Set Aside

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Num. 26-27)

“Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying; ‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.’

And the Lord said to Moses; ‘Take Joshua, the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.’ “ Num. 27:15-18)

I am now on a first name basis with the athletes of Olympic Games: Vancouver.

Apolo – Congratulations on being America’s most medal-decorated Winter Olympian.

Kim – You are the queen of figure skating!

Joannie – What mental strength you showed. Winning the bronze medal four days after the sudden death of your mom. Wow!

I’ve loved them all but do you know what has struck me most about the Games? The families! Nodar’s grieving parents and Axsel’s reflective father. Apolo speaking about his relationship with his dad, “We are a small family, just the two of us." Lindsey Vonn, stepping atop the podium to receive her downhill skiing gold medal, smiling down at her mother and siblings, including the brother who had her initials shaved into his hair, the “L” on one side, “V” on the other.

The families – the love, the support, and the encouragement that they gave each competitor - will be the image that sticks with me after the Games are over.

Today’s Scripture is all about family – the family of God. Once again we see why Moses is such a great leader.

The Lord instructs Moses to go up to Mt. Nebo and take a look at the Promised Land. But then He says that after he has seen it, he will die. “For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (Num. 27:14)

What had happened that kept Moses from entering the land of his forty-year destination?

The people needed water – always the greatest need of the Israelites in their wanderings. God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out. Instead, Moses chided the people as rebels and struck the rock twice with his rod. Water came gushing out but God wasn’t happy with Moses.

The great man of God had sinned. In his anger, he had joined with the rebels. Instead of trusting God by speaking and making his request; he hit the rock, not once but twice.

I find myself agreeing with the commentators who say that the rock symbolized Jesus Christ. Jesus was struck for our sins on the cross where He bore the wrath of God for all of our spiritual rebellion – past, present, and future. When he said, “It is finished, “ the debt was paid forever. He rose from His grave to sit in heaven at the right hand of the throne of God. He is our Lord and High Priest and will never ever be struck again. We, who know Him as our Savior, only have to ask to receive the Living Water that we crave from day to day.

Moses and the Pentateuch represent the law and the Ten Commandments. No one can be saved through the law because all have sinned. No human can ever keep the law perfectly and enter heaven. Only one recorded sin kept Moses from entering the Promised Land. Moses represented the Law that cannot allow for one exception. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

Once again we see Moses model great leadership. There is no griping or displeasure only acceptance for God’s discipline in his own life. His reply to God shows his love and concern for the Israelites. He pleads with God and says, “Give them a good leader then. One who will be there for them, “who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” (Num.27: 17)

God answers the great prayer of Moses. He names Joshua as the new leader and instructs Moses to have Eleazar the priest anoint him. Moses does just as he is commanded and continues to keep on keeping on serving the Lord.

What an amazing “family man!” Moses is set aside as Israel’s leader, but his heartbeat is for the future of the Israelites. “Don’t let them be like sheep without a shepherd, “ he pleads. The athletes have the backing of their families win or lose. Because of his great love for the family of God, the Israelites have the support of Moses in the midst of his own heartbreak.

What do we do when we lose our competitions and suffer great disappointments? How do we react when we are seemingly “set aside” on our sometimes “not so joyful journeys” through life? Do we quit or do we keep on serving the Lord wherever He has placed us, remembering, like Moses, it's all about God and His great plan for His family?

Whining and Dining

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Numbers 19-20)

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Numbers 20:7-8

Are you as hooked on the Olympics as I am? Watching the athletes’ dedication to being the best in their field is an inspiration. I love the stories that are featured each night about the lives of the competitors.

During a feature on Norwegian alpine skier, Axsel Lund Svindal, his father described Axsel’s horrific skiing accident at Beaver Creek in 2007. Skiing down the mountain he fell and landed on his neck. Axsel sustained a concussion, terrible facial lesions from his own knees, and many abdominal injuries. After undergoing extensive surgery, he spent two weeks in the Vail Hospital. The young skier said that as he lay there, he had a wonderful view of the Colorado Mountains. Looking at the slopes day after day, he was inspired to ski again. Many months of grueling physical therapy later, he was back. Now he’s won a gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at Vancouver.

Speaking of his son, the father shook his head and said, “He just has a lot of mental strength. Some have it and some don’t.”

Some have it and some don’t. Some would look out of a hospital bed and, viewing the mountains through incredible pain, whimper, “That’s it, I’m through with skiing.” Axsel saw them calling him to a spectacular comeback.

Numbers 20 is such a dramatic chapter. We see who has it and who doesn’t. After 38 years of wandering, the Israelites are right back where they started in the Wilderness of Zin. As the chapter opens, Miriam, the sister of Moses, dies and is buried at Kadesh Barnea

Imagine Moses’ thoughts as he grieves for his sister, remembering - the stories of how she had watched their mother hide him in the bulrushes when Pharaoh’s daughter found him as a baby, how she had danced and sang after the crossing of the Red Sea, how she had become leprous at the hand of God when her jealousy of Moses overcame her, and how she had been healed by the Lord Himself when her brother prayed for her. When we bury our loved ones our grieving is so poignant and reflective. Was Moses any different? I don’t think so.

As the chapter moves on, Moses is abruptly called back to deal with his whiny flock. The Israelites are out of water and whom do they blame but Moses and his brother Aaron. This seventh great murmuring against Moses and God is so similar to all the others. They wail, “And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

Once again Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before God and plead for these obstinate people. The Lord instructs them to take the rod, their visual symbol of His power, and speak to the rock and water will come out – enough water for all of the Israelites and all of their animals.

Moses takes the rod, but he is tired and exasperated and he doesn’t obey God. He strikes the rock twice and water comes out. We can understand his deep vexation with the Israelites. All leaders come to this point at times. Surely it is okay for Moses to get a little overwrought.

But God speaks to Moses and says, “Because you did not believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

After forty years of leading this cantankerous group of people, Moses is not allowed to go into the Promised Land because of one irreverent outburst? At this point most of us would go into our tents, throw ourselves on our pallets, and become the greatest whiners of all.

But not Moses. He goes on to confront the unhelpful king of Edom who refuses to let the Israelites cross his country in spite of Moses’ ardent offers to comply with his wishes as they march. Then, still in Numbers chapter 20, Moses escorts his brother and his nephew to the top of Mt. Hor as God has instructed. There, according to God's instructions, he strips his own brother of his priestly garments and puts them on Eleazar his son. He watches his brother die on the mountaintop and then comes back down with Aaron’s son, the new priest.

Now that is a person with mental strength! What a role model for all people who serve in the ups and downs of leadership. Moses never got into the Promised Land. He spent the rest of his earthly life still in charge of leading the whiners. Later, his body was buried in the heathen land of Moab.

But it was only his body. His spirit went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. We see him in the New Testament meeting with Jesus on the Mt. of Transfiguration. One day we will sit across the table from him in heaven at the marriage feast of the Lamb.

Maybe we can ask him, "How did you do it all so well? Compaining was never on your plate. No wonder God called you the humblest man that ever lived."

Axsel’s father said, “Some have it and some don’t.” Moses sure had it.

What about us? What's on our plates? Are we spending our days whining like the children of Israel? Or are we faithfully performing the work that God has called us to do - knowing that one day we will be dining with the God of the universe - and Moses?

Come Up To Me......Be There!

Reading Through the Bible in 2010 (Ex. 23-25)

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there;" Ex. 24:12

I love my screen saver! I have it set on "beaches." It flashes the most beautiful ocean pictures across the face of my computer. Palm trees, vast expanses of vivid blue water, white sandy beaches without one piece of litter, and, of course, no clouds - only sun, Every picture has the most awesome light.

This morning I was gazing at the screen longingly when the phone interrupted my reverie.

"Mom," my daughter's voice interjected into my thoughts, "Mom," she said. "I've just got a minute but I have a question. Have you seen the sun in Wisconsin in the last week? We haven't seen it in Illinois since I left your house two weekends ago!"

"Hmn," I replied. "Good question! I think we saw it for about two hours on Wednesday. But then it went under the clouds again. At least it went somewhere. It sure hasn't been back."

"Well," she said, "I was just wondering. Have a good day in the gloom. I'm off to exercise. I guess that's where I'm supposed to be right now."

After she hung up, I glanced at my screen. The beach had disappeared, As I clicked it back on, I thought about our conversation.

"Exercise," I thought. "If the sun were shining and I was on that white sand, I would really feel like exercising. But in dull grey Wisconsin, I don't want to get on my dull grey treadmill!"

Don't we always want to be somewhere else? Sometimes it seems like it requires so much effort and discipline to be in the places where we're supposed to be.

The Lord told Moses to come up to Him on the mountain and be there. Moses had to climb up the whole mountain, God didn't even offer to come down and meet him halfway. He just said, "Be there!"

When Moses finished the strenuous climb, was there an awesome "top of the mountain view?" Actually, a cloud rested on the mountain. A cloud that covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day, God called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The glory of the Lord was right there in the midst of the cloud. God talked to Moses on Mt. Sinai for forty days and forty nights. A lot of Exodus is about what God gave him those days in the cloud.

Where has God called you to be? Maybe you're looking around and thinking, "There's a thick cloud around me. Could I leave and go to the beach?"

But when God has said, "Come to Me..be there." We need to be there. Right where He's called us to be. Today may be the sixth day. Tomorrow could be the seventh day - the day the "Son" will appear in all His glory.

Higher Education

Reading Through the Bible (Gen.22-24)

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham," Gen.22:1

"Complete and unwavering faith in God is only accomplished through many trials and over many years. It was "after these things" that God gave Abraham his biggest test. After Abraham had left his homeland and all that was dear to him, after he experienced the results of going to Egypt for food, after Lot had taken the good well-watered land, after twenty-five years of waiting for the promised son, after Ishmael had been sent away, after God had said, "through Isaac your descendants shall be reckoned, after Isaac had nearly grown, "after these things," God tested Abraham's faith." (AB Simpson)

"Lauren," I said, "I heard you are studying for your big tests that are coming up. How are you doing that?"

"Grandma," she answered, "They give you some things that you can use to study for ACT's and SAT's. But, I think it's mostly testing you on what you've learned over the years."

"Testing you on what you've learned over the years." True words. Wise words!

When I started high school physics, I already knew that I didn't know anything about physics. I didn't really want to know anything about physics! But, to get into nursing, I needed the course. It was only after I had studied my book and listened to the lectures and done the experiments, that I could take the final exam. The results of the test showed me that now I knew a little about physics. "After these things" I took the exam. There wouldn't have been much point in testing me when I started taking the course. I already knew what I didn't know about physics.

The life of a believer is a series of tests. The Bible says we go from glory to glory as we're transformed into the image of Christ. God does His work in us as we study His Word, listen to His promptings, and go through His labs. Then He gives us the test. When we've finished does He look at the results of our obedience and say, "Wow! You got an A on that one? I'm shocked!"

I don't think so. He knows our hearts. He knows everything. But we don't. We think we know a lot about life but we don't. Not until we go through His courses taught in His way. Then we get to take our tests. The results show us what we have learned on our latest pilgrimage experience. They don't show God, they show us.

Deut.8:2; "And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not."

Lauren did really well on her two big tests. "After these things..." She's been a good student and she has studied hard in school for many years. I wasn't surprised at how well she did, but I wondered if she was? Her good results will give her encouragement for the next steps in her "joyful journey" through life. She will have stronger faith in her ability to learn new things in college.

What if she hadn't done well? What if she'd been sick, or had a bad hair day, or had a flat tire on the way, or couldn't find the place where SAT's and ACT's were being administered? I asked her about that.

She replied, "You get other chances. You can reschedule and take them again. If you feel like you didn't do well, you can retake the tests. But, I'm so glad to be done!"

"You can reschedule!" I laughed because God has rescheduled me on tests quite a few times. I feel like there are some tests that I have taken over and over again. I'm still not sure how well I've learned some of the things He's been trying to teach me.

Lauren's done, temporarily. She can rest from SAT's and she deserves to. She can rest from ACT's but she still has reams of homework every night. She has to finish high school. College will mean more tests. Lots more. In lots of ways. That's the thing about higher education.

I wish I could encourage my granddaughter and say, "Don't worry, when you finish college - no more tests!" The truth is, there is no graduation from tests for the believer, not in this life. God is taking all of us through His "Higher Education"courses. But, one day we will be finished with all of our testing. We'll have gone through the sanctification process. When we reach Heaven and enter our glorification, we will get more than a graduation cap, we'll receive a crown of life!

Tests will keep coming, we can be sure of that. The good news is that they come "after these things." After we have gone through the course. After we're ready to see what we have learned and what has been added to our hearts. What joy we will experience when God shows us our "permanent record" in heaven and says, "Well done. You have been a faithful and good servant. Your tests are over!"