Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
Gen.49:5-7
You can’t go wrong with God, you can’t live for God and be on the floor. Their decision to follow God averted the curse on the family. The Levi gathered together for the first time and united in God. Not only was the curse averted, the family history was rewritten! They became God’s mouthpiece. His minister , and served perpetully as a priest of the most high in the temple.
I was moved to write this book by my need to explore and share some of life’s greatest truths. Chief among them is that absolutely nothing that happens in our lives simply ”happens.” Events in my life have confirmed again and again that God is in control and that regardless of how big or small we think our decisons might be – no matter how good or bad we belive them to be – God uses each one to achieve his purposes. A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps. Proverbs 16:9
My prayer is that as you read this book you will come to understand the truths it explores and that you will begin incorporating them into your decision-making. I promise that doing so will make reaching decisions easier and more rewarding.
After the Israelites’ deliverance from the land of bondage into the wilderness, there came a time when Moses sought the face of God and received the ten commandments. But upon his return, what did he find God’s people doing? In Moses’ absence, Aaron succumbed to the pressure of the people. He granted their request and made them a golden calf. (Ex. 32:1-4)
The actions of the Israelites under the brief leadership of Aaron displeased Moses when he returned from the presence of God. The people had begun worshipping a golden calf, turning their backs on God, who had brought them out of Egypt. Seeing all the rebellious actions of the Israelites, Moses’ anger was kindled, fore the people were not restrained. Aaron had not restrained them or their shame among their enemies.
Here’s the response of Moses:
Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
Exodus 32:26-28
The decision of the children of Levi demonstrated that they believed God and they had the opportunity to express it when the occasion warranted it. They stood for God in an unlikely and unpopular situation. Their singular act tells you and I that we can always make it right with God by our choices. If we can turn back to God and we accept His invitation of salvation, even our family lineage blunders will not hinder us and our own past sins we be forgiven and forgotten, regardless of our past mistakes or errors.
God’s grace always presents us with oportunities to correct our wrongs as well as mistakes we’ve made … even the mistakes of our parents … in order to deliver us from bondage. Your past blunder will not destroy your future destiny. The decision of the children of Levi (V26) as they gathered themselves together to follow the God of Israel averted the curse that was placed on their lineage. You can’t go wrong with God
