Our freedom is to serve God and others

Numbers 36:5-6 (ESV)
And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. [6] This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, ''Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.

Moses commanded the people of Israel. Moses, perhaps after going away to pray to God of this matter, and having heard from God, came back to address the congregation. He commanded the people of Israel, and not only the the tribe of Manasseh, for this was an issue that was relevant to all the people. Moses discerned that this issue did not only relate to the daughters of Zelophehad, but to all the daughters of Israel who had inheritances.

It is through personal issues that universal issues are exposed and dealt with. For instance: when we hear of one celebrity being grossly unfaithful to his spouse, the issue is much more than this celebrity. It addresses the larger issue of human depravity, lust, pride and thanklessness to God, and of society's normalization and encouraging of adultery. When we hear of Islamic terrorists bombing a city, we are not just seeing just that one incident, or just that one political issue. We are seeing how many poor sinners around the world are likewise blinded by Satan and led to believe in lies that makes them do murderous things. We are seeing how people can do things in the name of religion (Christianity included here) that are so against the character and the nature of the one true God.

We who believe in Christ must be able to look at all things universally. We cannot be so short-sided to look not at the big picture behind the issues in our or other people's lives. The issue is not just with that one person, or that one group, or that one nation. The issue is not only societal or cultural. There is a deeper underlining issue that runs through the vein of all problems. We are those who can see with the eyes of our heart, and understand not only at an earthly level, but at a spiritual level. There is a spiritual side to all problems, that which we can all relate to as human beings. Just as human beings have the same blood in them, they all have the same soul. A problem or concern for one, is a relevant problem or concern for another. And this is why our salvation in Jesus Christ is same for all. Sin is the common disease for all, and therefore there is only one cure for all: Jesus Christ and His Cross. Repentance of sin and faith in Christ is the same method of salvation for any human being, for all have the same problem.

Tribe of the people of Joseph is right. They were right in their concern for their sisters, in their concern for their own tribe's inheritance and in their concern for the inheritance of other tribes being lost. It is good to hear from God that we are right in our heart, in our mind and in our speech. There is nothing better for us to hear than God approving us and commending us of our works. It should be our only hope to hear our Lord say to us:
Matthew 25:23 (ESV)
His master said to him, ''Well done, good and faithful servant.
It is right for us to seek God's praise, glory and approval, instead of seeking them from man. Jesus Christ recommended it, and reproved those who did not seek God's glory:
John 5:44 (ESV)
How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

It should be a wonder for us to know that God praises us when we do that which is good. Sometimes we Christians, because of our wicked pride, do not want to admit when someone else is right or does something that which is good. We speak of truth and preach about truth, but when we see someone else speaks truth, we don't want to admit it, because we are envious, or we don't like the messenger:
Matthew 13:55-56 (ESV)
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? [56] And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"
But when God hears or sees that which is righteous, true and good in a man, He is quick to give praise to it. God calls truth truth, and righteousness righteousness. He never is proud and says, 'Nothing you say is right, for I am God, for I am the Truth. What do you know, you pieces of clay?' No. When God hears truth, He commends the one who speaks truth, even if it is spoken by a sinner:
John 4:18 (ESV)
for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."

God does it because He is love, and love rejoices with the truth, as Paul says. God is a lover of truth, and lover of all that is good. Likewise we must be humble. When even a child speaks truth or do that which is good, we must be humble enough to acknowledge him, as God does us. God doesn't care who speaks good or does good, because He rejoices with all good and truth. Let us also rejoice as God does, not be not proud as to think that we are the only ones who speak truth or do good. Even this Moses, who knew more truth and of God's law than anyone, acknowledged that the tribe of Joseph were right. He was humble enough to admit that they knew something he didn't. We must follow his example. As Paul says:
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. God commands that the daughters marry whomever they wished to marry - but in one condition, they could only marry within their own tribe, that is, the sons of Manasseh. God wasn't going to tell the daughters who they should marry exactly. They didn't just have to marry a sons of the chiefs, or sons of the rich an renowned. They could marry any man they wanted, as long as he was from the tribe of Manasseh. They could marry anyone that seemed best to them, that is, left to their own rational and godly choices, as is best for them and the honour of God. It didn't matter who, as long as they were in the tribe of Manasseh their father. God had given them the freedom to do what they wish, but not without boundary. They were forbidden to marry anyone from another tribe. This was God's command now, not only an advice from elders. No matter how much they had fallen in love with some Levite or some Judahite, if they got married with them, they would be committing iniquity against God, and sinning against their brethren. To do this would be to make their tribe lose a piece of their land, and that forever.

This reflects the freedom, and the restriction, that we have in Christ Jesus. We Christians are free, truly free to do what we like. It was for freedom that Christ died for us, that we may no longer be mastered by anything, but that we may do truly do what we want. We may do what we think is best, as God told the daughters of Zelophehad. But does that mean that we can do those things that are outside the God's commandments, since we are free? By no means. This freedom is only possible because God has changed our hearts and our 'wants' have been transformed:
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
God has now given us a new heart of flesh on which His statutes and rules are written. They are not just written on our consciences only, but we are now given a new nature that wants, desires and is even zealous to do that which is good. A Christian has been made into a new creature through the Spirit of God:
Galatians 5:17 (ESV)
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Us Christians have spirits that are willing to do that which is right before God, though our flesh may interrupt our wants:
Mark 14:38 (ESV)
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

So our Christian freedom does NOT mean doing all things that our old, Adamic, sin-infested, God-hating self wants to do. When Christ says we are free, it means we are now free to not sin, free to keep the law, free to do good and do those things which are pleasing to the eyes of God. It is being free to do what our regenerated hearts want to do. To be more specific, Christian freedom is found in the chains of servanthood, both to God and to others:
1 Peter 2:16 (ESV)
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
We can do anything we want, as long as it is for the purpose of serving God and serving others. That's out boundary. Freedom is not about serving our own selves. We have long used freedom to serve our own pleasures, our own lusts and our own desires. We were free in these things, when we were outside Christ, when we were under the wrath of God, when we were also slaves to them. All that we did, and could only do, was for the service of Me, Myself and I. But now, becoming freed from sin by Christ's life, having been cleansed from this addiction to self, we have become slaves for Christ and servants to others. We don't live for our selves any more, but for God and for our neighbours. This is the true freedom, to be freed from our own selves. Let us be no longer be bound in doing everything for self, but as we have now thus been redeemed from such a life, do all things for God and for people. This is our true joy:
1 Corinthians 7:22 (ESV)
For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.

This freedom from self Christ bought for us with His own blood. Since our life has been buried and hidden with Christ, we can forget about ourselves and serve God and people without hindrance. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be so fully mindful of God and others that there is no room in us for self. How glorious and pleasing to God would it be, to be always in that state, where we are only glorifying God and being beneficial to others! This was what Christ did on the cross, vindicating God's righteousness while doing good for mankind. Christ had no room in His heart for His own self. Let us likewise give ourselves unto death, that God may get glory and others may have joy through us. Amen.