I have a feeling that the priests in the temple didn't rush around or stress out or move too fast. I was reading about the ways they consecrated the utensils and made the ingredients for worship (including anointing oil and incense). There was a bronze plated basin made for washing the priests before they entered the "tent of meeting." I pictured myself washing both my feet and hands in a basin. I probably either sat down or stood on one foot. If I was in a hurry to do all this, I might fall down and get more dirty. I imagine they just took their time and did it right. God was pretty serious about them not coming in to minister unto Him with dirty feet or hands. It says they would wash their feet and hands "so that they will not die." I guess that's pretty serious.
It's kinda cool that God ordered a special recipe for the incense and anointing oil. He wanted it to be designated and special -- sacred. He made it a crime to use the same recipe for anyone's private use, the penalty of which was being cut off from the people. Besides enacting this sort of copyright infringement type of law, He also asked everyone in Israel that was 20 years old (military age) or older to donate a half shekel as they participated in a census. This was "a ransom for his life at the time he is counted." Can you imagine being told to pay a ransom for your life ... from the Author of Life that gave it to you? It'd be hard to argue with that, huh?
Now that I've been a believer for more than half my life, sometimes I think about non-believers (from my "outside" perspective) and I wonder how people feel about the obvious and natural obligation to serve the God that made you. It makes sense to me: If there is a God, then certainly there is some measure of accounting to Him, like an obligation to know Him, serve Him or do something to pay Him back for the life He's given. I imagine if it was a simple one-time token thing to give Him, people would line up. "Where's God at? I want to give Him my payment and then get out of here..."
Who am I?
How did I get here?
And what should I do?
These are serious questions worth pondering.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at May 19, 2008 09:29 AM