14 day plan

Loving God and loving others

Day 13 of 14

NIV

Numbers 35:33-34

33“ ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’ ”

Reflection:

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now;  and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”(Romans 8: 22-23) 

We live in a time when the whole of Creation is groaning.  

In Old Testament times the land of Canaan was at risk of being polluted with the blood of innocents at the hands of murderers, by their sin. In a similar way, in our time, the land has been defiled by too many lives and livelihoods lost because of our inaction on climate change – blood has been spilt in the extremes of weather causing devastation in many people’s lives. Pacifika brothers and sisters’ islands have rising water levels, crops can’t grow because of increased salinity. Bangladesh and Florida have is more and more water covering the land. And so much of the water is polluted. 

In Western Sydney and NSW, we have experienced ‘unprecedented’ fires in 2019/20, ‘unprecedented’ major flooding in 2021 and again in 2022. High volumes of rain washed away soil causing landslips, houses damaged from water, mud, sewerage and now mould, and lives have been lost or disrupted extensively.  

Too many of us ignore the Climate Crisis which we are experiencing, dismissing the scientists and the data. Too many of us are paralysed and wonder: what can we do, and does it even matter? 

Yet these Scriptures remind us that what we do is important.  In the Numbers passage, God exhorted his people ‘do not defile the land’ with the blood of innocents; murder was not to be condoned. Sin was defiling the land. God, the Creator of all that is seen and unseen, is reminding his people that he dwells in the land, among his people. Creation is important to God, and sin defiles the land. How might we change our ways to stop polluting or defiling the land? Together we can make a difference – if we act now.  

Prayer: Loving God, we hear the groaning of Creation and forget that you have chosen to dwell amongst us, amid Creation. Help us to care for each other – mindful of the consequences of the way we live. Help us to work together for the good of all, and the good of Creation. In this time of crisis, let us turn to you, and let us work for you for the reconciliation of the whole of Creation in and through the power of Jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Amen. 

 

We are reading the Bible with NAYBA Australia. Rev Christine Bayliss Kelly is the Minister of the Penrith Uniting Church Hub and Vice President of One Church Penrith. She helped coordinate the recent NAYBA Impact Audit in Western Sydney, which sought to measure the collective social impact value of the Church to the City of Penrith & Mt Druitt 2770.

 

 

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

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Numbers 35:1-34

Towns for the Levites

1On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, 2“Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands around the towns. 3Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.

4“The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits from the town wall. 5Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.

Cities of Refuge

6“Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 7In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. 8The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”

9Then the Lord said to Moses: 10“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, 11select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. 12They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that anyone accused of murder may not die before they stand trial before the assembly. 13These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 14Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. 15These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

16“ ‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 17Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 18Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. 19The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death. 20If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

22“ ‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. 25The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil.

26“ ‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled 27and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. 28The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

29“ ‘This is to have the force of law for you throughout the generations to come, wherever you live.

30“ ‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

31“ ‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

32“ ‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

33“ ‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’ ”

The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.