Joined Together
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Key Scripture: Mark 10:9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
When God created Adam & Eve, he created them to be joined together. In fact when Adam said that man would leave father and mother and cleave to his wife, I am told that the word cleave means to be cemented together.
People today are still being born to be joined to others. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
God still sets the solitary in families. Psalms 68:6
In fact when the Apostle Paul wanted to describe how the church was made, he said that it was fitted and joined together by the glue which each person supplied to bond with another. Ephesians 4:16.
It’s like the picture we see in Ezekiel 37:7 of the dry bones coming together, “bone to his bone.” All because of the word of the Lord.
About 3600 years ago a child was born to a Hebrew woman during the years in which the Jews were slaves to the Egyptians.
God protected this young boy’s life and provided for him so he that could be raised in privileged surroundings as an adopted grandson of the Pharaoh of Egypt.
This boy’s name was Moses. When he was about 40 years old he killed an Egyptian slave master who was mistreating the Hebrew Children. Moses then escaped to the Midian desert in fear, where he lived another 40 years learning the trade of a shepherd.
At 80 years old God spoke to Moses and told him to go back to
The whole nation joined together. Each person joined to a family; each family joined to a clan; each clan joined to a tribe; and each tribe joined to the nation. All together as God planned, one vision, one mind, one voice, one purpose and one pursuit.
Throughout their journey Moses continued to refocus their vision and courage to press on in God’s will. They faced hardships, unexpected difficulties, determined enemies and terrible tragedies. Each time with every circumstance God re-gathered His people under the banner of His love and grace and moved them forward as one.
Eventually they camped at the foot of
While he was away the children of
After God had finished instructing Moses He told him to get down off the mountain and attend to the people seeing that they had corrupted themselves and departed from worshipping the true and living God. God told Moses that He was going to destroy the people.
Moses interceded to God for these people and God listened to Moses’ prayer and changed His mind. However, when Moses finally reached the congregation and saw the idolatry and lewdness of the people it angered him and he went into a rage.
We pick up in Exodus 32 after Moses had broken the tablets of stone which God initially wrote the Ten Commandments on, and ground up the golden calf into powder, mixed it with water and made the children of
Exodus 32 NLT
25 When Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control—and much to the amusement of their enemies—
26 he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, "All of you who are on the LORD’s side, come over here and join me." And all the Levites came.
Remember I said earlier that people are born to be joined together. Here God is re-joining His people once again into a unified, purpose filled, forgiven and free-willed family of followers. The question of that day was:
“Who is on the Lord’s side?”
The answer it seems, was only a matter of choice.
All any individual had to do was to identify himself as a follower of God’s will and purpose.
Notice that verse 26 says that all the Levites came. The word Levite here is referring to the sons or descendents of Levi. Levi was the third son of Jacob born to him by Leah. Levi was the tribe chosen by God to be servants and priests of the House of God, ministering both to God and to His children.
Interesting to note, the word Levite means ‘to be joined’.
People were created by God to be joined together in God’s will and purpose and when, as a simple act of their will, they choose to come over to the Lord’s side, they are joined to Him and become ministers both to and for Him.
This does not mean that everything always goes right, that life is easy or that no tragedies or hardships come their way. However it does mean that the Lord will send His Spirit with them on each journey and will protect and defend them through every trial of life.
You too were born with a destiny to be joined together with others. Joined to a family, to a clan, to a tribe, to a nation, to a purpose, to a plan, to a cause worth your whole life.
It may not always be easy and you may at times doubt God’s will or your choice to follow Him and join yourself to something bigger and more important than yourself and/or what you can control.
Proverbs 18:1 Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good. (The Message)
I have often said that once we find an individual or church we feel drawn to join ourselves to, that we should hang around long enough to be impressed at least once and then depressed at least once and then for at least another 6 months beyond that before we ultimately decide if they are the people we can build a life long relationship with.
God is a God of joining, He is a covenant God, and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Are you ready and willing for God to join to others in His will and purpose?
Identify yourself to God as one who is on His side.
* Make Your Choice
* Take Your Stand
* Pursue God’s Will
Dare to be joined together with others for God’s greater purpose and don’t be too quick to burn bridges.
