Aaron: Teach Them To Be Holy

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2mnesh

Having a famous father isn’t always the best thing for a son. Many famous athletes, celebrities, politicians and other public figures have seen their children fare far below expectations set before them. It’s tough to live in the shadow of someone famous, successful or popular.

But then that is still no excuse for not doing what is right. A son of an athlete may devote his life to something other than sports, but if he chooses wisely and lives righteously his father would still be proud of him.

Sometimes we see the children of athletes come into the same sport that their fathers played. Some fare well. Others do not.

The children of celebrities are often in the spotlight. Some live right. Others use the attention to show off their rebellion. It’s tough to live in the shadow of a successful father.

In the Old Testament many men stand out as being very successful. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, and the list could go on and on. Another name to add to that list would be Aaron.

He was the brother of Moses and became the spokesperson for God along with Moses. Aaron was the first high priest of Israel and much of the form of worship was set in place while he served in that role. No doubt about it. Aaron was a very successful person.

But he wasn’t perfect. Of course, none of us are perfect. But at least our sins and mistakes are not recorded in the Bible for everyone to read!

Perhaps the most glaring mistake of Aaron’s life was his supervision over the making of the golden calf that the Israelites wanted to have as an idol to worship. This story unfolds in Exodus 32. Moses is on the mountain receiving the commandments from God and the people become restless. They said to Aaron, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:1)

Instead of being strong and rebuking the people, Aaron began to give orders and organize for the manufacturing of this idol. Apparently forgetting everything that God had done, Aaron beheld the new idol and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:4)

God then informs Moses of this action and sends him down to the people to confront them. Aaron was supposed to have kept the people in place. But he had failed.

Verse 25 tells us that “Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies.” This shortcoming of Aaron, the inability to stand firm when it comes to being faithful to God, apparently affected other parts of his life as well.

Consider the sons of Aaron. He had four in total, but mostly we know only of Nadab and Abihu. The other two are Eleazar and Ithamar.

All of his sons served with Aaron as priests, a very revered position among the people. But Nadab and Abihu did not discharge their duties in a way that was pleasing to God. Because of their actions, God consumed them with fire. As we review this account, please consider what effect the inconsistent faith of Aaron may have had on the actions of these two sons. This reading is from Leviticus 10:1-3.

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.’”

So Aaron held his peace.

What a tragic loss! Aaron had made many mistakes in his life. One mistake cost him his entry to the Promised Land. But this mistake by his two sons cost them their lives immediately. Perhaps if Aaron had led a more consistent life for God his sons would have learned to respect everything God commanded.

Friends, God must be respected. God must be glorified and regarded as holy. Should we ever fail to retain these facts our lives may also end in tragedy.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we be diligent students of God’s word and may we apply everything He says to our lives today. May we also accept and complete the responsibility to teach our children to respect, glorify and regard God as holy.

Our thought for the day: “A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1)

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Eli: The Father Who Lacked Parental Authority

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yo72cs

It must be really difficult for some people to have a balanced life. At times we may admire those who are in the news—celebrities, athletes, leaders, etc. However, we are often disappointed in the news that even those who are successful in their profession are not always successful in their family life.

My wife and I were recently watching a biography of a well known actor. He was very successful in his profession. No doubt about that. But his life wasn’t balanced.

Through this presentation they kept referring to him as a great family man. However, his life included more than his first family. In fact, he had cheated on his first wife with his soon to be second wife. And then did the same thing to his second wife and ended up married a third time.

Successful? Maybe in the movies, but certainly not in fidelity in marriage. Family man? Well, I guess that just depends on which wife and children of his you ask.

In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel we are introduced to a very successful man who committed his life to the Lord. His name is Eli. Now Eli was a good man. He was a high priest and served as a judge of Israel from the family of Ithamar.

But Eli had a glaring fault in his life. While he had devoted that life to God, he had forsaken his responsibility to teach and correct his children.

His two sons, Phinehas and Hophni, were partners in some very evil practices. While people would come to bring their offerings and sacrifices, these two young men would begin to demand more of the people than they were required to give. Their strong handed arm twisting soon angered the people. 1 Samuel 2:17 says, “Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”

Religious abuse has almost always existed. Those who should have known better have a pretty long recorded history of abusing the responsibilities that God has set in place. The Pharisees of the time of Jesus were known for corruption of the Law of Moses. It is no wonder that the people of the time of Eli as well as the time of any corruption will decry the process of worship or sacrifice that has been defiled.

But, remember, Eli is a good man. He’s dedicated his life to being a servant of God. He’s a high priest. Very successful by anyone’s standards, right? Well, maybe he would be remembered better if we never knew about his failings with his sons.

Note this reading from 1 Samuel 2:22-25.

Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD's people transgress. If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.

If Eli had taken the time to serve his family as he served the Lord, then maybe his sons would have heeded and respected his rebuke and corrected their ways. But Eli did not have the parental authority that he needed to have. He was a successful man of God, but he was not a successful father.

These two sons brought Eli much pain and grief. When he later heard that the two had died on the same day, Eli fell over and died also. What a tragic end to what could have been a much more hope filled family.

Friends, success isn’t just about that next promotion or the amount of money in your retirement account. True success is living each day in such a way to cause God to smile on your actions and know that you are still His!

On Our Daily Walk today, may we work to balance our life in all areas so as to be everything we should be to everyone we encounter. May we especially be mindful of our family responsibilities and make them a priority for our Lord.

Our thought for the day: “Parents should always remember that some day their children will follow their example instead of their advice.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Job: Sacrificing For His Children

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2uyewr

Most parents would do anything for their children. If we could, we would take every pain away and make sure that all of their needs are met. But we realize that eventually our children will have to make their own decisions and live their own lives.

As parents we are to be the religious leaders of our children. Many parents of the past few decades thought it best to wait and let the children grow up and explore religion on their own. But this was a huge mistake. As a result of such negligence, many millions of adults today have never been given a proper education on God, religion and what it means to live a righteous life.

Of course, not every child will grow up to be faithful to God, regardless of how much the parents do to instruct the child. Many will remain true to God while at home, but when they leave for college or to start a family of their own, well, that is when the real test of faith comes.

As a patriarch in the Old Testament, the male head of the house was the spiritual leader of his family. In addition to religious instruction, he would also be responsible for sacrifices to God.

Job was one such family leader. He instructed his children on how they should act and also offered sacrifices on their behalf in the event that they had sinned against God.

Most would agree that Job was a good man. But more than that, Job was the most righteous man on earth. Here is how Job is introduced to us in Job 1:1-5.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

Not only had Job instructed his children, but he still held a responsibility for them even after they had moved to their own homes. Notice that he regularly offered sacrifices on their behalf.

No doubt Job loved these children. All ten of them! But then tragedy struck Job’s life.

In the course of just one day four messengers came to see Job. The first reported that his oxen and donkeys had been stolen and all of those servants were killed. Then another messenger arrived and informed Job that his sheep had all been killed along with the servants who tended them.

Then a third messenger came and told Job that the camels were all stolen and those servants who tended to them were killed. But the worst was yet to come.

A fourth messenger arrived with the terrible news that all ten of Job’s children were killed in a windstorm while at the home of their brother.

The news of a sudden and tragic death is never welcomed. The loss of one child is a heavy burden for any parent. Can you imagine the weight of losing all ten of your children at once?

But Job was righteous, remember? Job’s response to all of this was natural given his commitment to God. We find this in Job 1:20-22.

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,

And naked shall I return there.

The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Friends, when we trust in God and teach our children to be righteous, even calamity can be endured.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we as parents always seek to teach our children about what God wants. May we continue to pray on their behalf and show them the love that God shows to us.

Our thought for the day: “No man really finds out what he believes until he begins to instruct his children.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

Jethro: Don't Wear Yourself Out

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/24pfj9

In-laws are favorite targets of some jokes. If you are fortunate enough to have good in-laws, count yourself blessed. My wife and I both have enjoyed wonderful relationships with our in-laws during our 24 years of marriage.

One of the commonly reported problems with in-laws is that they don’t always mind their own business. When a husband and wife come together to form a new family they leave mother and father and cleave to one another. They are now on their own.

But sometimes the apron strings are not cut soon enough by the parents and this can lead to problems. Instead of watching from a distance, some parents and in-laws interject their advice at times when it is neither requested nor welcomed.

Fortunately I believe that even in these cases the parents really mean to do what is best for their children. But still this advice can sometimes fall on deaf ears.

Moses faced a situation with his father-in-law, Jethro, who had come back to see how things were going. When he observed the work load that Moses was subjecting himself to, Jethro offered some excellent advice. “Don’t wear yourself out!”

Thankfully, Moses saw the benefit of this advice and put his father-in-law’s advice to work right away. This reading is from Exodus 18:13-27.

And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

So Moses' father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Friends, we benefit from watching successful people. We learn from their failures as well as their successes. And also we can benefit from the perspective of someone who cares about our situation. A different point of view can yield a totally different solution.

As Christians who care for one another, we should always be open to suggestions on how we can live better and do better. Moses could have used his position of authority to reject the advice of his father-in-law. But instead he considered this wise counsel and quickly put it to work.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we always be open to advice freely given. May we consider that others are interested in helping our lives to be better.

Our thought for the day: “Behind every successful man stands a very surprised mother-in-law.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.

The Nobleman: What If Your Son's Life Depended On Your Faith?

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2582l4

“I’m sorry, but your son is very sick. I think it is only a matter of time now until he passes.” “No,” said the father. “He can’t die now. He’s too young and has so much to live for. I’ll do anything—whatever it takes to make him well. Just tell me what to do.”

But who can really give any hope in such a situation? In today’s world of medical advancements, many diseases are easily cured and others are cured or contained with more elaborate medical treatments and medicines.

To what lengths would you go to find a cure for your sick son? If the doctor prescribed a pill that cost $1,000 a piece, would you find a way to buy those pills? Of course you would.

And what if the doctor told you that the only way for your son to live was for you to donate a kidney to him? Would you make that sacrifice to save your son’s life? Of course you would.

What if the doctor told you that you would have to take your son to a distant land and have your son undergo therapy there in their climate? Would you go? Of course you would.

We would do anything for our children. We would sacrifice our money, our bodies, our careers everything we have just to see our sick child become well again.

But what if the doctor told you that your son’s life depended not on your money, your body or your career? What if the doctor told you that your son would live or die based on your faith? Now that’s a different twist.

Consider if you will the story found in John 4:46-53. This is the story of the nobleman who had a son that was healed by Jesus. In this reading, notice how this man’s faith in Jesus is seen in two ways. First, it allows him to leave the bedside of his dying son to find the healing. Second, it allowed him to leave Jesus “empty-handed” and return to his son trusting that Jesus would make him well.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”

The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”

Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”

Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.

We are never told this man’s name nor are we told what happened to him after this event. But this man has a tremendous legacy for us to admire. Imagine the lengths to which you would go to find a cure for your son. Imagine the faith that it would take to trust in a man that you believed to be from God himself.

Thankfully we are not faced with many situations where our sons or daughters are dying before we die. In our world of medical advancements not many people are subjected to having to travel far away or personally bear financial hardship in order to apply a cure. We are blessed.

But friends, would you please consider with me one additional insight? What if your son’s or your daughter’s spiritual life depended on your faith? The whole world would expect you as a parent to cover every option to provide for the physical healing of your child. Can God expect any less of us when it comes to the spiritual healing of our children?

On Our Daily Walk today, may we reflect upon the impact that our faith, or lack of faith, has on our children. May we resolve this hour to make sure that our children, as well as others, clearly see our faith in God and our desire for others to follow after His ways.

Our thought for the day: “Anybody who thinks money is everything has never been sick.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

The Father Of The Prodigal: Welcome Home Son

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.
Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yobq3h

One of the most moving scenes I’ve ever witnessed was shown on television. The setting was an airport terminal and people were everywhere. As the people left the plane and descended the walkway to the terminal screams of joy were heard as family members finally saw their loved ones. Then the camera focused on the weathered face of an older man. Emotion overcame him and tears started to flow as he spotted his soldier son. As they embraced he said, “Welcome home, son! Welcome home!”

Being separated from our loved ones is difficult. Sometimes the separation is what we desire. At other times it goes against our wishes. But a reunion of parent and child after a separation is a wonderful event, no matter how far or how much time separated the two.

Luke records a parable in Luke 15:11-32 about a man who had two sons. This is the parable known mostly by the name of the parable of the prodigal son. Some have suggested that this one parable is actually two—one dealing with the younger, prodigal son and the second dealing with the elder son. The father in this parable is seen as God. With this in mind, let’s review the actions of the younger son and then reflect on the actions of the father. This reading will be from Luke 15:11-24.

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

Let’s briefly review three things about this father of the prodigal son. First of all, he allowed the son to leave. That is free will. Even though the father knew that it was best for the son to remain, he allowed the son to make and live by his own choice.

Second, the father longed for the son to return. That is hope. Even though God allows us to make choices against His will, He is still hopeful that we will see our errors and “come to ourselves” and return to Him.

Third, the father rejoiced to see the son appear. That is the essence of the true love that God has for us. God knows our mistakes and knows our shortcomings. Yet He waits for the wanderers to return to His faithfulness.

Peter says it this way in 2 Peter. 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

God loved us enough to send His Son to die in our place. And yet He loves us enough to allow us to refuse salvation if that is what we desire. But rather than count us as lost forever, God the Father, longs for our return and is ready to rejoice when we repent and join with our God. He is ready to say, “Welcome home.”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we never forget that God is always willing to forgive us if we will repent and return to Him. If not right with God today, may we have some event that will cause us to “come to ourselves” and see that we really need to be with God.

Our thought for the day: “You can’t repent too soon, because you don’t know how soon it may be too late.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.