It Takes A Village – Week 3
Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Leviticus 9:23-24
In the book of Leviticus we find a rich and detailed account of the rules for worship and daily living for the Israelites and their priests, most of which were dictated to Moses by the Lord. God desired to live among His people in the Tabernacle but in order to do so, the people needed to be cleansed of their sins. Many of the chapters of Leviticus lay out specific sacrifices for one to be forgiven and cleansed for sin is not welcome in the presence of the Lord.
Moses continued to lead the Israelites and had rebuilt the Tabernacle in worship of their God who had brought them out of slavery in Egypt. The land and people were broken up into twelve tribes who had to learn how to live with their new found freedom. But with so many detailed and specific rules for daily living, one may question where freedom exists.
But God knew the hearts of His people. He knows the heart of man for He created the heart of man. And with His precious gift of freewill, one must choose which freedom they truly desire. We are a society that needs order. Open any newspaper to witness the destruction and chaos our humanity can cause when we crave control and the type of freedom that lies outside of God’s boundaries.
Order and righteous living can be difficult when we as individuals war with sin. For us to be successful in our efforts we require a collective governing of our moral compass as a community of believers. Even Moses as the leader of the Israelites was not called to lead alone for God gave Moses a companion and source of strength in his brother Aaron. God called the Israelites together bringing a wholeness and sense of community through the twelve tribes. He never desired for them to do life alone but as one as His chosen people. And we too, as God’s children, a village of Christ followers and church, are stronger together than we are apart.
Life Application:
Because of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross we are no longer required to bring animals to an altar, but the rules of worship and daily living are not dismissed. God greatly desires to live among His people so He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit through our relationship with Jesus. Our sin is not welcome in the presence of the Lord. Let us remember that the cleansing we seek to be made holy for God comes only from the blood of Jesus. And Jesus desires us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves: He desires us to be a part of a community of believers, His church, our tribe. By surrounding ourselves with others who are governed by the same moral compass and rules for living we will have greater success in choosing the righteous path towards true and everlasting freedom.
Father, though I may struggle with my sin, knowing that my flesh craves my own way, I know Christ has a greater plan for my life. Help me to embrace the tribe of which I belong, lifting up and living well with those whom I call brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus name, amen.
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