Title Let's Complete Devotion / Numbers 1:47-54
Let's complete our dedication / Numbers 1:47-54
Key Verse: “So the children of Israel did, just as the LORD commanded Moses” (verse 54).
Word: I watched a marathon match broadcast on the last day of the Asian Games. I saw a player who first played first, then fell behind and came in quite late. I also saw a proud scene where Korean player Bong-Ju Lee came forward in the middle and ran and eventually won the championship. Even a player who came in last is better than a player who gave up halfway because he finished it to the end. I want to applaud them too.
Now at the end of the year, every church has the task of setting up and selecting workers for the new year. Looking back over the past year, some are loyal to the end as teachers, choir members, or deacons, while others give up and stop serving in the middle. Hopefully, we will all be able to complete our mission. In today's text, we learn how to be a devotee by following God's commands by using the Levites as a model.
First, the Levites were told not to count (verse 49). Don't put it in the census. Originally, the census counted the number of men who could go to work or war, so the Levites were not included as an exception. Our ministers should not be numbered like the Levites. “Do not lean on man, for his breath is in his nostrils, where is it worthy to be numbered?” (Isaiah 2:22). Volunteers must not present themselves. You must humbly hide yourself that you are not worth the numbers. If you have a job, you have to show yourself, or you only work in a recognized position, you are not a worker.
Second, the task given to the Levites is in verse 50. We must manage and transport the tent of witness, and we must live by encamping on the four sides of the tent. The tabernacle of the testimony is the tabernacle where the ark of God is located. Today's church, our home, and perhaps our workplace. All of this is God-given. He gave me a church, a home, and a place for me to work. It must be well managed. And don't go far and always live close to the church.
Third, the Levites must keep the responsibility of the sign of the testimony (verse 54). There are people who are indifferent to the family. Some people are indifferent to work. Sadly, some of the office-bearers are indifferent to the church. Like the Levites, we are called to keep our responsibilities. We do not know whether the Lord called us in the morning or at 5 in the afternoon. But let me fulfill the responsibility given to me. Well done will be praised.
Prayer: There is a position I received at the beginning of last year. Like a Levite, this is the position given to me. Nothing to be proud of. Please take your responsibilities well and make it to the end of the road. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Lord's Prayer