Who and What

2.17.2010

Numbers 1:4-5a 4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. 5 And these are the names of the men who shall assist you.

Acts 24.27b And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ESV

God called specific men to do a specific job – conduct the census of Israel. Notice God didn’t say, “Moses, go get twelve guys out of the crowd and have them help you and Aaron take this census!” God was specific and called each man by name so there wouldn’t be any mistake of who He called to do the counting and that the counts would be accurate.

And Felix (over in Acts 24) desiring to buy off the Jews, politically left Paul in prison.

Politics could’ve ruled when Moses took the census – there could’ve been bickering for a position, there could’ve been cooking the books; but God was specific about who and what, and Moses carried out His will.

Politics ruled in the time of Paul with the Romans continually trying to appease the Jews (who hated the Romans with a blood-thirsty passion.) My thought about politics: it is a hideous and deceitful way of governing and someone always gets hurt. Politics is the diabolically selfish business of deciding who will hurt me the least and who will help me the most as I strive to get what I want… There is no place for politics in God’s family but sadly, tragically, we do it because we see the short-term fruit of expedience in playing politics…

Because of the danger of politics I am motivated to hear God’s directives in dealing with people so that what He says to do gets done. That means seeking Him earnestly, listening to Him carefully, and doing what He says diligently so that what needs to get done does and no one gets hurt…

Father in Heaven,

You desire that I do what You say and only what You direct. It’s my desire to do that. I want to accomplish Your will and cooperate with You in the work of the Gospel right here in my little town. I ask for eyes to see and ears to hear and for effectiveness to do what You ask – in Jesus’ Name, amen.