The death of Nadab and Abihu, who offer unauthorised fire to the Lord, and discover God is in the detail. Right at the start, we see the failure of people to live up to the regulations set by God. Even the priest must offer a sacrifice for his own sins. I think of Jesus Christ, who never 'fell short', and thus needed no sacrifice for his own sins.
TJM
Thursday 31 January 2008
Leviticus 5-8
God nailed this law that was against us to the tree WooHoo! If I touch someone unclean will I become unclean? No! A greater law surpasses that old one: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ! Hallelujah! He touched the unclean leper, and the Leper was made clean. Wow! How awesome is that! And He lives in me. Christ in me the hope of glory! Amazing!!
I love the picture of active repentance: if you stole, give it all back five times over. Do that and I won’t be wondering if you meant what you said when you cried out “forgive me!”
JDI
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Leviticus 5-8
The guilt offering, and instructions for all the different offerings. The ordination of Aaron and his sons. 'Do what the Lord requires, so you will not die' (Leviticus 8v35) Forgiveness required hard work - so many offerings, done in such a particular manner, and to be free of it would require you to be free of sin! No wonder Jesus says 'Come to me, you who are weak and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.'
TJM
TJM
Leviticus 1-4
God spoke to Moses His commands. Do this in this way. It impresses me that Moses simply had to speak the blunt word God had spoken to Him. There is no expectation implied that Moses had to explain or make it palatable. He just had to say: “This is God’s word. Believe it.”
All the offerings that the people were to bring had to be put to death before the Lord. That should also be true of our offerings to God today. If we give money, we should let it die in our minds as we give it away, not forever be meditating on our gift or what the church does with it (let your right hand not know what your left is doing). If we give time or energy or our bodies, we should in a sense allow those things to die to us, in that we truly relinquish ownership to the Father and His will. That kind of lifeblood needs to be splashed all over the church, not the blood of self effort, but the extravagant sacrifice of gratitude for a life redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Such an offering is a sweet aroma. I am reminded of the martyred saints under the altar in Revelation, sacrificed in His service.
Sacrifice is a time to forget ourselves and remember what God has done, hence “memorial offering”. Our eyes come off us and follow the incense and the smoke upwards.
Nicky’s Mum makes bread without salt and it is so bland. Offering time should be tasty to God; genuine gratitude, genuine love, expressed in the stuff we stick in the bucket or on the altar
The grain is beaten. The animal completely cut up. On such a sacrifice come the oil and the fire. The sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart. Can we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to be cut to the heart, and broken up by His convicting word?
Lasting peace is only possible in the context of sacrifice, laying down one’s rights and ultimately only possible because the only one with right to life laid it down
You shall eat neither fat nor blood: the health experts agree with their creator!
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD: How important is it for leaders to live transparent lives, and to have accountable relationships where they can confess their sin?
All the offerings that the people were to bring had to be put to death before the Lord. That should also be true of our offerings to God today. If we give money, we should let it die in our minds as we give it away, not forever be meditating on our gift or what the church does with it (let your right hand not know what your left is doing). If we give time or energy or our bodies, we should in a sense allow those things to die to us, in that we truly relinquish ownership to the Father and His will. That kind of lifeblood needs to be splashed all over the church, not the blood of self effort, but the extravagant sacrifice of gratitude for a life redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Such an offering is a sweet aroma. I am reminded of the martyred saints under the altar in Revelation, sacrificed in His service.
Sacrifice is a time to forget ourselves and remember what God has done, hence “memorial offering”. Our eyes come off us and follow the incense and the smoke upwards.
Nicky’s Mum makes bread without salt and it is so bland. Offering time should be tasty to God; genuine gratitude, genuine love, expressed in the stuff we stick in the bucket or on the altar
The grain is beaten. The animal completely cut up. On such a sacrifice come the oil and the fire. The sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart. Can we offer ourselves as a sacrifice to be cut to the heart, and broken up by His convicting word?
Lasting peace is only possible in the context of sacrifice, laying down one’s rights and ultimately only possible because the only one with right to life laid it down
You shall eat neither fat nor blood: the health experts agree with their creator!
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD: How important is it for leaders to live transparent lives, and to have accountable relationships where they can confess their sin?
Tuesday 29 January 2008
Leviticus 1-4
The burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering and the sin offering. The offerings are to be 'without defect', and prepared in a very specific manner. With the sin offering, there is the promise of atonement and forgiveness. Even unintentional sin must be atoned for (Leviticus 4v13).
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