May 8, 2008

Romans 8:18 - "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

I come back to this verse time and time again because of the significance behind it. Paul said this after an incredible history. It smacks of 2 Cor 4:17 - "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison." (cf. Colossians 1:24) To Paul, this "momentary, light affliction" meant something much more than what it probably conjures up in our minds. Think of his own account of this in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. Paul was on the brink of death, tortured and starved, all for the cause of Christ.

Notice here that none of these things were for crimes that we had done, but rather, because people were rejecting the message. Matthew 10:22 speaks to this cause - "hated by all because of My name." Remember the admonition that still stands today: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matt 10:16). Remember also Acts 24:16. Too, if you are in jail because of something wrong which you did, that is your own fault. Do not blame God for that.

"The glory that is to be revealed in us." Comparing our present sufferings to future glory is nearly impossible, but even if we were to compare present blessings with future glory there would be nothing to compare. We know that the earth and all it contains will burn up in a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:12). We also know that the entire creation groans and travails in pains (Romans 8:22), and in fact we, as believers groans within ourselves waiting for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). "We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). We also think of Isaiah who saw the Lord high and lifted up. His reaction was one of true worship. Also, Paul, who was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2) who describes this foretaste thus: "was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which man is not permitted to speak" (2 Cor 12:4). Or, what about the words of John, who saw Him who sat on the throne (Revelation 20:11)? A Divine foretaste again. Following the judgment of all sin there descends upon the earth a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). At that time God will say once more and finally - "it is done," (Rev. 21:6) and then begins a new life, unimaginable where we dwell with our Creator as was originally intended - apart from sin, face to face.

May 6, 2008

~The Means to Live~

Romans 8:12-13 - "So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die: but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Cf. Galatians 3:3; Galatians 5:16

Our life is to be a life of activity, not one of complacence. The idea that we are to be "putting to death" something involves will on our part. We are active participants in the battle and God does not and will not do it all for us. This really has nothing to do with salvation. Salvation is totally of the Lord alone. We are talking about post-salvation - walking in Christ, being conformed to His image. This is two-sided. On the one hand you are strengthened to do what you need to by God, but on the other hand, you have the responsibility to do what God has commanded you to do. There is no shirking it, there is no getting out of your own duties.

However, this passage does offer some solace. We know that we are to be putting to death the deeds of the body, but we do this great task through the Holy Spirit! Ah! Strength from above.

May 5, 2008

~Living With Resurrection Power~

Romans 8:11 - "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."


How often do we quote Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me?" Truth be known, we quote it a lot, and probably almost flippantly at that. Indeed, we have been granted incredible power. Does it mean that we would be able to lift up a car? Probably not, though if God were to receive glory from that action then of course He would be able to grant your that power. but, power here seems to be talking about things that we as human kind have not been able to figure out. We are speaking of transcendent power. For instance, we know that in the field of microbiology scientists have been able to view the smallest particle known to man - the atom. Two questions though: How do we know that there isn't anything smaller than the atom? And, secondly, what holds all these atoms together?

That last one is the really baffling question. It doesn't make sense that these atoms just "hang around" with each other. If we could somehow figure out how to isolate these atoms we surely wouldn't be able to figure out how to get them to hold together. But, we have an answer from Scripture: "His before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). That is incredible power that is transcendent.

Or, what about life? That is one of those other transcendent issues. We can take all the right ingredients and put them together and yet no life will come into a creature - why? God is the only One with that power - Genesis 2:7 - "then the Lord God formed man of hte dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." So clearly, the power that is from above is transcendent, used for more than the mundane. This is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. And this, Paul says, is the power that gives us spiritual life and becomes an infinite resource!

So, the next time you think about using Philippians 4:13, remember that the power that is being spoken of is much more than the mundane - it is transcendent power that goes beyond our imagination and it is available to all who believe.

May 3, 2008

Romans 8:9 - "however, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."

Coming off the preceding verses we realize that the one who is truly in the flesh is incapable of pleasing God, and is in fact hostile. Thus, knowing this, the person who can have friendship with God is marked by one thing: The Holy Spirit.

Note: You are not saved, a true believer, unless you have the Spirit.

This verse does much to shatter the theology of much of the charismatic world, and those who adopt a Schaeffarian view of sanctification. The phrase "if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you" reminds the reader of 2 Corinthians 13:5. Also note the unity of the godhead in this verse: The Spirit of God is then called the Spirit of Christ. Just as I might say to my wife: "Honey, thank you for doing such and so. Oh, and sweetie, do you think that you could hep me?" You wouldn't think I was talking bout someone else - so don' do it here with the Holy Spirit - they are not two, but one and the same!

May 2, 2008

Romans 8:5-8 "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

It seems that these verses indicate that "the flesh" refers to one who is not truly saved.

Note: Mind set on flesh =

1). Death
2). Hostility toward God
3). Not able to subject itself to God
4). Unable to please God

Of course there are many parallels to a truly saved individual who is not walking according to the Spirit. That man is still at enmity with God, could ultimately die because of sin (though it would not necessarily be eternal death), and is most assuredly unable to please God, for God is never pleased with sin. "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Ps. 66:18).

Or, what about James 4:4 - ". . .do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." These verses speak of one who has a relationship with God. Therefore, the truth of Romans 8:5-8, though it clearly seems to be talking about unbelievers, has dramatic parallels to the believer. The only place where there would be a difference would be on the third point - "not able to subject itself to God," for the true believer always has the ability to turn from his sin and confess them from a heart of true repentance (1 John 1:9) to restore fellowship with his Creator!

Flee immorality (1 Cor 6:18)

Flee from idolatry (1 Cor 10:14)

Flee from these things (speaking about things that would take us away from the true doctrine of Christ, and more specifically money - which is "the root of all sorts of evil") - (1 Tim 6:11)

Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim 2:22)

April 30, 2008

~An Impotent Law~

"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh." - Romans 8:3

We will never be saved by works (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal 2:21), as if that weren't obvious. But what are works? How would one define a work? A work would be something that one thinks he can do to attain salvation apart from God's unique prescription which is through Christ alone. So, how does one decide that a "work" of his will be sufficient (keeping in mind that no work will ever be sufficient apart from the work of Christ)? The answer is found in the law. Romans 2:15 says that "they show the work of the Law written in their hearts." We are conscious of a sense of right and wrong according to this verse. However, the condemnation goes further. Paul says in Romans 1:18 that mankind, in general, suppresses the truth in unrighteousness. Paul goes on to talk about this in detail in Romans 7 showing that the law becomes a schoolmaster, and, rather than making it easier to do right, it makes it painfully obvious how corrupt we are and incapable of doing right. Thus, whenever we try to do a "work" we are going off of a conscious standard (which is seared) and a quasi-moral standard (which is always in flux, driven by humanism).

We think because the law says "do not kill" that if we haven't killed then we are doing okay - forgetting about the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:22. Or, what about coveting, or adultery? The issue is the heart, and all the law does is expose the true wickedness (Jer. 17:9). Thus, whenever someone thinks they can arrive at salvation with their own merit they cast off this key principle that the Law is powerless in this matter!

The law is tied to the flesh and is therefore "weak through it." It can, and does, show sinfulness and guilt but cannot cleanse. Here is what the Law could not do; and, exactly at that point, where the Law lost its potency, God stepped in, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (fully human yet without sin) and for sin - the only acceptable payment. Romans 8:4 goes on to say that Christ was sent so that the requirement of the Law would be fulfilled in us (through Christ) who . . . walk according to the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:13-14 – “For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.”

For the Christian, our hope personally is the Word of God; and, when we are seeking to encourage another believer, their hope and confidence is in the Word solely! This Scripture points out the fact that we can be discouraged. When Paul says that he hopes that they will understand until the end, there is the implication that some might not. This implies a grave responsibility for us as children of God to constantly be encouraging and exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching! Also, in this passage we see the great principle of fellowship and the power of discipleship – “that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.” When we are discipling others we rejoice in them. There is a bond that is created. This is convicting to me because it shows how important discipleship is. I personally have not had the opportunities, or should I say, I haven’t taken the opportunities or made the opportunities to disciple others and create those bonds. This is the type of stuff that will last until the end – not the other things. Only what is spiritual counts!

2 Cor 1:12 “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”

For the Christian it can be tempting to conduct ourselves according to our own fleshly wisdom in the world. This ought not to be the case. Once we have been saved God calls us to act in holiness – that is, set apart from all sin, never justifying it – and godly sincerity. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. We cannot feign interest in what another is doing – we must be truthful. To pretend interest is to lie and we have ceased to walk in holiness. This teaches us that even something as simple as our day to day things must have the strength and backing of God Almighty behind them – it is only by His grace that we might have this be true of conduct in this world. Pray then that God would grant His grace on our lives and teach us what it is to be holy and to have godly sincerity. We cannot find it of ourselves, for, if left to ourselves, our foolish minds are darkened and we will begin to exchange the truth of God for a lie . . .!

Leviticus 10 – Caution required: Holy God Present

After reading about the fall of Nadab and Abihu and looking at the events that surrounded their death (the time, the causes, etc.) one is left wondering just what it is that the Lord requires. Is it even possible to please Him with worship? As chapter 10 progresses it is revealed that Aaron’s cousins are called upon to take the bodies out of the tabernacle immediately, as soon as possible. What seems to be so fascinating is that it is the duty of the family to take care of their own dead. Others were not called in. This also points out to the reader that Nadab and Abihu’s own father, Aaron, could not tend to them. It is hard to imagine the grief that must have plagued Aaron; to watch his own sons be stuck down by the Lord and not to be able to bury them or even mourn for them! The Scriptures record for us in verses 6-7 that Aaron and his sons (Eleazar and Ithamar) were not even to uncover their heads or tear their clothes. In fact, they could not even leave the tabernacle (v 7) because the anointing oil was upon them. Verse 7 is insightful as to the reverence that Aaron and his sons had for the Lord: they obeyed and “did according to the word of Moses.”

At times the Bible seems harsh when it comes to one’s own family. When the issue comes down to the point that the choice is between family and the Lord, the Lord always wins. Jesus alluded to this idea when He spoke of discipleship in Matthew 10:24-39. Starting in verse 34 the Bible states “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ‘For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.’” The cost of following God is high. It should be noted that we are not commanded to ‘hate’ father and mother, but rather, that our love for God is to be so strong that in comparison our love for them seems as hatred. The point is clear though, what length would a person be willing to go to in following the Lord? What if it cost the life of another? Would you be able to rejoice in the fact that the Lord is good above all things even if you lost a loved one? Is His pleasure with you more important than your family’s or friend’s pleasure?

What is interesting to note, along with this high cost of following the Lord is the inclusion of the policy for the priesthood concerning wine and strong drink starting with verse 9. The policies for the Levitical priesthood are recorded for us elsewhere in Scripture and yet we see this particular policy mentioned here, and none other. Many commentators seem to think that this points out the fact that alcohol was involved in the sin of Nadab and Abihu. As was mentioned earlier, it almost seems inconceivable for them to have brought in strange fire for it would have been easier, even from a physical standpoint for them to get it from the brazen altar. Why would they have gone out of their way to get fire from somewhere else? Thus it does seem to fit in that their judgment could have been clouded by the effects of alcohol. Though it is not possible to be dogmatic concerning this, it does seem worthy of mention, especially in light of where the policy was mentioned and looking at the immediate context (it doesn’t seem to fit in).

The point seems to go beyond just the use of alcohol though. Alcohol does have its dangers, but the drive seems to go further than just alcohol. If anything will come in the way of clear thinking and sound judgment, especially in our worship of the Lord then it is from that that we must abstain. If alcohol will cloud my judgment then it is to be put away. What other things can cloud our thinking as we come before the Lord to offer up our praise to Him? Music? Immorality? Drugs?

Our God is Holy and as such we must be guarded and extremely careful about how we come before Him especially in the area of worship. Daily should we be examining ourselves to see if sin is being harbored, which will be a hindrance in our walk with Him. Will you be stricken dead if you do not have a sound mind in the house of the Lord? Chances are slim, yet that doesn’t pardon our carelessness or apathy toward that which defiles or is an affront to the Character of God. “What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be!”

“Father in Heaven, You are most Holy. In Your presence is the fullness of joy. Around Your throne sin is most unwelcome and all too often I am guilty of coming before You with sin harbored in my soul. Forgive me for my apathy toward You and what You require. Your grace is sufficient for my life, yes, and Your mercy is displayed to me daily, yet these things should never be taken for granted. You desire that we worship You, in fact it is to be central to our lives as Your children. You are not pleased when we offer sin at Your holy altar, so today, please grant us the wisdom to see that which comes between us and You and may our love for You be the primary motivation in ridding ourselves of these temporal evils.”

Leviticus 10 - Who Might Fall?

This section of Scripture poses difficult issues at first glance. Here, two priests who are serving the Lord, looking like they’re doing the right thing are struck dead for their offering. Why would this happen? Is God unfair? Was this right? Is something missing?

Nadab and Abihu were the sons of Aaron, as verse one states. As was ordained by the Lord, fire was to be taken from the brazen altar (which the Lord had just lit on fire in chapter 9) and brought into the holy place. Even incense was a very valid part of this. Once sacrifices for sins had been offered up, then the priests were to enter the holy place and offer up sweet fragrances of perfume on the altar of incense (or golden altar). So the question really is ‘what was the issue?’ Ross, in his book Holiness to the Lord, sums up the chapter well by saying that this is really “about divine judgment, not on wicked people in the world but on disobedient priests within the household of faith” (p. 231).

Disobedience. This idea has come up before, time and again. In fact, Genesis 4 serves as a model for this, going back to the beginning of man (or quite nearly there anyway). Genesis 4:3-7 gives the account of this, with Cain bringing an offering before the Lord of the fruit of the ground (v 3) and Abel bringing the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions (v 4), indicating a sacrifice. Verse 5 tells us that the Lord had no regard for Cain and his offering. Sacrificial law had not been established, which is why Cain was not struck dead, yet the Lord made it clear to Cain that if he were to do well his countenance would be lifted (v 7) and basically, that the Lord would be pleased. The outcome of this story is well known by all, yet the point is that disobedience was at the heart of the sin and the consequences that ensued. A similar argument can be made for Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6. The ark was coming back to Jerusalem being transported in a way other than prescribed by the Lord (it was to be carried by the priests on their shoulders and it was on a cart pulled by oxen) and this man, Uzzah, who was not part of the Levitical priesthood reached out his hand to steady the ark when it almost fell off the ark and was struck dead! So many times this story was troublesome. It seemed so unfair that that should happen. Would it really have been better to let the ark fall? Yes! God was specific when He stated who was allowed to touch the ark and He meant it! Disobedience to His commands always exacts consequences! So it is with Nadab and Abihu. God laid out quite clearly guidelines which were to be followed in worship to Him and those were forsaken, and in a seemingly small way. Ross comments on the nature of the “strange fire” (v 1) in his book and indicates that the specific word used here would denote that their fire was taken from somewhere other than the altar or sacrifice, or the brazen altar. That was the only place that they were to go to get fire from and yet they brought their own. Their disobedience cost them their lives.

Without even getting into the rest of the passage there are several observations that could be made. One would be to go back and look at the context immediately surrounding this account. Leviticus 9 was Israel’s inaugural worship before the Lord; the priests had been consecrated, the offerings had been slain before the Lord and He was pleased and brought fire down from above and consumed that which had been laid upon the altar. Things couldn’t be more right. It was at this point that we are introduced to the episode of these two men. Right on the heels of spiritual victory and obedience sin was crouching at the door. It is impossible to ascertain the motive for sin. It could have been carelessness, or even deliberate. Maybe it was laziness, though that doesn’t seem likely because the tabernacle was not that big and the brazen altar was right there when a person walked in past the gate. The fire would have been burning on the altar and it would have been simple to take their firepans up to the altar to get the correct fire. It almost seems like it would have been more work to bring fire from another source, but again, nothing can be said for certain for the Scripture does not give insight concerning the matter.

One thing that is made clear in other Scripture is that these were men who were serving the Lord. They were part of an elite group of men called in for service to the Lord among the tens of thousands of Israelites encamped in the wilderness. Exodus 24:1 gives insight – “Then He said to Moses, ‘Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel, and you shall worship at a distance.’” Going through this verse and another similar one (Exodus 24:9) several times before, the reason for the inclusion of Nadab and Abihu specifically mentioned by name had always been unclear. It seems however, and would make sense, that Moses was trying to make a point as He penned this portion of Scripture. These were not your run-of-the-mill guys who were just marching in on the tabernacle to worship God in their own way – they were already about the business of serving the Lord! In fact Exodus 24:9-11 states that they even saw the God of Israel (v 10) and yet “He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank” (v 11). This is amazing and unprecedented! All who looked upon God were to have died and here, this special group of people was able to be close to God and not perish, as anybody else would have.

An important lesson to learn is that even those preparing for the ministry, or already in the ministry can fall. Doing the right thing is essential but one should never take his position before God for granted for it only takes a second to fall. Spiritual highs are often followed by spiritual crashes. It seems that Satan will always try to strike when one is at his peak, coming off of a great spiritual euphoria. It is at those times that we tend to be off guard, prime striking for the enemy of God. None of us is immune. We must always be on guard so that we will be doing what is pleasing and acceptable in the sight of our most holy God. This is also a reminder as to the importance of the Word of God in our lives. In this Word, which we must cherish, is found all that is needed for life and godliness (cf. 2 Pet 1:3). In God’s precious Word is found the most holy character of the Lord Himself, and attributes; these are things which have not changed over the course of time, even though we live in a dispensation different from that of the Israelites! If God is to be pleased with our worship of Him then we must diligently mine the Scriptures to find out what He would have us to do, and then keep doing it! We cannot, yea, must not sit back after we think we have figured it out and go on about our business, for it seems that this is what caused the forfeiture of life on the part of Nadab and Abihu.

“Lord, You and mighty and good. Your Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. You say that a young man can cleanse his way and make it pure through taking heed to Your perfect Law. Cause us to have a deep and abiding love for You, cultivated through a passionate study of Your Word. May it always be on our lips and in our hearts so that You would not be far from us. Grant us the strength to walk in Your ways, yet not just the strength, please give the desire to do the same and make it consume us with every moment.”

Leviticus 9 - Guidelines for Worship

Chapter 9 is a milestone in the book of Leviticus. This chapter represents the inaugural episode of worship for the Israelites. Up to this point the sacrificial system had not been implemented. The first several chapters of the book supply the facts and need for certain types of sacrifices, all of which will be mentioned here in this chapter. Significantly though, the process had started with chapter 8 which laid out for us the consecration and ordination of the priests. In the end of that chapter we read “Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord had commanded through Moses” (8:36). We find here in the first verse of chapter 9 a mention of the eighth day (9:1). In 8:33 the Lord had commanded the priests not “go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled.” It is the very next day that we pick up our reading – now that the priests had been ordained corporate worship was to occur.

This brings us to perhaps the main theme of the chapter – worship. As we look at the entire chapter, remembering that this is the very first time the people had ever done this, we have laid out before us the Lord’s desired pattern for worship. This was how He wanted it done until the new covenant was ushered in, following the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Commentator Allen P. Ross, in his book Holiness to the Lord, summarized this idea well when he said that “this section records how the divinely instituted sacrificial worship was supposed to be carried out so that it would be blessed by God. In this premier service the culmination came in the appearance of the glory of the LORD in the sanctuary.” (pp. 218-219) Ross leads us to our next thought at the end that quote leading us all the way to verse 24 of chapter 9 where we read in the first part of the verse “then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar.” If the Lord had not been pleased with the sacrifice or had the children of Israel done it in a disobedient way, then the Lord would not have responded as He did.

As we start to explore this idea of worship we must observe, and make application in our lives today, that this is something that has always been an act of obedience. Think back to chapter 8 with the ordination of the priests and all the specifics that were to be done there. Obedience was key. It would then behoove us to take note and be instructed by the obedience of Aaron and the people now. Starting with verse 5 we see that the people went and retrieved the necessary items (which they had been told to get) and then in verse 8 we watch as Aaron walks in obedience before the Lord in offering up the sacrifices. When the people came to the courts of the Lord they had to do it properly. There was a time of intense preparation here and it all had to be done decently and in order. The question then arises: why did they have to do this decently and in order and be so exacting? The answer is found in a conditional promise in verses four and six – so that the LORD (and in verse six, the glory of the LORD) would appear. The people were going to know the presence of the Lord! Again, Ross: “if God did not make his presence known, worship was merely an empty ritual and would not last.” (ibid. p. 221) Could we not make similar conclusions and observations for our own lives today?

We say that we so desperately want to meet with the Lord on Sunday and to experience his divine presence amongst us as we corporately worship Him, yet can we really expect so great a joy if we are walking in disobedience? Can we expect these magnificent results if we have not methodically prepared ourselves as we have been instructed like as the children of Israel did before us in the manner in which they were instructed?

Note the order of the sacrifices laid out for us in chapter 9. To the priests first, instruction was given to make first a sin offering (or offering of purification) and then a burnt offering (v 2). We then see the people instructed to bring the necessary items for a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering (vv. 3-4). The priests then offered their sacrifices to atone for their own sins. We must pause here and reflect upon this for a moment.

The order was significant, yes. Notice that the sin offering was to be first. If we go back to chapter 4 we notice that the sin offering was for sins that were unintentional (4:2). This is instructive in and of itself. It reminds us of Job who said in Job 1:5 “when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually” (emphasis mine). Sins that are not overtly known, that is the idea here. Then, once those have been taken care of there was to be a burnt offering. Again, we can look to the previous pages of the book to find instruction, specifically in chapter 1 where we read that the purpose of this was “to make atonement on his behalf” (v 4). The idea here is known sin. The same can be said of the offering of the people starting in 9:15, but the point here is that the priests had to offer up these offerings before they could offer up the offerings of the people.

It is a wonder that many pastors in the pulpits and many people in the churches expect that they will be able to intercede for others and to help them along spiritually when personal sins have not been dealt with.

I dare say that if the priests had not made purification for their own sins and had tried to make offerings for the people that they would have been struck dead. In fact, we will see a story of something very similar to this in chapter 10 with Nadab and Abihu – though with them it was not because they didn’t make atonement for their sin.

God is jealous for His worship. Jesus said to the woman at the well that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Part of that truth is confession of sin. We are instructed to bring our sin before the Lord just as the children of Israel were. In 1 John we read that if we say we have no sin we are lying but that if we confess it there is forgiveness (paraphrase of 1 John 1:8-9). Elsewhere in passages such as Matthew 6 with the disciple’s prayer we see the Lord showing them in this model that one of the things they should pray for is forgiveness of sin (Matt 6:12).

Praise be to God that we no longer are required to abide by the Law for means of atonement because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4). We have a more sure promise, Christ. “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified . . . now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin” (Heb 10:14, 18).

When these sacrifices in Leviticus 9 were offered and intercession was offered (cf. 9:22-23) an amazing thing took place. In verse 24 we read that “fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering . . .” God’s presence was with them. Ross made an apropos comment concerning this whole idea. “On the basis of the direct revelation in Lev. 9, people knew that the sanctuary was God’s dwelling place among them. Without this truth the Book of Leviticus loses its meaning (Ross p. 227).”

As we come before the Lord for the purpose of worship let us come with a repentant heart, acknowledging our sin before the Lord. Let us strive to know His commandments so that we may be obedient before Him in worship, for this is well-pleasing to Him. Then will we meet with the Lord. Then will we behold Him in His glory. And, then will we shout and fall on our faces (cf. Leviticus 9:24b).

“Lord, You are majestic and full of glory. Perfection is a thing that we strive for but will never attain, but it is what You are. You are holy and set apart from all sin. You are the God of love and have always delighted to dwell among Your people. Help us to realize that You still delight to dwell among Your people and that You still are jealous of our worship just as You were back in the days of Israel when You gave them these words. May we strive to know You, and may You open our eyes and grant us wisdom to see clearly what You require of us today. Do not grant us wisdom alone, but empower us to make the choice to be obedient in this area even if it means change and raised eyebrows. We care nothing of the thoughts of others, only that You would be pleased with us and that we would love You more.”

Leviticus 8

This chapter begins and ends with the speech of God. This has been noted in other places so it will not be necessary to rehearse the full implications and power of His spoken word, yet we must focus in on at least one aspect of the result of God’s speech, and that is obedience.

Not only does Leviticus 8 begin and end with the speech of God but nine other times it is mentioned directly (vv. 4, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 29, 34, and 35) and one time indirectly (in verse 31 when Moses tells Aaron and his sons to obey what he (that is, Moses) had commanded them, but even this is sandwiched in statements of the Lord’s imperatives). So, in all, 11, possibly 12 times we have reference to the speech of the Lord in 36 verses! That is almost one out of every three verses! It could have been said one time throughout the chapter that all of this was a command of the Lord and that would have been sufficient. Usually when the Scriptures reiterate something, it is not just for the sake of, to fill up space, but there is a definite purpose – an emphasis, to make a certain point. So, what is that point?

Chapter 8 deals with worship, and specifically, those who are to lead in worship, Aaron and his sons (the Levites). We see the first command given in verses 2 and 3 where we read “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” One of the first observations that we could make is that it is somewhat obvious what is about to occur – Aaron and his sons were to be anointed with oil, that is to say, set apart or consecrated for their service to the Lord. Without jumping ahead too much, one must wonder at the fact that God did not just give the list of necessary items and say “okay, go for it!” Hopefully a thought like that would make one cringe, for we know that is not how the Lord has chosen to reveal Himself through the Scriptures. God doesn’t leave us wondering, especially when it comes to the area of worship. There are areas in our lives today where we cannot look to a single solitary imperative (as we wish we could) that says “thou shalt do such and such,” or “thou shalt not do such and such,” but we see here that God was (and may I submit, still is) very particular about our worship of Him. Notice secondly the location of this service of dedication and consecration. This was to take place at the tent of meeting, or the tabernacle. In this particular time, when God was working with His people in a way far different from today, the tabernacle was where God dwelt with His people. The Israelites did not have the Holy Spirit tabernacling within them permanently as we do today. Thus it is significant that it would be here. Also, the tabernacle was not only the place where God came and dwelt among the people, but also it was where the people worshipped. This draws our attention to another fact, namely that this service of consecration was not a private one. Notice that verse 3 indicates an assembly of the entire congregation of Israel. When a man today is called of the Lord to preach the Word and to enter into that particular service he is ordained in the sight of God and before the people of the church. The analogy breaks down here because the people of Israel did not have a say in the matter, whereas today the congregation would agree or not that the hand of the Lord is on this person (though it does seem pretty obvious here that the hand of the Lord was involved with the consecration of Aaron and his sons).

Following this first command we see obedience – “so Moses did just as the Lord commanded him” (v 4). Obedience is key. Not only do we see that the order to follow is of the Lord but that everything that was done was in obedience. It is almost two sides of the same coin here. On the one hand we see the Lord commanding, showing that it is not up to man how we conduct ourselves before the Lord in worship (which is an extremely important principle), yet on the other hand we see that Moses did all these things, just as the Lord had commanded him – obedience. The two are inseparable. Now it becomes easy to note the following: in each of the sections of this chapter (each one dealing with certain aspects – i.e. the dressing of the men, the slaughter of the animals, the anointing with oil, etc.) we see a series of events described in great detail. We must remember that these things are not just happening as the events happened to unfold. At the end of each of the aforementioned sections we are reminded that it was the Lord who specifically ordered these events.

Take the first section for instance, in verses 6-9. Do you think that Moses just decided that Aaron and his sons needed a bath? Or what about the order of their clothing? They quite possibly could have put it on a different way. The point here is that the Lord even had words to say about how they prepared themselves for the anointing!

What do we learn from this (and all the other sections in this chapter)? That the Lord is particular about His worship and that we must obey down to the last detail, as much as has been revealed and commanded of us – there is no option!

“Lord, you are great God, and greatly to be praised. You are jealous about Your worship and command us, Your servants, to worship You in spirit and in truth. We confess to You that we do not fully know how to worship You in this way. In some ways we would love to have a manual of explicit detail like the one here which You gave to Your people so long ago, but we do not have such an item. Yet Lord, You have given us the Word of Life, and in it are principles to live by and principles about You and Your magnificent character. Open the eyes of our understanding so that our lives would be more pleasing to You in every aspect!”

Leviticus 6:8-7:38

In this passage of Scripture the focus shifts to the priest and the offering. How should the priest come to the altar? What should he wear? How does one dispose of the ashes that would necessarily accrue after a number of sacrifices? What does a priest do if, in the process of slaughtering an animal for sacrifice, blood is splashed on his garment? If you are burning the carcasses of animals on the altar how do you ensure that they are completely burned up? What are the rules concerning the fires on the altar? If the priests are doing all this work, when do they get to eat? What do they get to eat? These and even more questions are answered in great detail in this passage.

First, let us notice the authority behind these commands. In 6:8 we read that “the LORD spoke to Moses.” This is significant and has far reaching implications; however, the thing that we want to focus on now is the word ‘spoke.’ God’s speech is an interesting thing in Scripture. With His speech all the world that we now dwell in and enjoy came about. With His speech came man from the dust He had created. With His speech was the world to be declared good and likewise, with His speech was the world to be declared cursed. A covenant that would span the epochs of time was made and has been kept by His Word. With the speech of God did the Roman mob fall down to the ground when confronting Jesus (cf. John 18:6). The redemptive act on the cross was declared to be completed by three words (cf. John 19:30), and by His speech we have hope of His return (cf. Revelation 22:12). The point of all this is that God’s speech carries with it tremendous authority and all that He says we should do. We need no logic or any such thing to justify obedience to God’s commandments. We see hints of it here in this passage and then elsewhere that there were certain animals that were unclean. Why were they unclean? For no other reason than that God declared them to be. Some would argue that the animals on the unclean list (i.e. with split hooves) actually pose health problems. There could be some veracity to that, but the question should then be asked, why is it then that in the book of Acts 10:11-16 these animals that were once unclean are now clean? Did they change? No! The only answer is that it is God’s speech that makes a thing so. This concept is so very important as we look into this passage concerning the sacrifice.

Secondly, we notice that the altar is a sacred and holy place. This is made evident to us by the commands given to the priests concerning their clothes. We see two simple things here concerning this. One is the idea of modesty. In verse 10 of Lev. 6 we read that he is “to put on undergarments next to his flesh.” What would be the result of disobedience to this command? Exodus 28:42-43 answers this question and states “you shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die.” There is much that could be said about modesty, but suffice it to say that from this verse it is abundantly clear that this issue is important to the Lord. I have found myself thinking ‘what does the Lord care, He created us and knows us inside and out?’ We are not talking about immodesty from a sensual standpoint in worship for these priests were only with men in this part of the tabernacle and, in addition to that, they were wearing long robes – but the Lord would be able to see and did not want to! Modesty is important, not just before others, but before the Lord and most especially in worship. The idea of their clothing brings us to the second idea which is that even their garments were sanctified for worship that is, set apart. When it came time to take the ashes of the burnt offering outside to the designated area the clothing that he was wearing was to be shed and others were to be donned (cf. 6:11)

Next, we see the manner and nature of the sacrifice. This was to be done completely. The fire was never to go out on the altar so that all of the animal would be consumed. Specific instructions were laid out concerning what parts of the animal should be offered like what to do with the fat and refuse and other such things. We even see here what to do concerning the grain offerings. God leaves no question in the mind of the readers how He wants even this offering accomplished, down to the detail of how stirred up the mixture should be (cf. 6:21; 7:12)!

Then our attention is drawn to the priests and their food and sustenance. They were able to eat things that were left over and other parts of the animal that the Lord did not require for sacrifice. Yet, even limitations were put on them. They could not eat the blood (cf. 7:26-27), on some animals, the fat was forbidden (cf. 7:23-24). Even the means of cooking their meat was laid out for them in 7:9 – oven, pan, or griddle.

There is more that could be described, however, one last thing will be drawn to our attention today, and that is at the end of chapter 7, verses 37-38, particularly in the first part of verse 38 where we read, “which the LORD commanded Moses at Mount Sinai in the day that He commanded the sons of Israel to present their offerings to the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.” This is significant for the reason that we find the time frame in which this was all given, ‘in the day.’ Sometimes we start something without all the details that we need and will try and figure all those out later as time permits, but this is not how the Lord operates. We must understand as we are reading this that the people had not yet started the sacrifices. God spared no details, as is evident from above, for He wanted it done correctly the first time. Many applications could be derived from this for today but time does not permit. One thing to think about though – how do we worship the Lord today? Do we just go and do what we have always done, and then when we run into a problem at that time try and figure it out. We do not live under the Mosaic Law and the Levitical sacrificial customs but our God has not changed in His character. He still has high standards for our worship of Him and we must diligently seek to know and understand them if we are to worship Him in truth.

“Lord, You are the God of detail and perfection. All that is good and holy is from You. Everything that I need in the world today to live and to live acceptably before you has been given to me in Your Word. I have seen that Your Word is powerful, specific, and binding. Cause me to walk in obedience before You today, out of love and out of a sincere desire to please you!”

Leviticus 6:1-7

The law for guilt offerings was laid out for the reader in chapter 5. What is so very interesting here, in this section, is that the process is clarified. Chapter 5 talked of what specific animals were to be used for the guilt offerings, preferably a female goat or female lamb (5:6), but if the person could not afford that, then he could bring either two turtledoves or two young (look into the significance of young here (rather than a more mature one, and for that matter, why isn’t young a qualifier for the turtledove?)) pigeons (5:7); and, furthermore, if he couldn’t even afford that then he was to bring flour as an offering (5:11). It seems that the above mentioned sacrifices were for a specific category of unintentional sin (see verses 5:1-4).

Then if the sin was unintentional but was against the Lord’s holy things then the sacrifice was a ram without defect (5:15). Furthermore, any other unintentional sin, it seems, (that didn’t otherwise fall into the category of the verse 1-4) must also be atoned for by means of a ram.

What is interesting to note (which will lead to the verses for today) is that starting back with 5:5, then 5:16, and 5:17 there is something more than just the sacrifice mentioned – guilt and consequences. In 5:5 acknowledgment is made of sin – how could a person come to seek forgiveness (in the OT this process was accomplished by obedience in bringing a sacrifice and today I can go directly to the throne of God (cf. Heb 4:16)) if he did not first acknowledge his sin? I could stop and meditate on this for quite some time. How often have I found myself going through the motions of prayer, and possibly even asking forgiveness without truly agreeing with the Lord about my sin? Then in 5:16 the notable phrase “he shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part.” Though this part of the law is coming later, (the restitution of goods plus the addition of goods because of the sin) the point here is that part of coming before the Lord to confess sin is making that sin right. It is only after the person has done this that the priest offers up the sacrifice! Without trying to allegorize it, and without having studied out the ministry of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ the Righteous who has passed into the heavens and even makes intercession on our behalf according to the will of the Father, could it be that there is some application to the believer today? We know that the sacrifices which the Lord is looking for are a broken spirit and a contrite heart (cf. Psalm 51:17) yet are these even possible without first agreeing with God regarding our sin (that it is a grievous thing to Him) and doing what we can to make it right? Only then can these acceptable sacrifices be offered. Then we come to verse 17 of chapter 5 which carries with it the same idea, with perhaps further ramifications: “though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.” The idea here is much the same as in 5:5, and 16 but could carry with it the idea that just because you have made things right, acknowledged your sin and brought your offering does not guarantee the removal of consequences that your sinful action has brought about. Are you forgiven? Absolutely, however, depending on the nature of the sin, those consequences could haunt a person for the rest of their life!

Enter Leviticus 6:1-7. This now takes little space, for the foundational principles were laid out above. Here, the ideas from the preceding chapter are spelled out with detailed (though arguably non-exhaustively) examples. Verses 2-5 talk of specific sins and the idea behind all of them, in view of the upcoming sacrifice for the sin, is restitution. Restitution is key – the idea of payment, or rather repayment with additional funds (pay what you took plus . . .). Only then can verses 6-7 happen; he brings his sacrifice to the priest and the priest shall make atonement for him.

What an exhausting process! Sin is a nasty thing with terrible consequences, but there is hope. At the end of 6:7 we find this glorious ray of light: “he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt.” In light of this gem we are reminded of the wonderful forgiving nature of our compassionate God as detailed in Psalm 103:12 – “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Our loving Father is not looking to beat us over the head with our sin. He will not keep bringing it up. However, in light of these Scriptures, it is probably safe to say that if we come and ask for forgiveness and have not followed these guidelines (confession and restitution) then we don’t have the assurance of Psalm 103:12.

“Lord, search my heart. You know my very frame. You alone know what so easily besets me. What evil lurks in the dark recesses of my heart is known fully by You. May You find within me humility, genuine confession, and repentance. No matter the cost, strengthen me to walk uprightly before you and have a conscience void of offense before You and before men. Thank you for the shed blood of the perfect sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ, through whom I have eternal life!”