Numbers 19
SACRIFICE

In order for the water of purification to purify a person after they had touched a dead body, certain people had to be prepared to sacrifice themselves for those people.

The first was the priest, Eleazar, who had to supervise the burning of the red heifer. He was to be unclean until the evening. (Numbers 19 v 7). So too was the person who burnt the heifer to ashes. He had to wash and be unclean until evening. (v 8). Then the man who gathered up the ashes to put them into storage also had to wash and be unclean until the evening. (v 10). They all sacrificed their time, their fellowship and their ritual holiness to help other people become pure.

Contact with sin leads to death and makes us unclean. We might think we can cleanse ourselves, but our cleansing comes at a cost to others as well. The biggest cost for our cleansing came from Jesus, our high priest, who died for our sin. Then there are others throughout history who have lost their lives preaching the gospel so we could hear it. And many of those around us have given up their time, comfort and possessions to help bring us to Christ.

We should also sacrifice ourselves in order to save those around us. Let’s remember the cost of our cleansing, and let’s be prepared to sacrifice ourselves, our time, possessions, comforts or anything, to have a part in saving others from sin and death.

May we become living sacrifices for our Lord this week.

With love in our Lord
Robert

Thinky Things Proverbs

If you are following the daily reading chart, you will have been reading though the book of Proverbs in the last couple of weeks. Thinky Things Proverbs, by Robert Prins, has a great selection of thoughts on every chapter of Proverbs. Find out where to get your copy at www.thinkythings.com/purchase/

The Story of the Song Of Solomon

And, speaking of the daily readings, we will be coming up to the Song of Solomon is a couple of weeks, so while you are at it, grab a copy of The Story of the Song of Solomon, by Robert Prins. In this short booklet, Robert tells the story of the song to give us context to the words of the drama we read in our Bibles. Find out where to get your copy at www.thinkythings.com/purchase/