“The list of the men of the people of Israel:

The priests…

The Levites…

The singers…

The gatekeepers of the temple…

The temple servants…

The descendants of the servants of Solomon…

The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.” (Ezra 2:2b, 36,40,41,42,43,55,64-67)

That is quite a crew.

Do you already know about the different workers of the Temple? We know about the priests. The Levites were in charge of different tasks involved in worship and Temple upkeep.

I think the singers are an interesting category. Did you know the temple had singers? Verse 41 specifies them as the descendants of Asaph:

“These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there.” 1 Chronicles 6:31

“David…set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals…all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD…” 1 Chronicles 25:1, 7b

It makes me think of how Heaven might be. I never thought before about the Temple being a place of music. But, it was a place of worship. And music is often the soul’s pathway to focus on Someone higher.

Do you think they sang on the four-month journey? There were horses and donkeys and forty thousand people. Surely there were times they needed to lift their eyes to the One worthy of the pilgrimage.

How about us? When life adds up and our own sin weighs us down, how do we fix our eyes on the One Who pursues us and keeps us?

Singing His praise can be a way. Lyrics that drip with Truth, straight from His Holy Word, refocus us on the point:

The Beauty of Jesus.

We see Him as He is: The One from before the foundation of the world. The One given dominion over all. The One Who walked with us so He could take the wrath for us. The One to Whom every knee will bow.

The One Who is coming again.

He is worthy. May we sing His praises today.

Beginning tonight at NewMarket Square, Dress for Success is having a fundraiser sale. This is a great opportunity to find clothing and jewelry deals, as well as support an organization that serves women in our community. Details here.

Tomorrow is Final Friday.  Great opportunity to support local artists and businesses.

Free Outdoor Movie Night at Newmarket Square this Saturday the 29th at 8:00 p.m.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Battles

The man

Blooms

Neglected Garden

Rock throwing

Cheery

Your 7 Days?

The heavens declare the glory of God;

The skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out to the ends of the earth,

their words to the ends of the world…

All men are like grass,

and all their glory is like the

flowers of the field…

The grass withers and the

flowers fall,

but the word of our God

stands forever.

Ezra 1:8, 11b, 2:1 & 2:

“Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah…Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah)…”

Thought we could get to know some of the leaders of our returning exiles. It’s interesting how Sheshbazzar is called “the prince of Judah.” The Study Bible said this was probably a Babylonian name for a Jewish official who served as deputy governor of Judah (pg. 635). Zerubbabel (verse 2) was most likely another, probably younger, governor of Judah who presided over the second foundation of the Temple in Jerusalem (3:8-11). We’ll get to know them better later.

Jeshua, verse 2, is the son of the high priest Jehozadak (1 Chronicles 6:15) and served as priest for the exiles. Do you know about this beautiful name, Jeshua? It is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew name Joshua. And in Greek?

Jesus.

It means “the LORD saves.”

I love that. Over five hundred years before our Savior walked on this earth, God ordained that another whose name means “the LORD saves” would serve as an intermediary between the people and God.

Jesus is our Great High Priest. Have you ever contemplated how He intercedes for us? He is talking to God on our behalf.

Everything in our lives is for our good. Everything. When the One Who poured out His blood is the One taking up for us, we can rest secure. He won’t manipulate us. He lets even hard things that happen to us matter. He covers all our shame.

Walking in freedom is learning to walk under the authority of the One Who sets captives free. We are all creatures, created by Another. We did not create ourselves. And we will be mastered by something.

Let’s choose the Master Who washes feet, loves perfectly, and ensures we will never be condemned.

Johnson’s Garden is hosting their annual Chile Fest this Saturday. Come get fresh roasted green hatch chilies, sample different recipes, and enjoy the crowd.

End of Summer Party this Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Mid-America All-Indian Center

$1 Wingnuts Admission on Monday evening the 24th

Register to build Thor’s Chariot this Saturday for the Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic

Have a Zoo pass? This Saturday is the Children’s Farm Festivals: County Fair event. Let your kids learn how animals are judged at a fair.

This Saturday at Central Library you can learn how to create a successful business plan starting at 1:00. They request you register by calling 261-8507.

Wichita on the Cheap has a great compilation of all the You-Pick orchards and farms around the area. Here’s to Peach Cobbler and Apple Pies.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Bang

Leaf Cake

Shaving

My first day of school view. This on repeat.

Your 7 Days?

Thought I would share some Scripture turned into prayers that have meant a lot to me recently:

“For the sake of Your Name, lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge.” Psalm 31:3-4

“May Your love and Your Truth always protect me.” Psalm 40:11

“Blessed am I, God, because my transgressions are forgiven. My sins are covered. Blessed am I because You, Lord, will never count my sins against me.”  (Rom 4:7-8)

“Continue to teach me with regard to my former way of life, to put off my old self…and to put on the new self, created to be like You, God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:22-24)

There is nothing like His Word.

Ezra 1:7-11

“Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

This was the inventory:

gold dishes     30

silver dishes     1000

silver pans     29

gold bowls     30

matching silver bowls     410

other articles     1000

In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.”

Sometimes it’s easy to forget what exactly temple sacrifices were under the Old Covenant.

It was the acting out of Hebrews 9:22: Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.

The distance between our Holy God and our sin is so great, something has to die. For every sin.

If you’re like me and have never slaughtered an animal before, it can be hard to picture. But this is bloody work. And not just for little lambs, but depending on the sin, also bulls and rams and goats.

This slaughtering required utensils. Things like knives and forks and meat hooks.

But also things like bowls and pans and dishes. Some bowls were used to sprinkle blood on the altar before the LORD.

This, these sacrifices, were the only way God had provided for the people to be made right with Him.

And this is not just at the tabernacle before the People of God had a city. The same held true in Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. King David desired to build a house for God. A place where the Ark of the Covenant could rest. Rather than being the one to build it, he got the privilege of passing that honor on to his son, Solomon.

Before the whole assembly, King David handed Solomon the plans for the temple, including the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers, and dishes (1 Chronicles 28:17). David himself gave from his treasury some of the precious metal for the Temple and its articles, and encouraged the assembled Israelites to do the same. They gave generously and David dedicated their offerings to God, saying:

“O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you…So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.” (1 Chronicles 29:16,20b)

And all this? These treasures dedicated to God and used to daily bridge that gap between Divine and Human?

Nebuchadnezzar simply carried off.

God is zealous for His Name. And for anything that has been set apart and made holy unto Him. God used this study to teach me more about King Neb. I truly would like to believe that after some run-ins with Daniel’s God, he was no longer flippant with sacred things.

But how about us? Do we treat what is sacred as sacred?

That includes ourselves, Believers. If our trust is in Jesus alone, the One Sacrifice to end all sacrifices, we are set apart as holy for Him. Not only that, but under the New Covenant, we are living sacrifices.

It’s how we are to worship Him. Die every morning. Then stand up and walk with Him in His power.

Living sacrifices.

Natural Grocers is having an Ice Cream Social today from 4:00 – 6:00. Plus, all day they are offering cooking demos, 60% off certain items, prize drawings, and free 60th Anniversary reusable bags.

The Balkans will be at the Donut Whole on Friday night.

Game Night from 6 -8 on Saturday at Reverie Roasters

This Saturday Wichita Public Library is hosting Baseball in the Attic at 10:30 at Rockwell and 2:00 at Central:

“Ever wonder what your vintage sports card or memorabilia collection is worth? Michael Osacky, a vintage sports and memorabilia appraiser from Chicago, will explain the ins and outs of sports memorabilia. Bring along your special treasure, as after the program he will do free appraisals. Co-sponsored by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.”

I hope you have a good weekend!