What Determines your Worth?.....

Two sets of numbers, Lev 27: 3.

Male Shekels Female Shekels

1m- 5 5 3

5-20 20 10

20-60 50 30

60+ 15 10

Num 4:3 30-50 years of age. The Levites personal value relates to ages.

The Numbers account is about the work load, in serving at the tent of meeting. It was strictly a male domain, and it was strictly of ages 30-50. Before 30, it was a hope to look forward to. After 50 it was a memory to look back on.

Like life in so many ways. Early life is forward looking, and later in life is the memories of what we did.

I don’t normally do this, but I know a man who is only worth 15 shekels, but I saw him do what most at 50 shekels could only dream of doing- carrying a waiting shed roof on his shoulders. Walking away from broken shoulder bone and cracked ribs. These would have downed a lesser mortal.

So what is it that made Samson so strong? The long hair? What is it that makes us strong spiritually? Of course, a work out. Phil 2: 12. It is about always being conscious of God, his ways, his voice. It is about struggling and fighting sin, when it would be far easier to surrender; after all sin is fun Heb 11: 25. Being mistreated, Moses, or mistreating, so to say (not literally) yourself 1 Cor 9: 27 Paul beats his body. Am sure neither Moses enjoyed the mistreatment, nor did Paul like the agonising fight in the mind, but both were looking forward to something better. The fights don’t stop with age. The hard physical work is supposed to, and for many it does, but also for many others, the pace and the tests just pick up speed. We are blessed in the new covenant, that we do not have an expiry date. The date of retirement is simply, solely, purely based on the wear and tear on the body. I got an email recently, asking me when will you retire? I replied, when I get to heaven. In Christ, we are not limited by age; we are limited simply by love, drive, motivation, vision. And in all this, we must still beat our bodies.

Onwards for the LORD...

MCC Admin

12 Adar I 5782