Topic: Demands Of Holy Service [Tuesday February 21, 2017]
Text: Deuteronomy 17:1-6
Key Verse: “Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 17:1).
If a follower of the Lord, a Christian saved by the blood of Jesus could be rightly described, he or she would be categorised as a former hopeless sinner, by nature, who became forgiven by grace and transformed into a new creature. In this passage, we read of God’s zero-tolerance for the worship of others gods by His redeemed people. The Lord affirms that “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise” (Isaiah 43:21).
Other gods may permit syncretism but our God is a jealous God and won’t in any way permit any form of service or worship of any other gods – be it of the sun, moon or any hosts of heaven. The Lord Jesus puts it thus: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Speaking through Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, He condemns all forms of idol or Satan worship. Those who live persistently in these are idolaters and backsliders, and “hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them” (Deuteronomy 17:3). The righteous and divine judgment on such backslidden children of Israel in the Old Testament was stoning to death (Deuteronomy 17:5); in relation to eternity, it is the soul’s damnation in hell.
The Lord expects us to be His ambassadors on earth. We must worship Him in spirit and in truth. During marriage ceremony, naming ceremony, house warming, job seeking and so on. In joyous time and in troublous time (health challenge, delayed childbirth, delayed marriage), no child of God should have anything, any sacrifice, contribution of money or other item to be offered to any idol/god. At all times, in all activities of life, keep yourself from idols. You must not partake in their sacrifice and worship.
Thought for the day: Service to God is nothing if not an holy sacrifice.
Bible Reading in one Year: Psalm 110-118
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
