Leviticus 23-Numbers 4

Finished all the laws (don't look now but Deuteronomy is still waiting in the wings) and now I am counting people.

I like counting. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8... counting is easy.

Numbers... what an adequate name for the 4th book of the Bible. In 4 chapters, God has counted the Israelites, told the Israelites where to pitch their tents, and given jobs to the Levites.

As I was reading this, I figured that the Levites had the coolest job in all of Israel. They didn't get to fight in the battles, but they were the priests. They got to make sure the Tent of Meeting was set up and functioning properly.

They kind of seem like God's roadies. (Not groupies... roadies, please don't confuse the two)

Levites got to tear down the tent and move it and then set it up again. I think that is just the coolest job.

It kind of reminds me of ResurROCKtion with the stage. Setting up all the equipment and then tearing it down afterwords. I bet the Levites got really good at their job and could set up the Tent of Meeting really quickly.

There were 8,580 of them that each were assigned a job. Maybe the first 3 or 4 times it was a task, but after that I can bet that it would be a stream-lined process.

I think this is how the church is supposed to function. When Moses counted everybody, he didn't ask are you willing to help. Everybody was assumed (and willing) that they were helping.

I think so often at church, when there is a project to get done or a special service at church, it is a crap-shoot to see who is going to show up.

I think back to the National Day of Prayer service that we had here at the church. We had spent time passing out flyers in the neighborhood and had invited a bunch of other churches in the area. And I am kinda glad that nobody else showed up. Our church didn't even show up.

I understand that people have prior engagements and can't always make it to every special event and can't always make it out to a service project, but still.

I just keep coming back in my head to Isaiah 6. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send me!"

Isaiah is having a vision of being in God's throne room and God needs a volunteer to do his bidding. And Isaiah can't help himself but to yell "PICK ME!!! I WANT TO DO IT!!!"

I think that if we all had a vision of God's throne room and realized how BIG and HUGE and AWESOME our God is... we would have no choice but to give our lives to serving Him.

On a side note: I have this sermon rattling around in my head that keeps coming out in everything I type and teach. I haven't put it on paper yet, but I'm pretty sure that I will be teaching it on September 13 and November 1.

I would love to get some perspective from you on Matthew 13:44-46. God won't get this out of my head.

Tomorrow I am reading Numbers 5-25.