FEBRUARY 19 "YOU'RE GONNA EAT MY SACRIFICE?"

  This is a transition stage for the Israelite's as it is for a congregation that is transitioning to support it's Priest/Pastor. Moses is trying to explain to the Israelites that "The Lord" wants them to make a sacrifice. A sacrifice that will cost them financially. "Well, I guess if it's for The Lord". Imagine their response when Moses says, "well it's for The Lord, but The Lord told me to give the breast and the thigh to Aaron and his sons". "Oh I see what's going on here, this is a scam, you say, The Lord, wants....but then coincidentally the offering goes straight to your brother, how convenient! We give and he and his sons just feed off of our sacrificial giving, why he might as well not even work!" That's when Moses has to break the news to them..."ughhhh, actually, that's the plan, that your offerings support Aaron and his sons, they are going to be Priests". We can read over this quickly and not think twice about the resentment and opposition Moses faced with this new offering. Can you imagine as this hard working man, comes and sacrifices a valuable Ram and then he comes by later and he's watching Aaron and his sons chow down on his Ram, that he sacrificed, that cost him and they're enjoying it.....as they look up, with grease dripping down their beard, "thanks bro, great Ram, tastes great, thanks man!" In his mind he must think this is ridiculous, we've been had by Moses and he and Aaron are pulling a scam on us". But yet, it's there, in the Word of God for us to read, how can we deny this is not God's doing, how can we deny, this is not what God wants. People, congregation members 'till this very day have a hard time accepting that the Priest, the Pastor, should eat off the backs of their hard work and offerings, but the tragedy is, a congregation that does not accept this teaching will never prosper. A congregation that thinks it's Pastor should go out and work a regular job just like them is in for some hard and despairing times a head of them. And the sad thing is, they will never quite get, why they are not prospering, why they are not moving forward and the very reason will be right in front of the. Every Sunday. The tired, burnt out dishonored Pastor that stands right before them. Until a church values and esteems the office of Priest/Pastor, they are not moving forward and this was fundamental that the Israelites understood this before the moved on with their destiny.

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