Dedication

The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar at the time it was anointed. They each placed their gifts before the altar. The LORD said to Moses, “Let one leader bring his gift each day for the dedication of the altar.”On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab, leader of the tribe of Judah, presented his offering.His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing 3 1⁄4 pounds and a silver basin weighing 1 3⁄4 pounds (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel). These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nahshon son of Amminadab. [Numbers 7.10-17]

You gotta' love the details of the book of Numbers, right? Ha! It may be the most difficult book in the whole Bible to 'stay tuned' to.

However, something stood out to me today. For some reason, the narrative of Numbers contains repetition (as is seen starting with the passage above) continuing on until all twelve tribal leaders were recorded as having made their separate offerings on successive days.

Would it not have been much easier (especially in a time when parchment, pen, and ink were at a premium) to have just written the details once and then stated that each tribe made the same offering? Of course it would have! So, WHY did they take the time, resources, and effort to scribe out each tribes offering even though each successive offering perfectly mirrored the one before it?

I think I know...

The reason for repeating the offerings is found in the first part of the scripture passage documented above: "The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar..."

Let's do that again: "The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar" The key word is "dedication."

There is only one way to see dedication. The same thing, action, whatever, is REPEATED.

Anyone who knows me, at this point, knows exactly where I am going with this...

Our prayer life, if it is anything, is only really measured by our "dedication" to it. And how do we see dedication? REPETITION!

What do we say about someone who faithfully (another key word here) stays in touch with a loved one? We say they are DEDICATED to that loved one, right? They repeatedly check in on that loved one. They are FAITHFUL to it. 

I am convinced that the message of all the details found in the Bible, that seem so repetitive, are there for a powerful lesson and message to us: BE DEDICATED - BE REPETITIVE - BE FAITHFUL. And nothing, as far as repetition goes, is more important for repetition than prayer. The repetition of prayer is where everything else starts.

I am encouraged here to faithfully keep praying for lists of people! I am encouraged today to repeatedly keep praying for hopeless situations! I am encouraged here to remain dedicated and keep praying regardless how I feel about any given person or situation.

We must remain mindful that the Father does not welcome "well-intentioned" folks into heaven. He welcomes "good and faithful servants..."

Father, thank You for speaking to my heart today about the importance of repetition as it reveals dedication and faithfulness. May I be found faithful in my devotion to You and in my prayer for, and subsequent benevolence to, the world.