Counting sands and stars

File:Fotopedia-79f280d3d6652b57fa201215f225e38a.jpg — Sandy beach

Those who go up in the mountains or just go out in the fields, now in Summer, may sit there at night and count the stars. Though both the stars in the sky and the particles of sand we may find on the beach are too numerous to count. However, there is a gigantic difference between the two.

Grains of sand are tightly pressed and compacted one against the other to form a beach. Each star, on the other hand, is a world in itself. It can be separated from its nearest neighbour by trillions of miles.

Moses tells God that the Jewish nation is too burdensome for him to carry alone. Why? Because they are comparable to the profusion of stars.

Jehovah, the God of the believers used as slaves in Egypt were multiplied by the Most High and had become like the stars of the heaven in number. (Deuteronomy 1:10)

Deu 1:10-12 RNKJV YHWH your Elohim hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. (11) (YHWH Elohim of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!) (12) How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

For Moses there was a burden so heavy as to produce weariness not because they were with many, but more because there was so much division between them. For Moses there may have been a similar problem as what we see today. We can find many people who say they love God, but look at that God in different ways and have different ways to serve Him. Some their worship is not liked by others because it goes against the rules made by God Himself.

In Christendom we may see several ‘planets’ or ‘stars’, find a massive quantity like Moses found one that he could not alone lead them. He wasn’t overwhelmed by the number of people. Rather, the problem was qualitative.

Moses implied that if the Jews were spiritually and emotionally unified – were proximate to each other, like sand – their large population would not require arduous leadership.

However, when there is a nation of people, each a star in his own right and alienated from others around him, leading them becomes nightmarish.

Jonathan Hughes, rabbi of Richmond United Synagogue calls unto his co-believers saying

As this mournful time of the Jewish year approaches in the run-up to Tisha B’Av, we need to be reminded of the Jewish togetherness that must be etched into our hearts.

One of the reasons we lost the Temple in Jerusa-lem is baseless hatred. Essentially, everyone was a ‘star’ in his own right, all the people light years away from each other.

The Torah’s clarion call is, as the Beatles would say, ‘come together’.

Indeed, the rabbis teach that every Jewish soul contains elements of every other Jewish soul that has been, is, or will be on this planet. We are one unit.

Also for our Christian community we should think about that problem of unity and remember that, our success will hinge on how connected we feel to each other. Every Christian soul (a living being) should carry in him the link to the master teacher Jeshua and as such also should contain elements of every other Christian soul.

A few months ago we already spoke about the problems of co-operating in Belgium of the different Christadelphian groups. We also had to lick our wounds of the 2013-2014 season. Such a small community, but like all other Christian communities, we did and do find human beings not able to work with each other or being afraid others would runaway with people from their group or would gain more attendance. But we should not be worrying about loosing members, but should worry about getting people closer to God.

It is also not the matter of being a star ourselves, being a gifted or highly celebrated person in the church to whom everybody looks up to, or having all the power. The power belongs to God. It’s about beginning a de-starification process and the forging of sand-like bonds of genuine fraternity. We are taking on the name of being “Brethren in Christ” and as such should be as brothers and sisters be associated for the common purpose or interest, such as to be united in Christ.

Deu 11:13-17 RNKJV And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your Elohim, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (15) And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. (16) Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other elohim, and worship them; (17) And then YHWH’s wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which YHWH giveth you.

Israel was called to remain faithful to Jehovah, and we as those who are called by Christ Jesus are now also part of that Israel also should be faithful to Him and should not make ourselves other gods or other idols we prefer following instead of the Most High. Jeshua is the cornerstone given by God the Almighty. Though certain people may want to be mighty and do want to have more power than others, we should give ourselves to Christ and be united under him, working all together, working the soil, for the One God. some may expect certain rewards by following certain man but it will be God Who will abundantly bless the people with tokens of His goodness. A person rendering service to God with all his soul, would become an acceptable “living sacrifice” unto Him).

Rom 12:1 RNKJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of YHWH, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto YHWH, which is your reasonable service.

It is by the mercies of God, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well-pleasing to God, which is our spiritual worship and a service which we are willing to share with one another, not conformed to the fashion of this world, but being transformed by the renewal of our mind, that we may learn by experience what is the will of God, what is good, and wellpleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2).

There is the appeal for us to become co-workers, helping each other, not working against each other, or not considering each other rivals. As individual beings, planets or stars, we may be totally different, but together we are one part of the universe, just some small elements in the creation of God.

In that universe, on this globe, living in this world, we should not be part of this world but should be in unity with Christ, all going for Christ. This going for Christ demands following his instructions to go out in this world, preaching the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God. We should try to enlighten others and to take the yoke from their shoudlers by helping them to find the right path to God.

First of all we should first accept upon ourselves the yoke of heaven’s sovereignty, and afterwards accept upon ourselves the yoke of the commandments. Ceaseless we should strive to humbly accept God’s sovereignty. All that we do each day is then guided by the commitment made before at the end of the day.

Soon having a new academic year, starting a new working season, we should take the sparkles of the Summer-months with us and bring the light of the stars into the ecclesia. Without the internal core the star cannot be bright, so we too do have to have a good core. Our nucleus should have a firm duramen full of bright fire of faith. The pith of our faith should be the Biblical knowledge and our thorough frequent Bible reading and sharing this faith and Bible knowledge with each other.

We look forward to find more writers willing to write for our lifestyle magazines and bringing some interesting exhortations, which shall be able to inspire us to go further in space to go out of the darkness and see more light by even more stars which were first hidden.

We do hope we can get some more people to come to read some of our Christadelphian thoughts, to come to our meetings, showing them some more light on dark paths, showing the way unto the path into the stars

As Moses had to guide his people we also have to find guides to help us to recognise the most truthful Guide, the Bible. As brothers and sisters we should be standing ready to pick up a star, to find something in which we are good and by which we can help others. Each of us has received some talents and those talents we should use for the best. Do not waste those talents, but use them to bring people closer to God.

Preceding posting:

Belgian Christadelphians 2013 & 2014 in review

A man from the North wanting to have control in Belgium

Delay in publications because attack from outside

Preparation for unity

Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #14 Prayer #12 The other name