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Wordlisteners has met the last three weeks. On the 15th there was 5, on the 22nd there was five, and on the 29th there was 6.
We have read and discussed through Leviticus 16. Our take on it is the seriousness of the Lord about our standing in relationship with Him. Very detailed process for gaining it, and it clearly points to Jesus. The sacrifices are about restoring our relationship, and its clear from the reading we all fall short.
In terms of uncleanness or leprosy, the Lord gives instructions for clean living, but at a deeper level God wants His best for us, and we are likely to settle for less than God's best. The chapters on leprosy identification in people, garments and houses show us that we are all potentially in a place where we shouldn't be, a place of decay and rot- the result of sin.
Aaron's sons dying before the Lord because they did their own thing, the unprescribed, is a lesson for us all. God wants things a certain way, and yet we look for the easy. We have a human disposition of selfishness and wanting our own way, and we justify our actions along those lines. Yet it is often opposed to God's way, and He is God - not us so He gets the final say.
The blood of the sacrifices on the ear the right thumb and right big toe is a marvelous visual that points to Jesus, whose blood was shed for us. We have to hear God (ear), do the things of God that He tells us (hand) and go where God sends us (foot). The blood being sprinkled is showing that God will not accept us without blood, ultimately of Christ, sprinkled or covering us.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
May 8, 2011 Leviticus 1-5
We had 5 for Wordlisteners and shared some campfire baked pineapple upside down cake. Next week we'll continue starting in chapter 6.
Leviticus starts out with sacrifices and the procedure for making them. This is all about being in good standing before God. One of the striking things is that the animals have to be "without defect". Ultimately the sacrificial animal is going to be burned up, and since animals represented wealth of the day, its similar to us burning money. A couple things stand out - first is the cost - individually to the person making the sacrifice. It certainly represents a potential loss of income in putting God first. This theme is reinforced, sacrifices require salt, the normal amount. Salt was not as plentiful in that day, and as recently as the civil war in the US battles were fought over getting or protecting salt supplies. Again its wealth or personal sacrifice that some of the toil of our hands is burned up in making us acceptable to God. Honey and yeast are not allowed as part of the offerings, both are not things we make, but rather use or take advantage of, so the cost to us may be minimal.
Later in the Bible Saul kills a nation at the direction of God, but instead of killing their animals as directed he holds them back for sacrifice. Where is the cost? God gave those people into his hands, they raised the livestock, all Saul and the Israelites did was take them.
Often times we get caught up in our wealth or our things, and God commanded us to put nothing before Him. At the end of the age all our works will be tested by fire, and only those things rightly related to God will come through it. The sacrifices of Leviticus are an example of potential things put before God, that He wants put second to Him. Just like the animals burning on the alter, the things of this world are also not lasting. The soothing aroma is our obedience in putting God first - in His rightful place, that pleases Him.
Another striking thing you notice in the sacrifices is that the sin is transferred to the animal before it is killed. This points to Jesus in that all our sins were transferred to Him so we could be rightly related to God, and continue to live in this life.
Then there is the detail of the sacrifice and the complete use of the animal, no part left over, all put toward God. This shows God's desire for us to be fully committed to Him, and as the sacrifices are made we show our full commitment to Him. The detail of the sacrifice, everything must be done a certain way and in a certain order. To me that speaks clearly to the fact that God doesn't take our commitment to Him trivially and we shouldn't either. There is upfront cost in sacrifice (loss of things), and then they are not easily accomplished which involves time and attention to detail which is opposed to our sinful me first approach that doesn't want to be bothered by doing things for others.
The process is exact and detailed, and some sacrifices could be avoided by having a right relationship to God, so the detail of them also provides a deterrence of sorts. However its made clear in Leviticus that all of us have fallen short, all of us have sinned. There are sins we commit that we aren't aware of, and nobody is exempt.
This sets the stage for God to send Christ, to take upon Himself our sins, to cost God a great deal in order to bring us back into fellowship with Him. A very precise and exact- non-trivial way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him. Something we all would be better off with and need- putting Him first rather than our self or the cares of the world.
Leviticus starts out with sacrifices and the procedure for making them. This is all about being in good standing before God. One of the striking things is that the animals have to be "without defect". Ultimately the sacrificial animal is going to be burned up, and since animals represented wealth of the day, its similar to us burning money. A couple things stand out - first is the cost - individually to the person making the sacrifice. It certainly represents a potential loss of income in putting God first. This theme is reinforced, sacrifices require salt, the normal amount. Salt was not as plentiful in that day, and as recently as the civil war in the US battles were fought over getting or protecting salt supplies. Again its wealth or personal sacrifice that some of the toil of our hands is burned up in making us acceptable to God. Honey and yeast are not allowed as part of the offerings, both are not things we make, but rather use or take advantage of, so the cost to us may be minimal.
Later in the Bible Saul kills a nation at the direction of God, but instead of killing their animals as directed he holds them back for sacrifice. Where is the cost? God gave those people into his hands, they raised the livestock, all Saul and the Israelites did was take them.
Often times we get caught up in our wealth or our things, and God commanded us to put nothing before Him. At the end of the age all our works will be tested by fire, and only those things rightly related to God will come through it. The sacrifices of Leviticus are an example of potential things put before God, that He wants put second to Him. Just like the animals burning on the alter, the things of this world are also not lasting. The soothing aroma is our obedience in putting God first - in His rightful place, that pleases Him.
Another striking thing you notice in the sacrifices is that the sin is transferred to the animal before it is killed. This points to Jesus in that all our sins were transferred to Him so we could be rightly related to God, and continue to live in this life.
Then there is the detail of the sacrifice and the complete use of the animal, no part left over, all put toward God. This shows God's desire for us to be fully committed to Him, and as the sacrifices are made we show our full commitment to Him. The detail of the sacrifice, everything must be done a certain way and in a certain order. To me that speaks clearly to the fact that God doesn't take our commitment to Him trivially and we shouldn't either. There is upfront cost in sacrifice (loss of things), and then they are not easily accomplished which involves time and attention to detail which is opposed to our sinful me first approach that doesn't want to be bothered by doing things for others.
The process is exact and detailed, and some sacrifices could be avoided by having a right relationship to God, so the detail of them also provides a deterrence of sorts. However its made clear in Leviticus that all of us have fallen short, all of us have sinned. There are sins we commit that we aren't aware of, and nobody is exempt.
This sets the stage for God to send Christ, to take upon Himself our sins, to cost God a great deal in order to bring us back into fellowship with Him. A very precise and exact- non-trivial way for us to be restored to fellowship with Him. Something we all would be better off with and need- putting Him first rather than our self or the cares of the world.
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