majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Deuteronomy 26:13,
"I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to
the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, according to all
you commanded."
Here is the confession the worshipper was to make when he brought in
the third year tithe to the Lord at the celebration of Firstfruits. As
a confession that was to follow the fulfillment of what the Lord
required, it tells us something of the magnificent heart of our
wonderful God. Every third year God required the Israelites to bring
in the first tenth of the blessing the Lord had provided them from the
fruit of the Promised Land. They were to take this offering, and after
having presented it to the priest, distribute it among those who
worked for the Lord full time, the Levites, and the alien, the
fatherless and the widows.
To be sure, the offering of Firstfruits was to be an expression of
rejoicing in "all the good things the Lord your God has given you."
What captures my thoughts this morning is that the distribution of the
offering reflects the Lord's kindness toward those who serve him full
time (and so are unable to provide for themselves as the others in
Israel) and those who are helpless: the alien, orphans and widows. Our
God is kind, who cares for the needs of those who cannot provide for
themselves.
Is it required somewhere that God has to have a kind heart? Of course
not. God is who he is and there is nothing that compels his nature to
be one way or another. What if God showed little regard for the
helpless? The fact that our God has a wonderfully kind heart
demonstrates the nature of his character: our God is loving and kind.
No where is this love and kindness more evident than his sending his
Son, Jesus Christ, to provide a way for helpless people. Lost and
fallen mankind is helpless in the hands of God's horrific judgment.
So, in his kindness, he sent his Son to take our punishment on himself
that we might escape his judgment, have a right standing before him
and enjoy him forever.
"When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our
Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become
heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:4-7.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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