An Argument Against Feminism

Anyone who knows our family well knows that we are extremely conservative about most things.  The role of husband and wife as well as father and daughter is one area where our family differs very much from the majority of our culture.

Our kids are constantly noting the creep of feminism into everyday culture – books, movies and TV shows.  We rent “clean” TV sitcoms like “The Cosby Show” and enjoy them as a family.  But even in these seemingly harmless episodes are the seeds of feminism.  The men are often made to look inferior to the women in almost every way.  The respect for the place of the man, as set forth by God, is often absent from these sitcoms and throughout our culture.  Who is behind this loss of godly wisdom?  Lest you doubt, remember that we are involved in a true spiritual battle.

Note this passage in the book of Numbers:

“Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the LORD commands:  When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

“When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the LORD or obligates herself by a pledge and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand.  But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the LORD will release her because her father has forbidden her.” — Numbers 30:1-5

It is clear here that God set the will of the father over the will of the daughter.  He is able to override any vow she makes before the Lord – the wisdom of the father is set above the wisdom of the daughter.  And in the following verses in this chapter, we see that the same rule applies to the will of the husband over the will of the wife.

In today’s world, these are unpopular views.  In an effort to override God’s will, the tenets of humanism and Christian egalitarianism have tried to equate the role which God made separately, and in some cases, to reverse the preeminence.  I can tell you this – in our household, we have elected to abide by God’s standard set out in Numbers, and the rule is occasionally (and fortunately, infrequently) put to the test.

Some will say that this rule no longer applies because we now live under New Testament law.  To that, I answer,  yes, we do live under a new law of grace, but does that new law explicitly reverse God’s views on the role of man and woman?  I have to answer “No”.  Check out scripture in 1 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Corinthians 14:34-36 and especially 1 Corinthians 11:3-5.  I’m also making my way through this article right now –“Male Authority and Female Equality in Light of Galatians 3:28”.

Moses’ Big Mistake

Throughout the story of Moses, we see him progress from a timid, doubting selection to a mighty man of God.  And yet, Moses made one tiny mistake that cost him getting to see the promised land, which was his goal for forty years.

In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.  They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!  Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?  Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.  The LORD said to Moses,  “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him.  He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” — Numbers 20:1-12

Did you catch it?  God told Moses to take his staff and then speak to the rock, to make it bring forth fresh water.  For whatever reason, Moses struck the rock twice, and apparently didn’t speak.  A minor difference to what God had asked him to do.

But minor or not, it was a difference.  Perhaps there is more to what was going on in Moses’ heart at this time – maybe it was pride – but the consequence was real.  God penalized both Moses and Aaron, and caused them to die before they could enter the promised land.

So, does it matter how carefully we choose to obey God’s commands?

A Tithe of a Tithe

I never noticed this passage before.

The LORD said to Moses,  “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.  Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.  In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD’s portion to Aaron the priest.  You must present as the LORD’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’

“Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.  You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting.  By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.’” — Numbers 18:25-32

I never noticed this passage before – a tithe of a tithe.  What purpose did it serve?  I see two possibilities – 1) it keeps the Levites from being selfish and being exempt from giving to the Lord, and 2) it ensures that God gets the very best of the best.  The first tithe is supposed to be a select choice, and then this gets winnowed down to the best of the best, as God deserves.

More on Redemption

A follow-up on the concept of redemption.

““Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours.  The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.  When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.” — Numbers 18:14-16

This is in line with the previous post about one Levite per firstborn.  It appears that every firstborn son is meant to be the Lord’s, devoted to him through sacrifice.  But each one is to be redeemed through a payment, and this is to be done, through the priest.  What a parallel to the story of redemption through Christ!

The Penalty for Grumbling

In Numbers 16, we find the rebellion of Koran, Dathan, and Abiram against Moses and Aaron.  I’m always stunned at the way many of the Israelites fail to remember how God saved them out of bondage and slavery, and gave them miracle after miracle to sustain them.

First, these men accuse Moses and Aaron of lording it over the people:

“They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”” — Numbers 16:3

When Moses then challenges these men to a test in order to see on whom rests God’s blessing, they say,

“Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!  Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?  Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”” — Numbers 16:12-14

We see the intent of these men, and unlike that of Moses, it isn’t to honor God or do whatever He asks.

Finally, God works a miracle and makes the ground open up under only the rebellious men and their families, and they are swallowed up.  So what do the rest of the Israelites do?  They complain:

“The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.” — Numbers 16:41

It shocks me to see how quickly they forget God, and how ungrateful they can be.  And yet, doesn’t this serve as a warning and foreshadowing of how people treat God throughout history?  What of our own culture today, which has been blessed immeasurably by God with wealth, safety and comfort?  Has the majority simply forgotten God, like the Israelites of old?

God Changes His Mind #3

It’s always amazing to me to see the complaints of the Israelites after they have been delivered by God.  The Bible calls them “rabble” (Numbers 11:4) – their griping is almost unbearable to witness, considering that some of them would rather go back to Egyptian slavery rather than be ruled and protected by the God of creation.

Even God seems to have had enough of their attitude, and He tells Moses:

“How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?  I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.” — Numbers 14:11b-12

And yet, once again, we see God changing His mind after being entreated by a faithful person – Moses, again, in this instance.  After Moses’ appeal that God would spare the people from destruction, we see God telling him these words:

“The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.  Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth,  not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—  not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.”” — Numbers 14:20-23

While they will be spared destruction, God still enacts a measure of justice by causing the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years while all the men who doubted God died.

This is the third time I have noted that God changes His mind over something.  See here and here for the first two.  What does this tell us about the power of prayer?

Fire From Heaven

Here is a passage I have never noticed before:

“Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.  When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down.  So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.” — Numbers 11:1-3

Imagine what it must have looked like to receive fire from the Lord if you were camped in the outskirts of the assembly.  What does fire from God look like?  Does it burn with extra intensity?  Was it the same kind of fire that completely consumed the sacrifice of Elijah on Mount Carmel?  Can you imagine making God so angry that He would send fire to consume a room of your house?

Commemorating Always

How important is it to God that we celebrate the events that He lays out to be celebrated?  According to the book of Numbers, it’s very important.  Consider this passage:

“But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the LORD’s offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.” — Numbers 9:13

This chapter started out with people inquiring of Moses what they should do if they were ceremonially unclean during the celebration of the Passover – could they still celebrate it?  The answer came back that they should – one month later than those who are clean were to celebrate it.  But in addition to giving this answer, God also gives Moses the words quoted above.

This led me to think about what we do about the Lord’s Supper when we are on vacation.  Our family usually attends another out-of-town church or we have a time of family worship on Sunday morning.  And we usually celebrate the Lord’s Supper while we are away, even if we have to purchase some crackers and grape juice from the local grocery store.  But reading this verse makes me think that we need to follow that rule diligently – every single time we are away from our church home on a Sunday.

One Levite Per Firstborn?

Since the time that the Israelites left Egypt, there has been a special emphasis put on the firstborn.  This involves not only the firstborn of families, but even extended to cattle (Numbers 3:45).  In order for God’s people to be freed, the firstborn of the Egyptians had to be sacrificed.

It seems that the dedication and sacrifice of the firstborn is to continue with the Israelites after they leave Egypt.

“The total number of Levites counted at the LORD’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.

^“The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names.  Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD.”

^“So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him.  The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

^“The LORD also said to Moses,  “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD.  To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,  collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.  Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”

^“So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites.  From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.  Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.” — Numbers 3:39-51

So, what is with the counting of Levites – 22,000 – and the counting of firstborn – 22,273?  And then a “redeeming” of the extra 273 through payment?  Why does there need to be one Levite per firstborn in Israel?  It seems that God wants the sacrifice of the firstborn to continue, but He elects the Levites to take their place instead.  The entire Levite nation was to stand and be dedicated to the service of the sanctuary.  And God is very picky about one-for-one redemption.  Because the Levite nation was short by 273, He made the demand that monetary payment, a different sacrifice but a sacrifice nonetheless, had to be made.

For my friends who don’t necessarily believe that baptism is a necessary step toward salvation, please consider this story.  It would have been easy for God to say that 22,000 is “close enough” to 22,273 as to make no difference.  We hear people say that baptism is not necessary, because God only cares about the heart.  But this passage reveals an important detail of God’s character to us – He means exactly what He says.  And for an example, when He says that we should “repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38), He means just that.  He is not a God of the approximate.  273 people prove that point.

God Takes Care of Everything

I love this verse in Leviticus:

“‘Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land.  Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.  You may ask, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?”  I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.  While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.” — Leviticus 25:18-22

It seems that God takes care of everything if people will be faithful and follow His laws.  Not only will He give enough harvest for that sixth year, but He will bless it many times over so that there will be enough to eat during the seventh year (the Sabbath year when no planting is done), during the eighth year (when planting is done, but they are waiting for the crops to grow and be harvested), and during the ninth year (the eighth year harvest is now collected and stored).  What strikes me most about this arrangement is that God takes care of the need to eat, but he also takes care of the worry associated with wondering where next year’s meals are coming from.  It’s that ninth year that really displays God’s generosity.  There was no need for Him to over-provide into that year, except to alleviate worry for His people, and to demonstrate His greatness.  He didn’t have to do it – but He did.

The Jubilee Year

In Leviticus 25, we find the concept of the Jubilee year – once every fifty years, property and slaves revert back to their original state.  Some items of note:

• Leviticus 25:10 – “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.” This is my favorite part – returning to the family and your own people.  I find a lot of parallels in this event that should be mirrored in our own society.  It reminds me of the verse in Malachi 4:6 – “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” The Jubilee is meant to be a restorative time for families, and for them to be rejoined.  In my opinion, family is an incredibly important institution.
• Leviticus 25:14-17 – Land is not permanently sold to others, but reverts back to the original owners in the Jubilee year.  Prices are set based on the number of crops to be had until the next Jubilee.  Imagine how this would change people’s viewpoint toward the acquisition and stockpiling of wealth.  And why is the land not to be transferred between people?  It is a reminder that the land belongs to the Lord (verse 23).
• Leviticus 25:29-31 – Curiously, if you sell a house that exists inside a walled city, the transfer is permanent and doesn’t revert back to the original owner in the Jubilee year.  But if the house is outside of town, it does.  I’m speculating that this may have something to do once again with the land, and not the house.
• Leviticus 25:39-43 – if a fellow Israelite has sold himself as a hired worker, he is freed in the year of Jubilee.  Slaves from other nations are not (verse 46).

There is a good deal of this chapter devoted to the idea of redemption of land and property – that is, land that is mortgaged to another may be bought back and restored to the original owner whenever they are able to afford the price.  I wonder if God set forth the concepts of Jubilee and redemption as a forerunner to grace and forgiveness?

God’s Blessings and His Curse

The entire chapter of Leviticus 26 speaks some amazing words.

First, God promises what He will do for those who keep His commands.  He will:

• Give people rain, plentiful harvest, and safety
• Peace in the land, and the absence of fear
• Victory over enemies
• Abundant blessings of children

But there is also a list for those who are disobedient:

• Terror and disease
• Failed crops
• Defeat by their enemies, and made into slaves
• Wild animals who will come to destroy cattle and children
• Plagues
• Lack of food
• Cities will be laid waste and turned to ruins
• Irrational fear

These punishments are shown to be progressive.  It seems God will give them a chance to repent in between curses, but if they don’t turn back to Him, the next punishment will be worse.

These words were given to Israel, but can they be applied to all nations who follow Him (or choose not to follow Him) today?  And does God bless or curse on a local scale?  That is, if America departs from God, but a particular farmer chooses to honor Him anyway, will He receive an individual blessing?

Blaspheme and Die

More black-and-white words from God in Leviticus:

“Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.  The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)  They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.

^“Then the LORD said to Moses: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.  Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.”” — Lev 24:10-16

What exactly does it mean to blaspheme the name of God?  The dictionary definition would tell us it means to curse or to speak irreverently.  Do we see people do this to God today?  If so, perhaps we should think of the Old Testament penalty the next time we see it happen in our hearing.  God is serious about some things.  Have we lost that fear in our modern day?

God had Moses follow through with the threat.  In Lev 24:23 – “Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses.” Cursing God is no idle thing.  At one time, it carried with it a death penalty.

Don’t Work, Or You Will Die

We live in a culture where “Do what you want” is the mantra.  To some degree, the Christian culture has adopted this, as well.  We find it hard to believe that God would punish someone, as long as their heart is in the right place.

But God sets out certain rules for His people in Leviticus – like how to respect the annual Day of Atonement.  Like the Sabbath, he declares that no work is to be done on this day.  But this time, He attaches a penalty.

‘The LORD said to Moses, “The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present a food offering to the LORD.  Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God.  Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.  I will destroy from among their people anyone who does any work on that day.  You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.  It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”’ — Lev 23:26-32

Honoring the sabbath day of rest was serious to God.  So much so that He vowed to destroy anyone found working on that day.  Hmmm – do we take God’s Word as seriously as that?  Do you think this threat was echoing through the Israelite’s minds throughout that day?  Would it make us think a little harder about God’s commands?

Tattoos

Here is one that our present culture in America definitely won’t like.

“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” — Leviticus 19:28

I believe that God had a reason to place this verse in the Old Testament – He feels strongly about us marking up what He has created.  We should not forget that we are made in His image.  Why would we modify what He has made?

I did some research on tattooing, and what motivates people to get them.  For some, it is to display their pride in something.  For others, it is a sign of rebellion.  But I also discovered that getting tattoos can be addictive – once some people start getting them, they can’t stop.  That sounds dangerous to me – and not from God.

Do we have any reason to believe that God has changed His mind about this topic, just because we no longer live in Old Testament times?  Big tattoo…or little…does it matter?