, act as spoiled children, doing whatever we want with the excuse of grace. But the LORD has raised us up with the same purpose as Israel was raised up: to be his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. For ourselves? Don't you believe it. He has done this so that we will magnify the name of Jesus in words and deeds, so the whole world will see his glory.
But I am afraid we are making the same mistake. I believe we are destroying ourselves and our witness. I believe we are setting aside our purpose for selfish gain. I think we are trying to gain the whole world at the risk of our souls. I think we have to repent. I think we need to turn away from the direction in which we are headed. I think the LORD must become our LORD once more and we his holy nation, set aside for his purpose so that the whole world may see his glory, believe and be saved. It's not about us.
.
What a wonderful LORD we serve who called us by his mercy and grace for his purpose. But in order for us to understand our purpose we need to study history to understand the purpose of Israel. What was so special about them? Why did the LORD choose them to reveal his glory to the world? He seemed to have nothing but problems with them.
First, it was more than a choosing. The LORD grew this nation. He chose a man (Abraham) and then he gave this man a son with a promise that he was the seed of a great nation. From this seed he developed a large family that was blessed with fertility. The Egyptians tried to control the population but could not because God's blessing was upon them. By the time they left Egypt we know there were over 600,000 fighting men so if we add the women and children and the older folk, the population could very well have been over 2 million people. That's in just over 300 years.
The LORD had grown this nation for a specific reason. It wasn't because Abraham was a superstar and the LORD wanted to honour him. It was because our LORD had chosen a period in time to reveal his glory to the world. He said to this nation:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)
He had set this nation aside, giving them a set of laws to follow, and called them holy because he is holy. He poured blessings into them, prospered them, drove out nations from them, created a land for them, watched over and defended them, all so he could show himself to the world.
Now Israel, instead of understanding their purpose and place, became like spoiled and disobedient children. They were a source of heartache for the LORD, yet he gave them opportunity after opportunity to get it right. He had warned them what disobedience would bring. He warned them that there were consequences for rejecting his holiness and their purpose, but Israel still made it about them and the LORD had to bring in severe correction.
Why is this important to us as the Church? Because this is what the LORD has said of the Church, the Body of Christ:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I believe at times the Church has forgotten her purpose; that we, as a nation, act as spoiled children, doing whatever we want with the excuse of grace. But the LORD has raised us up with the same purpose as Israel was raised up: to be his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. For ourselves? Don't you believe it. He has done this so that we will magnify the name of Jesus in words and deeds, so the whole world will see his glory.
But I am afraid we are making the same mistake. I believe we are destroying ourselves and our witness. I believe we are setting aside our purpose for selfish gain. I think we are trying to gain the whole world at the risk of our souls. I think we have to repent. I think we need to turn away from the direction in which we are headed. I think the LORD must become our LORD once more and we his holy nation, set aside for his purpose so that the whole world may see his glory, believe and be saved. It's not about us.
.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Take A Good Look
Is it possible that we have blown our purpose as badly as the Israelites did? Do you feel much like a royal priest or part of a holy nation? Perhaps we need to take a good look at ourselves.
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