"And you shall keep guard over the sanctuary and over the altar, that there may never again be wrath on the people of Israel." - Numbers 18:5 The Priests and Levites were told to protect the holy things - the temple and especially the altar - so that God’s wrath would never again fall on Israel.
It’s significant that shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, the Priests allowed altars to Baal and other idols to be built inside the temple. They removed the altar that God had commanded them to build and replaced it with one patterned after a pagan altar the king had seen in Syria. (That story is in II Kings chapter 16.). The temple had been profaned by Judah and by the Priests and Levites before the Babylonians looted and burned it.
We, too, are told by God to keep the most holy things safe. We are cautioned to hold fast to the pure Word of God and especially the Gospel of salvation in Christ, to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” (Jude, verse 3)
So long as we keep these holy things - the teaching of the Word of God and especially the Gospel - in their truth and purity, it will go well for us and for our nation. But if we let the true Gospel be replaced by a humanist, pagan teaching and lose the integrity of the faith once delivered to the saints, all bets are off.
The devil knows this, which is why we see such fierce attacks and constant pressure on churches and on pastors to compromise the teaching of God’s Word and replace the message of salvation by faith in Christ with all kinds of humanistic teaching. If that is taken out of the way, our protection is gone.
Be faithful in keeping what has been entrusted to us.
Lord, keep us faithful to the pure teaching of Your Word. Let us never replace the treasure that You have entrusted to us with what the world thinks is a better idea. Help us to hold fast these holy things in our hearts, especially the word of forgiveness in the blood of Jesus. Be our shield and defender. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Dan Giles
コメント