"Bought with a Price" February 3 Readings: Numbers 1-4

Today's Reading - Numbers 1-4

Congratulations! You made it through Leviticus! Numbers can be an equally difficult book at times, but it also has intriguing stories.

Background

These chapters, once again, are technical and filled with detail that may be hard to figure out. But the whole point of the book of Numbers is founded on the counting of the people here in chapter 1 and then later in the book. After 40 years the people have not grown, but in fact, there has been a small decrease in God's people. When they could have grown and prospered under obedience (remember yesterday's reading in Leviticus 26) they instead sinned and brought God's judgment on themselves.

Devotional - Bought with a Price

The free gift of salvation is not completely free.

Oh, yes, my friend. When Jesus offers you salvation it is a free offer of grace. You cannot earn it and there is no merit on your part that contributes to it. But do not believe that when you are saved you can continue as you were, live as you please, control your own life, and run the show. It doesn't work that way.

God saved Israel with a display of mighty power when he "passed over" the firstborn of Israel but took every firstborn son and animal among the Egyptians. The Passover was God's saving act for Israel much as the Cross was ours. And it carried an obligation, just as the Cross does. In Numbers 3:40-51, God demands that Israel honor him for his salvation.

He saved their firstborn and when he did that, it carried with it the obligation of ownership. The saved belonged to the Savior. The firstborn of all of Israel were counted and the number came to 22,273. God took all the men of the tribe of Levi as his own as the payment for these saved lives. He did not require burnt offerings but living sacrifices. The Levites did not die but they were given over to live in the service of the God and of his temple. There were actually 273 extra firstborn, and they did have to be "redeemed" by payments.

The implication is clear. What God saves, God owns. God saved the firstborn and thus they belonged to him. In fact, this redemption of the firstborn was a sign that all of Israel was his, that they were a nation holy to him.

In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul, while commanding sexual purity, reminds the Corinthians that, "you are not your own. You are bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."

You are the firstborn of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ. You do not belong to yourself anymore. If you have been saved you have been purchased! Yes, salvation is a free gift of God but it is also very costly. When you come to Christ you yield yourself to him, lock, stock, and barrel. You no longer rule yourself but become his!

You cannot receive redemption and be self-willed - that is contradictory. Our bodies have been purchased by Christ and have become the temples of the living God. Our souls and spirits are his, quickened by Christ and empowered by the Spirit within to be like Christ. We are not our own anymore because we have been purchased by Christ.

It is a blessing to be part of the redeemed, but it is an obligation as well.

Father, I thank you for the salvation you have given me in Christ. May I live every day in the recognition that I do not belong to me anymore, but to you. You own me - body, soul, and spirit - and you are my Lord. 

Think and Pray

Do you live consistently with the knowledge that you belong to the One who purchased you with his blood?
What changes does it require in your life because Jesus is your master - the Lord of your life?