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Read Leviticus 20-22
Leviticus 20:2-3 “If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.” “GOD is good.” How many times have you said that or heard someone else say it? Usually one is responding to some good thing that has happened in his or her life. Perhaps it is receiving a surprise gift from someone, avoiding an accident or enjoying good health. These are good things, and God deserves praise in all things. But I want you to see how truly good (a word that means “of God”) God is in the midst of great sin. Horrible things were happening in the world when God spoke these words to Israel. People worshiping false idols were killing their children. There was a ritual of worship to the god Molech in which parents would literally throw their 4-year-old child into a fire. Of course, God detested that murderous practice. And he could have easily destroyed all the people. But he didn’t. His good intent was to save many of them, so they would turn their hearts to life, to him. So he commanded his people to execute the murderers, so the killing would stop. God loves mankind. We are made in his image. To murder is a direct attack on God. Murder was one of the chief reasons for the Great Flood. After the waters receded, God’s fourth command to Noah was Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” Killing another human releases God’s wrath. Yes, we disdain capital punishment. But in God’s providence, it is a means to stop the killing and protect humanity. He commanded his people to be people of life who worshiped the God of life. God’s goodness came in his grace to protect his own, to stop sin, so the children would live. God’s good justice protects the sanctity of life. Let’s pray the world in its murderous rage today knows this, and the killing that ravages our nations will stop. Life is God’s Purpose. Read Leviticus 17-19
Leviticus 17:11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. WHEN I hear people talk of those they admire, I often hear, “He’ll do anything for you. He walks his talk. He’ll never ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t do himself.” Do you know someone like that? I do. His name is LORD God Almighty. God’s use of the blood sacrifice as his desired means to worship him began in Genesis 4. There God preferred Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb to Cain’s grain offering. The LORD’s will established this to symbolize offering the essence of life – to give our lives – to the Living God. The LORD then required the blood of an animal to represent Israel’s blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Note how the law commanded a priest to sacrifice an animal to bleed out on the altar. Don’t just kill it. Be sure its lifeblood comes out. In this blood sacrifice – life-for-life system, you can then see why Jesus, the Son of God, could only die on the cross. Jesus’ lifeblood is “the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.” The Lamb’s blood had to pour out on the altar to fulfill God’s law. (It is interesting to note the altar in the Tabernacle was made of wood.) See sin’s deadly cost. Repentance requires we give all our life to the one who gave his life to us: 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. Savor a sacred love of the Lord your God. He has offered you the Son’s lifeblood. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Read Leviticus 13-16
Leviticus 16:21-22 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites — all their sins — and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. 22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert. THESE chapters record God’s instructions to Aaron, Israel’s first priest, regarding his priestly functions and holy approach to God. One requirement is to provide two goats for the process of his and Israel’s repentance. One goat is for sacrifice to shed blood for sins, and one is to be the scapegoat to carry Israel’s sins into the desert. Again, as in the entire Law, we see another symbolic preview of some specific ways Jesus, our High Priest, would remove our sins. First, we note John the Baptist laid hands on Jesus to baptize him. The baptism was ceremonial atonement, the cleansing of one’s guilt. That’s why Jesus told John in Matthew 3:15 “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” What happened next? The Holy Spirit sent Jesus into the desert to confront sin in the Devil’s temptations. In this way, Jesus took Israel’s and mankind’s sins before the tempter. The Holy Son resisted the Devil to begin the saving process to redeem Adam’s sin. Then Jesus, confirmed in power against sin, began to teach, preach and heal the world of sin. Ultimately Jesus became the sacrificial goat who bled on the altar of the cross. He was, too, the scapegoat, taken outside the camp – outside of Jerusalem – to remove our sins. Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.” As we continue to learn of God’s laws, we see how perfectly Jesus fulfilled the law’s requirements to welcome us into his holiness. God is God of the Old Covenant and the New. He has prepared from eternity past to remove your sin to prepare for your eternal future. Thank him for that today. John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Read Leviticus 9-12
Leviticus 11:44-46 “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. 45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. 46 'These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves in the water and every creature that moves about on the ground.” WHAT is it to be holy? We need to know because God commanded, “Be Holy.” Holiness is perfection, and holiness is being set apart. God is perfect. His perfection sets him apart from his creation. Yet, he lovingly calls his own to be holy as he is holy. This is the reason for God’s long list of “do’s” and “don't’s”. His will is to set his people apart from a pagan world to be holy as he is. Jesus said it this way: Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” The more holy we are, the closer we are to God Almighty to love and know his will. Think about that! But how is it possible? Our big problem is our human nature. We are naturally “unholy”, never perfect as God is. Jesus has answered this question. His disciples wanted to know in Mark 10:26b “Who then can be saved?” Then Jesus replied with God’s eternal power: Mark 10:27 “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Yes. God’s power is resurrection power to make us holy as he. The once unholy apostle Paul rejoiced in his holiness. He proclaimed God’s regenerating work in Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. The Holy Spirit is teaching that your sin has gone to the cross with Jesus. Your unholy character is dead, transformed and born anew into a holy life because God acted. The Holy God has given you a faith to know Jesus is your Savior. You can go to God’s throne, knowing his holiness is in you. In joy, know Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Yes, in faith it is possible to be holy, perfect as your Father. All you need to do is turn to him and say, “Father, thank you for sending Jesus to the cross to make me holy. I repent of my sins. I believe Jesus is risen from the tomb, ascended to heaven. I welcome Jesus into my heart, into my life to be the Lord of my life.” Are you new in Christ? Then know the impossible has happened in your life. Out of your sin nature, you are made new to stand in God’s holy presence. Psalms 20:6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Read Leviticus 5-8
Leviticus 7:37-38 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering, 38 which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the Desert of Sinai. WHAT do you do when someone breaks the rules of your household? Perhaps a child disregards your rule to help with certain household work each day. It’s not a big deal is it? Of course it is. You have set a rule for the order of your home. The child breaking that rule disrupts the home. He also shows disrespect for you who provides the home and for the others who obediently live there. You have provided a home. He disrespects the home. That’s sin. And when the child sins, you want him to be sorry he’s broken the rule. Your desire is he asks forgiveness and changes his ways. He repents. It’s like that in God’s “household”. As a good Father, the LORD God taught and commanded the Hebrews to “clean up their room” – to do what’s right in each aspect of their lives. See that he even taught them how to approach him with humility to desire forgiveness. The LORD required these ways because his will was for their hearts to be truly sad over their sins. Their “I’m sorry.” was to come from the heart with a sacrifice of their best animals and grains. God still wants honest, repentant hearts in his household, the church, today. In Christ, you are his child who has vowed to follow him with a loving heart. That’s what you mean, isn’t it, when you call Jesus, “My Lord and Savior.” He’s your Lord. That means you love and obey him. You reverently seek his forgiveness when you break the rules. Know these things are true: Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. And 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. You know these words are true. God’s commands are a sure foundation to a love relationship with him. The Father obeyed his own commands. Even though he had not sinned, he gave his best – his one and only Son – to the cross for your sins. He has commanded the way for you to be safe in his house forever. Know. Listen. Obey. Love. Pause and Consider: you know what to do. Read Leviticus 1-4
Leviticus 3:1-2 “If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect.” FIRST of all, please don’t get bogged down or bored with the Law of God. It is common for people to not read this, to even reject the reading of God’s Bible because many see this as irrelevant to their lives. But remember the Holy Bible is God’s inspired Word. He has revealed these laws to all his people throughout time to show us who he is. Yes, sometimes the details may seem difficult to understand or unnecessary to know. Yet, they are words of life, and they are words of truth. Please stay with these words of life and truth for you. Be alert to God’s providence to move all things toward Jesus Christ; and thus, to move himself toward you. We see this in Leviticus 1-4. As God defines the way his people are to be his people, cleansed of their sins, there is one constant truth: The animal is to be without defect--perfect. Here the LORD sets the stage for Jesus Christ’s sin-removing sacrifice. To fulfill his Laws of Repentance, the LORD has obeyed his own law to present his Son to the altar as the perfect “Lamb” from among mankind. God brings his Son, who was truly man, out of all mankind to the cross. Sin tears us away from God, and sin destroys the joy in our hearts. No animal could represent humanity to remove that sin. To eternally remove sin from our souls, God required a perfect human representative. That is Jesus Christ. When you confess Jesus is God’s Son risen from the grave, ascended to heaven, His blood atones for your sin to make you eternally perfect before God. Yes, Knowing the ancient Law helps us see our eternal God working his eternal plan to save you. When we know what God has done, we more readily understand who he is. In faith, we can trust he is a promise maker who keeps his promises. That’s one reason we are to read the Law. Rejoice you live now, so you can know God’s great movement through history toward you this day. YOUR perfect God invites you to be perfect with him. Rest
Read Exodus 35-36 Exodus 35:1-3 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the Lord has commanded you to follow. 2 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. 3 You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.” WHAT do you do on the Sabbath? Based on this, I doubt many of us would withstand God’s wrath! Take this to a store clerk or business owner who’s working Sundays and see what the person says. Likely, he or she will just shrug their shoulders and continue working. God surely wouldn’t kill someone for working on the Sabbath would he? Their very lives prove it. No, he wouldn’t today, but did he then? I believe he did. Why? God says why. The LORD God equates the Sabbath – the rest – with himself. He says the Sabbath is holy. Violate the Sabbath, and you violate God’s holiness. That violation has a death penalty. (See Exodus 20.) Drawing his people out of slavery, God used the Sabbath as a sign and mark of his covenant. He says so in the command: Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and He made it holy.” In the Old Covenant, the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week to mark the end of God’s work to create the world. Today the Christian Sabbath is the first day of the week to mark the day God began to offer to the world his new creation in Jesus Christ. These are holy acts of God. We must pause to rest and obey. Can you work? Surely you can do essential tasks of farming, housekeeping and well-being. God made the Sabbath for mankind to enjoy rest and remember the blessings of God’s grace. These are good and necessary things to do. God has made many things – even a day to rest. Read Exodus 32-34
Exodus 32:2-4 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” PARENTS, you have a very good son. He has special gifts of leadership and speech, and you designate him to teach his siblings about God. He is to lead the family to worship God. You even honor him with a special suit of clothes to enhance his dignity to honor God. Then, parents, you go away for a time and leave this special son in charge. But something is wrong when you come home. You find your house you built specifically to bless and care for our family filled with all forms of immorality. Your children are dishonoring everything you have taught your family. And worst of all, your specially gifted son is the leader of the shameful exhibitions. You can’t believe your ears, your eyes and your mind. The sights and sounds are so evil you even consider banning your son and his friends from your home forever. This is Aaron’s response to Moses’ absence. God has especially anointed him to be a holy representative of his people before the LORD. Aaron has received beautifully crafted clothes to honor his office. How can God’s High Priest so richly adorned with God’s commands and clothes so easily approve of idol worship? How is it possible for him to allow his people to say the most horrid of words against the Living God to a metal calf, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt?” As we consider Aaron’s disobedience, perhaps we should stop to ask: What do I do when the world calls me to turn from the God who has chosen me? Do I look to the idols, or do I keep my eyes on the Savior? Do You See what “idols” keep you from God? Read Exodus 29-31
Exodus 29:43-46 “There also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory. 44 So I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 45 Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. 46 They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” THERE’S a universe of competition for our devotion and love. God knew his chosen people would be tempted daily to follow other gods, to ignore his law and to live in their own desires. The amazing thing, though, is that God wanted Israel to be his people. In essence, his will was for their very existence to be centered in him in the same way today Jesus’ disciples are to live in Jesus’ true way. To create that intimate, loving relationship, the Father would connect more personally with Israel through priests. These men would be God’s direct ambassadors – his representatives – to embody the Father’s love and law. All things that the priest would do would be for the purpose of reminding the Hebrews whose people they are. Their sacrifices, worship rituals and feasts were to keep alive and fresh Israel’s knowledge of their LORD. Each law was designed to remind Israel that God’s grace-initiated miracles brought them out of Egypt’s slavery. The priests would intercede – pray for – God’s people to protect them from sin. This priestly system was, of course, a foreshadowing of the Great Ambassador, the true High Priest Jesus Christ. The Son fulfilled God’s law and love to us. He offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He interceded for us in his life on earth – see John 17. And today he intercedes for us in heaven. Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. As a result, we need no other priest. We rejoice, too, the Holy Spirit also guides us to be God’s people. Romans 8:27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Through the Holy Bible, the Spirit opens our minds to daily remind us to know and remember God’s eternal promise. The Holy Trinity has called you to the altar of faith. Go and worship him. Live in his truth. Rejoice in his love. Know the Spirit and Son pray to the Father. You have nothing to fear, only faith to be free. You can trust the God, who has freed you from sin’s slavery. Surely Know God is your God as you confess the Son. Read Exodus 27-28
Exodus 27:20-21 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. 21 The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant.” “WHEN Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12) How does Jesus’ “I am the Light of the World.” announcement connect with the light continually burning in the ancient Tabernacle? Through the Tabernacle’s design and the command for continual light, the LORD God shines a search light – a rescue light – on His saving plan for mankind. In the desert, God directs the light to the Tabernacle’s altar. There he teaches his people he is constantly present to be their God. The heavenly Father’s presence lights the true way to Israel’s full blessings. This became more clear to believing Jews when the Father sent Jesus to the altar we know as the cross. The dark, deadly cross has become the central Living Light to show us the way to heaven. An altar in a church today helps remind us the Lord Jesus is a personal, humble and sacrificial Savior. We go to the altar with heart, mind and soul to offer ourselves as living sacrifices for the Lord’s holy work on earth. Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Yes, the light burns continually from the cross to direct our lives in the Savior’s light. And now in Christ you are the light in the world. Be a Light Christian: Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” |
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November 2024
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