Care of the Holy

"The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle

will relate to the most sacred objects. . .

Do not let the Kohathite clans be 

destroyed from among the Levites!

This is what you must do so they will live and not die

when they approach the most sacred objects.

Aaron and his sons must always go in with them

and assign a specific duty or load to each person.

The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary

to look at the sacred objects for even a moment,

or they will die."

Numbers 4:4, 18-20

The samples of blood had to be treated with care.  In order to ship the little vials across the country while still preserving the integrity of the blood, special instructions had to be followed.  If each step was not adhered to, the integrity of the sample may have been jeopardized.

In a similar way, the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi had to follow God's specific rules about how to care for the holy things in the temple.  Since the items used in worship were considered to be sacred, there was a high level of respect surrounding these objects. Therefore, they must be handled with great care.   If the Kohathites did not do everything that was required, it was their own lives that were on the line.

Since Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice on the cross, I need not worry about being struck down if I don't do what God expects.  As a matter of fact, there is no way my sinful being is able to reach such high standards, illustrating my need for a Savior in the first place.  This, however, does not exempt me from paying careful attention to the way I live my life.  I am bought with a price, a steep price, and by the blood of Jesus, I have been set apart for God's use.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 1:14-15)

As the new temple of God, it is important that I treat my life as special.  What does this mean for me?

Covering

Each holy object from the Tabernacle was handled with great care by Aaron and his sons.  First they covered the items with blue or purple cloth, and sometimes even an extra covering of red, and then wrapped the whole package in fine leather.  Once every piece of the sacred furnishings and holy articles were covered, only then were the Kohathites allowed to enter in to perform their duties.  They were not authorized to directly touch or look upon the objects themselves.  (Numbers 4)  Only Aaron and his sons were allowed to do so since they had been consecrated for this purpose.

Like those special objects, I am considered to be holy, as well, because of what Jesus did for me.  When He spilled His blood on the cross, He consecrated me for use by a Holy God.  Therefore, I must not look at my life as ordinary or common.  The blood of Jesus has set me aside for His purposes, so I must not be so careless with how I treat His temple.

This does not mean I adopt a holier-than-thou attitude, but that I view my life with a kind of sacred respect and reverence.  Before I knew Jesus, I felt perfectly comfortable with taking part in all kinds of self-destructive activities and pursuits.  After all, I thought, It's my life and I can do whatever I want!  

Now that I belong to Jesus, however, it is important that I stay away from that which offends Him.  Out of respect for what Christ has done for me, I can no longer in good conscious speak in any old way, watch whatever form of entertainment I want to, or read the latest book which is an affront to His holy Name.  

As a child of God who was bought with a price, I must do as Aaron and his sons did with the sacred objects.  I must intentionally protect myself from that which contaminates my mind, corrupts my heart and leads me down the path of destruction.  (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 6:22-23, Romans 12:2)

In order to care for my life made holy by the blood of Jesus, I must take great care in covering myself from worldly influences and appealing temptations.

Code of Conduct

If a member of the U.S. Armed Forces is captured as a prisoner of war, there is a special code of conduct they are expected to follow.  American P.O.W.'s are required, among other things, to avoid answering questions, stand strong against the enemy captors, always strive to escape and resist, never accept special favors, and never forget they are Americans fighting for freedom.  The code was written to give military members a guide in how to survive captivity honorably while avoiding exploitation by the enemy.

In much the same way, I have been given a code of conduct found in God's Word.  It is easy to read the Bible in the same way I used to read books in school: I glean information, take note of interesting facts, and walk away unchanged.  God's Word, however, is different than a history or social studies book.  Instead, it is His inspired Word, given to His people with the purpose of instructing, convicting of sin, correcting where wrong, and training to conform to His will in thought, purpose and action. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

If I am to take these instructions seriously, then, I can't simply read it.  Instead, I am to open my heart and listen to what God is trying to tell me. (James 1:22-25) If I don't study with the intention of getting something out of it, or finding a nugget of truth that will change my life, I will not see anything significant.  

If, however, I open God's Word with the expectation of discovering something new and life-changing, I will not be disappointed.  The Lord will use scripture to encourage me, show me more about His ways, highlight areas of sin in my life, and exhort me to reach higher in the power of His Holy Spirit.  (Hebrews 4:12-13)

In order to care for my life made holy by the blood of Jesus, I must carefully follow the code of conduct found in God's Word.

Commitment

As a mom who taught her children at home, parents often came to me seeking information or advice concerning homeschooling.  If someone was considering pulling their children out of a traditional school setting and teaching them at home, I always asked them what was their motivation.  I had found that those who would be able to persevere in such a large undertaking needed a commitment that came from a call beyond themselves.  If the parent simply thought it was a good idea, they would most likely give up when the going got tough.

In the same way that there must be a commitment to homeschooling in order for parents to withstand the difficulties, I must make a commitment to following Jesus if I'm going to be able to live wholeheartedly for Him.  If I'm mostly concerned with what I'm getting out of the deal, like my heavenly reward, I won't really consider how I should live while I'm here on earth.

Therefore, I must examine my heart, and ask myself who Jesus is to me.  If He's my Savior, but not my Lord, I've probably not submitted my life to God.  Instead, I may have accepted the free gift of salvation without repenting of my sins.  In other words, I want it both ways; to live my way and to receive the perk of heaven.  This results in a lukewarm existence as opposed to a fiery passion for knowing God and making Him known. (Revelation 3:14-22)

Jesus is standing outside the door of my heart, waiting to be invited in.  He died a criminal's death not just to give me a way to live forever with Him, but also to make me right with God in this life. (Romans 3:22)  I am meant to live in relationship with Him, inviting Him in to every part of my life, allowing Him to change me, discipline me and make me new.  

If I don't let Him in, I'll never experience the red-hot passion that is needed for me to strive toward the finish line. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Instead, I'll spend my life wandering around without a focus or a drive.

In order to care for my life made holy by the blood of Jesus, I must commit my life wholeheartedly to the Lord, allowing Him to light in me a fire of passion for Him.

In the same way that the descendants of Levi's son, Kohath, were tasked with caring for the holy items of the Tabernacle, so I am called to care for my own life as a sacred temple.  Therefore, I would be wise to cover myself from that which contaminates, carefully follow His code of conduct, and make a sincere commitment to following Jesus.  In these ways, I will show proper care for the life that truly belongs to the One who bought and paid for it with His own life.  

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can take my job of holiness seriously.

When do I slack off in protecting myself from worldly influences?

How am I lukewarm in my relationship with the Lord?