Scripture reading for February 9th: Leviticus 21-23

The job of a priest is to represent the people before a holy God.  In the old covenant, these priests had some strict rules about their dress and conduct if they were to do this job and live.  Dealing with God was (and is) not a matter to take lightly.  Two anointed young men, Nadab and Abihu, found out the hard way!  They took strange fire and entered the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was and died instantly!  (Leviticus 10:1-2)  As we think about these requirements today, we can be thankful for the New Covenant and the blood of Jesus Christ!

Priests had to be careful what they touched and where they went.  They were forbidden to touch a dead body, except for a very close relative.  Shaving their heads or trimming their beards or cutting their bodies for a tattoo was forbidden.  God evidently loved and wanted them to present their bodies before Him without any modifications, other than a bath.

Priests also had to be careful who they married.  They must marry virgins only and could not marry anyone divorced or defiled by prostitution. (Leviticus 21:7, 13-15) God evidently looked on a priest’s marriage as He designed marriage.  The two of them become one and any defilement in the wife would also defile the husband.  God wanted holy offspring and these children would serve as priests as well so must be pure.  (Malachi 2:15)  Sexual immorality is often related to idolatry. In fact, God says this in His word and warns that an immoral person will not inherit the kingdom of God!  (Ephesians 5:8)

No priest could have a physical defect or deformity or sores related to disease and serve as a priest.  He could eat the holy food but could not go behind the curtain and come before the Lord.  These defects included blindness, lameness, dwarfism, or even damaged testicles.  Holiness in God’s sight was also related to physical health and soundness.  (Leviticus 21:18-23)

As we look at the requirements for priests, we are reminded of God’s statement, “I am the Lord, who makes them holy.” (Leviticus 21:8,15,23) Even though the priests kept the rules, only God’s grace allowed them to serve and come before Him.  A blood sacrifice must be offered to complete the process.  Cleansing is by faith and granted through God’s amazing grace!

Scripture reading for February 8th: Leviticus 18-20

It seems that God knows all about our sexual practices!  He warned the Israelites not to do the things sexually that Egypt did.  He also tells them that the Canaanites practice things sexually that must be avoided. (Leviticus 18:2-3)  Sex is important because God is after godly offspring!  (Malachi 2:15)  He specifically designed man and woman to fit together sexually.  Sex was to take place only in a marriage covenant and the sexual union brought them together and made them one flesh!  From this union, God would use them to bring other human beings into eternal existence.  Holiness and godly offspring would come as God’s people completely obeyed His commands for proper sexual contact. (Leviticus 18:4-5)

Some of the heathen practices that the Israelites were forbidden to have included sex with close relatives, incest, and others’ spouses (adultery).  (Leviticus 18:6-20)  Sexual relations outside of marriage dishonor the person and others related to them.  God commands respect for each person and for other relationships and marriages.   Love is at the heart of these commands.  God is love! (1st John 4:16)   Sexual contact defiles the body by spreading diseases.  It also has a detrimental effect on a person’s soul and spirit.  The Bible says they become defiled by such conduct. (2nd Corinthians 6:14-7:1)  Adultery and divorce sows violence into a relationship.   (Malachi 2:16)

Another forbidden practice was offering children to Molech.  Molech was an idol god to whom the Canaanites regularly sacrificed their children.  God warned them that this dishonors Him and profanes His Name.  God loves children and wants to give them life, not see them sacrificed!  (John 10:10)

God also spoke plainly about homosexuality and bestiality.  These evil practices were strictly off-limits to God’s holy children.  They were detestable to Him and He explained that it was these practices that defiled the land and caused it to vomit out the inhabitants!  (Leviticus 18:22-28)  Those who would be involved in these practices must be cut off from God’s people.  These practices defile a person physically and spiritually and make them detestable to God.

Nothing could be plainer to understand, unless you were willfully blind!  God cares about His people and loves them enough to help them with healthy sexual advice.  We would be wise to love what He loves and hate what He hates!  God blesses holy sex between a man and woman who are in a marriage covenant!

Dear Friends,

Greetings on this another day of rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ.  He shed His blood on the cross for us that we might be freed from sin, guilt, and eternal death.  His blood was the only sacrifice that could actually make atonement for our sins.  Our church family celebrates the Covenant Meal of Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month as a way to remember the powerful blood and its work for sinners.

“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” (Leviticus 17:11)

God laid out some strict rules for blood sacrifices to cleanse Aaron and the priests who handled the sacred duties of meeting with God and interceding for God’s people.  Aaron’s sons died before the Lord when they carelessly neglected to follow God’s instructions about how to approach Him.  They offered strange fire before the Lord and died instantly!  (Leviticus 10:1-2)  There is some implication that they had been drinking alcohol and were impaired when they did this. (Leviticus 10:8-10) They neglected the blood sacrifice of a sin offering and paid a terrible penalty.

God chose blood because the life of a creature is in the blood.  Blood is an amazing creation.  Our blood carries food and oxygen to each cell of the body.  It also picks up waste products and they are filtered out of the blood by the liver.  Our blood carries clotting agents if we are wounded and antibodies in the blood attack disease organisms and protect the body from attack.  Our blood contains everything our bodies need for life.  When we lose a certain part of our blood, we die.

Christ’s blood is powerful because He alone was without sin.  His blood was not tainted by original sin.  His blood carried the power to cleanse us completely from the penalty of sin and the power of sin to enslave us.  Take time today to think about the blood of Christ and its amazing power.  Holy Communion reminds us of this special sacrifice.  Have a great day of rest and reflection!

Cleansed by His Powerful Blood, Pastor John

Scripture reading for February 6th: Leviticus 16-17

Sin has devastating consequences for human beings.  Sin permeates all humans from birth because of Adam’s original sin.  (Romans 5:12)  Sin separates man from God and God cannot look on the sinners or hear them. (Isaiah 59:2)  Sin holds men in its power and they cannot escape from its grip with any human effort or good works. (Isaiah 64:6)  Sin ultimately ends in eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, which is called the “second” death.  (Revelation 20:14-15)

Right after the death of two of Aaron’s sons because of failure to approach the Lord in a proper way, God gave instructions for the Day of Atonement.  This was to be one day each year when the high priest went into the presence of the Lord behind the veil and offered blood sacrifice for himself and then for the nation.  First, a young bull was to be offered as a sin offering for Aaron’s sins.  Then two goats were also brought before the Lord. One of them was chosen to be sacrificed for the sins of the nation. That goat was slaughtered and Aaron was to take the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood on behalf of the people.

The second major sacrifice that day was the scapegoat.  This goat was selected by lot and presented alive before the Lord.  (Leviticus 16:10, 20-22) Aaron was to lay both hands on its head and confess all the sins, wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites over this live goat, symbolically putting them on the goat’s head.  This goat was then led away in the presence of all the people and taken into the wilderness.  The people would watch it disappear from view.  This goat symbolized God removing their sins away from them, as far as the East is from the West! (Psalm 103:12)

God used these object lessons to help the Israelites visualize what was necessary to remove sin from their lives.  These sacrifices are a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary.  There He became sin for us.  God the Father laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  (2nd Corinthians 5:21)  He shed His own blood as the “sin offering for us”.  He did not need a sacrifice for Himself!  He was crucified outside the camp and His death took sin away.  As we look to Him as our scapegoat, our sins are atoned for!  What a plan!

Scripture reading for February 5th: Leviticus 11-15

Is what we eat really of concern to the Creator?  Is a skin rash or mildew on clothing really a big deal to God?   Is it really appropriate for God to talk about our bodily discharges?    Isn’t God getting a little too personal talking about childbirth and  a woman’s periods?  These chapters of Leviticus cover some very personal topics and specific conduct that was given to the Israelites by God for their good and protection.  They are really evidence of God’s love and care and His very personal understanding of our bodies and health!

Holiness starts with a good diet!  If we are to have healthy bodies, we must watch what we eat.  Some animals have the potential to spread disease and create problems for us.  God directed His people as to which animals could be eaten and which were unhealthy for them.  (Leviticus 11:1-43)  “I am the Lord you God; consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy.  Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. (Leviticus 11:44)

Holy offspring must come from pure sexual relations.  A woman’s period makes her unclean and she should not have sexual relationships for a prescribed time after her period or the birth of a child.  God was looking out for the health and well-being of His children and their parents.  Burnt offerings and sin offerings were required for cleansing before sexual contact was allowed.  (Leviticus 12:1-8)

Skin rashes indicated an infection in the body that might cause disease or spread to others.  Love dictated that people with rashes be quarantined until the infection was cleared up.  God was concerned for infections and even mildew that could make His people unclean and ill!  (Leviticus 13:1-8) (Leviticus 13:47-59)

Men with discharges were unclean.  An emission of semen caused a man to be unclean until evening and after a bath.  (Leviticus 15:16)  Sexual intercourse with an emission of semen caused both the man and woman to be unclean.  (Leviticus 15:18)  These rules were all to help God’s people to be holy and separated from the ways of the world.  God was concerned for the people’s health and welfare.  His love and intimate knowledge of what was best and most healthy for them caused Him to write these rules!  What an interesting God we serve!

Scripture reading for February 4th: Leviticus 8-10

We all have our own idea of what a great job might look like.  For some it might be leadership of a major company making lots of money.  For others it might be an easy job with little work or effort but great honor.  Some people think that being a minister or priest would be an easy job.  Let’s consider the priesthood that God appointed to represent the people before Him and see if this job would be one that we might enjoy!

The first command of God brought Aaron, the high priest elect, and his four sons before the Tent of Meeting.  They were to bring their garments, anointing oil, a bull for a sin offering, two rams, a basket of unleavened bread and the entire assembly of Israel to watch them.  They were stripped down and bathed and then dressed in the holy clothes.  Aaron had the ephod and breastpiece placed on him, as well as the turban with the gold plate.  Next Aaron was anointed by pouring  the sacred anointing oil on his head.  Then the bull was sacrificed with Aaron and his sons placing their hands on its head before death.  Moses did this and poured the blood out before the Lord, offered the fat and kidneys, sprinkled the altar and burned the body outside the camp.  (Leviticus 8:1-17)

Next the ram for the burnt offering was sacrificed in the same manner as the bull.  This time Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar and burned the whole ram on the altar.  The second ram was for ordination.  Aaron and sons laid their hands on its head before Moses slaughtered it.  He took some blood and put it on the right earlobe, thumb of the right hand and big toe of the right foot of Aaron, and the sons. Their garments were anointed again with blood from the last ram and anointing oil.  (Leviticus 8:22-31)

This was all a prelude to their serving in this same manner each day before the Lord on behalf of the people.  It was not an easy or clean job!  It also had it’s dangers!  Two of the sons died when they did not follow God’s instructions!  (Leviticus 10:1-2) Serving God and His people requires holiness and cleansing by blood.  God demands obedience from those who are given much!  Those who are great in God’s Kingdom become servants of all!

Scripture reading for February 3rd: Leviticus 4-7

We are wired by God with an inner moral compass called a conscience.  This conscience tells us when we are off base morally.  Sin is disobedience to God’s commands or instruction. We experience guilt feelings when we sin or violate God’s basic laws.  If we repeatedly sin and fail to take action to seek forgiveness and change our behavior, our conscience can become seared and we no longer experience guilt feelings.

God made a required way for His people to deal with unintentional sin and the resultant guilt.  They had two prescribed offerings that were specifically designed to cover sin and remove guilt.  The first offering was called the “sin offering” because of its obvious purpose.  In this offering the guilty sinner must bring a young bull without defect before the Lord and present it at the door of the Tent of Meeting.  He must lay his hand on the bull’s head and then slaughter it.  The anointed priest was to take blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain in the sanctuary.  The priest then took more blood and anointed the horns of the incense altar and poured the rest of the blood out before the Lord.  The fat and kidneys were burned on the altar as an offering and the rest burned outside the camp in a clean place.

This elaborate offering for unintentional sin speaks of Jesus Christ.  He was a young man in His prime, offered before the Lord.  He poured out His blood willingly for sinners and for the guilty to cleanse them from sin and guilt.  His heart and kidneys were offered to God–perfect inner obedience and willing sacrifice!  Jesus body was offered outside the camp on Golgotha!  He went through the fires of God’s judgment on our behalf while hanging on the altar of the cross!

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Scripture reading for February 2nd: Leviticus 1-3

Do you like spinach?  What about brussel sprouts?  How about Leviticus?  It has lots of strange offerings and laws written in it.  Much of it is foreign to our culture and our way of thinking and it’s sometimes hard to see how it is relevant to our lives today.  But as spinach and brussel sprouts contain essential nutrients for our body’s growth and maintenance, so Leviticus contains some spiritual truths that can nourish our souls!

Leviticus was written by Moses as instructions for the Levites who would serve the Lord in the tabernacle.    They were chosen by God to do the job of caring for the tabernacle and helping the Israelites with worship and prayer.  Moses and Aaron were Levites.  This book details what was required for those who served and how a sinful people must approach God in order to have fellowship with Him.

There were three voluntary offerings that could be brought by an Israelite in order to approach God.  The first was the burnt offering which was to be an animal from the flock or herd.  This animal must be perfect and must be  slaughtered at the door of the Tent of Meeting.  The sons of Aaron were to take blood and sprinkle it on the altar and then arrange the wood and the pieces of the animal on the altar to be burned.  (Leviticus 1:3-8)  All of it was to be burned as an offering to the Lord.

The second offering was the grain offering.  It was to be offered with oil and incense and burned on the altar before the Lord by the priests.  It must be without any yeast or honey and was seasoned with salt.  (Leviticus 2:11-13)  The third offering was the fellowship offering.  This offering was for anyone who just wanted to have fellowship with the Lord.  This was to be an animal without defect, offered in sacrifice.  Here the fat, kidneys, and choice parts were burned and then some of the meat could be eaten in God’s presence in fellowship with Him.

God desires fellowship with each of His people.  We can now approach God through Christ’s blood, which was the final offering needed for us.  (Hebrews 10:19-23)  He is pictured in each of these voluntary offerings as giving his blood (burnt offering) and body (meal offering) so that we might have fellowship with God.

Scripture reading for February 1st: Exodus 35-40

“And so Moses finished the work.  Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.  Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled  upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:33b-35)

These last chapters of Exodus contain a detailed account of how Moses and the Israelites carried out the Lord’s instructions for building the tabernacle.   God truly wanted to live in the midst of His people.  In order to accomplish that, the people were asked to willingly bring an offering from what they had.  (Exodus 35:5)  They presented their offerings as a wave offering before the Lord.  (Exodus 35:22)  The people brought so much gold and other valuables, that they had to be asked to stop!  (Exodus 36:6-7) When God is in our midst, we are moved to generosity because of His blessing and presence!

Then God anointed certain people with skill and ability as craftsmen to build the tabernacle exactly as He showed Moses.  (Exodus 35:30-33)  Each person was anointed by God to do practical skilled work.  It wasn’t just the priests or those who were set apart to handle the offerings!  All work is sacred and whatever skill that God has blessed us with should be consecrated to the Lord and used for His purposes.  There is no secular work in God’s economy!

Upon completion of the tabernacle and its furnishing, Moses inspected the work and declared it properly done, “just as the Lord commanded.” (Exodus 39:42)  Those who worked were blessed by Moses!  Not only was Moses pleased, but the Lord commanded that the tabernacle be erected on the first day of the first month and be anointed with the sacred anointing oil.  Aaron and his sons were dressed as prescribed and anointed for their work.  As a sign of God’s approval, the glory cloud descended on the tabernacle and filled the structure.  Moses could not enter because of the glory of God’s presence there!

Today we have something better!  We are the living stones of the new dwelling of God among men.  (1st Peter 2:5)  We are also the new anointed priesthood, set apart to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  When God’s glory dwells in us by the Holy Spirit and there is no room for the old man!  (2nd Corinthians 3:18)

Dear Friends,

Shalom!  “Shalom” is a Hebrew greeting meaning “peace” to you in it’s greatest sense, peace in spirit, soul, and body.  Sabbath rest is a means God uses to restore “shalom” to our souls and make us holy.   We rest in His presence and the finished work of Christ, ceasing from our own labors and enjoying the peace that forgiveness can bring.

In our reading this week, Moses experienced God’s presence and saw a glimpse of His glory.  After the incident with the golden calf, Moses and Joshua went to meet with God in the tent of meeting outside the camp. (Exodus 33:7)  Moses asked God to teach him His ways so that he might know Him better and find favor to lead His people. “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)  Moses knew that it was the presence of the Lord that marked him and God’s people as different.  It is God’s Presence and peace that mark His people today as well!

God then declares that He will answer Moses’ prayer for knowledge of God.  Moses asks to see God’s glory!  (Exodus 33:18)  He is told by God that he will indeed see a glimpse of His glory, but that no one can see God’s face and live. “Then the Lord said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but My face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33:21-23)

Moses is then told to return to the mountain and meet with God.  There God came down in a cloud of glory and proclaimed His name.   “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished, He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

Moses’ response was to bow and worship!  May God bless you with revelation of His glory this week!

In His Love, Pastor John