Have you received your census form yet? A few days ago we received ours. As I looked it over I found the questions to be those I expected. Name? Birth date? How many live in your house? Married or single and ethnic background? As we participate in the 2010 edition, I wanted to discuss some biblical considerations linked with this topic because I haven't heard anyone talking about it. So consider with me The Lords' warning and  instruction for His people as they prepare to participate in a census?

The census David ordered Joab to take (1 Chronicles 21) resulted in the wrath of God coming on Israel! 70,000 perished! The outbreak stopped because David purchased Ornan's threshing floor, built an altar and offered the oxen as a sin offering. The tally was stopped before it was complete and the number never recorded.

Why would this census trigger such loss? After all, The Lord instructed Israel to take a census before. (Numbers Chapters 1, 4, and 26).  Where did the idea for David's census come from? 1st Chronicles 21:1 reads: "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel."

The concept of a census didn't come from satan, but satan knew if God's people failed to practice God's instruction for participating in a census it presented an opportunity to accuse them before God.

In Exodus 30:11-16 we read: "When you take the census of the children of Israel then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord  that there may be no plague among them. Everyone who is numbered shall give half a shekel. This shall be an offering to the Lord. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and it shall be for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves."

The silver collected was not to atone for sin. The shed blood of a spotless sacrifice is the price of forgiveness for sin.  According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Hebrews 9:22  Murderers, thief's, liars, idolaters and others who sin are required to bring blood, not silver; to atone for their sin.  Yet here in Exodus and again in Numbers, silver is called for.

Numbers records Jehovah trading the firstborn of Israel for the Levites. The Levites were then to be His possession. The numbering was so precise that even their cattle were numbered. The first born were found to be 273 more than the Levites so the Lord said:  For the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons." Numbers 3:46-48  

Neither the Levites, the firstborn, nor those counted in a census were atoning for sin with silver. God's scales were being balanced. David and Joab failed to collect the half shekel redemption fee from those numbered and gave satan legal ground to accuse Israel. This was the reason for the plague.  

There are many reasons we should pay attention to these things but we only have a few minutes. So I'll keep it brief.

Let's not fall into the same trap David did by giving the devil ammunition to use against us.

Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Ephesians  4:25-28

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:2-3)   NKJV

What is a half shekel anyway?  In searching the web I found answers ranging from 6 to 10 grams. This page, http://begedivri.com/shekel/SagesQuestions.htm seems the most authoritative and the one I used. At the bottom of question 12 it says... "We have established that the Half-Shekel today is 7.8 grams of .999 silver."   7.8 grams equals .275136 oz. Silver closed at 17.88 an ounce on April 2, 2010. .275136 X $17.88 = $4.919 or we can say a half shekel is worth $4.92 at this price. This allows 3 people on a 1 oz silver bar with $3.12 left over.

At the time this law was given, the silver would have been given into the tabernacle to make implements used for ministry; bowls, trumpets, ladles ect. Today, no tabernacle exists! It's my opinion that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If there were to be a plague how many doctor visits or prescriptions could we buy with $4.92? We looked for a ministry that was doing kingdom work and gave it there, knowing they would put it to good use.

Yesterday, as I ended a conversation with someone; I wished them Merry Christmas. This person looked at me and said, "There won't be much Christmas at my house this year".  This took me by surprise! I couldn't recall someone telling me that before. Usually I get, Yeah! And Merry Christmas to you as well!

As I took a seat, I began to think about how it was possible less Christmas was available to them than anyone else. Certainly the economy has been tough on many of us this year. I thought this could be a factor if we allow Christmas to be wrapped in the tradition and expectations modern society applies to the season.

My mind shuffled through a stack of Christmas memories, opportunities and traditions.  Possibilities of less snow, fewer friends, smaller decorations and fewer gifts  than years past can define your commemoration, if one chooses it.  There can be an endless number of things someone may need to trim from their list so their celebration more closely matches their resources.

Then I settled on a final thought which has become a meditation for me in the hours since being confronted with the sentiment of less Christmas.  It's impossible to have more or less Christmas by any standard. The real truth of the Christmas was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Not on December 25th but perhaps in the March, April time frame.  

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.  And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth;  And this One shall be peace.   (Mic 5:2-5   NKJV)

At the end of a shaft of star light lay heaven's gift to men. Angels announced its sentiment; "Peace on Earth, Good will toward men".  Enough salvation to forgive all who ask. Enough deliverance to break sins grip on any who cry out. Enough healing  to restore even the most wounded spirit. Enough peace to calm the storms in every soul.

Anyone can have real Christmas! Just as much as anyone else! Right now! Ask Jesus to forgive you for any sins. Ask Him to write His laws on your heart and to help you live by them. Ask Him to heal your wounds and give you peace! Now that's real Christmas!

As we meditate on the things of God during this holiday season a question that might come up is; what will life in His kingdom be like? What activities will you and I be called to? Will His holidays be part of our future or just reminders of the past? I would like to share a couple of verses with you that will provide an answer.
 

Zech 14:16-17   It shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.  NKJV

Zechariah definitely shows the Feast of Tabernacles being a regular part of The Lord's calendar and our future! Isiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; foretells this...

Isa 66:22-23   "For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the Lord, "So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the Lord. NKJV

God tells us His holidays are rehearsals. His kingdom is unlike what we have known in the past. Through His holidays He extends the blessing of learning about and participating in kingdom activities!  

The 2009 version of the Feast of Tabernacles is upon us. Some will celebrate because it's commanded or because it's tradition. Others will abstain because it has no meaning for them. Here I want to point out some tidbits that may help.

Leviticus 23:35 says this is to be a holy convocation. What's a convocation? It means a meeting or a rehersal. Yes, verse 43 proclaims this is done because the Lord made His people dwell in tents in the wilderness when He brought them out of Egypt. This is rehearsing something that's past to remember, but is there a future event we're rehearsing for? 

Amos 9:11    "On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old;     NKJV 

Rev 21:3-4 I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."    NKJV

Tabernacles fortells the last great event in God's redemptive plan! It's been His desire to have a kingdom of priests (Ex19:6) and (Revelation 1:5-6) says that we have became priests and kings by redemption.  

When a priest is consecrated for service he is to dwell in a tabernacle for seven days (Lev 8:33-34). When he is ready for service, by his mouth every dispute is settled (Deut 21:5-6)That we will rule on the earth (Rev 5:10) and we will judge angels(1 Cor 6:1-4) Are you ready to celebrate now??