Oil for the Lamp

 

Exodus 27:20-21

 

October 10, 2024

 

Oil for the Lamp

“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.  In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.”

 

“The Bible statutes set boundaries for life. God, our Creator, knows our needs and what is best for us.”  In that, everyone who has asked Jesus to forgive their many sins repented of them, and has asked Jesus into their lives as Master and Lord, or the Church.  And Scripture is clear that when two are more come together in His name, He is with them.  So, as a follower of Christ, what are your boundaries?  And why do you need those boundaries?

 

One of the main statutes is found in Matthew 28:18-20, ^“And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  How does that apply to you and me, as we go, share what God has done for you, tell them they are loved greatly by Jesus, and He desires a personal relationship with them.

 

One of the statutes that is so needed and the reason boundaries are so important is found in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”  Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Men, it is your responsibility, not your wife’s, to lead your family, to love your wife, and to discipline your children in love. 

 

What about the statute found in Matthew 22:37-40, “And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

I believe a person with a foot in the culture of this world will find it impossible to do the statutes found in Matthew 22:37-40, in that this culture is all about self.  And God reminds us it is not about you, it is about Him. So how does one learn to love God above all others?  I believe it requires another statute found in 2 Timothy 2:15,  ^“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  If you are a new follower of Jesus, you may need a mentor, men you need a man who is mature in both his walk and the application of the Scriptures.  Ladies, you also may need an older lady who has the same qualities.

 

One thing we have to make sure we grasp, our neighbor is anyone we encounter, but just for practice, start with those who live around you.

There are many more, but if you get these, the Holy Spirit will guide you to the ones that you need in your life.  The Holy Spirit is the oil for our lamp, and it is the Holy Spirit that will shine the light of Jesus in your life.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice