Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20011017.htm

NUMBERS: ON SPIRITUAL CASUALTIES AND VICTORS
Part VII - Keys To God's Blessing For Lifelong Spiritual Service
(Numbers 8:5-26)
  1. Introduction
    1. Long-term effective spiritual service seems to be at a premium today: many pastors or ministry efforts within local churches start out well only to fizzle or end in failure, cf. 2 Tim. 1:15-16.
    2. Just how a believer can serve God for a lifelong effective ministry that God blesses is illustrated for us typologically in the cleansing of the priests for lifelong service in Numbers 8:5-26:
  2. Keys To God's Blessing For Lifelong Spiritual Service, Numbers 8:5-26.
    1. God called Moses to take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them for service, 8:5-6.
    2. We know this cleansing was to establish the Levites for lifelong service from the presence of a discussion on the years of a priest's service in the context of this chapter on their cleansing -- Numbers 8:24-26. So, by application, to prepare for lifelong service, the following things must be perpetually applicable:
      1. Step One - For lifelong service blessing, the Levites were to be sprinkled with the ceremonial "water of purifying," Num. 8:6-7a KJV. This terminology means the water involved likely was associated with the ashes of the red heifer offering in Num. 19:9, a sin offering, cf. B.K.C., O.T., p. 224. We thus know for lifelong effectiveness in serving God, one must regularly confess his acts of sin, 1 Jn. 1:9.
      2. Step Two - For lifelong service blessing, the Levites were (a) to have all their hair cut, Numbers 8:7b. The Hebrew words used here for cutting the hair imply trimming the hair for a neat appearance versus shaving it off as in the case of the cleansing of lepers in Lev. 14:8, Ibid., B.K.C., O.T.; Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 164, 206. Also, (b) the Levites were to wash their clothes, Num. 8:7c. As clothes were necessary since the Adamic fall to cover up nakedness (Gen. 3:7, 21), and were worn habitually, this ritual coupled with the trimming of the hair tells us for lifelong effectiveness in serving God, one must correct non-edifying HABITS that either offend those whose needs he serves or that put himself into undue temptations to sin, cf. 1 Cor. 9:22-27 with 1 Cor. 6:12a, 12b and 8:12-13.
      3. Step Three - For lifelong service blessing, the Levites were to offer burnt, meal and sin offerings, Num. 8:8-13. As these offerings spoke of the position the believer enjoys in Christ's work on the cross, and the second young bull offering covered a man's sins done in human ignorance (cf. Lev. 4:1-12 and Ibid., B.K.C., O.T.), we know for lifelong effectiveness in serving the Lord, one must RELY UPON his POSITION in Christ as OPPOSED to his fragile and imperfect HUMANITY.
      4. Step Four - For lifelong service blessing, the Levites were consecrated by Moses in the presence of the nation to whom they would minister, Num. 8:14-22. Thus, for lifelong effectiveness in serving God, one must serve WITHIN God's ecclesiastical order, Acts 13:1-3; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6.
      5. Step Five - For lifelong service blessing, the Levites were to head up the Tabernacle ministrations only between the ages of 25 and 50; after that they could help, but not lead in the ministry, Num. 8:23-26. This meant not developing a "personality cult" following as the priest was to put God's work ABOVE his own interests. Thus, we know that for lifelong effectiveness in serving the Lord, the believer must aim to do God's will and address the needs of the people to whom he ministers above serving his his own interests.
Lesson: To enjoy a LIFELONG effective ministry for the Lord, (1) The believer must regularly confess any sins he does. (2) He must change habits that offend those whose needs he addresses or that put himself in harm's way of undue temptation to sin if he is to maximize his ministry for the long-term. (3) He must rely on his POSITION in Christ as opposed to looking to human prowess if he would last the long-term. (4) He must minister WITHIN the confines of ESTABLISHED Church leadership order under God's leading and (5) seek the welfare of God's people and God's glory above his OWN.

Application: Long-term effective service which is so greatly needed and is often at a premium today is open to those who (1) promote GOD'S WILL and GLORY and the spiritual NEEDS of the PEOPLE around them (2) instead of promoting the agenda, interests and wishes of THEMSELVES!