Posts Tagged ‘Jesus Christ’
Scripture reading for February 2nd: Leviticus 1-3
Yuk! Leviticus! What can we possibly learn from all this sacrificing of animals? Why all the blood and death? Why the burning of offerings? Why all the rules for priests and people about what and how they are to bring these sacrifices? Isn’t all of this a bit bizarre? How can we worship a God who would demand this from His people?
This might be your reaction to this book of Scripture. But after careful reflection, it starts to add up: sin causes death. (Genesis 2:16-17) Death spread to all men by Adam’s sin. (Romans 5:12-14) God provided the first blood sacrifice for Adam and Eve after they sinned. Their own idea was fig leaves, but God clothed them with bloody skins of animals. (Genesis 3:21) He was showing them the effects of sin each time they put their new “clothes” on.
Now in these laws in Leviticus, God was again visually helping His people to see how sin affected their lives. The Law makes us aware of sin and the death that results. (Romans 3:19-20) Sacrifices offered according to God’s instructions in Leviticus, allowed those coming to worship God to live and have their sins covered. (Leviticus 1:9,17; 2:9) God was pleased because those who obeyed were using their faith in His Word!
Today, thankfully, we enjoy the final sacrifice for sin that was made for us 2000 years ago. Jesus Christ shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary and declared: “It is finished!” (John 19:30) When we approach this same Holy God, we can come boldly before His throne any time day or night for prayer, fellowship, or forgiveness. (Hebrews 4:14-16) What a blessing to be free from the laws and sacrifices of Leviticus! We now have a much better way made by God Himself! Take time today to thank Him for providing the sacrifice and the High Priest we needed!
“But now He (Christ) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:26-28
As I read this book of Joshua and think about what he faced in his lifetime, I am reminded of my need for patience. Patience takes strength and courage. When you know what the Lord has said and nobody around you is listening or walking in faith it is hard to have patience. When all around you grumble and complain and see only the problems, it’s hard to be positive and not loose your temper.
Joshua had to wait 40 years to enter his inheritance. He saw it as one of the spies and understood from God’s Word that He it belonged to them. He knew that God would help them with the walled cities and the giants. He had a good attitude and a good confession. He tore his clothes and pleaded with the people when they rebelled at Kadesh. (Numbers 14:5-9) He faithfully served Moses for the 40 years of wandering. He was a good second man to Moses. You never see him trying to usurp authority or grab anything for himself. He walked with those who were destined to die in the wilderness and kept his focus. He was so faithful that he was chosen by God to lead Israel after Moses’s departure. The Bible tells us that the first requirement of a steward is that they be found faithful! (1st Corinthians 4:2) Joshua was faithful through the hard times and patient to wait until God’s time came for him to enter and possess his inheritance.
As you take time to rest and pray today, thank God for his faithfulness in sending His son Jesus Christ! He is our Joshua. He keeps a good attitude even when we whine and complain. He walks with us faithfully. He kept God’s Word perfectly and is the only one who can take us into the “promised land’! He took the lowest place of a servant and God exhalted Him to the hightest place of authority. His patience with us is amazing! What courage and strength it took for Him to save us! Are you letting patience have it’s perfect work in your life today? Have a great day of rest and refreshing! Remember to gather with others of faith and worship the Lord! God bless you! Pastor John
Greetings! Today is another day of rest and reflection about what God has been saying to us. Have you enjoyed Numbers? What have you learned about Jesus Christ through this book? Do you sense God speaking to you about Christ as you read the stories about Moses and the people of God as they learn to walk with God in their midst?
A story I did not write on comes to mind today. It’s the story of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet for hire who was hired by Balak, King of the Moabites. Balak was afraid of the Israelites and had heard the reports of how they had completely destroyed Sihon and Og, two other kings that opposed them. God had given them this victory and led them in this conquest. Balak was trying to get advantage the only way he knew how. He sent a delegation to hire Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. Balaam, to his credit, sought God as to what he should do. God told him not to go and not to curse Israel. (Numbers 22:12)
A short time later, Balak sent more distinguished men and more money to try and entice Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. Balaam was tempted, but he sought God again on this matter. Money and men have a way of clouding God’s instructions. God told him to go, but do only what He instructed him. This led to the incident where Balaam’s donkey talked to him and warned him about the Angel of the Lord who was waiting on the way to kill him! God’s mercy and justice are evident here in this tension.
Balaam goes to curse the Israelites and as he stands to act, a spirit of prophesy comes on him. Each time, he blesses God’s people instead. These blessings speak of Jesus Christ and God’s desire to bless his people. Numbers 23:6-10 records the first blessing and verses 18-24 the second blessing. God has blessed his people, who can curse them? When God speaks a promise, no one can change it by sorcery! (Numbers 23:20,23)
The final prophesy of Balaam is recorded in Numbers 25: 14-24. In this prophesy, Balaam warns Balak of what the Israelites would do to his people in the days to come. He sees a vision of the Almighty. This vision is of a star coming out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel. It was not now and not near, but would surely come. He would crush the head of Moab and conquer Edom. This ruler is Jesus Christ, the star out of Jacob and the one who holds the ruler’s septer! Jesus would crush the head of the serpent as prophesied in Genesis 3:15!
The tradgedy of Balaam is what he did later. He evidently figured out a way to help out Balak. He told them to send in the women and seduce the Israelites and get them into idolatry. That would bring a curse from God on the Israelites as a consequence of their own sins. (Numbers 31:15-16) Balaam was a false prophet who met a tragic end! (Numbers 31:8) We must be on our guard! Our enemy Satan is always trying to seduce us! (Revelation 2:14-16)
Wow! Leviticus really makes you appreciate what we have today because of Jesus Christ! I know I would have had a hard time bringing all those animals to offer for my sins. It’s hard to admit sin privately before the Lord. I can’t imagine having to confess my sins to the priest and then offer an animal that would die right in front of my own eyes! Sin might become detestable after a few times! Maybe that was God’s intent!
Being a priest would have been difficult and very messy! Killing animals daily and sprinkling blood and washing and lifting dead carcasses up before the Lord would have been gruesome work. Going into the Tent of Meeting knowing that you might die yourself would also not be exciting. I am sure that Aaron had his moments too. He lost two sons who went into that Tent, probably under the influence of alcohol. Can you imagine his thoughts each year as he had to go in with the blood of a bull for himself and his family and then the blood of a goat for the whole nation? He had to go in alone and by faith make the acceptable sacrifice. It was probably not something he took lightly!
We have it easy today! Jesus has done it all! He is our high priest and intercedes for us. He sacrificed his own body and blood for our “atonement” covering of our sins. Our sins are taken away and our consciences are cleansed! It is finished! He did not have to sacrifice for Himself, like Aaron, because He was without sin. He ever lives to make intercession for us! Take time and reflect on this past week’s reading and thank Jesus for fulfilling all the law! Ask Him to make you holy, as He is holy. By faith, claim His righteousness. True Christianity brings rest and true joy! God bless you and have a great sabbath rest!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! . . .”God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2nd Corinthians 5: 17, 21.