|
Hebrews 5:8
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. There is an expression in English: “The devil is in the details.” It is funny that the enemy is given this attribute. Hasatan השטן, the Adversary doesn’t know anything. All does is copy God. He only tries to be a counterfeit in order to deceive us. God is the one really into details as is revealed in this week’s reading sections. In one place we have Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who perish for offering unauthorized incense, and in the other one Uzzah who dies for touching the Holy Ark while not being authorized, probably because of not being in a ritually clean state. (Lev. 10:1-2; 2 Sam. 6:6-7). These two stories are very similar and that is why they are read together. Their similarity lies in the lesson that they teach. Both stories happen at a time of spiritual ecstasy and jubilation. In the incident with Nadab and Abihu, it was the eighth day of the dedication. Fire had just come from heaven and the people saw the glory of Adonai. Can you imagine the jubilation and the spiritual ecstasy? We can easily picture the joy, the shouts, the dancing, the clapping of the hands (Lev. 9:23-24). It was the same when David was bringing the Ark into Jerusalem. We are told of musicians, of dancing, of joy, and merry-ing (2 Sam. 6:5). In both cases tragedy strikes for what could be considered in our eyes, a breach in protocol. These two events teach us a very important lesson, a lesson often forgotten and ignored by people of faith today. They teach us that religion without the instruction and the parameters of Torah is unacceptable to Hashem. Hashem teaches us how to come to him, how to worship him, and how to honor him. He also told us how not to (Leviticus). Oh, but that goes against our natural instinct and desire for spontaneity. Do you mean that we won’t to be able to follow the leadings of our hearts? We will have to only act in obedience to commands? "Oh, but that wouldn't be natural!" We say. "Where is the spontaneity?" We ask. You mean that it's not just the heart and the intent that counts? Form and format is also important in the eyes of the Almyghty. Really though, when we ask these questions we doubt his ways. It is nothing more than pride acting out in the form of an inability to submit to instructions and wanting things our own way. We understand that even in this world we cannot approach a high dignitary such as a King or a President without going through protocol hoops. If one were to just barge in the Oval Office in the White House without permission and unannounced he would surely be arrested. If he resisted he might even get shot at. The difference is that in the case of an earthly dignitary, they try to protect the dignitary; in the case of Hashem, the protection is for us. We simply cannot approach God on our terms and it is his prerogative. Why can't we just obey? But no; people always want to find new ways to approach Hashem. They even borrow ways from the pagans in manifestations that are not from him. The simplicity in which he told us to do things is not enough; we must tweak it and give it our own imprint. It is pride, and the pride of man leads to destruction. May we learn to be in the details as he is in the details. Obedience is not a small thing: in obeying God we emulate the Master. Even he had to learn obedience through the things which he suffered (Heb. 5:8). P. Gabriel Lumbroso For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here.
1 Comment
1 Peter 2:9
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. Studying Leviticus we have seen that all Israel was called to live according to certain rules of holiness. We have also seen that priests and High-Priests were called to an even higher standard. The reason for this was that it was the priest’s job to process the offerings of the people and splash the blood on the altar so in a way, the priest came closer to the Presence of the Lord than any other person. It is like no one would ask me anything if I were to come to Washington D.C. or even if I stood in front of the White House perimeter, but I would need special permissions to come inside the White House and even more the closer I came to the President’s quarters. Believers have also been called to a royal priesthood and live nearer to the Master. We are therefore liable to live in higher standards of holiness. We remember also from the Texts that once Aaron and his sons were anointed for the priesthood, Aaron was not allowed to care for his deceased two sons or to mourn for them. The reason was because Aaron was on duty and High-priests are not allowed to mourn nor bear the signs of mourning while performing their duties in the presence of God (Leviticus 21:10). It makes sense when you realize that approaching God is approaching life itself, the One who swallows death in victory and prepares for us a world where death no longer will be (Isaiah 25:8; Revelations 21:3-40). This understanding od not showing sadness before high dignitaries was very common in the East in those days. It is recorded that no matter what were his personal problems, Nehemiah never showed sadness in front of his kingly master (Nehemiah 2:1). His onetime display of sorrow was so out of character for the king’s butler that it engendered a discussion that changed the fate of the Jewish nation in exile. One may suppose these practices archaic and bordering on hypocrisy, but let’s take a second look at them. Once we have given our lives to the Master; once we have yielded control of every aspect of our lives to the Mighty Creator in Whom is life and Light with no shadow of darkness or death; once we have affirmed to be called according to His purpose, how can we deny that all do things do come for good (Romans 8:28). How do we dare come to Him complaining and murmuring about our poor sorry fate in life? Isn’t that a contradiction? All things do come for good to those called according to His purpose and if things seem to go bad, it is probably because we do not live within the healthy and safe boundaries He prescribed, living a life according to the purpose he called for. Godly living may not keep us from all problems but I can affirm that it serves as a good protection against most social and health issues. We have enough to battle with the enemy, but it seems that Satan can rest at ease; we are creating our own hell though our disobediences to His commandments! May God help us to obey Him, even now even in our days! |
Thanks for thinking of us... even a tiny donation is a blessing to us...
Order our new CD at: http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html
Also available on itune. 
Our 'UNDER THE FIG TREE' atL:
http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html 
Check our original judaica and other jewelery at:
http://www.thelumbrosos.com/shop.html Archives
May 2013
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed