Tag: Numbers 28

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A Life’s Liturgy

Links for today’s readings:

Read: Numbers 28 Listen: (3:51) Read: 1 Corinthians 2 Listen: (2:26)

Scripture Focus: Numbers 28.1-2

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Make sure that you present to me at the appointed time my food offerings, as an aroma pleasing to me.’

Reflection: A Life’s Liturgy

By John Tillman

God prescribes scheduled offerings for the community—a liturgy of life.

Daily offerings are in the morning and evening. Weekly offerings are made on the Sabbath when no other work was to be done. Monthly offerings were made at the beginning of each month. Then there were the festival offerings. Beginning with Passover at the start of the year, each season’s festival reminded the people of the story of God’s love, mercy, and provision for them.

One practical purpose of these offerings was a steady supply of food for the priesthood and Levites. The people’s sacrifices were part of God’s provision for Levite families who would not own land as other tribes would. The spiritual purpose was a constant reminder and acknowledgment of important truths for God’s people, including us.

God is our provider. In the desert, it was hard to forget God’s provision. With no land to farm, they depended on the Lord’s miraculous supply of manna. But once they were established in the land and prospering, they often forgot God and his providence. We too, forget God’s provision when we are prospering.

Sin is serious and grace is costly. God’s grace is not “cheap grace” that pats us on the back and says, “It’s okay.” Sin is not okay. The sacrifices were a repeated reminder that sin was costly and our efforts to atone are insufficient. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross fulfills and completes the promises made by the Tabernacle and Temple sacrifices.

The promises of Eden will be fulfilled. The Tabernacle and Temple were artistic and ceremonial depictions of the Garden of Eden. God killed animals to cover Adam and Eve’s naked shame and promised Eve a snake-crushing seed to end sin’s shame forever. (Genesis 3.15, 21) Jesus’ naked shame on the cross clothes us in his righteousness. His death and resurrection crush the power of the serpent both now and in the future.

Because of Jesus, we don’t need sacrifices, but we need reminders. We must live relying on God, not human power or wealth. We must not downplay sin’s seriousness and show contempt for Jesus’ sacrifice. We must anticipate and participate in Jesus’ ultimate fulfillment of Eden’s promises.

What is your life’s liturgy? Are you reminding yourself of these things regularly? What are you doing daily, weekly, monthly, and at special times of the year to remember these things?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. — Psalm 103.1-2

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

 by Phyllis Tickle

Read more: Style Versus Substance

Paul didn’t mean that when he was last in Corinth he spoke poorly, abandoned using rhetoric, eschewed wisdom, and forgot all his knowledge.

Style Versus Substance
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Hope Still Rises :: Worldwide Prayer

Psalm 69.29, 33
But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
   may your salvation, God, protect me.

The Lord hears the needy
   and does not despise his captive people.

Reflection: Hope Still Rises :: Worldwide Prayer
Prayer of Hope from South Africa

This prayer we feature today was originally published in a book of prayers prepared for a worship conference in Berlin in 1998.

In the years prior to that conference, Nelson Mandela began his first term as president and the end of Apartheid was in the immediate past. In 1995, the Rugby World Cup was hosted and won by the South African team. In 2009, the story was turned into an inspiring film starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. But as powerful as sports metaphors are and as inspiring as any movie might be, the struggle for greater peace and freedom in South Africa was just beginning and 1998 saw bombings in South Africa and attacks scattered over the entire continent.

Today, in Africa, peace and freedom are often in short supply. The problems lifted to God in this prayer, still exist in one way or another, popping up in one country, then another. Abuse, disease, rape as a weapon of war, and mass killings motivated by tribal conflicts or religious radicalization are still common events, even though they rarely make the current events section of Western newspapers. Often the chief victims of these events are women.

We join this prayer today for the people of Africa and for all people across the world experiencing oppression, violence, disease, and exile because of their religious beliefs.

May the church follow Christ’s footsteps as he moves to help those affected by these persistent signs of the sinfulness and greed of our world.

A Prayer of Hope
Oh, God,

You can do anything, anywhere, any time.
All knowing, all seeing God,
There is nothing hidden from you.

You see the women of Africa:
Who are refugees,
Fleeing their war-torn countries
With babies on their backs and luggage on their heads.

Some who are victims of human rights violations, abuse, infected with AIDS.
We put our hope in you, oh God.

For you hear even our unmentioned prayers
You watch not only the sparrow, but you see us too.
And your hands guide us all the way.

Above all, you offer us the gift of eternal life.

We praise your holy name.

*Prayer from Hallowed be Thy Name, L. A. (Tony) Cupit, ed., Hallowed be Your Name: A collection of prayers from around the world

Prayer: A Reading
Then he told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart. “There was a judge in a certain town,” he said, “who had neither fear of God nor respect for anyone. In the same town there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘I want justice from you against my enemy!’ For a long time he refused, but as last he said to himself, ‘Even though I have neither fear of God nor respect for any human person, I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face.’ And the Lord said, “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now, will not God see justice done to his elect if they keep calling him day and night even though he delays to help them? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily.” — Luke 18.1-8

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Numbers 26 (Listen – 7:47) 
Psalm 69 (Listen – 4:04)

This Weekend’s Readings
Numbers 27 (Listen – 3:08) Psalm 70-71 (Listen – 3:29)
Numbers 28 (Listen – 3:51) Psalm 72 (Listen – 2:21)

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Help us to share the blessings of knowing you with others and be at peace with you and with each other.

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