FIRST THOUGHT
YHVH has an “issue” … He is Holy and we are not, but He desires to have a relationship with us!
Today’s “Torah (Law) reading” was from Numbers 4 regarding the sons of Aaron and the family of Kohath. Everybody had a job to do and one of the jobs of Aaron’s sons was to make sure none of the Kohathites perished by touching or gazing upon the Holy objects within the Holy place or the Holy of Holies. So, when it was time to move the tabernacle, the sons of Aaron had to first enter and cover all the Holy objects within these two rooms, and then assign a Kohathite to move them across the desert until they reached the place YHVH desired them to go.
Get this, though: If a son of Aaron did not do his job correctly, and a Kohathite gazed upon a Holy object because a corner of it was exposed, or the wind blew a corner to expose it … the Kohathite would die.
“That is not fair” … “That is not just,” many may cry.
Oh, and remember Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6:6-7? The oxen nearly upset the Ark so that it almost fell. Uzzah reached out and took hold of it so it wouldn’t fall… and YHVH struck Him dead.
“That is not fair” … “That is not just,” many may cry.
Then there was Aaron’s own sons who sacrificed to YHVH, but used the wrong fire. Zap … dead!
“That is not fair” … “That is not just,” many may cry.
LET US LOOK AT THESE EXAMPLES FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW!
The reason many people today do not obey God’s Laws as given to Moses is because they have no fear of Him and no understanding of His Holiness. YHVH chooses people to protect His name and holiness, and we are to do so as His anointed. For those who think the examples above are “not fair,” they are looking at it all wrong! They are missing the point! The point is: So why, really did they die? They did what was forbidden. They were specifically warned, yet for whatever reason, they disobeyed (This does NOT mean are no longer His children … just the consequents of their actions. Remember Moses and the rock? He was forbidden to enter the promised land because “in front of others He did not show YHVH as Holy” … but we know that Moses in in the coming Kingdom) . That is how Holy YHVH is! He warns us … He shows us … He even gives us examples of what happens if He is approached wrong or not obeyed … so that we will not die (many will not realize this until it is too late, though). He explained how to protect His holiness so that He could dwell among us. Remember, this is how Holy God is:
“But He said, ‘You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!’” (Exodus 33:20)
What more could He do? Now that He has sent His Son, many men think God has changed. However, God does not change nor does He lie about what He desires. His Son has even said that HE can do nothing but what the Father says to do, as well as who is in the family “those who do the WILL of the Father” (Matthew 12:50). The Son did not eliminate the holiness of God, but highlighted it. Take for example, His Laws. They are Holy!
“So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12)
We are told many times and many ways to protect His laws and guard them. These are HIS Laws for HIS set-apart people to show the world that HE is a set-apart God who desires to dwell among His people. I obey His laws because they are Holy, and I am showing those around me that YHVH is unchangeable and does not lie. I am protecting His character and holiness … like His Son did.
Do you really think that things have changed? Let us look at just ONE New Testament example of “it is not fair”. Look at Acts 5:1-11 about Ananias and his wife Sapphira. It was their property to basically do with what they wanted. That is the truth! But once they decided to dedicate it to YHVH and then did not give all of it to the work of the apostles, YHVH’s Spirit took their lives!
“That is not fair” … “That is not just,” many may cry.
They did not have to sell their land! But they gave a vow that they will and that they dedicated the proceeds to YHVH’s work … that is when it no longer was theirs to do as they please! Once they dedicated it, it became holy-set-apart unto YHVH. They were now not to touch it! But they did!
We are to protect His holiness and character. Oh, do you want to know when many will cry, “That is not fair” … “That is not just”? It is when the Messiah, the Son of God, returns and those who served Him, but disregarded the Father’s Laws are cast away:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
“That is not fair” … “That is not just,” many WILL cry. Well, we cannot say He did not warn us and explain carefully how to protect His Laws and guard them by doing them! If I tell you, “Do not touch the hot oven,” yet you do … whose fault is it? Yep … He warned us, so I am doing the WILL OF THE FATHER … protecting and guarding His holiness! Not perfectly, but He never said we have to be perfect, just to practice them!
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