Dedicate your Work to God

Do all the duties with great love to please our big boss -- God.

In Numbers 1 – 4, God commanded Moses to carry out the first census of Israel and then the census of the Levites, separately. Duties assigned and division of labors took place. Everyone has his own part in God’s plan. The LORD is our big boss, the Highest.

Faithful to God, Moses numbered the children of Israel that were able to fight in war, and then the tribe of Levi that got special duties – serving in the tabernacle wherever they go.

Result of the first census confirmed God’s promises to Abraham and Jacob – multiply their descendants. Numbered by armies, the huge sum was an asset granted by God to help HIS people enter the Promised Land later.

God gave the tribe of Levi to Aaron and his sons as a gift to help them. Census done and specific duties assigned to each family, division of labor was adopted. Aaron and his sons focused on their priesthood; the Levites took care of the setup, running, and moving of the Tabernacle.

Including the Levites, people shouldn’t attend service not assigned by God to them lest they die. They could neither exchange duties nor refuse to do the assignments according to their own will. Be content with the given jobs even though they are small ones and contribute in the collective force. We ought to serve God with great love and fidelity.

God is a very considerate boss. HE never gives people duties more than they could handle. Individual assignments all well-done, the collective force will be able to keep God’s requirements and yield prosperity. The opposite is non-conformity and decline as any bad example is infectious and corrupts people easily. God gives HIS people the best, including the freedom to choose to comply with HIS laws or not.

Nowadays people have multi-roles and our life is very busy in fulfilling the requirements of different roles. Do we overlook the truth that the Creator (God) actually is our big boss? Have we served with great love for all our duties? Have we given a cold response or an absolute refusal when we are invited to serve the little ones for God’s sake?

Many people have no idea that God in fact is our big boss. Some people believe they are their own boss and can do whatever they like; whereas, many others like to boss around, to order anyone whom they could grasp at, to exercise their self-will only.

With failures to identify the true big boss, we will never think of finding out HIS will and act accordingly. Our toil could be in vain and we might be worse off due to the fruitless consumption.

Let’s pray to God:

O LORD, You are our big boss. Please help us know Your will and commands, and serve You in all the tasks, big or small, willing or unwilling, with full loyalty and great love. May Your glory be known forever and ever! Amen.

Graces or Punishments

God loves people so much that HE gives us the freedom to choose. We are fully responsible for our fate.

In Leviticus 26 – 27, God spoke explicitly. Keep HIS statues, people could receive blessings. Contradict to HIM, people would receive punishments instead.

In the covenant with men, God demanded us sole loyalty and strict observance of HIS laws. HE gives us the honor to choose for ourselves: comply with or disregard HIS rules. The LORD knows everything; we can’t hide from HIM or cheat HIM. The corresponding consequences, blessings or punishments, run without error.

God foresaw man’s failings and mentioned the remedy. In whatever circumstance, people are liable to use their free will to choose and pay efforts. We ought to keep God’s rules sternly with persistence to create well-being. No shortcut. No exemption.

Blessings from God:

1)      Graces such as rain, fertility of the land, abundant food supply.

2)      Dwelling safety from evil beasts and enemies.

3)      Prosperity.

4)      God’s presence.

5)      Free from slavery.

Praise God for all the blessings and never take them for granted lest we fail to be thankful.

Punishments from God:

1^st stage:

1)      Terror over sinners.

2)      Wasting disease and fever.

3)      Toil in vain.

4)      No more God’s presence.

5)      Being defeated by enemies.

6)      Fleeing with fright.

2^nd stage: (seven times more than the sins)

7)      Strike to the wrong idols.

8)      Toil in vain and infertility of the land.

3^rd stage: (ditto)

9)      Plagues

10)  Wild beasts killing men and livestock.

11)  Desolation of the marketplace.

4^th stage: (ditto)

12)  War.

13)  Pestilence.

14)  Cutting the food source and hunger spread.

5^th stage: (ditto)

15)  Eating sons and daughters to quench hunger.

16)  Destruction of the high place, people, etc.

17)  Cities to be desolated like the wild areas and sanctuary a ruin. No offerings can please God.

18)  Own land left empty.

19)  Dwelling in the land of their enemies to waste away.

20)  Decline of the nation.

Staying in comfort, people often drown in forgetfulness and recklessness. Gradually, they become lawless, disobey God and break HIS covenant. The several stages of punishments hint that the LORD is slow in wrath and always welcome people to reconcile with HIM. HE refuses to break the covenant and forsakes the Human. God’s love is incomparably magnanimous.

To reconcile with God, people must confess, be humbled and are willing to make atonement for all sins. God will remember the covenant with Jacob…and be with us.

God is the Creator. HE has the right to set the redeemed price and rules for man, animal, house, a field of one’s possession…We are precious if we will ourselves to obey God and act righteously in HIS delight; otherwise, we worth nothing.

Let’s pray to God:

Jesus Christ, our Lord, praise to You for using your free will to complete God’s salvation. Help us apply our free will to follow God’s word, love HIM, obey HIM and keep the covenant with HIM forever. Amen.

Glorify God up to Standard

Be holy and remember God, to worship HIM unerringly, at the utmost.

In Leviticus 21 to 25, God gave further commands on being holy and pure, on things acceptable and things not, on the feasts to participate.

Regulations for Conduct of Priests:

Priests must be holy and follow specific rules. They shouldn’t be defiled by the self or by other people, dead or alive. Their family must avoid defilement lest they may die.

Among their descendants, whoever has a defect couldn’t be the priest. He should not come to offer the bread of HIS God and profane HIS sanctuaries. Kinship will never be a pardon for breaking the rules and offending God.

There are restrictions on who can eat the holy offerings and under what conditions. Offenders will receive punishments accordingly.

Some offerings are unacceptable, for example, having a defect, not offering with a free will. Kill the related animals exactly to God’s requirements. Also, eat the offerings before the deadline.

Priests must be holy and pure as God is the one consecrated them and HE is holy, otherwise corruption will spread like cancer, contaminating the whole assembly.

Feasts of the LORD:

Priests have the responsibility for proclaiming and arranging various feasts of the LORD (holy convocations). They must teach HIS people the things to prepare and what to do for each feast as below:

1)      Sabbath

2)      The Passover and Unleavened Bread

3)      The Feast of Firstfruits

4)      The Feast of Weeks

5)      The Feast of Trumpets

6)      The Day of Atonement

7)      The Feast of Tabernacles

People should not do customary work, but should devote all their time, mind and energy in worshiping the LORD in the feasts. Nowadays, we have the latest list of feasts to celebrate wholeheartedly. The spirit of putting God first and worshiping HIM with rites never changes and is absolutely necessary. Don’t let worldly things distract us from singing our praise to God, offering thanksgiving to HIM, repenting and making atonement to reconcile with HIM.

Other statutes from God:

Priests should heed statues below and remind people of stern observance at times.

1)      Care of the Tabernacle Lamps

2)      The Bread of the Tabernacle

3)      The Penalty for Blasphemy

4)      The Sabbath of the Seventh Year

5)      The Year of Jubilee

6)      Provisions for the Seventh Year

7)      Redemption of Property

8)      Lending to the Poor

9)      The Law Concerning Slavery

Keeping God’s statues, children of Israel would remember HIM and resist forgetfulness, which could turn them to lawless and sin against HIM easily. The LORD owns everything, not men. HE found redemption, help and mercy to work among HIS people. HIS laws are full of loving-kindness and aim at the best concern to men.

Let’s pray to God:

Our Heavenly Father, glory to You. Thanks for teaching us how to attain well-being and worship You properly, including the participation in different feasts and rites. Please help us pour out praises to You and render Your magnificent love at the very best. Amen.

Be Holy and Pure

Observe God’s rules sternly to amplify HIS love to us.

In Leviticus 17 -20, God taught Children of Israel how to be holy and pure. The laws cover many aspects in our daily life. Strict observation yields well-being, saving us from sin.

The Sanctity of Blood:

Don’t shed blood and eat blood of any flesh. We are neither barbarian nor other animals that couldn’t think like humans but kill merely for survival. Blood signifies life. We must pay respect to life as it is a precious gift from God.

Man eat man is unacceptable, so is simply killing one another. Wars, invasion, massacre and put down a rebellion often shed blood, in large scale. We must learn from history and stop the ruthless or brutal events from happening again.

Though many countries have laws to protect their civilian, many people still shed blood to satisfy one’s hunting desire, bloody nature, or violent tendency. Others did so out of anger or revenge. Some committed suicide to end their temporal or chronic depression and suffering.

Kill people without exposing blood also offends God, for example, poisoning. Man has no right to transcend the LORD and take away his or others’ life. God creates us; don’t get defiled.

Laws of Sexual Morality:

Keep God’s statues and HIS judgments. Be loyal to the LORD and your spouse. Do not commit incest, adultery, sex with the same gender and sex with other kinds of animals. Sex should happen between husband and wife only. Violation defiles the self, other people concerned and marriage (if there is any), which is one of the seven sacraments granted by God due to sacramental grace.

Moral and Ceremonial Laws:

God gave people a lot of commands under this topic to show us what ought to be done to love HIM, the self and our neighbors properly, and live righteously.

Worship the only living God. Do not commit idolatry. Don’t profane HIS name. We must respect others, and help the poor and the strangers. Deal with other people honestly and do not harm them through gossip, threatening their life, taking revenge, stealing, cheating and so on.

Penalties for Breaking the Law:

God’s penalties vary. Some examples are: put to death, set HIS face against that person, cut him off from his people, to be childless and force the sinners leaving their dwelling place.

Nowadays, people may be charged and received punishment for their bad deeds. Some cases may not go to court and the lawless men keep doing evils. But God will judge and punish everyone accordingly, no exemption for sure.

God loves human beings so much that HE exhorts us to behave properly in all aspects of life. We are responsible to keep HIS rules sternly lest we beget disgrace and destruction.

Let’s pray to God:

Savior Jesus, You are the perfect observer of God’s rules and never sin in Your life. Please help us be firm against all kinds of temptations that are prevailing around us albeit their popularity. Amen.