The other day Marge and I were having some lunch and when the waiter brought my water it had a circular slice of lemon caringly wedged onto the rim of the glass. What a treat, the freshness of a twist of lemon with my water. As I pulled off the lemon, I paused as I looked at it. It was perfect. The cross section revealed the internal structure of the lemon and I’m not kidding, it was perfect. The radial striations stretched out from the center, perfectly positioned to the millimeter. What I thoughtlessly held in my hand the world could never create or fashion. Perfection in our midst goes so easily unnoticed.
Have you ever looked closely at the structure of a rose? The amazing complexity of the Milky Way? Have you ever gazed intently into someone’s eyes and witnessed the miracle, depth and beauty of the colors? My friends, one way you can define God is that He is a God of order. And in that order is purpose. And in that purpose is beauty.
Today we see God exercise that order and purpose as He gives Moses and Aaron the specifics of exactly how He desires the Israelites to camp amongst the Tabernacle. We studied the Tabernacle and it’s dimensions, materials, pieces and purpose back in Leviticus. If you missed any of the studies or want a follow up, back up and catch it at The5MC.com under the Leviticus tab.
God has clear instructions for the organization of the camp. The Tabernacle will be placed first and then the entire Israelite nation will camp around it with all tents facing the Tabernacle. The Levites, the priests that God chose to care for His Tabernacle, will camp directly around it. (It only makes sense to be close to work, right?) He next instructed the 12 tribes to camp on each side, three to a side. Rueben, Simeon and Gad to the south of the tabernacle. Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin to the West. Dan, Asher and Naphtali to the North and finally Judah, Issachar and Zebulun to the East. Each tribe had a huge banner and as camp was being settled the people would simply find their flag, and then pitch their tents. Extreme order brings great purpose. Even sounds very military-esque, yes?
But think about this. In Numbers chapter one which we covered yesterday; we saw a census of the entire Israelite nation taken. Everyone had to be counted among their tribe. In all of this activity is a tremendous lesson for us today. First, the people needed to know who they were. They associated with their tribe and their banner, it was their identity. Second, they needed to know their place. Their identity located them in a specific place within the camp of God. And finally, they all needed to be in relation to the Tabernacle. They pitched their tent facing God, keeping Him close and in view at all times. As you process all of this, I have a question for you. Where is your tent today?
Let’s take a look at how to make sure our tents are where God wants them.
1) Know who you are. If you have called upon Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, you are a child of God. You are in the tribe of Jesus Christ. You are in the family of God and you are a not a citizen of this planet, but a citizen of Heaven. You are blessed, you are saved, and you are gifted. It is no accident that God has called you by His Holy Spirit to become part of His family. He called you because He has a purpose for you. You have a gift that He desires you to use to further His Kingdom. You are first and foremost a servant of Jesus Christ. That’s who you are.
2) Know where you belong. I bet on “move in” day, the Israelite camp seemed like chaos. Around 2 million people all finding their place and eventually pitching their tents. But in the end, because everyone knew who they were and where they belonged, order concluded the day. We’ve already established who you are in the camp, but where do you belong? First of all, you have to be part of a group to belong to it. God intends for all of His children to belong. That is, to belong to a local body of born again believers. And together this body will join under one banner to serve God. If you’re not a member of a local Bible believing, Bible teaching church, you need to be. It’s not my idea or a societal expectation, it’s God’s Word, God’s plan and God’s purpose. God’s Word compares the local church to a human body in 1 Corinthians 12. There are feet, hands, ears, eyes and yes even hearts and livers. You see without every part of a body, it will not function as it should. All parts are needed for the body to function at 100%. You could be a finger, or a toe. Maybe you’re an eye or a foot. Whatever it is, God created you to specifically fulfill that function in a local body of believers.
Every Sunday as I walk through my church, I revel with joy in all of the people that are serving in their own specific way. A guy with a smile a mile wide picks us up in a golf cart and whisks us to the front door. There a team of men and women greet us with love and care. There are camera operators, sound guys, singers, musicians, child-care workers, building maintenance guys, teachers and yes, even somebody that brings donuts. As I walk through my church every Sunday morning, I am blessed to walk side by side with these men and women as we all serve together under one single high-flying banner. A tribe of people that know who they are and where they belong. Folks, don’t let your pride tell you that you don’t need church. It’s God’s plan for you and it’s there you will find pure joy in realizing God’s purpose for your gifts.
3) Where is your tent? We all have a tent today, and it is firmly staked into the ground. No this is not a physical tent or a metaphor for your home, I’m talking about a spiritual tent, your heart. You see, we are firmly grounded in something. And in that grounding, we are making a statement. Is your tent staked around God? Is your tent facing the glory of God? I know folks today that have turned their backs on God. They have pitched their tent far away from Him and even facing away from Him. A statement. They believe that God has somehow failed them or forsaked them because of events in their life. Don’t let the devil and selfish pride move your tent. Pitch your tent close to God. Set it up so close you can feel His very presence. And set it so that the door opens towards God. You can sleep with the flap open and gaze at Him constantly, knowing that He is ever so close.
You see if you find yourself far away from God, He is not the one that moved. His presence is always at the epicenter of our lives. But as you walk this sin filled world it will beckon you to move your tent. To slide it a foot at a time in the opposite direction of God. Partying, drinking, sex, cussing, drugs, money, all things the world will tell you are “fun” are also all things that will slowly but surely move your tent. Folks, stake it down and stake it down firmly. Refuse to move your tent. Stay close to God and your path will be made straight.
Know who you are, know where you belong and pitch your tent ever so close to your Heavenly Father. As a result, you will be rewarded, you will be enriched and yes, you will be used greatly by God.
Merry Christmas.
Comments