Be Somebody
Scripture: Numbers 19:17-19
"17 To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person...19 On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement."
Observations:
Regarding the Laws of purification that were required when someone become "unclean" (unable to approach God's presence) by coming into contact with a dead body or just touching someone or something that was unclean, God made provision for any Israelite to qualify as the other "someone" able to participate in the purification ceremony of those in need. The "purified water" was ready and available because all of the preparations were completed by the priest in advance. Whenever someone needed to be made ceremonially "clean" again, all they had to do was find someone that was already "clean" to apply the purification water over them, and that somebody didn't necessarily have to be a priest. In fact, Moses specfically doesn't command the priests to do this because God had already given them plenty of responsibilites elsewhere but also for practical purposes. If every single person in the nation had to come directly to the priests for every situation that required purification, there would have been a line outside the Tabernacle 24 hours a day.
Application:
Although today we are no longer considered either ceremonially clean or unclean, the idea behind it still rings true in terms of being the kind of people who can help others be made acceptable to God by being the "somebody" who is simply availble to lead them to the One who can truly make them clean. Because of Christ all the preparations required to restore anyone to a right relationship with God have already been made and His blood has been made available to all willing to turn to Him in repentence. But unfortunately, most people don't even realize their "unclean" state before God and as a result will never enter His presence unless "somebody" intervenes. Each day we have the opportunity to be that one person who has made themselves available to God and to others by sharing God's remedy for sin with those around us. It's easy to say "somebody" else will help them, but we can only do what only we can do for God's Kingdom and only He knows who only we may reach. The key, however, is simply making yourself available to be used by God.
Prayer:
Father, help us today to notice how you are working all around us. Make us painfully aware of the desperate condition of lost people all around us who are in need of the cleansing that only Christ can bring. We make ourselves fully available to You today to be the kind of person that will lead them to You. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
"17 To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them. 18 Then someone who is ceremonially clean must take a hyssop branch and dip it into the water. That person must sprinkle the water on the tent, on all the furnishings in the tent, and on the people who were in the tent; also on the person...19 On the third and seventh days the person who is ceremonially clean must sprinkle the water on those who are defiled. Then on the seventh day the people being cleansed must wash their clothes and bathe themselves, and that evening they will be cleansed of their defilement."
Observations:
Regarding the Laws of purification that were required when someone become "unclean" (unable to approach God's presence) by coming into contact with a dead body or just touching someone or something that was unclean, God made provision for any Israelite to qualify as the other "someone" able to participate in the purification ceremony of those in need. The "purified water" was ready and available because all of the preparations were completed by the priest in advance. Whenever someone needed to be made ceremonially "clean" again, all they had to do was find someone that was already "clean" to apply the purification water over them, and that somebody didn't necessarily have to be a priest. In fact, Moses specfically doesn't command the priests to do this because God had already given them plenty of responsibilites elsewhere but also for practical purposes. If every single person in the nation had to come directly to the priests for every situation that required purification, there would have been a line outside the Tabernacle 24 hours a day.
Application:
Although today we are no longer considered either ceremonially clean or unclean, the idea behind it still rings true in terms of being the kind of people who can help others be made acceptable to God by being the "somebody" who is simply availble to lead them to the One who can truly make them clean. Because of Christ all the preparations required to restore anyone to a right relationship with God have already been made and His blood has been made available to all willing to turn to Him in repentence. But unfortunately, most people don't even realize their "unclean" state before God and as a result will never enter His presence unless "somebody" intervenes. Each day we have the opportunity to be that one person who has made themselves available to God and to others by sharing God's remedy for sin with those around us. It's easy to say "somebody" else will help them, but we can only do what only we can do for God's Kingdom and only He knows who only we may reach. The key, however, is simply making yourself available to be used by God.
Prayer:
Father, help us today to notice how you are working all around us. Make us painfully aware of the desperate condition of lost people all around us who are in need of the cleansing that only Christ can bring. We make ourselves fully available to You today to be the kind of person that will lead them to You. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
Comments
Post a Comment