Principle Number 10
The key that unlocks the spiritual safe – Part 4
Pastor Mosomane
“Surely you know that the men who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple and that those who offer the sacrifices on the altar get a share of the sacrifices. In the same way, the Lord has ordered that those who preach the gospel should get their living from it” 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 Good News
GIVE TO THE SERVANT OF GOD
The bible is full of promises. Every page, every chapter, every book has at list one promise. The good news is that none of those promises are for angels. They are all for us. It doesn’t matter whether we see them manifest in our lives or not – they are still ours. God packed them in there for us. The promises were there for the old covenant people and the promises are still there for the new covenant people. Some are already getting hold of what the word of God says is rightfully ours; others are still struggling to make sense of what the word of God is saying about the same promises. We see others enjoy the best of God’s promises and we wonder and ask; “why not us?” We shake our heads and ask; “how is it possible? Is there something these people know that we do not know? Is there a key somewhere? If that be the case, where is it?”
It is true; the treasure is locked in the safe and there is a key. You don’t just walk in and crab; there is a key somewhere. Do you want to know where the key is? It is right where it always used to be. In the bible! The key is OBEDIENCE – obedience to the word of God. When you hear what God says in His word and come up with a corresponding action; you have found the key. God says you are acting in FAITH and faith opens all doors.
The old covenant people would hear the laws and ordinance read into their ears by the priest in the assembly. At times they would humble themselves in repentance and do what the law requires; at times they would rebel and go their own ways. But when they humbled themselves in repentance they would go to the priest at the temple and offer their sacrifices there. There were many sacrifices that the law required, for instance; the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering and so on. You can read this in the book of Leviticus starting from chapter one.
You will remember that when God called the old covenant priests He said they would have no portion in the land for God Himself was their portion. What God was saying was that they should not occupy themselves with matters of making a living; He will support them. Every offerings make by fire were to be the portion for the priest. Everything that was offered to God, God said I have given it to the priest. “And the LORD spoke to Aaron: “Here, I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever. This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons … every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours” You can read the whole of Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 18.
When God called the old covenant priests He also arranged for their support. The arrangement was for the priests and their children. The temple was their source of livelihood. When the children of Israel obeyed the priests lacked nothing. When they disobeyed the priests and their families suffered. When this happened God would hold back the promise that goes along with the offering or sacrifice. He would hold back the blessing for the blessing is a direct result of obedience.
The new covenant also has ministers. The same God who appointed priests from the sons of Aaron has appointed ministers of the new covenant through Jesus. When Jesus ascended “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” Ephesians 4:11-13.
The old covenant ministers received their support from the obedience of the children of Israel. It was not just a matter of sacrifices; it was a matter of obedience. When they obeyed they brought offerings and sacrifices. God was not so much interested in sacrifices but in the obedience of His children. It was not a matter of dead animals; it was a matter of obedience to the word of God. Haven’t you read this? “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
I think it will do us good to notice that nothing has changed – the status quo remains. The same arrangement is maintained. The ministers of the new covenant are also supported by the obedience of God’s children. When believers obey God His ministered receive their support. The only difference is in that believers of the old covenant i.e. the children of Israel had to sin first. Most of the sacrifices were as a result of sin. Today’s believers need not sin first before a minister can be supported. They just have to obey and a minister of the new covenant will be taken care of. The minister of the new covenant survives through believers’ obedience and he suffers through their disobedience.
We are no longer in the Old Testament. We don’t belong to the old covenant and its laws. We belong to the new covenant. The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul in the book of Hebrews 8:6 that we believers this side of the cross belong to “a better covenant which was established on better promises. In this covenant Jesus is the Mediator. He is the High Priest. It is this High Priest who when He ascended He gave gifts to men and appointed them in the five fold ministries. The high priest of the old covenant was to take care of the rest of the priests as they served on the altar. Jesus the High Priest of the new covenant appoints and takes care of ministers too. He says in Luke 10:7 “the laborer is worthy of his wages.” How does He do this? He does this by the obedience of believers.
If the old covenant took care of its ministers, and the Holy Spirit says the new covenant is better than the old covenant and that it is built on better promises; wouldn’t is be obvious that the new covenant minister would be taken care of even better than the old covenant minister? This is where we find the key to the spiritual safe.
The key to the promises of God is obedience to the word of God. When the children of Israel obeyed, God blessed them. Now that our covenant is built on better promises wouldn’t we be blessed even more when we obey Him under the new covenant? If you want to set in motion the blessing of God in your life; if you want to release the promises of God in your life MAKE GOD’S BUSINESS YOUR BUSINESS. Be a co-worker with God and let Him support His servants through you. Let Him bless His servants through you and a lot of those blessings will remain in your house. The more milk the cow gives the more milk is given to the cow.
I know most of our readers already know this principle. If you know the principle why are you not witnessing the promises of God in your life especially in the area of finance? Do you know what? The key does not open the safe door just because it is in the key hole; you’ve got to TURN THE KEY and the safe door will open. Knowing is not enough; turn the key and with a gentle pull, the safe will open in front of you. This is how you do it; “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Galatians 6:6.
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