Tuesday, December 20, 2011

2011 December 20 - Morning Manna

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
(1 Samuel 8:10-22)

Today's Morsel:  The taxing of  people has been around for a long time.  When Israel wanted a king like everyone else, the Lord told Samuel to tell them that one day this king would begin to tax them.  He would begin to take away from them things for his own use.  So really, we don't have a lot to complain about today when it come to taxes as it was the fault of people before us.  Those who asked for a king instead of letting God rule over them.
 
Luke records, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:1-7). God used this same thing, taxing, that He told His people Israel that their king would us against them, to bring about His plan upon the earth.  Joseph and Mary were out of country, but God's plan was that this child was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.  And thus, God used the taxing method to take them back to where the prophets had said that the Messiah would be born.   

Sing: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hill and everywhere, go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

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