~ 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? :) I am thinking today is a good day to share with you some of Bible.org's essays on the topic of sex. (though sex is only mentioned briefly in this chapter, still seems appropriate) Check out Bob Deffinbaugh'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.
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.” 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 Jesus is thinking about you right now? Do you believe that Jesus is your helper and your savior?
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 10 verse 14 today is a great teaching to literally treasure knowledge. Do you treasure knowledge?
Comments from You & Question of the Day - Back to my reflections above on Jesus' "once for all" sacrifice in the OT section above. 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? 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
How wonderful God is!!! He is so great that we must constantly be reminded that nothing we do makes us holy. He alone is the source of our holiness... As someone has said, "Holiness is not something placed on the outside and forced inward; rather, it is something place on the inside [by God] and works its way outward."
What great readings today that contrast this very idea that what man could not do in the flesh; God can do in the spirit!
Posted by: Sammy | February 24, 2006 at 04:10 AM
Lev16:21 "He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head".Hmmm the priest sure had his work cut out for him....confessing ALL Israel's sins...wonder if the goat just stood there quietly,guess not.Jesus has made prayer and intercession so much easier,not to mention having access to God by faith( not cleansing rituals and sacrifices)
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The LORD be exalted!"
Truly we have cause to exalt God for his mercy!
Posted by: Anka | February 24, 2006 at 05:59 AM
Daniel Wallace's philosophical, psychological, theological/biblical treatise on love and sex/sexuality is a "must" to read. I'm glad that someone has finally tried to put together a holistic view on love and sex and its signifciance in strengthening the committted relationship between two individuals.
Sometimes Christians when talking about sex (and other issues) merely quote scripture to support their arguments without taking into consideration
the psychological aspects of our humanity. As human beings, we are all these in one: physical, intellectual/cognitive, socio-emotional, moral, spiritual.
It's when we separate or dichotomize our nature that we end up having problems with our own selves just as when we separate ourselves or out of synch in our relationship with God.
A beautiful sexual relationship between two committed people strengthens the emotional bond and brings about spiritual unity. Indeed this is symbolized by the triangle with Christ at its apex as diagrammed by Daniel in his concluding paragpraph.
This was exactly the kind of marriage that I had with the beauty and splendor of sex, emotionally strong, spiritually grounded/rooted though unfortunately it only lasted seven years, but I can proudly say to this day ----they were the most beautiful years of my life!!!
Posted by: Roslyn | February 24, 2006 at 06:33 AM
What a blessing, Roslyn, that you experienced:-)
Posted by: Micah Girl | February 24, 2006 at 07:05 AM
Rosyln, great synopsis on Daniel Wallace's article and I am glad that you experienced a happy and Godly marriage for 7 years. It's unfortunate that it only lasted for so brief a period of time. I hope that you will find that joy in your life again. It's great that we can have joy and peace in our life because of Christ when people often fail us.
God alone, as Sammy says is our source of holiness. I don't think I could of said that better myself. Good day and God bless.
Posted by: Laura Jones | February 24, 2006 at 11:40 AM
At the end of blog there are questions and reflections about Jesus. But I have my own question that has been puzzling me for long. Where do we get the image of Jesus from??? You know that tall, lean man with long hair and a beard? How justified are we to use that image so repeatedly in every place? Does that not amount to idol worship ?
Posted by: Emberglow | February 24, 2006 at 05:47 PM
Victoria,
This is what I get for not ever reading Mark all the way through before, nor doing a word search in bible on "clean" and "unclean".
Mark 7:15
"Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'"
Mark 7:18
""Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'?"
I had used Paul's writings earlier to say all food was O.K. for Christians to consume.
Granted, Jesus here is using this as an example to make a point about hearts and thoughts as the source of man's spiritual uncleaness.
The Greek expression for "unclean" in these verses is translated "defiled" in NAS.
koino/w
Koinoo
to make common to make (Levitically) unclean, render unhallowed, defile, profane to declare or count unclean.
So the source of Jesus' words references Leviticus. SO, I would lunp this in with Paul as stating: no food is "unclean".
Maybe others have a better perspective, but it seems that the implication was that in Old Testament - Leviticus 11 - God was not talking about spiritual defilement thru diet, as much as that He was mandating what His people eat and not eat for health and survival (as people in wilderness) reasons.
I realize what Lev 11:44 says, but "consecrating" and "holy" in this verse can be construed as "separate" and "be set apart". Certainly having a distinctive diet - his people would be "set apart".
If anyone wants to correct or comment on this thought - I am not "married to the idea" - I am kinda thinking out loud like Ramona.
Posted by: John | February 24, 2006 at 06:21 PM
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Chapter 15, dealing with sexual practices, may also be an exercise in “self-control,” one of the fruit of the spirit. I don’t even know if this is a connection but all day I kept thinking about Proverbs 25:28,
He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls. [Prov. 16:32.] (AMP). Adhering to the ceremonial cleanliness laws certainly would have a woman’s husband practicing a great deal of restraint.
Grace and peace,
Ramona
Posted by: Ramona | February 24, 2006 at 06:49 PM
Cory,
Regarding feeding of the 5,000 and Apostle's not taking food with them on mission.
Both cases involve trust in God that they would be fed (Apostles and 5,000).
In both cases, Apostles fed people. On mission spiritually, to the 5,000 physical nourishment.
Ties in with comment yesterday:
vs 40
His plan is to feed the world through His people. Actually small-scale version (practice?) in the mission, symbolically represented in feeding 5,000.
Posted by: John | February 24, 2006 at 08:50 PM
John,
I'm with you on the trust and provision aspects. What I'm ruminating on is the contrast: Don't take food in the first instance; feed this crowd with what little you have in the second.
This just occurred to me: Where did the twelve get the food they had? If I remember, the teaching/healing/feeding occurred right after the twelve return. I doesn't seem they had time to go grocery shopping, so were the fish and loaves leftovers given to them by those with whom they stayed? In the miracle, were they simply returning what the people had given them?
Like I said, still ruminating.
Posted by: Bald Man | February 26, 2006 at 01:50 PM