Where is the love?

In Judges we see the people go back and forth and back and forth between God and evil. I wonder if the problem was that one generation would witness the power of God and turn to Him, but fail to instill the faith and obedience into their children who would then turn away. Surely the people all knew of God and heard the stories of His miracles, but knowledge wasn't enough.

This can still happen and it makes me think about the importance of imparting a real love for God into children and anyone else who we may have the opportunity to teach. We also need to remember this for ourselves - you can attend services and even know your Bible, but if you don't love God with all your heart, soul, and might you aren't serving Him as you should.

Favorites from Deuteronomy

Since it's been a while for a post, Candace & I thought we'd review Deuteronomy by sharing some verses we liked.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 10:12
¹² “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 31:6
⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Words of wisdom from a donkey

I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to write about a talking donkey. The record of a donkey speaking to Balaam is amazing. Balaam is riding on his donkey and the Lord is angry because Balaam is not doing what the Lord told him to do. Three times the angel of the Lord Is put in the path of the donkey, and each time the donkey turns aside, even injuring Balaam. We are told that the angel of the Lord had a sword and would have killed Balaam if the donkey had not turned aside 3 times. The donkey could see the angel of the Lord, but Balaam couldn’t. Balaam was annoyed and struck her 3 times. The Lord then opened the donkey’s mouth and the donkey said “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Balaam doesn’t seem to be fazed by the fact that the donkey spoke, as he continues the conversation with the donkey telling the donkey he would kill her if he had a sword. Before Balaam’s eyes are opened to see the angel of the Lord, the donkey makes a good point to Balaam saying “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” Balaam agrees that the donkey had always been trustworthy and had never strayed from the path before. What can we learn from this? One thing that jumps out to me is that when we are in the wrong we often don’t want to listen to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our true friends who have always been loyal and faithful to us are disregarded when they are simply trying to keep us away from the sin and the evil one by pointing out or error in love. I know people that have left the Lord’s body because they want to live in an adulterous relationship or because, for whatever reason, they don’t want to follow God’s commandments. Unfortunately, I have seen folks leave the Lord and then they refuse to speak with their dear friends who are pointing out their error in love. They label the folks trying help them as being narrow minded and not loving. However, this type of behavior isn’t limited to people that have completely abandoned the Lord. Christians from time to time have issues with their own pride that cause them to not want to hear even their loyal friend’s advice to get back on the straight and narrow path. We need to guard against this in our lives. The donkey made the point to Balaam that she had been loyal and should be trusted, not abused. When people say to us “Haven’t I always been a loyal friend who wants the best for you” we should not refuse their correction. The point can also be made that we should work to have good relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ so, if the time comes that we need to rebuke them, they will trust us. Along those same lines when we are refused the first time by an erring Christian, we know we are to take with us another individual to help turn that person from their sin. The person we choose should be a person they love and respect, we should not simply just pick someone that is one of our best friends. Proverbs 15:5 - A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Things I've Learned

As I've been reading the Old Testament stories I am constantly thinking how before I only knew the "kid friendly" versions. For instance, back in Exodus 32 after Moses came down from Mt Sinai and found the Golden Calf he told the sons of Levi to, "go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor"(Ex. 32:27). I don't think I had ever read that before. I just remember being taught that Moses was mad and broke the tablets, they melted the calf, and he went back up for a new pair of tablets. Not that 3,000 men also died because of it.

I also am amazed by the amount of detail that went into the building of the Tabernacle and how God put the skills into the different men so they could actually build everything as God wanted it. I can only imagine Moses hearing about how to make all these things and thinking he had probably never seen or heard of anything like them, let alone try to find someone to build them.

I also didn't realize how slow of a process the movement of the Isrealites was. They were camped in the same place for quite some time while the Tabernacle was being built and then at the end of chapter 9 in Numbers it says how sometimes they camped for days, sometimes months, or even years. I guess I always thought they moved every day. Here's my question though, were they still at Mt Sinai while the Tabernacle was being built? I also hadn't realized the cloud pillar and fire pillar hovered over the Tabernacle until it was time to move on. I knew they guided the people but I didn't know that part.

**I read the next chapter tonight and answered my own question. Yes they were still at Mt Sinai. I didn't realize they stayed there over two years. I guess it makes sense though. It would have taken awhile to build everything for the Tabernacle.

How Long?

Anyone know how long it took them to make, build, sew all of the stuff for the tabernacle?