ELUL DAY 10
POINTS TO PONDER AND CONSIDER
- Are you careful to know that everything you feed your mind, body and soul are acceptable to God?
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- Were you aware of the depiction of Pan as an idol that was discussed in this meditation? What came to mind as you pondered this? Does this fact alert you to pay closer attention to things that sometimes seem innocent yet turn out to be against the ways of God?
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- Can you see how easy it has become for satan to appear innocent to today’s generation? Have you noticed how things hide right in front of our faces sometimes and how such things have been handed down through all the cultures of history?
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- Pan is just one example of how the culture of today has consumed the ideas of false religion without even noticing. Can you think of other examples? Have you become more aware of some false religious practices that you have participated in yourself without realizing the fact? Elul is the time to bring these things before God. He will open your eyes to truth. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- When God warned the Israelites against “drinking blood” what is the understanding of these words for modern times?
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- Have you ever felt called to pray for forgiveness and repent to God for your whole church congregation; your whole community, state, country or the world? Many pagan sins are corporate sins. Just because many participate does not mean that God approves. Can you think of examples of this and have you given thought to your part in the answer to this problem? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ELUL DAY 10- MEDITATION
THE CORRUPTION OF FALSE WORSHIP
When the ancient people of Israel were set free from Egypt by God; a hand-full of them were still not so faithful.
Perhaps some of this was out of ignorance; but not all of it. Some of the people were just blatantly disobedient.
Many continued to worship Pan right along with their new habits of worshiping God.
Moses was being instructed by God about how to set this abomination right and told how to correct it.
Many of the people were still dedicating their ordinary food to Pan as a daily sacrifice, even during the time of the beginning days of the wilderness tabernacle. At home they would sacrifice to Pan and at the tabernacle they would bring their sacrifices before the One True God.
Can you believe they expected results from both places?
This terrible pagan practice was just an old left-over habit from slavery that they had forgotten to put away.
God was going to make it very clear that they NEEDED to put it away. He would tell them to never return to this pagan practice.
Our God hated this practice so very much that He emphasized to Moses that ALL generations were to put away any such pagan beliefs and practices.
MODERN TIMES AND WORSHIP
Therefore; when we come to the place of modern-day worship, we must know where our true altar exist.
Now it is in Christ.
He has freed us just as God freed the Israelis from slavery. Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the bondage of sin.
They came out of Egypt; and we are to come out of the ways of the world.
Jesus is the only way we become acceptable and atoned. He became the One Perfect Blood Sacrifice for all of humanity.
When we come to Him now with our sacrifices in the form of our worship and prayers, these MUST be pure and holy and acceptable to God.
Otherwise; we insult our Savior.
The life in His holy blood has made Him the only true Tabernacle from which we are now to worship in holiness.
OLD PRACTICES DIE HARD
Do we forget our old ways and bad habits just like those ignorant Israelis did?
Does God need to be constantly reminding us to put away the old habits and to come to Him with pure, clean, and unadulterated worship?
Are we incorporating the ways of the world into God’s ways as we come to our modern-day sanctuaries?
Do we overlook the things that are wrong and keep adding them to what is really good and expect God to bless us?
We might be a lot like those unfaithful Israelis who kept making those daily sacrifices to a pagan god but bringing their offerings to the tabernacle to the One True God.
He did not accept such things then; and He will not do it now.
God never changes.
The word for those old Israelis is as true for us today as it was for the Children of Israel back thousands of years ago. The only difference is that our sacrifice has been made perfect. We should be able to come before God stronger and cleaner than they ever did.
Are we?
Do we?