Sacrifice and worship

The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.

I'm reading my way through the Bible - something I expect will take me a year to do. To help me, I found a Bible reading plan from The Navigators, an organization of people who love Jesus and want to tell others about him (see www.navigators.org)

I am using their Bible reading plan called The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan, and I can only highly recommend it. 

It is downloadable at www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRP.dj.pdf

Advertising aside: At the moment, I am reading through 2 Chronicles. What strikes me is that the kings of Jerusalem again and again turn away from God, only to have God punish them severely - only to be followed by a new king who does what is right in the eyes of the Lord. And doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord always makes a difference! But it's like they just never learn, because soon, there's just a new king who gladly forgets God.
In the 2 Chronicles 29, a new king comes to power, and he wants to return to God. He carries out a purification of both priests, Levites and the temple. When everything is ready, they bring a multitude of offerings. I could not help but notice this verse: "The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed." The question that resounds in my head now that we no longer bring offerings to be burnt, is - how long will you worship? And what sacrifice will you bring?

Jesus was the last offering to be sacrificed. His was the blood that was strong enough to be our saving sacrifice. His death on the cross was "all", what was needed - "all" in quotation marks because it was certainly not a small thing, but in fact an invaluable act - one that can never be repaid! We can only bring our lives as a sacrifice - living our lives in the shadow of his greatness, using our whole life to worship him, listening to him and doing what he asks of us. So the answer to my resounding questions must necessarily be "I will worship the rest of my life" and "I will sacrifice my life - my own will, my own way - and the rest of my days I will follow God." 

Is it easy? No. It is demanding to surrender your own will and the control of your life. There are days when I want to fight surrender - but again and again I am reminded that God does not want to do me any harm - that what he wants for me, is actually only good. When I look at the kings and Jerusalem in the 2 Chronicles, it becomes transparently clear: when they stay close to God, is it good for them. When they turn away from him, all goes horribly wrong!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.You will seekme and find me when you seek me with all your heart." 

There is no doubt in my mind - I will keep me close to Him!

Offer og Tilbedelse


Hele forsamlingen tog del i tilbedelsen, som varede indtil alle ofrene var brændt.

Jeg er ved at læse mig gennem Biblen - noget, jeg regner med vil tage et års tid, til hjælp har jeg fundet en Bible læseplan fra The Navigators, som er en organisation af mennesker, der elsker Jesus og ønsker at fortælle andre om ham (se www.navigators.org)

Læseplanen hedder The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan og kan varmt anbefales og downloades på www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRPdj.pdf

Reklame til side: Lige for tiden er jeg så i gang med at læse 2. Krønikebog igennem, og det, der slår mig er, at kongerne i Jerusalem igen og igen vender Gud ryggen, hvorefter Gud straffer dem hårdt - så kommer der en ny konge, som "gør, hvad der er ret i Herrens øjne." Det gør altid en forskel! Men det er som om, de bare ikke tager ved lære, for så kommer der bare en ny konge, som endnu engang vælger at glemme Gud.

I 2. Krønikebog 29 er der kommet en konge til magten, som ønsker at vende tilbage til Gud. Han gennemfører en renselse af både præster og levitter, samt af templet. Når alt er klart, skal der ofres både brændofre, syndofre og sonofre, samt drik- og takofre. Og det, der sagde mig noget særligt var dette "Hele forsamlingen tog del i tilbedelsen, som varede indtil alle ofrene var brændt." vers 28. Det spørgsmål, der runger i mit hoved, nu hvor vi ikke længere brænder ofre, er - hvor længe vil du tilbede? Og hvad er det, du ofre?

Jesus var det sidste offer, der blev bragt. Han blev det blod, der var stærkt nok til at være vores syndoffer. Hans død på korset var "alt", hvad der skulle til - alt i citationstegn, fordi det jo ikke var en lille ting, men i virkeligheden et uvurderligt offer - ét, der aldrig kan tilbagebetales! Vi kan kun bringe vores liv som offer - leve vores liv i skyggen af hans storhed. Bruge hele vores liv på at tilbede ham, lytte til ham, og gøre dét, han beder os om. Så svaret på mine rungende spørgsmål må nødvendigvis være "jeg vil tilbede resten af mit liv" og "jeg vil ofre hele mit liv - min egen vilje, mine egne veje - resten af mine dage vil jeg følge Gud."

Er det nemt? Nej. Det er krævende at afgive sin egen vilje og kontrollen over sit liv. Der er dage, hvor jeg stritter imod - men igen og igen minder Gud mig bare om, at Han ikke vil mig noget ondt - at dét, han ønsker for mig, faktisk kun er godt. Når jeg ser på kongerne og Jerusalem i 2. Krønikebog står det lysende klart: når de holder sig tæt til Gud, går det dem godt. Når de vender sig fra ham, går det grueligt galt!

Jeremias 29:11-13 siger "For jeg ved, hvilke planer jeg har for jer, siger Herren, planer om fred og ikke om ulykke, planer om fremtid og håb. Når I beder til mig om hjælp, vil jeg høre jer, når I søger efter mig vil I finde mig. Ja, hvis I søger mig af hele jeres hjerte, vil I finde mig." 

Der er ingen tvivl i mit sind - jeg vil holde mig tæt til Ham!

Kvinderne i Jesu følge - An entourage of women

Kvinderne i Jesu følge

I den følgende tid gik han fra by til by og fra landsby til landsby, og han prædikede og forkyndte evangeliet om Guds rige. Sammen med ham var de tolv og nogle kvinder, der var blevet helbredt for onde ånder og sygdomme. Det var Maria med tilnavnet Magdalene, som syv dæmoner var faret ud af, og Johanna, der var gift med Kuza, en embedsmand hos Herodes, og Susanna og mange andre. De sørgede for dem af deres egne midler. 

Sådan står der i Lukas 8:1-3, og jeg har været nødt til at highlighte en lille del af teksten - nemlig De sørgede for dem af deres egne midler. 

Det er ikke nogen hemmelighed at jeg er meget optaget af kvinder, kvinders historier, kvinders plads i Guds rige og ikke mindst den kærlighed, Gud nærer til kvinder. I min egen vandring med Gud er det meget inspirerende for mig at beskæftige mig med disse ting, og derfor betyder ovenstående skriftsted noget særligt for mig.

Det var nemlig sådan i jødisk kultur, at kvinder havde en helt anden plads og rolle i samfundet end mændende. Det kan næppe komme bag på nogen - sådan har det været i det meste af verden! Men der var noget særligt ved Jesus, noget, som var så usædvanligt, at både kvinder og mænd følte sig tilskyndet til at følge ham - de følte sig draget, som var han magnetisk og fuldstændig uimodståelig. Men forstå mig ret - vi taler ikke om Elvis Presley eller Beatles lignende hysteri. Folk fulgte ham, fordi han tilbød noget, ingen før havde tilbudt. Læser vi Bibelen ved vi, at han helbredte de syge. Han oprejste de døde (det skete faktisk et par gange i det nye testamente  - mest kendt er vel Lazarus), og han satte folk fri for plagende dænoner. En af kvinderne i hans følge havde han smidt hele 7 dæmoner ud af! Der er ikke noget at sige til, at hun ønsker at holde sig tæt til Jesus - han var hendes befrier, hendes helbreder, han var den eneste, der havde kunnet give hende hendes værdighed tilbage igen.

Jesus var nemlig ikke optaget af loven, som hans samtids skriftkloge var det. Ingen tvivl om, at han kendte skrifterne - men ordet i sig selv, var ikke vigtigt for ham. Det var hjertet bag - mennesket bag traditionerne, reglerne og forskrifterne. Jesus havde oprigtig omsorg for de mennesker, han mødte. I Lukas 11 læser vi om Lazarus's død og den sorg, dette medførte. Jesus bliver så påvirket af den ulykkelighed, han ser og mærker, at han selv braser i gråd. Hvor fantastisk! Han føler med de sørgende, kender de smertendes smerte! Og han kalder Lazarus tibage til livet!

Jesus gjorde ikke forskel på folk. Han spiste med synderne - tolderne og de prostituerede, som ingen andre ønskede at blive set sammen med. Jesus var som den første i stand til at skelne imellem de handlinger, mennesker foretog, og så de hjerter, der bankede inde bagved.

Jeg er dybt fascineret af Jesus. Fascineret over hans evne og lyst til at vise nåde, til at sprede kærlighed, omsorg og ømhed. Hans styrke, når andre var svage. Hans villighed til at gå i døden, trods stor angst og smerte. Jeg er fascineret over den udstråling og påvirkning han har haft - så stærk, at kvinder, der blev regnet for mindre værd, af egen fri vilje, og for egne midler - resursestærke og med alle deres egne talenter og gaver, valgte at følge ham og ofre deres penge og tid på at være i hans nærvær.
Sådan vil jeg også gerne være.

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

So we read in Luke 8:1-3, and I've had to highlight a small portion of the text - namely These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

It's no secret that I am preoccupied with women, women's stories, women's place in God's kingdom and not least the love God has for women. In my own walk with God, I find it inspiring to learn more, and when I read the above scripture, I found it spoke to me. In Jewish culture, women had a completely different place and role in society than men. It can hardly come as a surprise to anyone - it has been like throughout most of the world! But there was something special about Jesus, something that was so unusual that both women and men felt encouraged to follow him - they were drawn, as if he were magnetic and completely irresistible. But please don't misunderstand me - we're not talking about Elvis Presley or Beatles hysteria. People followed him because he offered something no one had ever offered before. If we read the Bible, we know that he healed the sick. He raised the dead (it actually happens a couple of times in the New Testament - most well-known might be Lazarus), and he set people free from dreadful demons. He had actually freed one of the women in his entourage from 7 demons! No wonder that she wants to stay close to Jesus - he was her deliverer, her healer, he was the only one who had been able to give her dignity back. Jesus was not preoccupied with the law, like the contemporary experts of law were. No doubt that he knew the scriptures - but the word itself was not important to him. It was the heart behind - the person behind the traditions, rules and regulations. Jesus had genuine concern for the people he met. In Luke 11 we read of Lazarus's death and the grief this caused. Jesus is so influenced by the unhappiness he sees and experiences that he burst into tears. How fantastic! He sympathizes with the grieving, knows the pain of those in pain! And he calls Lazarus back to life! Jesus did not discriminate. He ate with sinners - tax collectors and the prostitutes that nobody else wanted to be seen with. Jesus was the first one ever to distinguish between the actions that people did, and the hearts beating within them. I am fascinated by Jesus. Fascinated by his ability and desire to show mercy, to spread love, care and tenderness. I am fascinated by his strength when others were weak, and his willingness to die, despite great anxiety and pain. I am fascinated by the charisma and influence he had - so strong that women who were considered inferior, of their own will and own funds - and with all their own talents and gifts, chose to follow him and sacrifice their money and time to be in his presence.
That's how I want to be.