Skip to main content

Value God's Character


As we continue in our study to learn lessons from God in Numbers Chapter 9, we focus on valuing God's Character.  We can learn so much about God's character in His Word.  Knowing His character helps us to love Him more and be aware of what He wants our character to be like.

Roy Gane says, “In Numbers 9:1-14, we see several aspects of God’s character at work.
          1. He takes the trouble to remind the Israelites that Passover is coming again
          2. He is flexible in His requirement to observe the festival
          3. He bends the rules for those stuck in a dilemma
          4. He is generous, providing beyond the immediate need to an ongoing rule
          5. He is farsighted, also providing for people on long trips to celebrate at a later date
          6. He is economical, setting up ongoing rules as answers to similar questions in the future
          7. He is not susceptible to manipulation, but emphasizes that exceptions apply only to those                        who actually need them
          8. He allows guests to participate, as long as they follow the same rules as everyone else.

In short, the Lord sounds like a wise and well-balanced teacher! He is caring, recognizing weaknesses (including forgetfulness) and challenging circumstances of his 'students.' He is reasonable and fair, yet firm about extending deadlines listed in his 'syllabus.' He foresees potential problems and systematically preempts them in advance. Finally, he lets 'auditors' experience the 'class' if they are serious about it and do not disrupt things by irregular behavior.” (NIV Application Commentary, p. 566-567).

The character of God is an example to us of what we are to aspire to be as followers of Jesus. We will not be perfect this side of heaven, but with the Holy Spirit within us we can make right choices that improve our character daily. Every year when we review our lives, we should see growth. We must always strive to improve or we will slide backwards. Once we stagnate or lose our zeal for the Lord, it is very easy to lose spiritual ground we have gained.  Paul's second letter to the Corinthians says not to lose heart.  Outwardly (our bodies) are wasting away, but inwardly we can be renewed daily. These verses at the end of chapter 4 go on to say that our struggles in life should be because we are trying to glorify God or any struggles we have give us an opportunity to glorify the Lord in how we handle them. The chapter ends with telling us to fix our eyes on eternal things. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)  Jesus, the Pioneer and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) set the perfect example for perseverance and eternal viewpoint in the face of suffering, especially as He forgave His persecutors while hanging on the cross. (Luke 23:34)

Valuing God’s character begins with worship. Specific worship, enumerating God’s amazing qualities, draws us closer to our heavenly Father. As we stand in awe of His character and who He is, we judge Him less for what He gives. We should love God for who He is, not what He can do for us. Valuing God’s character is a step in the direction of right worship that is meaningful and pleasing to the Father. The Creator of the universe has so many wonderful qualities, it could take a long time to praise Him for all of them. Just try, and you will see that you are blessed indeed to have such an amazing holy God in love with you!

As you worship God for His wonderful qualities, you will notice a change in your own perspective, desire, and character. Taking our focus off ourselves really leads to growth in our character more than resolutions and trying in our own strength. The Author and Perfecter of our faith is pleased with specific, loving worship that includes His child striving to change and honor Him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Numbers Don't Lie

The Second Census   The United States conducts a census every 10 years. I use this data to teach my upper elementary kids how to create formulas in Excel. Today we are going to look at a census of Israel conducted toward the end of the wilderness journey.  After the plague of chapter 25, the Lord called Moses to take a second census.     I like numbers, so I have always enjoyed comparing the two censuses in Numbers.  A comparison leads us to  investigating  why some tribes had much lower counts than others.   Laying chapter 26 alongside chapter 1 gives us some information.   The first thing I notice is that in chapter 1 ,  leaders were chosen to conduct the census. Numbers 26 does not mention having leaders take the census, but they probably  did  or it would have taken much longer to count.  Also, both censuses counted men age 20 or older, but chapter 26 adds that these men were able to  serve in the arm...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Power of the Tongue

Words are a very powerful force. I’m sure we can all remember words spoken to us in love, in anger, in fear and in kindness. Many words are imprinted in our hearts and memories. We can be agents of love, kindness, and encouragement. We can also hurt others in our anger, pride and selfishness. The closer we are to the Lord, the more our words should be tempered by love. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We can choose to say no to the flesh which desires to speak our thoughts, no matter how unkind or inflict hurt to those who hurt us. James says that the tongue is a “restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  (James 3:8 ) He also says the tongue “corrupts the whole man, sets the course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell."  ( James 3:6 )    Wow! That is a lot of power and evil! God help us.  In Numbers 23, Balaam b egan  delivering his messages from God.  These oracles praise God and bless Israel.  Preceding e...
Post a Comment
Read more

First Fruits for God

Last week we learned that the priests and Levites are given the first fruits of the harvests of Israel as support. The first fruits are introduced in Exodus 23 .  Before harvesting their crops, the best of the fruit  of the land  was to be brought to the Lord as an offering.   The spiritual application is direct:  God must come first in our giving and not simply be given what is left over.  This can be a challenge. To give first to God and live on what is left is not what the average person would do. Is this a challenge for you? The pattern is set here for cheerful giving.   2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.”   In the book of Malachi, the Lord is angry with Israel because they have robbed him by withholding their tithes,  first fruits  and offerings. Israel was under a curse for disobeying the Lord and being selfish.    God gives a message to Malachi that holds true today; He ...
Post a Comment
Read more