Exodus 30:14-16
Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to aremembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
Personalize it method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word): Lord, please let me see your message for me today in your Word, amen.
Jeff, do you see that I require the exact same payment for atonement of the rich as I do the poor? Do you understand that I require the blood of my Son for the salvation of all? There is no lesser nor any greater payment that could suffice or would be possible. Know that His name is the only name by which salvation is avalaible...
Acts 4:12 (ESV)Jeff, do you see how my people turned to idols when they felt distant from me? Do you see that when they took their eyes off of me and questioned my faithfulness that they turned to idols? They wanted something they could plainly see or experience before them.
12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Exodus 32:1(ESV)
When the people saw that Moses vdelayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
Exodus 32:4 (ESV)Jeff, everything that you would put before me in your life is an idol and you are no different than my people here when you allow distraction or a lack of faith in my own plan for you or a lack of emotion to bring you to an idol. Seek not your comfort in needing answers to everything that could be hidden from you Jeff. Trust me and rest on my promises rather than your emotions as did my people.
And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
See that idolatry in your life Jeff causes great pain to my Son on the cross as it brings great wrath...
Exodus 32:10 (ESV)I was prepared to destroy my people and start again with only Moses Jeff. However, Moses interceeded and I chose to use this sinful situation for a greater good...
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”
Exodus 32:14 (ESV)Know that my wrath is great against the idolator (which had to fall upon my Son!). Jeff- you need to deal with the idols in your life with this same sense of urgency and "amputation" that you see here. See how Moses made the people drink the calf they were worshiping. Your sin will burn in your belly Jeff. I will not keep the consequences of your sin from you. May these consequences serve ass a reminder of the fearsome God you serve...
And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
Exodus 32:20 (ESV)Do you see that I am serious and a God to be feared in my actions by the Levites? Do you suppose Jeff, that I should tolerate your career or your ambitions to not fall by the sword? See my charge to the Levites...
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.
Exodus 32:26-28 (ESV)From the Bible Knowledge Commentary-
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you dkill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’ ” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.
From the Moses’ response is to call on the Levites to consecrate themselves to the service of God; those on the Lord’s side are to step forward, they are given a sword, and they put to death about three thousand in Israel. God cannot be trifled with. The wages of sin is always death. He is not mocked (Cf. Gal. 6:7).
Acts 8:14-16 (ESV)Jeff, this account is not the normal method of baptism by my Spirit. See that the samaritan required a laying on of hands by the apostles. This was, in part, so that I might make it abundantly clear that there was but one church, one body. I would not allow the continued separation between the jews and samaritans when it comes to my body. This special baptism had a very specific purpose and is not what you should expect today Jeff. See that baptism normally comes immediately at conversion...
Now when wthe apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them ythat they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet afallen on any of them, but bthey had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 2:38 (ESV)From the Bible Knowledge Commentary-
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Because of the natural propensity of division between Jews and Samaritans it was essential for Peter and John to welcome the Samaritan believers officially into the church.
Acts 8:21-22 (ESV)This man described asked to purchase the ability to impart the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands and thus revealed His heart was not right before God...that he wanted gifts instead of giver, that he wanted ability instead of witness.
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for gyour heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, hif possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Jeff, mind your heart as you step out in ministry. Be certain that you do not see yourself as something. Know that it is I alone that am responsible and you are merely a vessel like any other vessel I might choose. See my servant Philip and how he responds to the lead of my Holy Spirit so readily...
Acts 8:29-30 (ESV)Jeff, do you see that Philip merely opened his mouth and I took over? I require you to step out in faith for my service but know that I will give you the words as I did to Peter before the Sanhedrin...
29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Acts 8:35 (ESV)
35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Matthew 10:20 (ESV)Also see Jeff, that Philip taught this man about how the OT passage related to Jesus just as all scripture does. Note that this method is very similar to what Jesus does (though concealed in His identity at the time) with the two on the road to Emmaus...
For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Luke 24:27 (ESV)So Jeff, always be ready and listening for my Spirit's call. Always be prepared to give an account and to testify that the entire story of the bible brings the focus back to my Son. Be prepared to serve others as an empty vessel reliant on me and then follow through with them. See that Philip baptized this man and let this be an illustration that you are to help converts grow and not simply leave then beside the road...lead them to the water for baptism and send them on their way rejoicing!
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Acts 8:38 (ESV)Application and Prayer:
and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
-Today I will ask you to reveal any idol in my life Lord so that I can drop it by the sword.
-Today I will take my sin seriously, as you do, out of love for your Son- since every sin committed adds to what He had to endure on the cross for my sake.
-Today I will be willing and ready to share my faith.
-Today I will remember to bring any bible discussion to your Son as the focus, not crazy doctrine or hip topics.
-Today I will be encouraged by the knowledge that you have promised to give me words in your timing Lord.
-Today I will watch my heart and be careful not to minister for my own purpose.
Lord, thank you for revealing yourself in your Word. I am grateful that you know my heart and that I need your guidance Lord. Please show me where I am hiding idols in my heart Lord and send your Levites! Kill me Lord that I might live. Please give me words to share Lord and let me hear the voice of your Holy Spirit as He leads the way He did for Philip. Thank you Lord that you choose to use your people for your great commission and that I get to live in such a wonderful love story Lord.
In Jesus name I pray, amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Thanks for commenting- I will probably post it if you dont seem to be a crazy person!