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Day 49 or February the 18th. If you don't mean

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it, don't say it. Our thought today is rooted

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in Numbers chapter 30 verse 2. When a man makes

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a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate

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himself by a pledge, he must not break his word,

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but must do everything he said. The big picture

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surrounding this verse. God wants his people

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to be a holy nation, a nation set apart. Keeping

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his festivals and making the right offerings

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were all part of making Israel distinctively

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different to all the other nations around. He

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gives them many reminders of his goodness in

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festivals, such as Passover and the Day of Atonement.

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Most of these had a celebratory element in them.

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as well as the more serious reminder of their

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responsibility to a faithful God who has kept

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his word throughout history, and in return wants

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us to do the same. The book of Numbers teaches

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a wonderful social quality of life that could

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have astounded the godless tribes around. Sadly,

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the Israelites didn't always keep the rules God

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gave them, and as a result, they missed out every

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time. And now our action step. You can't read

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the Bible for long before you become very aware

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that God wants you and me to be faithful, devoted

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followers and not fans. He made us in His image

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and He wants us to be like Him. In the Bible,

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we have reminders of various levels of involvement.

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Whenever we eat a full English breakfast, we

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are reminded too. Look at the egg. That reminds

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us that the hen was involved. Look at the bacon.

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That confirms that the pig was totally committed.

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The book of Numbers stresses the need for total

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commitment and reminds us that a promise is a

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promise. So don't make them lightly. Be true

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and straight, speaking the truth and keeping

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your word. Mark Twain said, Always tell the truth,

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and you don't need to remember what you said.

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Of course we are not to tell the truth just because

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there's a rule that says so. We should tell the

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truth because it's the right thing to do, and

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God expects it, and society will be all the better

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for it.