Numbers 3

And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and to his son. They are wholly given to him out of the sons of Israel. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office.
(Num 3:9-10)

This chapter deals specifically with the Levites. As we see here they were unique among the tribes of Israel. They were called out to be wholly given to the duties of the priesthood, to serve Aaron the High Priest in the work of the ministry. This phrase “Wholly Given” that appears in English in verse one is written quite differently in the Hebrew. It literally reads, “They are given and given to Him out of the sons of Israel”. In Hebrew they use repetition to emphasize something. Kind of like bold print or italics, it demonstrated GREAT IMPORTANCE. The Lord wanted us to see that the Levites, more so than any other tribe, belonged completely to Him for His service.

In the New Testament we read that we are a “kingdom of priests” a passage basically telling us that we are all to play the role of the Levite. Each one of us is to be completely and totally given to the Lord for His service… My question for you this morning is short and sweet: Do you belong to the Lord completely? Are you living like you have been “GIVEN AND GIVEN” to His service? Every Christian is called to the same level of service… there is no class of Christian Levites more given to service than other Christians. We are a kingdom of priests, each one of us intended to serve our high priest Jesus Christ, and aid in the priestly duty of mediating between holy God and sinful man. The priests where brought before Aaron to minister unto Him. May we bring ourselves before Jesus every day and ask Him how we might serve Him best!

Numbers 2

This chapter is much more than just counting, in it we see how the Israelites would camp for the next 40 YEARS!!! It was not a haphazard thing; they had specific places where they were to camp! They surrounded the Tabernacle on all sides, and each tribe had a specific spot to camp. Three tribes to the east, three tribes to the west, three tribes to the north, and three tribes to the south; every tent set up to face the tabernacle.

So, what does this mean for us today? What does how the Israelites camped 4000 years ago have to do with how I live today? A LOT!!! Now, we obviously do not set up tents, or all live in one common spot, but we can learn some things about the role the Lord plays in our lives, and the way we can properly relate to our Christian brothers and sisters.

1. The Lord was at the Center of the camp. I ask you today, who is at the center of your life? What is your life built around, planned around? Is it television, video games, a sport, or a hobby? Is it built around your own pleasure, or around the pleasure of someone you are trying to impress? Just like the congregation of Israel, our lives should be centered on the Lord. He should be the Hub of all that goes on in our lives; all of the other details should be like spokes coming out of Him. If anything else is your “hub” today, maybe you need to tear down camp and set it up CORRECTLY!
2. They faced inward, backs to the outside, showing that they trusted the Lord to defend them. Are you trying to fight this world on your own? Are you to busy watching the world, and all that goes on in it, afraid of what it might do to you if you don’t protect yourself; so busy being afraid that you can’t even look to Jesus? The congregation of Israel camped facing the center, eyes on the Lord rather than the world. There was much out there that could have hurt them, but they realized a very important truth… the Lord could and would do a much better job protecting them than they ever could! So today… do you trust your life into the lord’s hands, or are you to busy trying to protect yourself to really take the time to look to Him?
3. The Lord was the thing that held the congregation together. There was one thing that kept this group of people from scattering or falling apart… the LORD! Our relationships with one another need to center around Christ. If they do, then we never have to worry about any differences we might have, the Lord is bigger than them all!!

The Lord cared about the way the Israelites camped, just like He cares about the way we live. He is concerned with the details of our lives because he wants the very best for us. Today, allow the Lord to examine your life, and see if you need to make any adjustments in your “camp”.

Numbers 1

You might feel like these are hard chapters as you begin Numbers. (the first four are all the numbering of the children of Israel) but hang in there, don't give up! I really believe God has something to say to us in each one of them! Here in chapter one we start with a lesson on the promises of God...

Have you ever wondered if God really keeps His promises, if He really means everything He says? Here in this chapter we have evidence of an amazing promise fulfilled, and my hope is that by looking at it our faith would be increased. Faith is only as good as the object it is placed in. The more we grow to understand just how faithful our God is, the stronger our faith will be!

Way back in Genesis 28:14 God promised Abraham that his descendants would be like the dust of the earth in number. At the end of Jacob’s life, when he traveled into Egypt, his family (the nation of Israel) numbered 70. Now, led out of Egypt by Moses, that same little family ad grown into a huge nation! In a relatively short amount of time they had become an army of 603,550 men over 20, fit for battle! That would the count at nearly 2,000,000 people total! That rate of growth is INCREDIBLE, and it shows us that the Lord was beginning to fulfill His promise.

I don’t know what your life might look like today, but I do know that as a believer you have been given EXCEEDINGLY PRECIOUS PROMISES by the Lord; promises of an eternal future in heaven, of a world restored and sinless, and so many other things. Often when we look at our surroundings, these promises can seem like impossibilities. They seem so far off, and so out of reach. It is easy to get discouraged when we are looking with human eyes!

Think about what it must have looked like to Abraham… It was just he and Sarah, no one else. No children, no anything!!! Yet God was faithful, and Abraham believed the promise! Don’t lose heart, follow the example of Abraham. Though you may never see it, God is at work, and He will accomplish all He has promised!

Playing Catch-up

Hey guys, we got behind by a couple of days over the last couple of weeks... we should be all caught up now!! I posted three blogs today so make sure you don't miss any of them!

Leviticus 27

These are the commandments which Jehovah commanded Moses for the sons of Israel in Mount Sinai.
(Lev 27:34)

Here we have the last verse of Leviticus, a simple reminder to us of the who, what, where, why and how of the law.

What was it? It was the COMMANDMENTS of Jehovah. Not the suggestions or guidelines, the COMMANDMENTS. They were directives that required obedience, and failure to obey would always have negative results. We need to remember this when we read the scriptures, they aren’t Divine suggestions meant to improve our quality of living here on earth, they are the words of God, and to disregard them will always have a negative impact on our life!

Who was it? It was the God of the universe, talking to men. God hasn’t remained distant, someone we are unable to communicate with, He has given us His commands so that we may know how we are designed to live! I am so glad that God didn’t make us and then disappear. We have a maker that wants to continue to teach us how we are to live!

Where was it? It was on Mount Sinai, a real location on the earth, not some far off space in the heavens. God came TO US to deliver this message… Later He became the message, the WORD OF GOD INCARNATE, and died to pay for our sins. Our relationship with God is not based on us trying to find Him, like Dorothy and her friends seeking the Wizard of Oz, instead it is all about a God that came to us.

Why was it? Because God didn’t want to leave His people alone! In the last chapter we read the promise that He would “walk among them” and “be their God”. He wants RELATIONSHIP!!!

How was it? God spoke directly to a human (Moses) who relayed the message to the people. This method went on throughout history until the day God communicated to us by becoming a man and living a perfect life. He walked and talked, healed and taught… and then He became the perfect sacrifice for sin!

Because of all this we can have a personal relationship with God! We spent the last month reading the law, and if there is one thing I hope we have learned it is this: GOD is HOLY, but He is also LOVING, and He desires relationship with all He has created!

Leviticus 26

And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.

(Lev 26:44-45)

In this chapter, we have a summarization of the law, the OLD COVENANT. Here God lays out before all of the people the great blessings they would experience when they OBEYED, and the great cursing that would fall on them if they DISOBEYED. As the punishment for disobedience is unfolded, we see that it is incremental. It’s designed to cause the Jews to repent. Because of this, further disobedience led to greater punishment, culminating in their dispersion throughout foreign lands, captives of nations that did not know God.

This chapter gives us a great picture of the law; it is large, menacing, foreboding… it intimidates you just to read it because the weight of responsibility falls on the shoulders of man. It is entirely good, pure, holy, and perfect… but it could do nothing to save men from their sins. This covenant based upon mans obedience WOULD FAIL, because sinful man will always fail.

Yet, even in the midst of the presentation of the law’s blessings and cursing, with its prophetic declaration of what would happen to the nation of Israel, we have a glimmer of hope, a reminder of the covenant of grace. God says, “I will not break my covenant with them… I will remember my covenant with them… that I might be their God.” You see, it was never God’s intent to SAVE anyone by the law… the law, we are told in the book of Galatians was a SCHOOLMASTER to lead people to Christ. This whole covenant of the law is a picture for us of what happens to us when we try and live right before God. IT ISN’T POSSIBLE. I am so grateful that we have the covenant of Grace, God paying the price, the responsibility lying fully on His shoulders! He is the LORD, not merely HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, and JUST… He is also LOVING, GRACIOUS, and COMPASSIONATE. Worship Him with all of your heart!

Leviticus 25

And you shall make the fiftieth year holy, one year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you, and you shall return each man to his possession, and you shall return each man to his family.

(Lev 25:10)

What an awesome law! Every fifty years, a trumpet would blast… long, loud and clear it would sound, marking the beginning of Jubilee. This word “JUBILEE” in the Hebrew means literally a loud long trumpet blast. Some people say it was symbolic of a free flowing forth of blessing to all the people of the land. In today’s language, jubilee means a celebration of great joy and public festivity.

To the Jew, especially to the poor among the Jews, there could be nothing more exciting than Jubilee. If they had debts they couldn’t pay, they were forgiven. If they had land they had sold to survive it was returned to them. Even if they had become so poor that they sold themselves into slavery they would be set free. The playing field was leveled, the large gap between the rich and poor was removed, and the whole nation of Israel was reminded that they were a people dependent upon the Lord.

This trumped the Sabbath as the ultimate celebration of the rest and newness of life that can be found in the Lord. This celebration of Jubilee gave the Jews the ability to start fresh, and it reminded them of the new life they were given when they left Egypt for the Promised Land.

So, what does this mean for us today? How does this have ANYTHING to do with us seeing as we are not Jews? Though we may not celebrate a physical Jubilee, we do have a very real spiritual Jubilee in Jesus Christ.

1. Our spiritual debts are forgiven – when we come into relationship with Jesus, our sins are forgiven. The enormous debt that once hung over our head beyind our ability to ever repay is forgiven!
2. Our slavery is ended – Once held slaves to sin by our captor the devil, we are set free by Jesus Christ! We no longer are bound to sin and the ways of this world, but are free to experience a life of obedience to Jesus, the way God intended for life to be lived!
3. Our inheritance is restored – We were designed to have an ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP with God. We lost that when sin entered the world. Because we have Jesus Christ, we now have become a part of God’s family… Like a long lost inheritance, we now have a share of the eternal treasure of heaven.
   

The command to the Jews at the year of Jubilee was to proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof… As Christians this is our responsibility. There is liberty in Christ, the Jubilee is here, let us tell the world the wonderful message of salvation through Jesus!

Leviticus 24

In chapter 24, we have an interesting story set before us. For the second time in scripture we have set before us the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This is the concept of a PUNISHMENT that fits the CRIME COMMITED. Within different societies this is a major issue, often times you have heinous crimes that go unpunished, and minor crimes that get totally mishandled. Look at our own country for instance; we have murderers walking free, and people who lose their jobs, their careers, and their reputation for something as simple as calling homosexuality a sin. The bible said this would happen, that we would live in days when Injustice grew so bad that men would “call good evil, and evil good”.

The man concerned in our story had committed the crime of BLASPHEME. The story goes like this: There is a man (we don’t know his name) who was half Egyptian, half Jewish. Now, the problem here with this guy was not mixed nationality, but mixed religious beliefs! Here we see him fighting with a full blooded Jew, and it sounds like it was quite a fight. We don’t know what started it, and I won’t even speculate, but we do know that it resulted in this half Jew blaspheming God and cursing. These 2 words that appear in the text, BLASPHEME and CURSE have various meanings… but the gist of it is this: he laid undue blame upon the name of God, he attributed things to God that were not true, he made light of who God was, and in the descriptive language of the Hebrew, “he put wholes in God”. He cursed God! He acted as though he didn’t need God! What was to be done!?!?

Moses goes before the Lord to see what should be done, and the message comes back loud and clear: STONE HIM. He was to be put to death for the way that he talked about God, for the way that he viewed who God was. It wasn’t a quiet death either, it was one that involved the whole congregation of Israel, and there was a reason for this: The stoning of this guilty man was to serve as a deterrent. It was meant to hold forth the HOLINESS of God, and the seriousness with which we must approach relationship with Him, and it was meant to cause all those present to look at their own hearts, and examine their own views of who God was. It was meant to restore proper order to the congregation.

Now, I want us to fast-forward a couple of thousand years to the days of the early church. Beginning with Stephen, and moving on into a vast persecution, this VERY LAW was used to martyr countless believers in Jesus Christ. The same law that cast the blasphemer out of the congregation of Israel resulted in the martyrdom of a great servant of God, and many other great servants after him. Does this fact make this law BAD? Does it compromise the Holiness of this law? Could the law be GOOD even if it was used to do something so DREADFUL?

I believe the answer is: The law is good, always and forever good because it was created by a HOLY GOD. However, it can be misapplied by unholy self serving men. There are many things that we can learn from this passage and others like it, but as we rap things up this morning, I want to drive home one point in particular. The only difference between this law being used to elevate God’s holiness and purify the body, and it being used to defame God’s name and destroy his body was the HEART OF MAN. Though we no longer go around stoning people, we have the laws of God in our possession, and it is our responsibility to uphold them. We speak out when society around us defies them, for we want to live holy as God is holy. I challenge you today to take a closer look at the way you handle the word of God. Do you treat it with respect? Do you consider it to be HOLY? Are you careful about the way you use it? Are you using it to promote the plans and purposes of God, or are you twisting it to serve yourself? The bible says that their will be men in the last days who twist God’s word to their own destruction. This is what happened to those Jews who condemned innocent believers in Jesus to death. They were twisting God’s word to their own destruction. Don’t be like them... Don’t use God’s word to say what you want to say… instead go to it to determine what GOD has to say… If we treat God as holy, and His word as holy, we have nothing to fear!

Leviticus 23

In this chapter we have the feasts laid out for us. They are referred to here as the “solemn feasts”. There were 7 of these feasts, and 7 being the number of completion, they show us the COMPLETENESS of God’s relationship with us. The feasts are:

1. Passover
2. Feast of Unleavened Bread
3. Feast of First Fruits
4. Pentecost
5. Feast of Trumpets
6. Day of Atonement
7. Feast of Tabernacles

Along with these feasts was included the SABBATH which was a weekly occurrence.

Now, there are MANY things that we can learn from these feasts… they are all symbolic of Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him! I wish we could go through them and talk about the significance of each one, but that would take FOREVER! So, what we will do is just focus on one simple element…

I want us to note the REGULARITY of these feasts. Once a week they would celebrate the Sabbath, a day SET APART for the Lord, and then SEVEN other times throughout the year they would all gather together for a great celebration, and a remembrance of who God was in their lives. You see, the Lord wanted to maintain a place of centrality in their lives. He didn’t want to be pushed to the background… He wanted to be their everything!

So today, though we don’t have feasts, we DO have reminders of the place the Lord is to hold in our lives. We have the command in scripture to “forsake not the assembling of ourselves together.” This is why we need to stay in fellowship… why we need to be around other believer’s! Though we may not celebrate the Jewish feasts, we do have potlucks, and barbeques, and all sorts of youth group events. All of these things serve to remind us of our relationship with the Lord and with one another. Just like the Israelites, we are one big family, being led through this world by the Lord.

Leviticus 22

You shall not offer that which has a blemish. For it shall not be acceptable for you.

(Lev 22:20)

This is a very important principle that is echoed all throughout the law. The children of Israel were not to offer ANYTHING that had a blemish. Now this word blemish means a spot, a stain, or a physical defect. Something that is blemished is less than perfect… it is below the acceptable standard.

When I think about blemishes, I often think about the outlet mall. A lot of the outlets that I like sell things for a cheaper price because they are blemished. They may have a cosmetic defect, or a funny seam… something that keeps them from being sold in the regular store.

Now imagine for a minute that you own a huge chain of stores… maybe GAP or OLD NAVY or something like that. You have a friend that you really want to bless, so you decide that you are going to give them something really special. Are you going to dig through your defects pile and look for some piece of trash you couldn’t sell? Would that communicate to your friend that you valued their friendship?

Now think again about your relationship with the Lord. We say we love Him SO MUCH, and that we want to let Him know that by serving Him, by giving Him something of worth. Then we just throw Him our leftovers. Leftover money, leftover time… you name it! Often EVERYTHING ELSE comes first, and then Jesus. Here in Leviticus we are told not to offer anything defective… do you take that directive from the Lord seriously?

Jesus was our perfect sacrifice, no spot or blemish could be found on Him. He has brought us into relationship with the Lord, and showed us how we ought to live. HE IS OUR PERFECT EXAMPLE… and He offered HIS LIFE. You have been made clean by Jesus… if you want to give Him something pure, something without spot or blemish, then offer Him your life. Set yourself apart for Jesus, and serve Him with all you have!

Leviticus 21

No dwarfs allowed - God

In fact, we see in this chapter that the priest were not permitted to do many things. They could not approach anything dead. They could not marry a divorced woman or a widow. They had to let their beards grow. They were not to make bald spots (No monks allowed). Why does God have all these rules?

It comes down to two key words which are opposite of each other: consecrate and defile. To consecrate is to finish a process of being made holy (set apart or used of God). The moment of your consecration was when Jesus dies on the cross and said, "It is finished." You, at that moment, were made holy. The work was complete. Jesus did it.
To defile is to take something pure and take away its purity. Let us say I am allergic to apple juice. I can still drink orange juice. In fact, I can drink fruit punch as long as it does not apples. However, if one drop of apple juice gets in that fruit punch, the whole batch is ruined for me. Now think if it were poison. The whole thing would be ruined for everyone. It would be defiled of all its purity.

Maybe you are thinking, "But I have already been defiled. I sin everyday!" Let me encourage you now, you are pure in God's sight. Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our High Priest. We, being His sons and daughters, are therefore priests. Do not become a defiled priesthood.

Hebrews 12:14 tells us, "Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord;" Without Holiness you cannot see God! What consecrates our lives making it holy? The Blood of Jesus! Without His blood we will not see Him. The verse continues, "looking diligently lest any fall short of the grace of God, or lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it many are defiled," Those who fall short of grace are those who have chosen to follow Jesus but have never loved Him at all. They love what Jesus can do for them. They believe in the idea of being saved from sin. However, they were never in love with Jesus. If you love Jesus, you know He has saved you from your sin. You also know that despite the fact that you mess up, again and again and again, you are consecrated (A finished holy product). Paul said, "For I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil which I do not will, that I do." Paul, just a few verses later tells us that he delights in the law of the Lord. Paul knew that even though he messed up, he was going to heaven.


Priests, according to the law of love established by Jesus Christ, consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, live pure undefiled lives for Jesus.

Leviticus 20

"And you shall be holy to Me. For I, Jehovah, am holy, and have separated you from the nations, so that you should be Mine (Leviticus 20:26)"

I have played a lot of sports. Soame sports I am good at, and some, not so good. I have been picked first on a team and I have been picked last. There have come points where I have not been picked at all. Let's discuss this.
Basketball is my favorite sport. When I play with certain people I am one of the better players on the court. I am usually chosen around the top 2. It is great fun! This is entirely different when I go to Nottoway park. Nottoway park is known for being the place where all the ballers go in Northern Virginia. At Nottoway you find Varsity basketball players, College players, College scouts and the streetballers. Sometimes Grant Hill, Steve Francis, or other DC natives can be spotted there. One thing is for certain, when I play there I am not picked at all. There are three courts. I played on court #3 for two months. Finally, I got picked up to court #2. After being at court 2 for a year (weather permitting, playing once a week), I got chosen to court #1. I was on my second game. I had done horribly my first game and the second game was going smoother. I stole the ball from the other point guard, and was going in for a layup. He tried to block it and instead got my big nose. It was broken, and my days on court 1 were over.

All this to say, God has picked you to be holy. He does not want your efforts or work (Read Ephesians 2:8-9). He simply wants you. In this chapter we read that we have been separated. You may stop and think, "But look at all the penalties for breaking the law." Here is the difference. In the world, you can work yourself up to court #1, but one day it will be over. With the Lord, you still have penalties for your actions, however, the reward is far greater than the penalty.

Heaven is the ultimate court #1. It is where we want to be. Even greater still, we do not need to work, because we have already been picked. Simply believe in Jesus, and walk onto the court. If you fail, if you fall, penalties will occur. Remember, in the end, you are given more than you could ever ask or think. The principles in this chapter are a good reminder of principles which lead to holy living. The law has been topped; mercy triumphs over judgment! God s separating you today, preparing you for Heaven. Let Him do the work, and be willing.

Leviticus 20

"And you shall be holy to Me. For I, Jehovah, am holy, and have separated you from the nations, so that you should be Mine (Leviticus 20:26)"

I have played a lot of sports. Some sports I am good at, and some, not so good. I have been picked first on a team and I have been picked last. There have come points where I have not been picked at all. Let's discuss this.
Basketball is my favorite sport. When I play with certain people I am one of the better players on the court. I am usually chosen around the top 2. It is great fun! This is entirely different when I go to Nottoway park. Nottoway park is known for being the place where all the ballers go in Northern Virginia. At Nottoway you find Varsity basketball players, College players, College scouts and the streetballers. Sometimes Grant Hill, Steve Francis, or other DC natives can be spotted there. One thing is for certain, when I play there I am not picked at all. There are three courts. I played on court #3 for two months. Finally, I got picked up to court #2. After being at court 2 for a year (weather permitting, playing once a week), I got chosen to court #1. I was on my second game. I had done horribly my first game and the second game was going smoother. I stole the ball from the other point guard, and was going in for a layup. He tried to block it and instead got my big nose. It was broken, and my days on court 1 were over.

All this to say, God has picked you to be holy. He does not want your efforts or work (Read Ephesians 2:8-9). He simply wants you. In this chapter we read that we have been separated. You may stop and think, "But look at all the penalties for breaking the law." Here is the difference. In the world, you can work yourself up to court #1, but one day it will be over. With the Lord, you still have penalties for your actions, however, the reward is far greater than the penalty.

Heaven is the ultimate court #1. It is where we want to be. Even greater still, we do not need to work, because we have already been picked. Simply believe in Jesus, and walk onto the court. If you fail, if you fall, penalties will occur. Remember, in the end, you are given more than you could ever ask or think. The principles in this chapter are a good reminder of principles which lead to holy living. The law has been topped; mercy triumphs over judgment! God s separating you today, preparing you for Heaven. Let Him do the work, and be willing.

Leviticus 20

"And you shall be holy to Me. For I, Jehovah, am holy, and have separated you from the nations, so that you should be Mine (Leviticus 20:26)"

I have played a lot of sports. Some sports I am good at, and some, not so good. I have been picked first on a team and I have been picked last. There have come points where I have not been picked at all. Let's discuss this.
Basketball is my favorite sport. When I play with certain people I am one of the better players on the court. I am usually chosen around the top 2. It is great fun! This is entirely different when I go to Nottoway park. Nottoway park is known for being the place where all the ballers go in Northern Virginia. At Nottoway you find Varsity basketball players, College players, College scouts and the streetballers. Sometimes Grant Hill, Steve Francis, or other DC natives can be spotted there. One thing is for certain, when I play there I am not picked at all. There are three courts. I played on court #3 for two months. Finally, I got picked up to court #2. After being at court 2 for a year (weather permitting, playing once a week), I got chosen to court #1. I was on my second game. I had done horribly my first game and the second game was going smoother. I stole the ball from the other point guard, and was going in for a layup. He tried to block it and instead got my big nose. It was broken, and my days on court 1 were over.

All this to say, God has picked you to be holy. He does not want your efforts or work (Read Ephesians 2:8-9). He simply wants you. In this chapter we read that we have been separated. You may stop and think, "But look at all the penalties for breaking the law." Here is the difference. In the world, you can work yourself up to court #1, but one day it will be over. With the Lord, you still have penalties for your actions, however, the reward is far greater than the penalty.

Heaven is the ultimate court #1. It is where we want to be. Even greater still, we do not need to work, because we have already been picked. Simply believe in Jesus, and walk onto the court. If you fail, if you fall, penalties will occur. Remember, in the end, you are given more than you could ever ask or think. The principles in this chapter are a good reminder of principles which lead to holy living. The law has been topped; mercy triumphs over judgment! God s separating you today, preparing you for Heaven. Let Him do the work, and be willing.

Leviticus 19

"And if you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Jehovah, you shall offer it of your own free will."

The Bible says we were made in the image of God. Does that mean we look like Him? I believe it means a few things. First of all, our God is a God of love. 1 John tells us that God is love. I believe that we are made in God's image in that, we, like no other creation, have this potential to love and desire to be loved. A Christian band called the Kry once said, "You can do what you want to do...that is the law of love." The first commandment concerning offerings is given in Exodus 25:2 which tells us, "Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring Me an offering. You shall take an offering from every man that gives it willingly with his heart." The Law was focused upon willingness because the law is focused around love.

God loves us. The problem is, just as God is love, He is also holy (set apart). What does this mean? Why is God holy? God is infinite. He is the Beginning and the End. In fact, He describes Himself as the great, "I AM." God is the sustainer of life. He is in whom we live, move, and have our being. Sin is the result of turning away from the life giver, and its byproduct is death. Think about this; God is "I AM" (Present Tense). To turn away from that which is present tense is to turn away from life. You cannot live out tomorrow now. You cannot live out yesterday. I am entirely surrendered to the now. God is the life giver of this present moment. The reason God is Holy is because He has life to give and we only create death with every sin we do. Life cannot mix with death.

God shows Israel the path to holiness through the laws given. The key is that we give unto Him willingly. God could not mix with sin because He is holy. He could love. He could love us to the point that He willingly offered His Son for us. Have you ever had someone do something for you out of obligation and not willingness? Have you ever done that to someone else? That is not love. Just because you do something someone wants you to do does not mean you are loving them. However, to give willingly is an entirely different story. Jesus gave, willingly, His own life, that we might be considered Sons of Life and not death. Remember Life is in the blood, and now the Blood, covers us. We no longer are unholy because we have that very "I AM" life covering our sins (death).

To show your gratefulness, sing a willing song of love to your savior this evening. With the Christmas season here, let us truly be thankful and offer willing worship to the Lord in everything we do. Do not feel obligated to be a Christian. Instead, think about whom saved you, and consider the blessing. Allow Him to work in your heart that you become a very willing bondslave to the Lord.

Leviticus 18

This is a very graphic chapter. I appreciate the fact that the Bible comes out with it and does not try to hide what it is trying to say. For those in the world that often say, "The Bible does not mean homosexuality is wrong," are very mistaken. It is clear, and in fact, goes out of its way to call it an abomination. The word, "Abomination," literally means in the Hebrew, "disgusting."

I do believe it is important to note who this chapter is written to. Here you have Israel. They are a baby nation. They are to be holy (set apart) from all other nations. Now I do not know about you, and this may apply to you, but I can tell when a child has been brought up by parents and when a child has been brought up by friends. When they are brought up by parents they think twice about what they say, they have more conviction, and they realize there is a higher authority. When brought up by friends, they give in quickly, they want to be seen so they always take it to another level, and they have no conviction at all.

Here is Israel, surrounded by nations. Verse 24 says, "Now by all these the nations are defiled." All the other nations are doing these gross, abominable things. Think about your life. You are like Israel, in that, you are growing up. All the other nations is the world you live in. Is the world doing these abominable (disgusting) things? Absolutely, they are. I challenge you to be set apart. Keep yourself pure in all ways. It is socially acceptable (okay with the world) to do many abominable things, however, it is considered evil from the Lord. Be holy. Be pure.

I listen to the radio every morning because it plays in the background of work. I here all these psychiatrists support homosexuals. They even point to the Bible saying, that it was not socially acceptable back then, yet now, should the Bible be written for our current generation, homosexuality would be okay. Guess what? "All the nations" were doing it back then, yet God still called it disgusting. God does not change. Sin is sin. You may be born a sinner, however, as long as the option to be born again is given by God Almighty and His precious blood, there is no excuse why grace cannot conquer sin and mercy triumph over judgment.

Leviticus 17

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you on the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11).

Is it not amazing how the Bible tells us things which are so true. Life is carried in blood, literally. We know that blood carries oxygen to the tissues. We know it supplies nutrients. It also removes waste (carbon dioxide and acids). Therefore life is carried in the blood. Think of Christ's blood. His blood gives us life (In Him we live and move and have our being). His love gives us energy. His blood takes away waste (sin and uncleanness). God knew all that blood did and all that blood represents. Therefore, to spill someone else's blood was a great sin.

In this chapter, we read that God "turns His face" from those who eat blood and "cuts off" those who touch it without offering. Now think. Remember Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed to God that should there be any other way, that the Lord would take this cup from Him. This tells us that there was no other way, because the cup was never removed. When blood was spilled, it had to be offered. When blood was spilled, it represented life, being poured out, that the blood "makes an atonement for the soul" Jesus had to die. His blood was spilled, but it could not stop there. A full offering must take place. He could not have lived. This would have broken the picture being given here in Leviticus. When blood is spilled, and offering is made. Jesus spilled His blood, and Jesus gave Himself entirely as an offering.

Jesus Christ was the perfect offering. He was without sin, yet He died. He was innocent, desering only life, yet His life was poured out. This is why Jesus' blood saves us. Truly blood is life, poured out for atonement. We owe our entire lives, every drop of it, to Jesus. I am always humbled when I dwell on this. I should not complain. I should not whine. I need simply to be a servant, sold out for Jesus.

Leviticus 16

The Day of Atonement was the most important date on the Hebrew Calendar. This was the day that the High Priest would be allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies and be at the center of God's presence.

What a beautiful seen we see. Here we are at the place of atonement (where sin is covered). Aaron would have to first make himself clean. He would then make his family clean. Finally, Aaron would make the entire congregation clean. Whenever you are blessed with the opportunity to speak into someone's life, first examine yourself. Examine those you are around the most. Finally, share in the cleansing with someone else. Aaron offered three offerings, all three applied to him. Leaders must examine themselves time and time again to make sure they are walking right with the Lord.

Let us take a look at the Day of Atonement. Aaron would enter into the Holy of Holies. This was the place of God's presence. It would be only himself and the Lord. I challenge all of you to find a place where it is only you and the Lord. This is the sweetest time you can have. Think of how the rest of the Jews felt. There was Aaron, one on one with the Lord. They could not enter even if they wanted to. A curtain separated them from the Holy of Holies, but even more, sin separated them. Could you imagine just wanting to hear the conversation going on.

Guess what! Jesus has made a way for us to enter that same place Aaron did everyday. We can enter into the Lord's presence. When Jesus died on the cross the curtain that separated Israel from the Holy of Holies ripped in two! This showed that now, everyone can enter that holy place. More importantly, sin was dealt with.

Gang, get away with the Lord. Just don't listen to Tommy and I speak about the Lord, get one on one. This is what is so special about the law being broken. This is why the curtain ripped. One on one time with Lord is now given to all!

Leviticus 15

In Chapter 15 we have another sweet principle! This one is simple but often overlooked. We are dealing with UNCLEANESS here, specifically an “issue”, a consistent flow of impurity. Our flesh is like that, it wants to spew out its uncleanness constantly. In this chapter we learn that when an individual has impurity issuing out of them, it contaminates EVERYTHING they touch. People, objects, situations… everywhere they go they spread their uncleanness all around.

Look at your life… each one of has been cleansed of sin, but we still have our flesh, in which dwells NO GOOD THING. Our flesh is impure and unclean through and through! Sometimes rather than walking by the Spirit, we allow ourselves to live according to the flesh… When we do this, we are allowing impurities and uncleanness to flow forth from our lives. “Big deal” you might say, “I’m the one who has to pay the consequences, so why does it matter?” I doubt that most of us would express our hearts in those words, but when we willfully choose to gratify the flesh, we are operating under this attitude. We figure that it will be OK because we are the once who will have to reap the consequences.

Is this correct? Think again… We don’t sin in a vacuum, and every decision we make affects everyone around us. Like the man or woman with the issue, when we walk according to the flesh we contaminate everything around us. Are you watching things you shouldn’t be? Are you saying things you shouldn’t be? Are the things of the world filling your mind rather than the things of the LORD? If so, then you are guilty of contaminating your brothers and sisters.

I used to hang out with some friends of mine on the weekend when I was at Bible College. They were Christians, and they loved Jesus, but they made a lot of decisions that were driven by the flesh. Namely, they watched a lot of movies that I didn’t have the liberty to watch. No matter how much I determined to stay away from those movies, or steer clear of inappropriate conversations, I walked away every weekend feeling defiled. When I really started to notice it was when Melissa started coming with me, and I realized that my decisions were defiling her. I felt AWFUL!!!

Don’t let yourself get to that place, cut off those unclean issues at the source, before they ever have the chance to flow out. Jesus tells us in Matthew that the uncleanness comes out of our unclean hearts, so the only solution is to keep our hearts pure before the Lord. Deal with it in your thought life, in your heart, long before the decision comes before you. Purpose to keep your heart fixed upon the Lord, and as far from “uncleanness” as possible!

Leviticus 14

And the priest shall take of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
(Lev 14:14)

And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put on the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering. And the rest of the oil in the priest's palm he shall pour on the head of him that is to be cleansed. And the priest shall make an atonement for him before Jehovah.
(Lev 14:17-18)

There is so much symbolism in this chapter, so many ways it correlates to our own salvation from sin that we could talk about it for over a week! But, we only have one day so we are going to focus on these verses.

We have two substances (blood and oil) applied to three areas (ear, thumb, toe) by the priest. What is it all about?

First let’s look at the substances:

1. Blood – Blood is a cleanser… we read in Hebrews that without the shedding of blood there can be know remission of sins. The blood of a sacrifice makes an individual clean. This leper was made clean in the sight of God, having been healed of his leprosy, by the shed blood of a sacrifice being applied to him. In the same way we are made clean in God’s sight, cleansed completely of our sin, when the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our lives!
2. Oil – Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit throughout the scriptures. This shows us that once a life is cleansed by Jesus, it can be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Having been cleansed of our sin, the presence of God can now come into our lives… we can have real intimate fellowship with Him!

Now for the locations they were applied:

1. The Ear – This was the place of hearing, the place where thoughts entered the mind. God is showing us that when receive forgiveness for our sins, our minds are cleansed. The old contaminated way of thinking is washed away, and the Holy Spirit comes in and gives us the mind of Christ.
2. The Thumb – From the the realm of thinking we move to the realm of working. Before Christ we work all sorts of evil with our hands. They can be used to cause great harm, and do all sorts of mischevious things. When we come into relationship with Jesus, that former life, those works of iniquity are done away with. The Holy Spirit comes into our life and empowers us to do good works, to use our hands as instruments of love for the Lord.
3. The Big Toe – Now we enter the realm of walking. The feet of the sinful man take him all sorts of places he shouldn’t be… his walk is one of darkness, and it is on a path that leads to destruction. When the Lord enters our life He changes that. He cleanses our walk, changing the path that we are on, changing the places that we frequent. The Holy Spirit comes along and empowers us to walk in Him. To walk in the will of God, and to walk in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

When we view these two agents working in three areas of a person’s life, we have one complete picture of salvation. When a person truly meets Jesus Christ, he experiences complete cleansing, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. HIS LIFE IS TRANSFORMED.

It doesn’t end here though, look at verse 18. The remainder of the oil was poured over the head of the individual. This shows us that we can have the Holy Spirit come UPON us. This empowers us to be a light, a witness to the world around us. Have you experienced this sort of complete cleansing from the Leprosy of Sin? If not, come to Jesus your High Priest, and allow Him to cleans you, and fill you with His Spirit.

Leviticus 13

Leprosy… This disease found in scripture was awful, attacking the body, rendering the individual permanently unclean, having no known cure. It is different from what we call leprosy today; some commentators compare it to Elephantiasis, or other flesh eating diseases. This chapter is all about diagnosing it, and the next is about the cleansing process if someone was healed of it.

It is a vivid picture for us of sin. Think about it: sin renders a person permanently unclean. In Jewish culture a person unclean was completely cut off from fellowship. They could no longer worship in the temple. They could no longer live with their families. They were sent outside the city to live in a colony of fellow lepers. As Sinners we are separated from God; cut off from fellowship, sent outside of the family of God. Like lepers we have lost the privilege to experience life the way it was intended to be lived.

Leprosy deadens the skin it attacks. People with Leprosy often lost fingers, toes, etc… because they couldn’t feel anything. Sin is the same. It deadens us, destroying our conscience, removing our ability to feel. Our lives are being destroyed by it, and we can’t even feel it.

There was no cure for Leprosy. We have no cure for sin. Nothing could be done by an individual to take away the Leprosy, or to even stop its spread… all they could do was isolate the individual. Sin is the same way. There is nothing we can do as humans to rid ourselves of it, or even to stop it from further decaying us. In both cases, sin and leprosy, the only hope is a direct intervention from God.

When I read about leprosy in these verses, one of things that strikes me about it is this: It is noticeable. You couldn’t have it for long without it showing up in an obvious way. Sin is the same. It can’t be hidden forever; it always shows up on the surface in some obvious way. Praise God for the remedy he has given us for sin! Don’t try and cover your sin, like a person wanting to conceal their leprosy… and don’t try to manage it either… Instead, come to Jesus and let Him heal you completely!

Leviticus 12

In today’s chapter we begin reading about what makes a person clean or unclean. The word unclean here speaks of being foul, contaminated, or polluted… it is a picture of the state we all come into this world in. The physical uncleaness of the woman was a picture of the spiritual uncleaness of the human race, and a reminder of the fact that we are all born infected with the curse of sin. The child shared in the “uncleaness” of the mother, this is why they had to wait until the 8^th day to circumcise the boys. The first period of uncleaness was a separation from everyone but those who must attend to her, and they shared in that uncleaness with her. The second period was a time when the woman could not go to the temple (or tabernacle), or handle anything sanctified. If she was married to a priest, she couldn’t eat any of the meat from the sacrifices.

This is a picture for us of a very real truth. Sin cuts us off from fellowship. Fellowship with God, and fellowship with our brothers and sisters. A blood sacrifice was required to pay the price, to restore the fellowship.

I think it is interesting that the second offering (the sin offering) was the same whether you were rich or pour. What a reminder for us that we are all standing on equal footing when we come to the cross, all sinners in need of a savior. Rich or poor, white or black, male or female… our need is the same!

Remember today that you were born a sinner. Contrary to popular opinion, we are not “good people” at heart! We are sinners through and through! We need a savior! Let the uncleaness of the newborn child remind you of your own sinful state today, and give thanks for the offering that Jesus made on our behalf to restore our fellowship with God.

Leviticus 11

We begin here in chapter 11 a new phase in the book of Leviticus. Moving on from the sacrifices, we are going to enter into a section that describes in detail how the Jews were to avoid “uncleanness”, or as we might say, DEFILEMENT. Today’s chapter deals very specifically with what to eat and what not to eat. Some of the things in the list are things you would never think of eating, some may be things you eat on a weekly basis…

Some of the questions that naturally come up are these: Why are some things unclean and others clean? Why didn’t God just let them eat whatever they wanted? Why did it even matter?

I am going to offer a few answers to these questions:

1. God said they were unclean because they WERE unclean. Sometimes I think that we get this backwards in our minds. We think something is bad only because God said it is bad… we start to feel like God is trying to make our lives miserable and keep us from enjoying life. In reality God is doing just the opposite. He is protecting us, and trying to help us enjoy life to its fullest. Like a mom who won’t let her kid play in the street, the laws of God exist for our protection. These animals weren’t good eating! Take PIGS for example: Pork is something that many of us eat regularly, but if it isn’t prepared right, it could make you really sick. There are LOADS of parasites that live in pigs, really gross ones that I won’t talk about here. I’ll only say this much, if you knew what they were and what they could do, you might pass on the bacon tomorrow at breakfast. When pork is cooked to a proper temperature, the parasites die, but they had no way of knowing how hot to cook things back then. God was protecting his people.

2. God wanted his people to be HOLY. This means he wanted them to be separated from the world around them, to be different. These ceremonial laws would separate them in an obvious way, because these were meats that were regularly eaten by the pagan cultures surrounding them.

3. A further reason, and possibly the greatest reason of all is this: Many of the animals named in these chapters are known to have been used in sacrifices to pagan God’s. The Lord wanted His worship to be totally separate from Pagan practice. Therefore, he didn’t even want His people eating these animals! Here are some examples of the way the were used in Pagan sacrifice:

The Pig – sacrificed to VENUS
The Eagle – sacrificed to JUPITER
The Owl – sacrificed to MINERVA
The Dog – sacrificed to HECATE

The question now is this: as people who no longer live under the law, what does this mean for us? Well, we know this much… the New Testament tells us in several places that all of these things in the Old Testament (especially the law) were SHADOWS of things to come (the New Covenant in Christ). That tells me that we can learn valuable lessons from the law about our relationship with God. The lesson I want us to see today is this: All of God’s commandments exist for a reason! Whether we can see it or not, God has a reason for doing what He does and Saying what He says. These laws show us that! So, if you are struggling with something God has told you to do or not do… or even something your parents have told you to do or not do, TRUST THE LORD! He knows, and He wants what is best for you! What He desires are holy people He can work through. Allow Him to make you Holy, set apart for Him, and take His commands serious! Dare to be different than the world around you, don’t be afraid to stand up for Jesus!

Leviticus 10

The last couple of chapters were beautiful. The children of Israel walked out all that God commanded them to do… Every detail was right! The priest’s outfitted… CHECK! The priest’s anointed… CHECK! The offerings properly prepared, slaughtered, and presented before the Lord… CHECK!

The result of this was amazing and I believe quite unexpected. The glory of God appeared, His fire fell and consumed the sacrifice, and the people shouted, falling on their faces in worship of the Lord. It was a HOLY moment; the entire nation was having a very real encounter with the one and only Holy God.

As chapter 9 closes and chapter 10 begins, the “camera” zooms in upon a couple of observers there at this monumental occasion. These new characters in our story are Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron. Now remember, all of the children of Israel are prostrated before the Lord right now, awed by his presence… But that isn’t what Nadab and Abihu are looking at! Their attention is drawn towards 2 individuals in particular: Moses, and their father Aaron. You see, though it was God’s glory that had fallen, Moses and Aaron were the instruments God was using. So when the people saw God and worshipped, Nadab and Abihu saw Aaron and Moses, and were envious. They thought to themselves, “let’s get a little taste of that glory, and see what it tastes like”. They grab censers and fill them with incense, and then they go charging out in front of all the people, anticipating their awe as they bring down more manifestations of God’s glory and power.

They got a taste of the glory alright, but it wasn’t at all what they expected! Instead of becoming spiritual superstars, these boys became ominous object lessons. They were instantaneously burnt to a crisp... consumed by the fire of God! Why did it happen? Was looking for a little glory all that bad? Did God over react?

Look at what Moses says in verse 3: “It is that which Jehovah spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” These guys were not seeking God’s glory; they were after their OWN GLORY. The actions of Moses and Aaron were commanded by the Lord, and were done to draw attention to the Lord. The boys did the opposite; they took advantage of the situation. They had a crowd of people, a captivated audience, and tried to bring the attention off of the Lord onto themselves, operating outside of the bounds of His commandments.

This provides us with a 2 fold test that we can apply to ourselves anytime we are “serving the Lord”.

Are you setting the Lord apart as Holy?
Are you giving all the glory to God?

I often ask myself these questions in a slightly different way:

“Why do I do the things I do, and who do I do them for?” Nadab and Abihu were offering strange fire for attention, for glory, for the respect of the others around them… they were not doing it for God’s glory… Let me exhort you this way: “whatever you do, do it with all your heart as unto the LORD, and not unto men”.

Leviticus 9

And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people. And the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people. And there came a fire out from before Jehovah, and burned up the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. And all the people saw and shouted and fell on their faces (Lev. 9:22-24).

We have been studying all the rules of the Levitical offering. Now comes the results. Interesting sequence takes place here. Anytime Moses did something according to the law it was said, "As the Lord commanded." Anytime Aaron did something according to the law it was said, "As Moses commanded." Remember back to Exodus 4, God told Moses, "You will be to Aaron as God." There are people the Lord places in our life to be a sort of Moses. Your parents, of course, are these people. It is vital that we obey our parents and listen to them. Most of the time, what they have to say comes directly from the Lord. We also see symbolism in this. Just as Aaron and the people were to receive from Moses as he received from the Lord, now we are to receive from Jesus as He is God. No longer is it the law, but now the fulfillment of the law.

It becomes clear then that Moses and Aaron did accordingly to the law and look at the results. Let us look at what happened before the coming of the glory of God.

1. They came before the tabernacle. First thing you have to do is come into that place of worship.
2. He gave a sin offering, a burnt offering, and finally a peace offering. This seems to be the sequence. First the sin is brought forth. Then the offering is completely consumed by fire as the burnt offering is completely and utterly burnt. Finally, we come with the peace offering.
3. Aaron completes the offerings, blesses the people, and enters and exits the tabernacle only to bless the people again.
4. God's glory came before the people as a burning fire. Our God is a consuming fire!

Read those last three verses one more time and just think of the glory of our Lord as He came down. The people had nothing to do with it. They did not need to help God burn the offering. They simply watched and fell face first. When was the last time we fell face first before the glory of the Lord? Worship God this week and realize that He is truly a consuming fire.

Leviticus 8

We studied the priestly duties and priestly apparel in Exodus. We have studies the offerings here in Leviticus. In the next three chapters (8-10) we will see all of the laws come into action. It begins here with Aaron's anointing. Note that Aaron and his sons are being anointed in these chapters.

First important thing to note is the cleansing. God is going to cleanse us. God, being a consuming fire, is going to take off the blemishes that do not wash out with water. Despite this, it is our duty to cleanse ourselves where we can. I find it odd when people are openly living in sin and feel fine coming to church, reading their Bible, and partaking in communion. It seems like they have made to conscious effort to try to get their lives on the right path. I am not encouraging you to judge your brothers and sisters at church, but challenging you to acknowledge the way you go before the Lord anytime and anywhere. He is holy, and to go before Him unclean is to misrepresent His holiness.

Now as a side a note, I want to tell you there is a difference from going before the Lord broken and unclean. I find that I could be a rather wretched state. I have failed all week and feel caught up in a funk. I finally get to the point where I am tired and myself and throw myself before the Lord. This is being broken.

Other times, I have been doing what I have to do. Every part of my life seem consumed by some sort of service. However, when I come before the Lord there is an arrogance there which does not ask, "Lord, remove these infirmities," but rather states, "I have done everything, what else? When is it enough?" This is unclean. Though I be twice the person I was in the week of brokenness, I have lost the passion of following a holy, loving God, and fallen into the routine of doing what is seemingly right and what gets me the A+. I become a Pharisee, just Calvary Chapelized.

There is a lot in this chapter and I suggest you read it through. Also read 1 Corinthians 11:27-28. These two verses are the New Testament summary of this chapter. Here we are, at the doorstep of the Lord's presence, and being consecrated (finished or made complete) for priestly ministry, Examine yourself now, not compared to the next buy, but to the Holiness of the Lord. Be cleansed, and serve Him willingly and with passion.

Leviticus 7

"If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil, of fine flour, fried" (Leviticus 7:12).

Leaven is continuously mentioned in the Bible. Can anybody remember what leaven represents? Leaven represents sin. If you put any leaven inside a loaf of bread, the whole loaf is contaminated. It is not something you can just cut off. It becomes a part of the bread. Galatians 5:9 tells us, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."

Notice that the Thanksgiving (Peace) Offering given in verse 12-14 had three types of offerings. The first was the offering of the unleavened wafer anointed with oil. Oil is alays a picture of the Holy Spirit. I am quickly reminded of Galatians 5:16, "I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." If we live in the Spirit we are not going to sin. This is the first thing offered and I cannot help but think it points us to Christ. He is unblemished, anointed by the Holy Spirit, the wafer broken for you and me.

Now look at the second item offered in verse 13. It is to be full of leaven. This comes following the giving of the perfect loaf. Why would God command them to give what would be representative of sin? I believe this is a picture of grace. First we see the picture of the loaf, anointed with oil, given as an offering. Now we see the loaf of bread, unworthy and full of leaven, given in the same offering. What is interesting about this loaf is, a portion was to be cut off and given as a heave offering. The heave offering involved taking an item. The item was held in their hands, which presented the item openly, palms facing up. The offering was then thrust from the heart of the priest as far up as he could reach. It was representative of telling the Lord, "This is from my heart to You." Notice what we give the Lord. We give Him a piece of our leavened life. It is full of sin, yet He accepts it. This is truly all we have to offer. We have no great ability or skill, nothing to really contribute. Nevertheless He accepts the offering given. What a picture of grace!

Rely on the grace of God. Live in His Word. Realize what He is ha done for you and give Him an offering of thanksgiving.

Remember to continue to pray for each other this week as pursue holy and acceptable lives for the Lord!

Leviticus 6

"And the fire on the alter shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offering. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out" (Leviticus 6:12-13).

I remember going to camp one year. It was the winter retreat and the leaders decided to set up a camp fire. We of course helped, fancying ourselves quite the pyrotechnics. The fire was soon ablaze. It was a cold night, the fire was warm, and our hearts warmer. I, however, could not find a comfortable spot. I found that if I were too close to the fire it was much too hot. If I were backed away form the fire I would soon feel the winter cool come over me. Even the ideal spots were no good because only one side of my body would get the warmth.

In the Burnt Offering, the fire was to stay perpetually burning. Think of what the fire did. It burned the offering. It consumed the offering. In the end, the sinner could walk away knowing that just as the animal had been consumed, so had his blemishes.

Hebrews 12:29 tells us, "For our God is a consuming fire."

Our Lord Jesus is holy. We are indeed covered by grace, however, we must strive to be more like Him if we want to draw closer to Him. Therefore when we draw close to Him, He cleanses us. He burns off the sin, the blemishes, and makes us holy as He is holy. This action involves entering the fire, a place we may not want to go.

Do not be like I was with the fire at camp. Do not attempt to find a comfortable spot somewhere midway between the world and our Lord. If you find a place where you are content with where you are with the Lord, and you are tired of the trials of drawing closer and being purified, you will never grow. I challenge you, go the next step. Make yourself vulnerable to the Lord. Do whatever it takes to be used of God. Remember, Holiness is another way of saying, "The place of being used of God." This is what we sing about. This needs to be what we live about.

I want to ask all of you to pray that I would personally take the next step I have to take in my pursuit of holiness. I am praying for all of you! God bless.

Leviticus 5

The Trespass offering is rather intense. Have you ever avoided lying by simply not telling the entire story? Have you ever made a promise you could not keep? Have you ever touched something dead? This is what the Lord considers trespassing. Understand that trespassing is not a lesser type of sin, but simply, a different type of sin. What makes trespassing so unique is the fact that you may not realize what you have done.

"and he knows, then he shall be guilty of one of these." "and he knows, then he shall be guilty."

I have to think to myself, what are the Spiritual trespasses in my own life. I certainly am convicted by the first situation given. Withholding the truth is just as bad as not telling the truth at all. This trespass does not suggest the person may not know what they are doing, but instead simply pronounces the person as guilty. This makes me all the more appreciate Jesus. He never told a half truth. He always told the complete story. If this is what it takes to be holy, Jesus did this completely. I also love the example Jesus gave us. When He was being questioned by Pilot, He simply remained quiet. If there is something you need to withhold for reasonable purpose other than being sneaky, I suggest you just stay quiet about the matter.

Secondly, we see that Israel was not to come before anything dead. What a challenge for me! I do not do things which are going to hinder or crush my spiritual walk. Nevertheless, I find myself walking around dead things. Whether it is seeing a movie I should not see, doing things which are fruitless, or just not making use of the Lord's time, I know I am guilty of hanging around to much spiritually dead things. I feel this is a great danger living in the United States and the metropolis of Northern Virginia. We need to stop trying to fill our time with entertainment and instead fill it with Jesus.

Finally, we are told to watch what we say that we might keep it. Once again, Jesus fulfilled all He told. How smart would it be for us to do these three things! What great witnesses we would be. Refrain from half-lies, spiritually dead carcasses, and too many oaths. They are only trespasses on the Lord's perfect holiness.

Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4 is all about the sin offering. The sin offering is very similar to the burnt offering. It involves taking an bull, goat, and lamb, and making an offering involving the burning of its parts. There is an interesting principle laid out in this chapter.

Notice verse 3, “If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on all the people.” Depending on who you are, you bear responsibility when you sin. Notice the sin of a priest brings guilt on all the people! How careful those in leadership have to be. Therefore, the cost of such sin was the offering of a bull. This was the largest animal one could offer. Why the bull? Well, the sin brought guilt to the entire people, therefore the entire people needed to be cleansed.

Leviticus 4:22 gives the instructions of when a ruler sins. A ruler was the head of an entire household of family, servants, and friends. His sin brought shame and guilt to that house. Therefore the ruler needed to give the second largest offering, the goat.

Finally comes the common man. If the common man sins he is entitled to bring a lamb. His sin only covers himself, or if he is the head of a household, his family. He bears less responsibility because he is just a common man.

I bring all this up to say, you are all priests. We are all called to be priests, or bridge builders, between the Lord and this world. Jesus is our High Priest. We therefore minister to this world. When we sin, we need to realize our sin effects those around us. It is a bad testimony to our great High Priest. I believe we are not to take this job lightly.

At the same time there is grace. There is no need for offerings anymore because the offering has taken place. Jesus is called the Lamb (not the bull or goat) that takes away the sins of the world. Jesus is a Lamb because He came for all the people, especially the common people. He did not just come for the devout and religious. H did not just come for the ruler. He came as a Lamb offering, that the most common people might enter His Holy Priesthood. Therefore, live with balance. Understand if you sin, it has its results. Understand also that grace wipes away any memory of this sin and you can be considered holy ( Remember: able to be used of God) this day.

Leviticus 3

Leviticus 3

“And the priest shall burn them on the altar, bread of the fire offering for a sweet savor. All the fat is Jehovah's. It shall be forever for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you eat neither fat nor blood” (Lev. 3:16-17)



The Fat and the blood were special. Fat is a storage system designed for the body. It is the excess which, when you eat, you save for later. Now the Lord is saying something to Israel here. He is telling them not to be reliant upon their stored efforts. They were not to store up spiritual food for later, as we see with the manna, but to take their daily bread. Therefore, the fat (The flesh or effort) belonged to the Lord. It was to be burned up and entirely consumed so that it did not remain.

What a beautiful picture of faith. I think back to the year 1999. Everybody was worried about this thing called Y2K. They believed the computer systems were all going to crash and that the world’s economy would crumble. Therefore people started to save up mass amounts of food. I knew people with whole living rooms full of canned food.

I have to ask myself, do I do this spiritually? Do I see something coming my way and then attempt to do everything I can to fix the problem. DO I instead take one day at a time, each and everyday being renewed in the Lord. To follow Christ is a one time decision. To exercise the faith must happen everyday. This is why the Lord tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.”


Gang, let us remember to pray for each other everyday this week.

Opportunity to Pray

Hey gang,
Remember to pray for safe travels for Tommy, Melissa, Amelia Macy, Mr. O'Keefe, Mrs. O'Keefe, Katelyn, Kyle, Mr. Noel, and Miss Carol as they travel to California for Trevor's wedding. Pray for Trevor and Lindsey. Pray for the extended family coming.


Pray for the Children's Musical coming up as well!

Leviticus 2

I apologize for the late post.

Tommy gave a wonderful introduction into the book of Leviticus. He explained where everything was shooting for, the purpose of offering, which is atonement. Let us now discuss the offering, still in Leviticus 1 as well as 2.

As Tommy pointed out, Leviticus 1:3 stresses the importance of free will. The people would go before the Lord and bring an offering to cover their sin. Their offering was of different sizes. Later, we will explain which offerings belonged to whom an why. For now let us look at some key words in the offering:

Blood = Life (Leviticus 17:11)
Atonement = Covering
Fat = Our Works and our flesh
Offering = To bring near
Holy = Set Apart or To be used of God
Consecrate = To Fill (to the top). To finish.
Sweet Aroma = Scent of Rest


The offering is one giant picture of heaven, and what is to come. It is very prophetical in a way, and teaches us much more about Christ’s offering for us. First thing we learn is that blood must be poured. Life is in blood, and for our lives to be made right life must be poured out. The fruit of sin is death. Therefore one kills an innocent creature, that its blood (life) might atone (cover) our sin (death) that we might be holy (used of God). Holiness is being a perfect keeper of the law.

Now when the offering would go up before the Lord it would be as a sweet aroma unto Him. Understand now that there was no such thing as having faith in God and therefore being saved. The way you were saved was by keeping the law. Now understand the beautiful picture being laid out here. Faith is rest in action. Faith requires no work (that is why the fat is burned). Faith is simply leaning on God. You yourself carry no wait when you lean, but redirect your weight onto something else. Put your weight on the Lord and allow Him to do the work! The result was rest, and rest in the Lord. I encourage you, please read Hebrews 4:8-11. Be diligent to rest!

Therefore, the entire offering and all its rules are fulfilled in one thing, faith. We do not have to do anything but have faith in Jesus and we are made holy! You can be used of God because you have faith! Why? Well, Jesus, keeping the law, poured His blood (life), which provided atonement (Covering) of our sins (death). But Jesus had no sin (death) yet He died. Jesus chose to die, essentially breaking the rules, that we might have the life from His poured blood.

Make an offering of faith today. Allow the Sweet Aroma (scent of rest) to go before the Lord.

Leviticus 1

Today we begin the book of Leviticus. This book is literally “the laws of the priests”, and contains very little narrative. It is here in Leviticus that we learn about the idea of SACRIFICE. This concept is central to the gospel, and this book contains many pictures for us of Jesus Christ, our perfect sacrifice!

The first chapter deals with a specific sacrifice that was known as the “Burnt Offering”. This offering was central to Jewish life, and it wonderfully shadows Jesus Christ, the lamb who was slain. Let’s look now at the particulars of this sacrifice.

1. This offering was an act of free-will. Sacrifices to the Lord are meaningless if they are out of pressure or coercion. The Lord desires a willing heart! Just as the owner of the animal to be sacrificed freely offered it up, constrained to do so by love; so also God the Father offered up Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, because of His deep love for US.

2. The size of the offering was not what was important. God didn’t consider those who offered bulls and goats as better than those who offered a pigeon. What He was looking at was the heart behind the offering. He wanted to know that our motives were pure! In theory, you could have a prize-winning Ox that was a worthless offering in God’s eyes, and a simple pigeon given by a heart filled with love that meant more than anything else. It reminds of the time when Jesus said that the widows two mites were worth more than ALL of the other offerings they were witnessing combined!

3. The offering must be pure. The offering could bear no blemish, no birth defect, or broken bones… no signs of weakness or sickness. To ensure that an offering was “pure” and “without blemish” it had to be inspected by the priests. Do any of you remember when Jesus was inspected? Sitting before the council of the high priest, they could find no real fault with Him! He truly was our sacrificial lamb.

Notice with me the way that this would go down. The man bringing the burnt offering would place his hands on the animals head, identifying himself with it, showing that his sin was now in figure being taken on by the beast. The bible tells us clearly, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins! This person realized that this beast was dying for the sin that dwelt in him, dying to repair the breach that existed between him and God. We are told that the sacrifice was accepted as ATONEMENT.

You may remember Hector and me talking about this word before… It is truly a wonderful idea. Just what exactly is Atonement? It literally means to paint over something with pitch. Maybe you remember the last time we saw pitch in the scriptures… It was back in Genesis. Noah coated the ark with pitch to keep the waters of judgment out. It was the covering that kept Noah and his family safe inside the ark while the world around was judged for their sin. The concept is very similar here in relation to the Burnt Offering. God was providing a covering to protect the Israelites from the Judgment they faced as sinners, He was promising protection from the penalty of sin, at the expense of an animal’s life. They would take the blood of this slaughtered beast and sprinkle it around the altar, this signified that the life was in the blood, and God required a life to cover the sin of every individual. This covering was temporary, for it to be permanent it would have to do more than cover sin, it would need to remove sin.

This is where we see the New Covenant in Jesus, the “Better Covenant” in all of its glory.

But when Christ had become a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered once for all into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
(Heb 9:11-12)

Not just atonement in the Old Testament sense. Now all those who trust in Jesus Christ have Eternal Redemption by the blood Jesus poured out for us on the heavenly altar. Not just covered, now our sins are removed by trusting in His perfect sacrifice, and we are owned eternally by Jesus Christ! Not just a covering, He cleansed us completely!!!

I am so excited about Leviticus, and I know Hector is as well. You will probably see us go often to the New Testament, especially the book of Hebrews during this study. That is because it is there that we find the fulfillment of what the se sacrifices looked forward to, and it is there that we find life through the greatest sacrifice of all.