Graves' This and That

  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress...

    Numbers has been full of repetitive accounts of the Israelites and their disobedience.  They have now made several laps around Mt. Sinai, many of the original people have died off, or been killed for their arrogant and presumptuous actions against the LORD, Moses, and Aaron. The overriding truth of the accounts is the merciful grace of the LORD! Moses is in his last days of leadership.  The forty years are coming to an end and they are moving toward a second attempt to enter the Promise Land.  They have been victorious in taking land, and they are moving further into the interior of the land of Moab.  The king and the residents of Moab are "filled with dread because of the Israelites.  The king of Moab, Balak, sends messages to Balaam, who is a sorcerer and is able to to place curses or blessings on others.  King Balak wants to know how to defeat "this horde" that is licking up everything around them.  Of course, he is desirous th...

  Wide-eyed and unbelieving, the Israelites have traveled the distance from the land of Goshen, Egypt as freed slaves and now they are at the threshold of the Land promised by to God to them.  Even with the promise of the Land, God going before them, a land of "milk and honey", Moses and Aaron,  the  report is given and the people choose to believe the report of the majority of the spies, and rebel against the LORD GOD.  Moses intercedes in prayer for them, God forgives their rebellion, however the cost for rebellion and unbelief will be forty years..."a year for each of the forty days you explored the land..you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you."  HE reminds them that they have tested HIM and disobeyed against HIM ten times.  Upon hearing the consequences of their rebellion, they mourn, weep bitterly, confess they have sinned, and agree to go up to the place the Lord promised them.   Even though the ...

The old adage that "The majority rules" has its perks but then in my reading today, Numbers 13- 14, "Ugh!"  The Israelites are at the threshold of the "Land of Promise, Canaan".  In chapter 13,  the LORD directs  Moses, to send some men to explore the land of Canaan.  HE even includes the reminder promise, "which I am giving to the Israelites."  From each Tribe, one man is selected to explore the land. After 40 days, the men return to the camp and have a bounty of fruits in hand and begin to give their report of their findings.  It is reported "they" give Moses the account.  They agree that the land "does flow with milk and honey" and show the fruit.  The report then goes negative: BUT the people are powerful, the cities are fortified, and the group to fight to gain the land is formidable and stronger.  Caleb speaks, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."  The majority rules! ...

Competition in sports can be a fun display if it is shown healthily and positively. However, there is one expression of competition that can almost destroy a family...comparing in the family of one member to another, and then moving into competing.  Whether in the Body of Christ or in a personal family, the results can be painful and almost destructive to relationships.  Long held hurts are not given up quickly and are recorded in the heart and mind to continually bring up as an excuse of why feelings must be validated and forgiveness cannot take place.  Almost the mindset of "I HAVE A RIGHT NOT TO FORGIVE!"  Numbers 12:1, "Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses....".  The excuse for speaking against Moses was his wife, and their prejudice about her ethnicity...like she could control where she was born or the color of her skin! The "excuse" becomes MORE apparent in the next verse, "Has the LORD spoken only through Moses, they asked.  Hasn'...

I tutor children three days a week helping them in their math or reading.  Yesterday, the students were taking a reading six week's test and I was helping the teacher  by grading the tests. It was announced the test was to be given to me. The direction had to be repeated numerous times.  Yes, these were second graders, but I wonder, why do we need to be given a direction from the Lord numerous times...age, lack of knowledge, inability to hear, impaired hearing?  Sometimes,  my inattention or could it be apathy?  Or maybe rebellion, "I ain't gonna"? Or that I just do not bother to open my Bible and read? Even more scary that I do not recognize my desperate need to hear from HIM and obey? Numbers 7:89, "When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of testimony.  And He spoke with him."   Because I am in a study, Discerning the Voice o...

    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 ...

  For the first time in many years, I have enjoyed reading through Leviticus.  I have skipped it several times and read on.  This go round, I have sought to focus on some thoughts, words, phrases, or practices that God had instituted for the Israelites and their physical and spiritual well-being.  The Ten Commandments and many of the laws have real practical value for society and the Christ follower today.  The Lord God gave them a standard, a commandment, which is applicable for today, "You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees.  I am the Lord (Jehovah) your God (Elohim).  Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.  I am the LORD."  Leviticus 18:4-5   My concluding thought from Leviticus is this admonition or commandment:  " You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."  Leviticus 20:26.  Even though spo...

Father, I come into Your presence today boldly by the blood of Jesus because You were willing to give Him to rescue me from the domain of darkness.   You have brought me into the kingdom of Your dear Son.   It is through Him that I have redemption, through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin.   Once I was far away, but I have been brought near to You through His blood sacrifice. Thank You, Father that Jesus, by His own blood, shed on Calvary obtained eternal redemption for me.   As one of Your Christ followers, I walk in the light because You are the Light.   I have fellowship with other Christ followers and Your blood cleanses me from all unrighteousness.   Cleansed and forgiven!   Father, You said it is the blood of the Lord Jesus which makes me holy.   I have been made holy, set apart, separated for your good pleasure, purpose, and plan.   I praise You that Your blood purges my conscience from dead works to serve you,...

Reading Leviticus 5-7 about the sacrifices, I again am so very grateful that I don't have to drag a goat, a lamb, ram, bull, or birds to "atone" pay for my sins when I go to church.  Imagine the role of the priest, he had to kill the animal and then sprinkle the blood in designated places.  As I read these chapters, I easily recall many of the hymns celebrating the blood of Jesus and its efficacy for my sin.  Read with me, Hebrews 9:12, "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place ONCE AND FOR ALL by HIS own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."  Hallelujah,  another reminder of the security of the believer in salvation and the power of the blood shed in your behalf and mine.   Rejoice with me...there is no other sacrifice that can or will be offered for our sin, past, present, or future.  As a Christ follower, I will not  allow the spirit of presumption to prevail. I will sin, more than ...

  Today,  I enter the book of Leviticus.  I am not always fulling appreciative of the book with its laborious details, however, this year, I want to hear what the Spirit is speaking. The book has several megathemes: sacrificial offering, worship, health, holiness, and the Levites/Priests. NACL is the chemical compound for salt, sodium chloride...that is about the limit of my knowledge of the Chart of Elements from chemistry! As offerings were presented, I came away so grateful that I did not have to take a lamb, goat, bird, or grains to church!  I did note that only the grain offering was seasoned with salt.  In fact, the directive was: "Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings;  add salt to all your offerings."  I come away wondering why the grain offering was the only one seasoned with salt? (I won't start that rabbit trail.  I move on.) During these ancient times, salt was valued as a preservative and fo...

All of the objects for the "Tent of Meeting" have been brought before Moses.  It is his assignment to inspect the objects and the work that that has been done.  Exodus 39 closes with Moses' approval of the work. "So Moses blessed them."  The blessing, barak in the Hebrew, is the word kneel or to praise.  No record of any feuding, fussing, or fighting among the Israelites during the six month project, and that would certainly be grounds for blessing form Moses and the Lord! The Tabernacle is set up with all the articles in place  as directed by God to Moses. Each article and the priests have been anointed with oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and consecrated, set apart unto the Lord for His use and purpose.  The Tabernacle and all its articles are a foreshadowing of Calvary and Jesus' completed work when He ascends to God's right hand as the atonement/sacrifice for your sins and mine.  When the articles are all in place, the work is finished.  T...

  My standard reply to creativity is that my youngest creative project is now 45 years old.  Come to think of it, the only part I had in his creation is a safe place to allow him to grow and some DNA...which I can identify mostly from his father!  I always marvel at other's creative abilities.  I marvel today as I read Exodus 36 and 37.   God has assigned two men Bezalel and Oholiab who are highly skilled in wood-working, designs for gold, silver, and bronze, and using precious stones in their crafts.  I have always glibly read of the furnishings of the Tabernacle, the making of the curtains, and creating the priestly garments.  As I read today, I wondered if most of their skills were not put to use as slaves in serving the Pharaoh?  I marvel this time at their ability. Even though the Israelites have a tendency to be pain-in-the-neck with their stubborn almost recalcitrant  spirits, I love reading a positive about them.  They h...

Moses has been in the mountain with God receiving the laws for the Israelites by which they are to govern and conduct themselves.  He has been gone for some 40 days.  Full of wonder about Moses and his whereabouts, some of the people go to Aaron, the brother of Moses, who is assigned to help keep order while Moses is not present, and they request of Aaron, "Come, make us gods who will go before us.  As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."  Aaron gives heed to their request and creates a golden calf for them to worship.  What a leader he is, so compliant! In worship the next day, the crowd is "eating, drinking, and indulging in revelry".  (Relvelry, to make sport, to mock, to laugh at) Of course, you can imagine of WHOM they are mocking.  I guess that the Israelites have forgotten that God is Sovereign Omniscience, Sovereign Omnipotent, and Sovereign in presence.  He speaks to Moses, "Go d...

Every year as I come to Exodus 25-40, I easily get over-whelmed with the details and the specificity of the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness.  I do note that God rarely speaks in generalities.  Being Creator, Master Designer, Elohim, His tendency seems to be very heavy into details.  However, I do marvel that He in creating me, has given me the heart for the big picture.  For those of us who see the big picture, God is so very gracious to surround us with people with the ability to handle details and all its intricacies. Could it be that we need one another?  Novel idea, huh? One wonders as God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to bring offerings for the Tabernacle of gold, silver,  bronze, blue, purple and scarlet yarn,  fine linen, also goat hair, animal skins of  rams and sea cows, acacia wood, olive oil,  and gems...I know the record tells that the Egyptians loaded the Israelites with goodies just to LEAVE, where do you...

   One of my fondest quotes from an ole friend, "Talk is cheap!"  As I read Exodus 16-19, the Israelites have grumbled, argued, and complained against God.  Of course transporting 600+people is no small feat even with angels going before the crowd and behind the crowd protecting them.   In these chapters, they have run out of water, bread, and meat.  God has faithfully provided and very sufficiently.   At the present time, they are at Mt. Sinai, and God is going to meet with them and Moses and give them the laws by which they are to live, govern, and align their lives for their protection, security, health, and spiritual welfare.  First, God calls Moses up the mountain and he gives him these words to give to the crowd: "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.  Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession....

    As I come to Exodus 15, I always marvel at the deliverance of the 600,000+, their animals, their carts, and their families as they cross the Red Sea.  Don't you love Moses' immediate response as they cross and their foes are lost to the sea?  Moses and the Israelites sing to the LORD.   Throughout the song, Moses uses several expressions for the word, LORD: JEHOVAH, JA, EL, ELOHIM.   GOD has shown HIMSELF as strength(OZ) force, security, majesty and power, Song (zimraih) praise, and salvation (Y shuwah) deliverance. The song is a praise for GOD being our strength for battle.  HE is our praise in victory.  God is our salvation always.  God is our MIGHTY WARRIOR, CAPTAIN of the Heavenly Hosts, who fought for Moses, and fought and won the victory for you and me on Calvary.  HE is so awesome in glory that HE is peerless...no one and nothing compares to HIM.  He is majestic in holiness and works wonders. Several verses ...

The Israelites are leaving Egypt.  Recall with me that Egypt is the metaphor for being enslaved to sin.  There are some 600,000 of them, Exodus 12:37.  (Just think, yesterday, I had a challenge leading 17 first graders to march them out to meet parents after school!)  The narrator of Exodus adds a phrase which is so important for us who have left our "Egypt, the land of slavery", " The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle."   Exo. 14:12b.  I am amused at remarks on social media which decry the fact that as Christ followers we are in a battle.  I cannot figure out their "let's pretend game" mentality that all is perfect in my world.  Today it is so common to see and hear people "carrying and wearing guns"....yet, I must ask, "Have you armed your mind and heart for the battle that you are in...against your own selfish mindset or against the evil one who crouches at your door, so willing to pounce on his prey? Foolishly, we...

God and Moses are having a conversation about the assignment that HE has given Moses.  God directs Moses to tell the elders of the Israelites when asked who has sent Moses to them, "God said to Moses, 'I AM who I AM ' This is what you are to say to the Israelites; 'I AM has sent me to you."   In using the name, I AM, Father God is revealing Himself as the One who will be to them what they need HIM to be.   I decided to list some of the names of God from the Old Testament, giving only a few of HIS attributes. Elohim :  Gen. 1:1:  Self- contained, Self-Sufficient, Peerless, the One who stands by HIS creation. Jehovah : Gen. 2:4:  LORD, I AM, holy, without sin. El Shaddai : Ps. 91:1-2 :  Almighty God, Satisfiers, Comforts, God of mercy and grace. El Elyon :  Gen. 14:18:  the MOST HIGH, Sovereign, Ruler, the Only court of Appeal. El Olam :  Gen. 21:33:  Everlasting God, Inexhaustible, needs no rest, does not grow weary, God of ch...