Kids Say the Dardest Things

Kids say the darndest things. Just the other day, my granddaughter Rachel, as she steps into the 92F pool water, declared, “It’s tdold!” (her way of saying ‘cold’). I thought that was one of the darndest things I ever heard, until I stepped into the pool. You know, she was right. When the the air temperature is 100F and you step into a 92F pool, it feels cold! You can hear some more of the darndest things here:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kids+say+the+darndest+things

Teens sometimes say the darndest things. I remember when my oldest daughter was, maybe 17 or 18, asking this question at the dinner table: “Did you know that they give [traffic] tickets for doing 65 in a 50 mile per hour zone?”... “Uhhhh, yes, I knew that…”

Preachers sometimes say the darndest things. When I think of the the darndest things I have ever heard, some came from kids, some from teens, but many came from the the guy in the pulpit.

I remember debating, I mean, discussing this with someone. He said that since the guy in the pulpit, the “priest” in his case, is learned, that the congregation shouldn’t question anything he says. So, he could say the darndest things and go unchallenged? And at what point during his study and training did he become...infallible? That reminds me of one of the darndest things I ever heard from a guy in the pulpit. He said: NEVER question what the guy in the pulpit says. I guess that in his mind (and his mind only) he had reached that infallible state. May I make a recommendation here? Question everything.

Recently I heard a preacher ask (something to this effect, may not be an exact quote): Jesus died for you, would you die for someone? My answer, that I did not verbalize: “Of course not!”.

I really don’t know why he asked. When I think of my death, I don’t think it will accomplish very much and won’t benefit anyone much. It may have some affect on some people, close family, depending on who survives me, but overall, it will not accomplish much. When I think of Jesus’s death, I think of all that was accomplished at the cross and how it has affected so many over the course of centuries...mind blown!

Preachers sometimes say the darndest things while dressed in the darndest outfits. Look at what some of them wear to make themselves stand out: robes of many colors, or special collars or collarless shirts.  The priests of ancient Israel stood out because while they were in service, wore clothing that was different from the common folk. The high priest, stood out from the lower priest because he wore something different. The high priest and lower priest were easily identified because of their priestly garb. The first time the priests were dressed in their special garb was during their eight day consecration.

Instructions for the consecration of Aaron (the first high priest) and his sons (the first lower priests) begins in Leviticus chapter 8. According to this chapter, Moses was to take Aaron and his four sons and while everyone was  assemble at doorway of the tabernacle, wash them with water. Then Moses was to clothe Aaron. After that Moses was to anoint the tabernacle with oil then pour oil, pour as if without measure, on Aaron. After the anointing, Moses was to slaughter a ram and apply the ram’s blood to Aaron.  Then the blood was applied to Aaron’s sons. The blood was then sprinkled around the altar of burnt offering then Aaron’s sons were anointed by sprinkling of oil.  Notice the order of events. Aaron was anointed, then an animal was slaughtered and the blood applied. The blood was applied to his sons and then the sons are anointed by oil by sprinkling.

That priesthood is dead. Maybe ‘dead’ is the wrong word. That Aaronic priesthood is no longer, it has been superseded by a better one. Aaron, the one and only high priest, typifies Jesus, who is currently serving as our one and only high priest. Aaron’s sons typify true believers. The anointing oil typifies the Holy Spirit and the blood typifies, well, blood.

Like Aaron, Jesus was anointed before His blood was shed. Jesus was anointed by the pouring out of the Spirit. Acts 10:38 seems to say that this happened at His baptism by John. But it may have been before His incarnation since He is called the anointed one at birth (Luke 2:11).  He was also anointed by oil by a woman (Mark 14:3-9). It was after His anointing that His blood was shed. It was only after His blood was shed could it be applied.

We become believers because of the shed blood. Like the lower priests, the blood had to be shed first. When we believe, the blood is applied. When we believe, we are anointed (in-dwelt) with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, like the lower priests, we are anointed by sprinkling because if it was poured out without measure, we might stumble and fall under the sheer weight of it.

We have Jesus Christ (the anointed one). Jesus, who shed His blood for us, whose blood has been applied to us, who has inserted Himself between us and God, serving as our one and only high priest. Who needs someone dressed in the darndest clothes saying the darndest things?

Down at the cross where my Savior died,

Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!     -- John H. Stockton

Go. And glorify His name...

The 5-Second Rule

Drop food on floor and you have 5 seconds to pick it up and eat it.  Some believe that it takes at least 5 seconds for clean food to become defiled with germs and bacteria. In recent years, it seems that the 5 second rule has been put to the test a number of times, with varying conclusions (MythBusters even did a show on it). It’s one thing if the food item falls on a recently sanitized porcelain tile floor. But what about dropping food on beach or desert sand?  Would you eat it?

The tabernacle had no floor.  The floor of the tabernacle was the dust and sand of the desert.

While in service, the priests did a lot of walking (remember, there was no place to sit).  They walked on the dust and sand of the desert.  The source of defilement of their feet was desert dust of the floor of the tabernacle. While in service, the priests were to wash their defiled dirty feet at the laver.  

Even though the tabernacle had no floor, the floor of the tabernacle is actually mentioned once in the Bible (Numbers 5). If a husband suspected his wife of cheating, he was to bring his wife to the priest. To determine whether the suspecting husband’s suspicion was correct or not, the woman had to present an oblation (offering for food) and the priest was to scoop up dust from the floor of the tabernacle, you know, the dust and sand of the desert floor.  The scooped up dust was mixed with water and the wife had to drink it.  It was a bitter drink (Numbers 5:18).  After she drank of the bitter cup, her husband and the priest waited to see if her belly bloated and her thighs thinned.  If they did, the husband’s suspicion was confirmed (v. 27).

If this whole ritual wasn’t strange enough, the priest was to record the offense in a book, then blot it out with the bitter water (v. 23).

The lives of Gomer (unfaithful wife) and Hosea (faithful husband) illustrate the relationship between unfaithful Israel with faithful God.  Hosea had no reason to bring Gomer to the priests because, well, she didn’t do anything in secret...everyone knew what would happen if Homer drank the bitter cup.  Israel, on the other hand, Israel had to learn the hard way.  Israel has been unfaithful by idolatry and oppression of the poor.  God, the faithful jealous husband (remember the first commandment is first for a reason), wanted Israel to seek Him again and made Israel drink a bitter cup. That bitter cup was having the northern kingdom crushed by the Assyrians.

Jesus and the church are also compared to a husband and bride.  Are we any different than Israel?  Yes and no. Yes, although God is forever faithful,  we are guilty of unfaithfulness. But, no, we do not need to drink of the bitter cup. Jesus drank the bitter cup for us.

Jesus prayed in the garden: Father, if thou wilt remove this cup from me: -- but then, not my will, but thine be done. (Luke 22:42). A short while later, after Peter lopped off the ear of Malcus, the bondman of the high priest, Jesus said to Peter: Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?        

He, the faithful husband, intercepted the bitter cup and drank it. In His sacrifice, He drank the cup that was defiled with our sin.

So, if we are unfaithful, and Jesus drank the bitter cup for us, what do we drink?  We get to drink the sweet stuff, the cup of blessing which we bless, ...the communion of the blood of the Christ. Sweet!  Years ago, a recently-baptized teenager partook in the breaking of bread (and drinking of the cup) for the very first time.  She could not get over how sweet it was (and no, it wasn’t grape juice(!)).

Not only that, our sin of unfaithfulness is blotted out, and remembered no more (Isa. 43:25)

Death and the curse were in our cup:
O Christ, ’twas full for Thee;
But Thou hast drained the last dark drop,
’Tis empty now for me.
That bitter cup, love drank it up;
Now blessing’s draught for me. -- Anne R. Cou­sin