Celebrate the Victory
Daily Old Testament Reading: Numbers 31-33
Daily Focus Passage: Numbers 31
When a team wins a championship, a victory ensues. Cities throw parades for their sports heroes to celebrate their success, creating a constant feeling of happiness. The celebration becomes fueled by the moment and the event. The celebration exists as an overflow of the win and a time of recognizing and honoring the feat accomplished. In our relationship with the Lord, we must seek to celebrate the more significant victory found only in the Lord. In Numbers 31, we find that the children of Israel receive important truths about celebrating the victory obtained in the Lord.
CELEBRATE THE VICTORY THE LORD GIVES
When a fan celebrates the championship of a team they follow, they celebrate a victory they did not deserve or earn. They respond in joy because of the work and victory claimed by others. In the same way, the Lord claimed victory for the Israelites against their enemy. The victory did not occur in their strength but happened due to the strength, presence, and promise of the Lord. Thus, they celebrate the victory claimed by the Lord and the benefits they experience because of the victory.
We likewise must celebrate the victory the Lord gives. As a child of God, we celebrate the victory over death and the gaining of life that Christ claimed in the resurrection. We celebrate as we reap the benefit of the victory we had nothing to do with. Christ alone gained victory and defeated death. Christ alone fought the battle and won. We celebrate as the fan celebrating the champion. In this case, we celebrate our Champion of Love.
CELEBRATE THE VICTORY THROUGH OFFERING
The Israelites were given strategic and specific offerings to participate in to celebrate the Lord. Presenting an offering demonstrated the act of willful sacrifice and worshiped through obedience. The Lord developed a system by which the children of Israel could worship the Lord faithfully and reap the benefits of the offering system. The celebration of offering through the act of offering responds in faithfulness to the leading and directing of the Lord.
Today, we need to respond in celebration within the framework that the Lord lays forth. The Lord calls us to love him with our heart, mind, soul, and strength. He calls us to respond to him in reverence and awe when we receive the command to fear the Lord. These commands and expectations present the framework by which we approach the Lord and offer the self as an offering of celebration before the Lord. We celebrate the victory by surrendering to him.
CELEBRATE THE VICTORY IN WORSHIP OF THE LORD
The children of Israel worshiped the Lord in response to his victory. Worship is a reactive activity of celebration that flows from the overflow of all the Lord has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. Worship occurs when we respond to the victory of the Lord, surrender the self to him, and seek to declare his name in word, deed, and song. The moment of worship extends beyond a song or praise and exists in obedience as a living sacrifice. The children of Israel received the command to make an offering and worshiped by participating in the activity.
Our worship today continues as an overflow of all that God has done is doing, and will do. We must commit the self to the Lord and live in faithfulness as we listen and respond to his calling and leading in our life. As a child of God, our worship flows from striving to respond to the Lord as a living sacrifice and offering with our life. The Lord is worthy of all praise and worship because he is the genuine champion who has gained the greatest victory.
