He Blesses So You Can Bless Him
The LORD said to Moses, “Accept these from them to be used in the work of the tent of meeting, and give this offering to the Levites, to each division according to their service.” Numbers 7:4-5 csb
I remember when I was little, I received an allowance from my dad. It wasn't much just a few dollars a week but I loved getting that cold, hard cash. I would often use it to buy fireworks from the ice cream man. I know, not your typical purchase from an ice cream truck! One memory stands out in particular. I decided to use some of my allowance to buy my dad a Choco Taco, his favorite treat. I was so excited because I had never bought anyone a gift before. When my dad pulled into the driveway after work, I had that ice cream ready and waiting for him. He loved it and was genuinely blessed by the gesture. As we sat there eating ice cream together, we talked about our day and simply enjoyed one another's company. The funny thing is that, although I made the purchase, my dad was actually the provider. In a sense, he bought himself the ice cream because it was his money that I used. The money had been given to me as an allowance, but it ultimately came from him.
We see a similar principle in our text. God tells Moses to accept what the tribal leaders bring for the Tabernacle. The people only possessed those items because God had first provided them. Before they left Egypt, God told Moses: "And I will give these people such favor with the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians." (Exodus 3:21–22) God blessed His people so that they could, in turn, worship and honor Him. It's just like the ice cream I gave my dad. He blessed me so that I could bless him. Yet there is an even deeper truth here. Certainly, God was demonstrating that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. But beyond that, His desire was to dwell among His people. Just as my dad sat with me and shared that ice cream, God desires fellowship with those He loves. The Tabernacle was the place where God's presence would dwell among Israel. The materials that were used to build it, and all the furnishings within it were gifts that God Himself had provided. By blessing Israel, God made a way for His presence to dwell in their midst.
The same is true today. Through Jesus Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places Everything we have comes from His hand and is given for the purpose of drawing us closer to Him. The greatest gift He ever gave was His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He gave Him so that we might be reconciled to Him and enjoy fellowship with Him forever. So don't be afraid to offer what you have to the Lord. Whatever gift, talent, resource, or opportunity He has entrusted to you ultimately came from Him in the first place. And just as my dad delighted in the simple gift of an ice cream cone, our Heavenly Father delights when His children lovingly offer back to Him what He has first given them. In doing so, we discover that the greatest blessing is not the gift itself, but the fellowship we enjoy with the Giver.
Agape,
Frank
Sing, Shout, Clap Your Hands!
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous…Praise the Lord…Sing to Him a new song…” Psalm 33:1-3 NKJV
I remember learning grammar in grade school and being fascinated by verbs. Verbs describe action—what a person, animal, or object does. Later, when I became a student of the Bible, I found myself drawn to the action words in Scripture. In the Psalm above, the psalmist is calling for action. He calls the people of God to get moving, to worship the Lord with rejoicing, praise, and song. It reminded me of when my family used to go to a small pentestocal church in Oceanside, Ca. The pastor and his wife were worship leaders, and they cut an album that was released on cassette tape of their original praise and worship songs. There was a track on the tape that had lyrics that said, “Sing, shout, clap your hands, give praises to your maker! Make joyful noise unto the Lord!” Those lyrics have stuck with me for over 30 years. Amazing what verbs do to our speech.
The Psalm is calling for action in response to who God is. That action in this context is worship. I have found that in some churches the time of worship can feel dreary and motionless. In other church settings, there can seem to be too much motion! So which is it? Should we dance, or should we sit quietly while worshiping the Lord? In Revelation, when John sees heaven’s throne room, he sees people falling on their faces before a holy God. That can make things feel even more confusing. How are we supposed to worship?
The beautiful thing is that the Bible does not prescribe only one method of worship. The focus of worship is not so much the style, but the object of our worship—God Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ. The “how” can take many different forms. People often get bent out of shape over how churches should worship. My pastor used to say, “Different strokes for different folks!” In Africa, worship is often very lively. In England, it may be much calmer. In America, it is a mixture of many different expressions.
The psalmist says to rejoice, praise, and sing. He does not rank one above the other, but simply calls us to worship. We were made to worship, and God is worthy of our praise. The Apostle Paul even says that our true worship is offering our lives as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1).
How we worship together may look different from church to church, but what matters most is that our lives bring glory to God. Whether through singing, serving, kneeling, lifting our hands, or quietly obeying Him day by day, true worship comes from a heart fully devoted to the Lord. Should you be in church worshiping? Yes, we are called to gather to praise Him, thats a special time. The goal should be to bring honor and attention to the Lord Jesus, and not to ourselves. Don’t over complicate it, but do Rejoice, Praise, and Sing! As a Christian worship should be an active part of our lives. So as Pastor Mark and Debbie sang, “Sing, shout, clap your hands!”
In Him,
Frank