Max Lucado Daily: NO PECKING ORDERS WITH JESUS - May 14, 2018
Love does not boast, it is not proud (1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV). Jesus has no room for pecking orders. His solution to man-made caste systems? A change of direction. In a world of upward mobility, choose downward servility. “Regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NASB). Jesus flip-flopped the pecking order.
Would you do what Jesus did? He swapped a spotless castle for a grimy stable. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. If you knew that only a few could care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that’s what love does! He loves you that much! Drink deeply of God’s love for you—and ask him to fill your heart with a love worth giving!
Read more A Love Worth Giving
Numbers 7
Offerings for the Dedication
When Moses finished setting up The Dwelling, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories.
2-3 The leaders of Israel, the heads of the ancestral tribes who had carried out the census, brought offerings. They presented before God six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from each pair of leaders and an ox from each leader.
4-5 God spoke to Moses: ‘‘Receive these so that they can be used to transport the Tent of Meeting. Give them to the Levites according to what they need for their work.”
6-9 Moses took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for their work and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for their work. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. Moses didn’t give any to the Kohathites because they had to carry the holy things for which they were responsible on their shoulders.
10-11 When the Altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the Altar because God had instructed Moses, “Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the Altar.”
12-13 On the first day, Nahshon son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
14 a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
15 a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
16 a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
17 This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
18-23 On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
24-29 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
30-35 On the fourth day, Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
36-41 On the fifth day, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
42-47 On the sixth day, Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
48-53 On the seventh day, Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
54-59 On the eighth day, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60-65 On the ninth day, Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
66-71 On the tenth day, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
72-77 On the eleventh day, Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.
78-83 On the twelfth day, Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering. His offering was:
a silver plate weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver bowl weighing one and three-quarter pounds (according to the standard Sanctuary weights), each filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a Grain-Offering;
a gold vessel weighing four ounces, filled with incense;
a young bull, a ram, and a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering;
a he-goat for an Absolution-Offering;
two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs to be sacrificed as a Peace-Offering.
This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
84 These were the dedication offerings of the leaders of Israel for the anointing of the Altar:
twelve silver plates,
twelve silver bowls,
twelve gold vessels.
85-86 Each plate weighed three and a quarter pounds and each bowl one and three-quarter pounds. All the plates and bowls together weighed about sixty pounds (using the official Sanctuary weight). The twelve gold vessels filled with incense weighed four ounces each (using the official Sanctuary weight). Altogether the gold vessels weighed about three pounds.
87 The sum total of animals used for the Whole-Burnt-Offering together with the Grain-Offering:
twelve bulls,
twelve rams,
twelve yearling lambs.
For the Absolution-Offering:
twelve he-goats.
88 The sum total of animals used for the sacrifice of the Peace-Offering:
twenty-four bulls,
sixty rams,
sixty he-goats,
sixty yearling lambs.
These were the offerings for the dedication of the Altar after it was anointed.
89 When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with God, he heard the Voice speaking to him from between the two angel-cherubim above the Atonement-Cover on the Chest of The Testimony. He spoke with him.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, May 14, 2018
Read: 2 Kings 19:29–37
And this, Hezekiah, will be for you the confirming sign:
This year you’ll eat the gleanings, next year
whatever you can beg, borrow, or steal;
But the third year you’ll sow and harvest,
plant vineyards and eat grapes.
30 A remnant of the family of Judah yet again
will sink down roots and raise up fruit.
31 The remnant will come from Jerusalem,
the survivors from Mount Zion.
The Zeal of God
will make it happen.
32 To sum up, this is what God says regarding the king of Assyria:
He won’t enter this city,
nor shoot so much as a single arrow there;
Won’t brandish a shield,
won’t even begin to set siege;
33 He’ll go home by the same road he came;
he won’t enter this city. God’s word!
34 I’ll shield this city, I’ll save this city,
for my sake and for David’s sake.
35 And it so happened that that very night an angel of God came and massacred 185,000 Assyrians. When the people of Jerusalem got up next morning, there it was—a whole camp of corpses!
36-37 Sennacherib king of Assyria got out of there fast, headed straight home for Nineveh, and stayed put. One day when he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer murdered him and then escaped to the land of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon became the next king.
INSIGHT
For further study on discerning truth from error, read Dangers of False Teachers at discoveryseries.org/q0909.
Not What It Seems
By Tim Gustafson
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. 1 John 4:1
“Listen!” my wife said to me over the phone. “There’s a monkey in our yard!” She held up the phone so I could hear. And yes, it sounded just like a monkey. Which is weird, because the nearest wild monkey was 2,000 miles away.
Later, my father-in-law burst our bubble. “That’s a barred owl,” he explained. Reality was not what it had seemed.
Your gift can help bring people back to the Lord.
When King Sennacherib’s armies had Judah’s King Hezekiah trapped inside Jerusalem’s walls, the Assyrians thought victory was theirs. Reality proved different. Although the Assyrian field commander used smooth words and pretended to speak for God, the Lord had His hand on His people.
“Have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord?” the commander asked (2 Kings 18:25). As he tried to entice Jerusalem to surrender, he even said, “Choose life and not death!” (v. 32).
That sounds like something God would say. But the prophet Isaiah told the Israelites the true words of the Lord. “[Sennacherib] will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here,” God said. “I will defend this city and save it” (19:32–34; Isaiah 37:35). That very night “the angel of the Lord” destroyed the Assyrians (v. 35).
From time to time, we’ll encounter smooth-talking people who “advise” us while denying God’s power. That isn’t God’s voice. He speaks to us through His Word. He guides us with His Spirit. His hand is on those who follow Him, and He will never abandon us.
Teach us to discern Your voice, Lord.
God is always trustworthy.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, May 14, 2018
The Habit of Enjoying Adversity
…that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. —2 Corinthians 4:10
We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that “the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation of “myself” that I would have apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, “Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this.” Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.
You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God’s sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to “supply all your need” (Philippians 4:19).
Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be. Conformed to His Image, 354 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, May 14, 2018
Never Too Old For His Lap - #8176
You hear a lot of talk about Biblical prophecies being fulfilled and about the signs that precede Christ's return. But when you're little, all this talk about how things are going to end can have an interesting effect. One friend of ours told me recently about his little boy. He said, "Daddy, I sure hope Jesus comes real soon." His Dad asked him why, and the little boy responded, "Well, I'm really looking forward to sitting on Jesus' lap, and I'll be seven pretty soon. If Jesus doesn't come soon, I might be too old to sit on His lap!" Dad was able to give his son the good news, "Son, you are never too old for Jesus' lap." Oh, I love it!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Never Too Old For His Lap."
Now, for someone who's listening today, that's a reminder of a fact that could be crucial for your emotional survival right now.
Maybe you've been wounded in a relationship lately, or you've experienced a very painful loss. Or a security blanket you've depended on has just been taken away. Someone who's listening today is feeling very lonely, or broken, confused, maybe unlovable, or even unloved. When you were little and felt like this, maybe you had a parent's lap you could run to for safety and comfort. But you're all grown up now, and you're really hurting inside.
What a father told his little boy is very important for you right now, "You are never too old for Jesus' lap." There is wonderful news in our word for today from the Word of God – for all of us who have had human love let us down sometime – which is every one of us. In Zephaniah 3:17, God says, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
The children understand it best I think. You can see it in their faces when they sing, "Jesus loves me, this I know." Years ago one of the world's leading theologians was lecturing at a seminary, and he concluded with a question-and-answer session. One of the seminary students – thinking he was being profound – asked the theologian what was the deepest spiritual truth he had ever studied. The theologian paused momentarily and then he answered, "Jesus loves me, this I know." It's that simple fact that needs to be the refuge for your hurting heart, for your broken heart right now.
The Lord your God is with you! He is mighty to save you! "He will quiet you with His love." He is the loving Lord who wants to gather you up in His lap and remind you how much He cares about you; that there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more, and there's nothing you can do to make Him love you less. He just loves you, no strings attached. It has nothing to do with deserving His love. You can't. He just loves you.
But because you're all grown up now – you're tough and sophisticated, self-sufficient, you can handle it – you may not be allowing yourself to crawl into Jesus' lap, to pour out your deepest feelings to Him, to open yourself up to a healing flood of His grace. If you don't, the hurt you're feeling is probably moving you to one of four emotionally tragic alternatives: you're either starting to turn hard, to pity yourself, to shut down, or to give up. All of which will just make you more lonely and isolated.
Now, this is a time for you to allow yourself to be that wounded child, crawling into the lap of the One who loves you most. As Corrie ten Boom said, "Don't wrestle, just nestle." Let Jesus remind you of who you really are because you belong to Him, of how much you're really worth and of His power to heal earth's deepest hurts. You really are never too big for His lap.
