Sunday, 27th September 2020
Ps Jason Wang (611 Bread of Life Church)
Moses told the people of Israel that only those over 20 years old are able to enter into the land of Canaan. People were scared but there is actually a way out.
“And you make an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet aroma to the Lord, from the herd or the flock.” (Numbers 15:3)
AROMA OFFERING
If the people want to they can actually sacrifice an offering to draw close to God. It’s a huge grace for them to be in the wilderness, because they were free, but when they enter into the Promised Land they will have greater blessings.
God is giving a greater blessing and grace, and we need to have great dedication. When they were in the wilderness they can offer pigeons and goats, but in the Promised Land they will offer lamb and bulls. The greater the grace, the greater the thanksgiving.
In the Promised Land, they have fields and property and therefore they can offer to God what they work with their hands.
“One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.” (Numbers 15:16)
God knew there will be other people living among them. If they want to express their thanksgiving they can also do so. The wider the grace is the more people will come to show gratitude. When God smelled Noah’s offering of aroma, He was well pleased and said He will no longer curse the land.
SIN OFFERING
When the people of Israel committed the sins unintentionally. God is giving a way out, for people to have an opportunity to repent and ask God for forgiveness.
The offering is different depending on your position. In the wilderness, sin offering is asking for forgiveness, but in the Promised Land, not only ask for forgiveness but also asking for God’s acceptance. Saying, God I honour You, whatever I offer to You is permanent and I will not take it back.
The greater the Grace the more thorough God deals with sins. The more we confess the deeper we will go. The more we confess sins the more Grace God is giving us.
“If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses… It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally.” (Numbers 15:22 & 26)
MAKE ATONEMENT
Korah was complaining why Moses only used the sons of Aaron to command our tribe. He united with other leaders to attack Moses. Then God performed a miracle and destroyed them.
God killed the people not Moses. God opened the earth and destroyed His rebellious people, but the Israelite felt it was Moses and Aaron, who killed the people of Israel. Moses acted quickly by asking Aaron to bring his the essence and make atonement for the people. Aaron risked his own life to stand in between the living and the dead.
Who can save us in the pandemic? Not the government officials, not the medical professionals, not the scientist, not the businessmen, etc. the leaders of all nations are helpless in this matter. We need to rise up and pray for all nations. This pandemic is something men cannot solve and it comes from the permission of God. Only God can save us.
As the priests of this world we need to pray for this world and ask for God’s mercy and grace.