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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 4 April 2025:
Numbers 18:1 — You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.
The priests had a sacred responsibility to keep holiness, to maintain individual holiness and the holiness of the “church body.” To emphasize a point in literature, the Jews would repeat a word. For example, when Jesus said, “Verily, verily I say unto you….” He was saying, “Though everything I say is true and worth your attention, this is really, really true and important.” There is only one attribute of God repeated three times: “Holy, Holy, Holy.” As the priests of this age, we must not lose sight of the Holiness of God or the demand for our holiness. Priests have an obligation to remain holy, and a responsibility to protect people from their own sinful nature. How are you doing as a priest to the community in which God has placed you?
– 1 Peter 2:5 — …you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
– 1 Peter 2:9-12 — But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
– Revelation 5:9b-10 — …for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
– 1 Peter 1:15-16 — …but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
– Heb_13:17 — Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Numbers 18:5 — And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel.
Priests guard worship, ensuring proper reverence for the Lord is maintained as well as correct doctrine.
Numbers 18:6 — And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the Lord, to do the service of the tent of meeting.
The priests were given to the Lord for service in accordance with God’s direction so they could serve as God’s gift to the people. In Christ, we have been given to God for service. We serve God by serving others as and act of love and worship to Him and as an act of love for others. We have been given to God through Jesus that God can use us as His instruments of grace to a lost world. We demonstrate God’s love for others by taking care of the physical and emotional needs of others, but our greatest and most important act of worship and service is sharing the Gospel and teaching others how to rightly worship and serve the Lord.
– Matthew 10:42-45 — And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
– Revelation 20:6 — Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
– Matthew 25:40-46 — And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
– Romans 10:13-15 — For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
– Matthew 28:18-20 — And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Numbers 18:8 – Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Behold, I have given you charge of the contributions made to me, all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual due.”
The priests lived from the gifts and tithes given by the people to the Lord. The gifts and tithes were also used to create a storehouse to meet the needs of the people and the work of the “church.” (Nehemiah 10:38, 13:12; Malachi 3:10)
Numbers 18:20 – And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.
God’s priests had nothing but God which is really everything. We are God’s priests. Everything God gives you is provided for you to steward as resources for worship to God and service to others. A primary ambition for Christians is to need nothing but Jesus to abide in complete love, joy, peace, gratitude, and contentment.
Numbers 18:32 — And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, when you have contributed the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, lest you die.
Priests are strictly warned not to misuse the gifts and tithes. As mentioned above, everything we have been given is to be used for priestly service, directly or indirectly. Our prayer to the Father should only be, “Give us this day our daily bread (Just give me what I need to need)…. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (I want only to do your will perfectly – that is my goal)…. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us (Let me model and proclaim your character by forgiving others the same way you did, taking up my personal cross daily for those who don’t deserve it, even before they want it).” What apart from Jesus do you need to be satisfied? What has God given you for service that you are withholding for yourself?
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 4 April 2025: Today, Worship and serve God by sacrificially serving others and leading them in worship.
– Romans 12:1 — I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
– 1Peter 4:10 — As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace….
– Galatians 5:13 — For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
– Romans 12:9-21 — Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 