King James Daily Bible Study: Dedicate To Be Dedicated

King James Daily Bible Study: Dedicate To Be Dedicated
Date: Tuesday February 15, 2011
Chapters: Numbers 7
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Details of Today's Reading: The offerings of the princes at the dedication of the tabernacle and at the dedication of the altar.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The word dedication is defined as the act of dedicating or the state of being dedicated, complete and wholehearted devotion. If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you can rejoice knowing that at least once in your life you dedicated you life to Christ by asking Him to save your life. One day you will see Jesus face to face and when that time comes Christ is going to give you an instant replay of our life. He is going to show you what you did or could have done to serve God and just how dedicated you were to Him while you were living here on earth. While our works do not get us to heaven, they do count in the rewards we will receive when we get to heaven. Jesus says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21. God loves a person who is wholeheartedly devoted to Him, the amazing thing is that when we are dedicated to Him, He is dedicated to us. “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” - Psalm 119:2.

The Tabernacle was all set up, the people were told what they needed to do, the time had finally come for the Israelites to be able to show God how dedicated they were to Him by giving the offerings God explained. After Moses sanctified the Tabernacle the princes of each of the twelve tribes stood before the tent with their offerings.

“And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered: And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.” - Numbers 7:1-5.

One by one each prince brought their offerings to be presented before God. God loves a cheerful giver, He delights in seeing His people acknowledging Him and giving thanks for all that He has provided them with as well as giving Him some of what He gave back. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” - II Corinthians 9:6-8.

Now, God knows that we are not going to be cheerful all the time, and that we are even going to be a little slothful from time to time, He accepts that, in fact, He will even tell us when we are overdoing things and need to rest. The thing we have to be careful of is saying that we are going to do something for Him and not even making an effort to do it. That is when He will have to remind us of our vow and that we are not following through. Even when we are not cheerful we can be dedicated to God, in fact, God will bless us even more for pressing forward even through the trying times in our lives. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” - I Peter 4:12-14.

After the princes presented their offerings Moses presented them before God on their behalf. “This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold: Each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels. All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering: and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.” - Numbers 7:84-88.

Moses was the mediator, the middleman, who presented the offerings before God, in a sense he was like a lawyer defending his client. He stood before God, the judge, presented his case, all the evidence, and pleaded before his clients life to be saved. If the judge saw that the offering was sincere He pardoned that mans or womans life for the sake of the one pleading for it. Today, Jesus is our mediator, He presents our case before God and pleads for us, all we have to do to be pardoned is offer ourselves to Him sincerely. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” - I Timothy 2:4-6.

God knows our hearts and whether or not we are wholeheartedly devoted to Him or really have no interest in Him beyond a prayer or two and going to church once in a while. Count it a blessing that even if you are not wholeheartedly devoted to Him Jesus wholeheartedly devoted Himself to you by giving His life for you. You only have to go before Him once and you are pardoned forever. Praise God! Even if you never do anything ever again for Him you are saved, but just imagine the blessings you will receive not only here on earth, but up in heaven when you get there simply by dedicating some time for Him. Jesus said, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” - Revelation 22:11-14.

We will all stand before Jesus to be judged, once we meet Him face to face it is too late, we will either walk through those pearly gates or be cast into the fire. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:12-15. There is only one way to avoid the fire and that is by asking Jesus to save you. If you have not done so, the time is now to dedicate your life to Him so He can dedicate His life to you.
Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through voluntary offerings of the leaders which were sufficient to meet the needs. Jesus offers us everything we need, including Himself. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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