February 16th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Leviticus 1:1-3:17 ~ Mark 1:29-2:12
Psalm 35:17-28 ~ Proverbs 9:13-18

Old Testament / Learning to Love Leviticus! - This upcoming month of readings is what I call mission-critical. We’re beginning our journey through the book of Leviticus. As this is my 3rd time leading a crew of people through the One Year Bible, I know that Leviticus is the book where we lose many people who started out so strong over the past 6 weeks. I want to let you know this in advance, so that if you feel like maybe not reading your Bible for even just one day this upcoming month, please don’t do it! You may find Leviticus “boring” on occasion, but there truly is a lot of depth to it. And if you stop reading the One Year Bible during Leviticus, you’ll miss out on so much more of the Bible coming up – including Saul, David, Solomon, the prophets – and the list goes on.

If you read nothing else in this posting today, please take ten minutes or so to review the amazing reflection at the link below on the book of Leviticus by Bob Deffinbaugh over at Bible.org. The article at this link below titled “Learning to Love Leviticus” will bless you immensely before we embark on our study of Leviticus this week - http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=258

An excerpt from Bob at this link above – “Up to this point in time the Book of Leviticus has been the “liver and onions” book of the Bible to me. That is, I know that it must be good for me, but I just don’t seem to have a taste for the stuff. To others, the Book of Leviticus is something like camping - they tried it once and that was enough to last them a lifetime. Having briefly looked at the Book of Leviticus, let us get down to the issue of “taste” which must be settled before we will ever benefit from this portion of God’s word. The first thing we must seek to do is to identify the reasons why we tend to dislike and thus to avoid this book.”  Again – please please read “Learning to Love Leviticus” at this link - http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=258 – before you read anything else in this blog posting.

~Leviticus~
Author: Moses
Date: 1420 or 1220 B.C.
Content: The book of Leviticus was designed to be a handbook for the priests or Levites, hence the name Leviticus. It sets down the regulations that were to govern the life of Israel in general and specifically to give regulations concerning sacrifice and worship. All of the major sacrifices are described, as well as the way they were to be offered. All of the major festivals and holidays are discussed. There are also special sections devoted to the priesthood and regulations concerning ceremonial matters.
Theme: The central theme of this book is that God has provided a way for atonement to be made by the offering of sacrificial blood. This whole system found its fulfillment in the shedding of Christ’s blood as the one great sacrifice for the sins of the world. Leviticus also shows that worship is to be orderly and is to follow a regular pattern. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” page 2) More commentary on Leviticus is at this link – http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=882

Commentary on Leviticus chapter 1 and The Law of Burnt Offerings is at this link.  Commentary on Leviticus chapter 2 and The Grain Offering is at this link.  Commentary on Leviticus chapter 3 and The Fellowship Offering is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Mark's readings I noticed that Jesus healed, taught, healed and healed.  3 healings and 1 teaching in today's readings. I don't know about you, but sometimes I personally seem to overlook Jesus' healing ministry.  I pay a lot of attention to what he did on the cross for us.  I pay a lot of attention to his resurrection.  I pay a lot of attention to his teachings.  But his healings?  Not so much.  And if I really stop to think about it, I know that I personally need some healing from Jesus in my life.  I have wounds.  I have issues.  I have "patterns" as the singer David Wilcox would say.  :) I need Jesus' healing touch in my life.  How about you?  Do you need Jesus' healing touch in your life?  If so, can you reflect on chapter 1 verses 40 & 41 in Mark's readings today - "A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you want to, you can make me well again," he said.  Moved with pity, Jesus touched him. "I want to," he said. "Be healed!""  What is your "leprosy"?  Do you want to be made well again?    Do you believe that Jesus wants to heal you?  Commentary on Mark chapter 1 is at bible.org at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 35 verses 22 & 23 are two very impassioned verses that I think we should take note of - "O LORD, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Don't abandon me now, O Lord. Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord." I think what these verses do is remind me that we don't have to always speak to God in "hushed" tones or in our "church voices".  We can interact with God at any moment as we really are.  I don't think we should try to hide our emotions from God.  We should come before God at any time - as we are - and let him take us from there...  and heal us from there...  When is the last time you have literally cried out to God?

Proverbs - Proverbs verse 18 is downright scary - "But the men don't realize that her (Folly's) former guests are now in the grave."  This reminds me of Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death."  Yes, sin sells...  And sin calls...  And sin pays...  Death.  Sin/Folly pays death.  That is downright scary.  That's why we read about the sacrifice system in the Old Testament - to atone for sin, which brings death without atonement.  Thanks to the New Covenant, our sins have been paid for on the cross by Jesus.  Let us not ever forget the gravity of sin.  Let us not ever forget sin sells death.  But let us also not ever forget that Jesus paid our debt once and for all on the cross.  So, next time you hear Folly calling out to you from her doorway, walk on by in the light of salvation that was given to you freely by Jesus.  Jesus who saves us from death.

Comments from you & Question of the Day - The image of the boy crying that I posted up in the Psalms section made me wonder this - are you comfortable crying before God?  Have you ever cried before God?  Do you think it's okay for us to cry before / to God?  I just wonder if sometimes we hold back our emotions from God or try to prove to Him (and others?) that we really have it all together - when really we don't?  Why do you think that we sometimes try to hide our emotions or hide things from God? Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[John]

Progression of Offerings:

Burnt - Atonement for Man's sinful state.
Grain - Worship, thanks
Peace - Celebrate fellowship with God

"...the (ancient)Israelites saw that the burnt offering was a means of avoiding God’s wrath and of obtaining God’s favor. God’s blessing was the result of a burnt offering, not of man’s good deeds."

Burnt Offerings and the Ancient Israelite
http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=259

Atonement:
The Hebrew word kaphar means "to cover over" such as a lid and is the word for the lid of the ark of the covenant....If an offense has been made the one that has been offended can act as though the offense is covered over and unseen. We express this idea through the word of forgiveness. Atonement is an outward action that covers over the error.
http://ahlb.ancient-hebrew.org/pages/studies_atonement.html
[NOTE:does not mean erase sin, but a covering that nowadays is done by the shed blood of Christ.]

The Ancient Israelites could not properly worship, or be in fellowship with God, until they had first performed the burnt offering. Is it any different today? Before we can have pleasing worship to God, and be in fellowship with Him, do we not have to have atonement for our sinful state through Christ?

In the peace offering,the table is set at (or in?)God's House and the sinner(offerer) comes in to partake. How many times today do people try to bring God to the table of what they have done and/or created? The pattern and method of offerings is there for a reason.

Eph 5:2
"... just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."(NIV)

Lev 1:9,13,17
"...an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD." (NIV)

[Ramona]

Leviticus 1-3:17

The first impression or thing I saw as I began reading Leviticus was the call by God to Moses to give instructions on how to present a burnt offering: first things first, gaining access to God, the first thing up. Seek first the Kingdom of God … (Matthew 6:33). The second thing that left a BIG impression was the following verse:

“…’this is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live: You must never eat any fat or any blood.' “(Leviticus 3:17 NET.)

I’ve heard great emphasis and warnings about not eating the blood of animals in religious circles, Jewish and Christian, but I don’t think I remember hearing about not eating the “fat.” The Unites States has become a nation of fatties and I wonder if our tendency to love fat, which God required for Himself, is stealing from God? If the fat and choice, or fine, flour belonged to God then are we unhealthy because we are not only taking something that was designated to be burned on the “altar” but also indulging in foodstuff that never was meant for us in the first place, health wise, is killing us? I’m not trying to create a doctrine or put folks on a guilt trip, but these are the thoughts that kind of raced through my mind as I read. Hmmmm

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Vance Brown]

Leviticus 1 (New King James Version)

Note several comments such as this about BURNT OFFERINGS by the Holy Spirit:

And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE, A SWEET AROMA TO THE LORD.

3
‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer A MALE WITHOUT BLEMISH; HE SHALL OFFER IT OF HIS OWN FREE WILL at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.

Leviticus 2 (NKJV)

Note several comments such as this about GRAIN OFFERINGS by the Holy Spirit:

And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, A SWEET AROMA TO THE LORD.

12
AS FOR THE OFFERING OF THE FIRSTFRUITS, you shall offer them to the LORD, BUT THEY SHALL NOT BE BURNED ON THE ALTAR FOR A SWEET AROMA.

Leviticus 3 (New King James Version)

Note several comments such as this about PEACE OFFERINGS by the Holy Spirit:

When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering,… AND HE SHALL LAY HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF HIS OFFERING, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

Leviticus 1 (NKJV)
3
‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; HE SHALL OFFER IT OF HIS OWN FREE WILL at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD.
4
THEN HE SHALL PUT HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF THE BURNT OFFERING, AND IT WILL BE ACCEPTED ON HIS BEHALF TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR HIM.

MY NOTES:
A. SWEET AROMA TO THE LORD – not because the Lord delights in seeing
death and in killing. RATHER, BECAUSE THE LORD DELIGHTS IN HIS LOVE FOR US AND IN MAKING PEACE WITH US.

Many people in America today see the “God of the Old Testament” is different than the “God of the New Testament”. Part of this has to do with a sacrifice bring a sweet aroma to the Lord – that God is like one of the so-called professional wrestlers on television who delights in causing and seeing harm done to who is innocent.

BUT THEN AGAIN, our culture does not like to admit the reality of sin. Once sin is really seen, then the need for a sacrifice beings to make perfect sense.

B. OFFERING WITHOUT BLEMISH, MADE OF OWN FREE WILL –
This is such a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus. That He had to be without blemish and without sin and that He had to offer Himself INTENTIONALLY as our substitute and representative.

I once heard that if the Lord Jesus, as man, had tripped and fallen and broken his neck and died, that would not have been accepted as a willing sacrifice for our sins. I agree with this.

~~~
This is also a wonderful picture of how we are to offer ourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We are not without blemish in ourselves, but we can know that God accepts us because the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. And, we can spend time praising the Lord for Who He is and offer ourselves to Him as a WILLING offering.

C. LAY HANDS ON THE HEAD OF THE PEACE OFFERING. This is such a wonderful picture of TRANSFERRING sins to the offering to MAKE PEACE WITH GOD FOR US.

Again, this is NOT because God delights in seeing the suffering of an innocent being. I pray people really see the reality of sin. And I pray that they see God's goodness which will lead them to true and lasting repentance.

D. Note that the firstfruits do not have to be burned IN ORDER TO BE A SWEET AROMA.

I take this to mean that first fruits, because they are given FIRST, they are already a sacrifice to the Lord. It is easy to give money or time, AFTER you have done other things with money or time—that is if you have anything left to offer.

Note this comment by the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 10 quoting from Psalm 40:6-8:

5 Therefore, when He [i.e., JESUS] came into the world, He said: “ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’”
8
Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them ” (which are offered according to the law),
9
then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10
By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

DID YOU CATCH HEBREWS 10:10?

BY THAT WILL [GOD’S WILL WILLINGLY OBEYED BY JESUS]
WE HAVE BEEN SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE FOR ALL.

Vance

[Anka]

Well it's day 1 of Leviticus and so far,it's not so bad.I had also noticed the bit about the fat belonging to God,then noticed the fine flour after Ramona mentioned it.I also wondered why the the flocks were specifically slaughtered at the north of the altar...came up with some reasons from a link www.biblicalhorizons.com/bh/bh039.htm
-It is the direction from which God comes in judgment from His throne in the north (Is. 14:1; Ps. 48:2). We see this in Ezekiel 1, where God comes in judgment upon Israel from the north. We also see it laid out in detail in Ezekiel 8, where God comes through a succession of north gates until He arrives in the Temple courtyard and begins to destroy the wicked in Israel (see also Ezk. 38:6, 15; 39:2). By specifying the north side as the place to slaughter lambs and goats, God was calling special attention to the fact that the judgment for sin was being exercised against these animals as representatives of sinful man. (Of course, the slaughtering of bulls and birds made the same point, but without the special focus that is given to the slaughter of flockmembers.).
I had always wondered why Jesus told the leper who was healed not to say anything.I finally got it today when Jesus tells his disciples that why he came was to preach in mark.
About showing emotions,I have learnt that God knows it all anyway.I actually tell him stuff like I don't know if I love you with all my heart...but I want to..cos I know he sees my heart anyway.I do cry out to God sometimes, I hate to show my emotions in public...I remember times I pray or listen to a message and the tears come..I think even as God says give thanks in everything...if a loved one dies,if I'm sick or broke..I can't truthfully say God "I give you thanks"..to me that's a lie..I think God would like it better if I told him...it hurts really bad now God,I can't say I feel thankful right now so please Holy Spirit help me out on this one..
God bless you all

[John]

Anka,

Perhaps it would be easier to think about thanks this way:

1 thess 16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Someone coined the phrase:
"Thank God in all circumstances, not for all circumstances."

Don't thank him for tough bad things in your life, but do thank him for giving you the opportunity to be tested, for the opportunity to believe in him and his faithfullness, that you are even allowed another day here on earth to testify to his glory and improve as a Christian, etc.

I hope this helps.

[John]

Anka,

oops that is

1thess 5:16-18

[chilipepperkaren]

What a question for you to pose to me on this day. I actually cried out to God this very morning. I was writing a check and put 2002 instead of 2006. Then I burst out crying. This was the year my dear husband went to be with the Lord. But this day, 16th, would have been our 49th anniversary. God has been so good to me and I know how much He loves me as I also love Him. Jesus is my husband, my friend, but more than that, He is my Saviour and my God. Thanks for listening.
I wondered how many animals were sacrificed in one day. Was one for the whole family? The blood must have been everywhere. I am so grateful we don't have to do things that way because of what Jesus did for us. Really like reading comments from others. This is my first one. Sorry its so long but I really feel like you are all family, which of course you are. A special thanks to Mike for putting it all together.

[John]

Crying

Normally in life I do not cry in public. Occasionally a sentimental moment might lead me to tear up, but not much more than that is on display.

At Salvation: I sobbed and wailed for only the second time in my life. The first was during "Field of Dreams" scene where Father and son played catch at end of movie. In both cases it was because I wanted what was missing in my life. Love and Fellowship with my earthly Father, and Love and Fellowship with my Heavenly Father. Both times I was alone in my home.

Post-salvation: I will have tears trickling down my face during Worship songs on Sundays, when I give my testimony to People, and when I run across an example of God's Love - written or in action. I can not control these tears, they just arise from my inner depths.

Actually, when the tears come, I have a sense of connection with God - as if to say - at that moment "I get it", "I know what you want from us", or "I feel your love and it is overwhelming".

[CB]

Mike's One Year Bible Blog - welcome to the OYB Blogroll!
http://www.chipbennett.net/wordpress/index.php/2006/02/mikes-one-year-bible-blog/

[Anka]

Yes John,it does help in theory...but honestly,I still do struggle with giving thanks at ALL times...I pray about that and other things I know I should have in my life as a christian...It sure helps to see that God doesn't turn his back when we don't turn out the way we should:)and the Holy Spirit gently puts us on track...