~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Leviticus 15:1-16:28 ~ Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17 ~ Proverbs 10:13-14
Old Testament - Today in Leviticus chapter 15 we read about Bodily Discharges... Anyone want to be the guest blogger on this chapter today? :) Here's what I will do - lest you think this chapter or the Bible is saying all sex is dirty or disgusting. Check out Bob Deffinbaugh at bible.org's "Sex and the Spiritual Christian" at this link. (it's not based on this chapter but 1 Corinthians 7) Daniel Wallace with bible.org has comments on Biblical views of sex at this link. And then Bob Deffinbaugh again at bible.org has commentary on the relationship between spirituality and sexuality at this link. Finally, a sermon on Leviticus chapter 15 from Peninsula Bible Church is at this link.
In Leviticus chapter 16 we read about the Day of Atonement. Ever wonder where the term "scapegoat" came from? Now you know! This chapter.
Check out verses 20-23 about the scapegoat - "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, and the altar, he must bring the living goat forward. He is to lay both of his hands on the goat's head and confess over it all the sins and rebellion of the Israelites. In this way, he will lay the people's sins on the head of the goat; then he will send it out into the wilderness, led by a man chosen for this task. After the man sets it free in the wilderness, the goat will carry all the people's sins upon itself into a desolate land." There was also the other goat which was sacrificed. I read a commentary that said that both of these 2 goats foreshadowed Jesus' death - that Jesus was both sacrificed for atonement for our sins and Jesus is our permanent scapegoat. I honestly can say that I have never thought of Jesus as a scapegoat.... Does this sound strange or sound to others? I guess in the context of this chapter and the foreshadowing of the New Covenant by the Old it could make sense. I just have always used the term Savior or Messiah or Lord when thinking of Jesus - rather than scapegoat.
In verse 34 we read – “This is a permanent law for you, to make atonement for the Israelites once each year." You’ll notice the “once a year” wording in this verse. Contrast this with Jesus’ “once for all” sacrifice discussed in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 12 – 14 – “But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Do you believe that Jesus’ sacrifice was “once for all”? Do you believe that Jesus is your High Priest who has made Atonement for your sins? Do you believe that Jesus as your High Priest sits at the right hand of God? If so, how might fully realizing this change how you live? How you pray? For further study on Jesus’ “once for all” sacrifice, please read Hebrews chapters 10 and 9.
Bible.org's commentary on Leviticus chapter 16 & "The Day of Atonement" is at this link.
New Testament - How very interesting that today's readings in Mark are about "Clean and Unclean" - based on all of our Leviticus readings recently about this subject. Today we read about Jesus confronting the Pharisees about their "own traditions". I read in Zondervan's & Tyndale's commentaries that after the Babylonian exile (we'll read about this late this year in the One Year Bible), Jewish rabbis began to make meticulous rules and regulations governing the daily life of people. And that these rules were added to God's law and essentially elevated to the same sacred status by the Pharisees. In 200 A.D. these traditions of the elders were put into writing in the Mishnah. I think what Jesus gets at here in this chapter is that the Pharisees were allowing the "rules & regs" to overshadow the spirit of God's law. They were not honoring their parents because of the practice of Corban - giving $ to the temple. Which is a good thing... but at the expense of a great thing of caring for your parents? I know we all could probably go round and round on what is the greatest good - how should we spend our time and our money and our lives. I like that Jesus basically takes us to the heart. What is the heart of the matter? No matter what the matter is - taking care of your parents, giving to your church, following God's laws, receiving God's grace - what is the heart of the matter? One thing that I have been so blessed to learn over the past few years is that the condition of our hearts matters. Immensely. The motives of why we do something - anything - matters. Immensely. We are called in Proverbs to "guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life." If we do not care for the state of our hearts, we can become very regimented or insensitive in our thinking and doing. We might even get to the point in verse 8 of this chapter where Jesus quotes from Isaiah - "`These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away." How is the state of your heart today? Is it close to God?
Jesus continues to speak about the importance of what is in our hearts in verses 20-23 today - "It is the thought-life that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God." I think this takes us back again to the Sermon on the Mount - where Jesus teaches us in one example that yes, it is wrong to commit adultery. But, if you commit adultery in your heart, it is just as wrong. Because if you commit adultery in the heart, you have essentially defiled your own heart. And from the heart could come the actual act of committing adultery - which would then shatter several lives. But it all starts in the heart.... So - the good news? Jesus can heal our hearts! Jesus is in the business of heart-healing! Maybe in your life, you might need to refocus a little bit less on some external actions and start focusing on the state of your heart? Maybe by focusing on what's going no inside your heart, the external actions will ultimately change? Maybe allow Jesus to heal your heart - and then your external life will be healed as well? I'm not sure you can go about this the other way - trying to work from the outside back in... I think you may need to start on the inside first and work your way out. But don't do this alone - let Jesus walk this healing path with you.
Psalms - Today Psalm 40 verse 16 stood out to me for it's pure joy and praise - "But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!"" Does this verse resonate with you today? Have you searched for God in your life? Are you filled with joy and gladness because of that search? Do you love God's salvation? Do you shout praises to God for all he has done for you?
Maybe if verse 16 does not resonate for you today, hopefully verse 17 can encourage you - "As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and my savior. Do not delay, O my God." Do you believe that God is thinking about you right now? Do you believe that God is your helper and savior?
Proverbs chapter 10 verse 14 today is a great teaching to literally treasure knowledge. Do you treasure knowledge?
What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!
Grace,
Mike
It is my personal opinion that Chapter 15 of Leviticus is referring to neither the "good" or "evils" of sex. I could go so far as to say I don't believe it is referring to sex at all. It is speaking of common sense cleanliness. These people were not privileged to live in an age as we do where the means of taking care of "discharges" can be met by the Hygiene aisles at the local pharmacy...ie., incontinence and personal hygiene/sanitary items. Further, the convenience of washing machines, dryers and Tide can make the bed clean should an "accident" happen. Although this is an important chapter, let's be careful not to make it something other than what it is. Chapter 17, however, is definitely going into the do's and don'ts of sex and has very important issues which should be addressed. Just a thought!
Posted by: Sammy | February 24, 2005 at 07:39 AM
I totally agree with Sammy's comment above. When growing up I heard time and time again from my parents when questioning something in the Bible, "When the Word of God makes perfect sense, seek no other sense!" We do sometimes try to add thoughts when God was making a clear, simple principle!!
Regarding the Scapegoat - what a beautiful picture of Jesus! I have always been awed by that thought. Our Savior - Messiah was ALSO our scapegoat. He took the blame laid on Himself and carried it away. The symbolism of the scapegoat gives me an even greater picture of His love than even the name Savior or Messiah! Because as a human I can grasp the concept of the scapegoat where I can't always fully comprehend all the meaning behind "Savior" or "Messiah." It is an "earthy" picture, an object lesson of sorts, picturing our Jesus as the scapegoat that took my sins away! How great is His love!
Posted by: Becky | February 24, 2005 at 08:36 AM
Every other sacrifice in Leviticus applies to just one person. The scapegoat was efficacious for all the sin, rebellion and iniquities for the children of Israel. Yes, a beautiful picture of Christ, the second Adam, who gave his life as a ransom for many.
Mark 7:20-23 Ouch!! Sometimes I pride myself in what I avoid - but again I am reminded that it is what goes out of my mouth (and life) that defiles me. How blessed I am that Jesus bore that away from the camp as well!!
Psalm 40:16 "But all who are hunting for you-- oh, let them sing and be happy. Let those who know what you're all about tell the world you're great and not quitting."
Have I mentioned that God is great lately? ;-o)
Keep walking with God, keep walking through his Word!
Mark
Posted by: Mark Long | February 24, 2005 at 11:47 AM
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Although off topic for today’s reading, but not off topic for the book, I am writing about something that has been on my heart regarding the book of Leviticus. There are a lot of things in this book that we have not grasped the meaning so we wrestle with trying to understand what we are reading about, what is clean and unclean, animal, social practices, etc. Some of it, no, must of what we read doesn’t make sense to our logical minds so we try to place the regulations and cleansing ritual into a form that makes sense to us. WE explain away things as being something for way back then because they didn’t have … But is that the correct thing to do? I don’t know but what I do know is this,
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3)
And knowing all means all, which means no one is left out, so there is no one who hasn’t sinned, except Jesus.
The consequence for sin is death! “For the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:23).
However there was a sacrificial system put in place both in the Old and New Testament to deal with the sin and death problem. The system put in place by the death of Jesus Christ ushered in the New just as when the testator’s death ushers in the distribution of the wealth left after the death of the will maker. There is no distinction made by God for sin, sin is sin. {10 For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it (James 2:10 Amp)}We are the ones that make up levels of sin and different degrees of sin. And if all have sinned no one is innocent. That death sentenced is stayed and freedom is obtained, we discover, when we finish reading that twenty-third verse of the sixth chapter of Romans, “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Jesus Christ had not come in the Old Testament so they were under the Law, which was more than the Ten Commandments, which pointed to Christ. That Law was provided to keep them in Fellowship with God, it was not put into place to restore Relationship with God because they were still God’s chosen people. Sin cannot abide with God and since we all sin, which by the way in both the Greek and Hebrew means to “miss the mark” as in a bulls eye we have all missed the mark even as we aim for the center!
Remember the word used in the NLT in the first five chapters of Leviticus when describing the reason or situations for the sacrifice, the text states, Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the Israelites the following instructions for dealing with those who sin unintentionally … (Lev 4:1-2a) Sin, intentional and unintentional, creates a ripple effect amongst those who are sinned against. If someone carelessly spills coffee on you, the cost for you to have your clothes cleaned is greater than the cost of that cup of coffee, except if you’ve gotten the coffee from Starbucks or my school’s café. That is why the Law provides for restitution.
The sacrificial system of daily sacrifices that were mandatory and the ones required for intentional and unintentional sin reminded the Israelites daily, 24/7, that they were surrounded by sin in a sinful world. A world brought into a sinful state by the fall of man back in the garden. The system of sacrifices in the Old Testament and the sacrifice of Jesus is God bringing us back to the “In the beginning … state that man had been in before the fall as long as man submitted to the terms of the covenant. Failure didn’t break Israel’s relationship with God; they were still His people just as failure doesn’t break the True Believers’ relationship with God today. However failure will break Fellowship and the means and methods to restore Fellowship was and is provided for in both the Old and New Covenant.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | February 24, 2005 at 08:55 PM