OT DAY 238 - From Compromise to Unity (Please click here for English podcast)

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Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Open your heart to praise the Lord

        
           For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
                               abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

                             Psalm 86:5

Confession and Repentance

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in you:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

The Word (Numbers 32:1-42)

English(ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers 32&version=ESV

Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”

6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them?                       Numbers 32:1-7

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmax47l2hLU

My Listening
     This passage shows two clans did not want to go into Canaan. How can Moses as a leader to deal with this critical situation? If you were in similar situation, do you think you can be able to deal with that and still keep the unity among everybody? 

Let's see how Professor John Goldingay tells us: 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay) :

    

     Moses comes on strong in his reaction to Gad and Reuben, not least in characterizing them as a brood of sinners…He illustrates the way the Bible has little time for Western virtues such as politeness or tolerance. If I had been the head of Gad or Reuben, I would have given Moses a mouthful back; I admire the clans for sticking to the substance of his argument and ignoring the rhetoric.  They thereby make it possible to reach a compromise. Gad and Reuben will actually take the lead in the Israelite invasion of Canaan so as to share in taking the country, as the other clans have been involved in taking the land where these two clans want to settle. They thus indicate a recognition that the whole people of God stand together and need to be committed to supporting one another.  

John Goldingay. Numbers & Deuteronomy for Everyone. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, p.88.

       I have seen too many anger and hatred surfaced when people were in different opinions. No compromise but separation and attack. Why?
       We can learn a lot from today's example that we need to sacrifice what God wants us to sacrifice in order that unity can be attained! 

Dear Lord Jesus, 
Help us to be willing to make those sacrifices you want us to make so that compromise can be a reality and unity can be attained. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Reflect on these questions:
1. Have you seen anger and hatred surfaced when people were in different opinions? How can you help to bring in compromise and unity?

2. What do you have to sacrifice in order that compromise can be a reality and unity can be attained? 

Praise and Thanksgiving

Let's give thanks for God with us. Let us praise Him:

10,000 Reasons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

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