God is Serious About His Holiness

Leviticus 10:3


Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying,
'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,
And before all the people I will be honored.'"
So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

*
Nadab and Abihu just died by God's consuming fire because they offered a strange fire (Leviticus 10:1-2) to the Lord. As seen from
Exodus 30:30 -- You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me -- these two sons of Aaron were consecrated to lead people into God's holiness. But when they went outside the line to do what they see fit, it brought disgrace to God and His holiness killed both of them.

The picture I see from this incident is the purifying process of gold or silver by putting them through the refining fire. All the non-pure elements are burned off (killed) while the pure elements of gold or silver are retained as precious elements. God's consuming fire will most definitely kill off any non-pure (or non-holy) elements. The moment Nadab and Abihu introduced non-holiness they were killed by the consuming fire.

* Application * God wants me to be a consecrated minister and I desire that. However there is a great cost in this commitment because that means my life should pursue His holiness at all times in all aspects of my life. Easier said than done! But I do desire this and would want to take each day as a step toward this by starting the day with a personal time with God.

God's Glory is Transitive

Leviticus 9:23-24


Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

*
In math, transitive property means the core value of an equation is transferred across the equal signs; so, A = B, and B = C, then A = C. What I saw from this sequence of events is that when Moses and Aaron were in the tent of meeting, they were in the presence of God's glory (so Glory => M + A). When they came out that same glory appeared to all the people (M + A => People) resulting in Glory => People. This transition was not diluted at all in this case because the fire that came out which consumed the burnt offering was so awesome that people shouted for joy and fell on their faces to worship God.

Who's Skills Are They?

Exodus 36:2


Then Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every
skillful person in whom the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stir
red him, to come to the work to perform it.

*
It's my skill that I've earned with my own sweat-hours to be better than others.
.. so I thought until this verse reminded me that even the skills I attained wit
h my own abilities are from God. He has to "put" into my life all the skills I
have in me for me to exercise them effectively.

Now the $6,000,000 question is whether I will use my skills for the purposes of
God or not. Will my mind even be trained to think in this pattern?

Mem Verse - Joshua 21:45

Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Mem Verse - 2 Peter 1:4

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature having escape the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Sound of a Gentle Blowing

1 King 19:12,13

After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

* The backdrop of this scene is at Mt. Horeb after Elijah fled from Jezebel's threat of hunting him down. Elijah was completely discouraged because he feels he is the only God's person left behind and is about to be extinct. Then the word of the LORD visited in the midst of the situation asking Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Didn't God already know why Elijah was there to begin with?

Yet You Are Holy

Psalm 22:2,3

  my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
       And by night, but I have no rest.
  Yet You are holy,
       O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel

*
Crying out to God day and night is not easy or fun, but making worse is not knowing how long to do it for. Why is God silent? Is He cruel? Is He ignoring me? Am I doing anything wrong? What's going on?

At this point, God seems to be watching me as I would carefully observe my 2-year old child whether s/he will willing do and say the right thing or not in his/her own "defining moment." In my eyes, it's a win-win situation -- if my child gets it right, then it puts joy in my heart and excited to see him/her grow into the next phase of maturity; if doesn't get it yet, then it's time to be patient and continue with the grooming and training. However, in the child's eyes, it may seem like a lose-lose situation where it the training going on forever.

Switch gears, I am now the child of God thinking what I just described my own child would feel as well as the author of this Psalm felt many years ago. What's encouraging about this passage is the fact that regardless of what he felt, the author acknowledged God as: You are holy! If my own child, even with the feeling I described above, says to me: "Regardless of what I feel about you thank you, Dad, for continuing to train me up to be a matured person," that would just make my day.

Dear God, may the confession out of my mouth exemplify verse 3 -- Yet You are holy.