Num 18-20 Endings and Beginnings

February 19th, Numbers 18-20

       It's nice that there could be several great topics today. The idea of Levites having God as their portion and inheritance rather than land like all the other tribes. Would I be satisfied in their shoes?
       There is certainly the story of the  leadership failure of Moses. More is expected of us when we are leaders. That would be a good lesson to take to heart as well.
       But today I am basking in the end and the beginning of things. Everything has it's time...

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens;
a time to be born and a time to die, 
a time to plant and a time to uproot
a time to kill and a time to heal, 
a time to tear down and a time to build
a time to weep and a time to laugh, 
a time to mourn and a time to dance
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them 
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing
a time to search and a time to give up, 
a time to keep and a time to throw away
a time to tear and a time to mend, 
a time to be silent and a time to speak
a time to love and a time to hate, 
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3

       Aaron had his time and then he died, people mourned their loss and it was passed on to his children. It's now time for someone else. People ask me God's will questions a lot. Sometimes it seems like they are searching a "one answer for all things" type of answer. Is it a time to gather stones, or a time to scatter stones?
       When I look at that list and think about times in my life when it was time to do one or the other, the great thing is that God is with us in the midst of it all. Whether it's time for an old thing or a new thing, it's a time when Christ walks with us. Whether it's time for Aaron or his son Eleazar, God's presence with us is what we worship.
       To me there is a simple peace in this story that overwhelms me this morning. Death has a moment of clarity about life. Maybe that's part of Christ's invitation to fall to the ground and die, so that many seeds will be produced. A time to die and a time to be born