BSF Moses 2014-15 – Page 6 – The Notes are Good

17.3 Moses 17, Day 3

Mine

If you have spent time around toddlers, then you have seen mankind at its most natural state. They can be loving and caring and adorable, but they can also be, well, let’s say – challenging. No parent teaches their child to go and snatch something from an innocent sibling or playmate and scream the word, “mine”, to them.

But that is what toddlers do. That is what you and I did. It is what children did decades and millennia ago. It is who we are.

But it isn’t mine. No matter how you play the game of life, as John Ortberg wrote, “when the game is over, it all goes back in the box.”

We live every day with this concept of scarcity. There is only so much of (insert item here) so I need to get mine. If things keep going like they are going, we are going to run out. For me to have more means someone will have less and I would rather be on the more side than the less side of that equation.

But that is a lie. Historically, it doesn’t even prove out. Each time we form decision on a scarcity mindset, something changes and our strategies no longer work. A famous example of this was the London Crisis of 1894. At that time there were enough people living in the city of London that a lot of transportation was required. The transportation of that day was horse, either individually or in carriages, wagons, etc. The problem wasn’t the horses themselves, per se, but what need to go into the horses and what came out of them. There was tremendous concern over enough land to grow feed as the city swelled into the countryside and whether that land could sustain both human and horse needs. There was concern over the growing piles of horse manure in the streets and the impact and costs it imposed. But, as we know, this entire problem simply went away with the advent of the motor-car.

The God who created everything out of nothing does not have a scarcity mindset and, if our focus is on the right things, we won’t either. If you start thinking about scarcity instead of abundance, remind yourself about love. Remind yourself about freedom, liberty, happiness, peace, joy, goodwill, praise, faith, hope, beauty, grace. Remind yourself about God.

Should I be focused on these things? Can society or a nation? It might be worth doing a search and seeing what is engraved on the Liberty Bell. It might ring true for today’s scriptures.

My Answers:

5.
a.
7×7=49, +1= 50th is another sabbath year. proclaim liberty throughout the land. All purchased farm land returned, all go home

b.
Freedom – freedom from slavery. Honoring of a covenant. The gifts of inheritance belong to the family of the King

6.
a.
to identify fairness in pricing of the selling of land since it would be returned in the Jubilee year – basically you are buying the output of the land, not the land itself

b.
Follow my decrees and obey my laws – safety, crop yield, blessings of abundance

c.
A sabbath year of rest for the land, yes – it has benefits for the land. A period of forgiveness of debts and return of property would not work as well because it would inhibit development, also our land was not a covenant land

7.
a.
to be the kinsman redeemer. Abraham rescued Lot. Boaz with Naomi and Ruth

b.
We have incurred debts we cannot pay and have become impoverished to sin. Jesus came as our kinsman and redeemed us by paying our sin and bringing us into His household as His family.

17.2 Moses 17, Day 2

Heart Space: Storing Up or Overflowing?

Let’s think about our heart as a storage area in our house. It may be your basement, attic, garage, spare bedroom, what ever works for you. Each day, all year long, year after year, we accumulate things. We accumulate debts, not just the monetary debts, but other obligations and guilts. We accumulate work and tasks, long to-do lists that never get done. We accumulate all kinds of stuff, as well as the excess luggage to lug our stuff around.

What if every so often, let’s say every 7 years, you stopped accumulating and cleared things out instead? What if you got out of debt? What if you forgave yourself of the guilt and burdens you carried around? What if you gave yourself permission to re-evaluate, re-assess and, basically, clean house?

What would God be able to put in all that space in your heart that all of a sudden was free? What if you retreated and asked and allowed God to take the lead in your life and in your heart?

In our modern culture to retreat is synonymous with failure. We must drive forward. We can’t pull back. There is so much to do. But that isn’t what the bible says.

Retreating doesn’t mean forfeiting, it means pulling back into a better position of strength. In our day to day service to God, even with the best intentions to do good kingdom work, we can get ourselves out in front of where God wants us to be.

We look at the poor and we look at the land or resources we have and think, we’ve got to keep planting. We think, it is up to us to feed the poor, to provide for others, they need me, God needs me. But what they really need is God and we need to trust in His provision for ourselves and for others. It is in the years of retreat, the years of peace, the years of rest, that God’s abundance shines. The poor didn’t go away during the Sabbath year in the promised land, but they also did not go hungry. Not only did they receive physical food, but they also witnessed the power of the Lord, not other men.

Who could you bless by allowing them to see your life at peace and rest and trust in God rather than a life scared by the same striving and busyness that looks just like everyone else? Maybe it is time to go on a retreat, to clean out your heart and your life and ask and allow God to fill it with peace and rest and joy that overflows as a tremendous bounty.

My Answers:

3.
a.
When they entered the promised land

b.
sow and prune for 6 years and harvest, but in 7th year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, do not harvest, do not tend, but all can eat directly from the fields

c.
At this time they were being provided for daily (manna), so it was not unreasonable that God could provide. They were probably also looking forward to owning their own land and amazed at the bounty it would provide

4.
a.
It is a year of freedom – freedom from debt, from servitude. Leading up to it should be years of generosity. There will be no poor because the Lord will provide abundance. Abundance not scarcity.

b.
Trusting in God’s abundance, not worrying about scarcity. The ability to start over – clean slate. All debts are forgiven, just as God forgives our debts

c.
Opening house to be a place of joy and gathering for family, friends, visitors to church, missionaries

16.5 Moses 16, Day 5

New Year

I am very, very far from being a Jewish scholar, but I am very excited by some of the things I’ve been learning about the study regarding the festivals outlined in Leviticus 23. I’m particularly excited to refer back to this when we study Revelation.

For example, this week we’ve been studying a lot about the holiday Yom Kippur. But from what I’ve been studying it is appropriate to really start with the Feast of Trumpets. The feast of trumpets is the 1st day of the 7th month of the Jewish Calendar, Tishri. This fall day marked the end of the harvest season and a beginning of the fall feast days. The high priest would sound a trumpet to call all in from the time of harvest. It would begin a preparation time called “Ten Days of Repentance” or the “Days of Awe.” This is what led up to the day of Yom Kippur on the 10th day of the 7th month.

Now, here are some really interesting facts from a Christian perceptive. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year is on the Feast of Trumpets. Why is the new year celebrated on the 7th month? It wasn’t always. Originally, it was on the 1st day of the 1st month but after the temple was destroyed (after Jesus’ death and resurrection), the Jews changed New Years. And what day do they pick? The day the trumpet sounds to market the end of the harvest period and the beginning of the “days of awe” leading up to atonement day.

With what you’ve been learning read ahead to Revelation 7 and 8. Look at the ones wearing white robes. Look at the censer filled with coals from the altar in heaven and incense. Look at the trumpets being sounded. In Rev 11 we see the temple of the Lord opened and the Ark of the Covenant present.

A day will come when the time of harvest will end and the days of repentance and the days of awe will follow leading to a day of atonement. How amazing is it that God’s chosen people, the Israelites, have adjusted their calendar to mark that day as the new beginning.

My Answers:

11.
a.
once a year on Yom Kippur (10th day of the 7th month)

b.
Sacred – a day to deny yourselves and to present offerings, a day of sabbath rest

12.
a.
He is able to save completely (not repeating over and over again). He is holy, blameless, pure, set apart, exalted. He did not enter by means of blood of goats and calves but by his own blood – Eternal redemption

b.
By sharing the gospel with others. By honoring his sacrifice through sacrificial love and giving.

c.
Lord, thank you for freeing us for all eternity from the penalty of our sin. Thank you for being the sacrifice we could never be. Thank you for loving the world so much that you gave your life so that we who believe in you might be saved. Thank you for coming again.

16.4 Moses 16, Day 4

How much sin will be allowed into heaven?

How much sin will be allowed into heaven? Depending where you are on your faith journey, that may seem like a very strange question, but, stop for a moment and actually think about it.

Clearly, the answer from the bible is zero. Sin cannot abide in God’s presence. There is no level of acceptable sin that can be with God.

But, look at that question again from the perspective of someone who does not know what the bible says. The most common perception is that a loving god will just overlook sin. Or maybe God grades on a curve and as long as I’m scoring above the 50% ranking, I should have a golden ticket for heaven.

To those who have read the bible, those ways of thinking may seem ridiculous, but these ideas are all too common, not only among the bible illiterate “christians”, but it is actually taught by many of the world religions. Many world religions are religions of “good works”. Only through having a balance of good works that tilts in your favor can one hope that god or the universe or whatever will judge the works sufficient.

Because of that balance quotien, every other religion is based on uncertainty. It is based on hope, but concern, because of not knowing who can ever be sure of being good enough. It is also based on a really weird understanding of a heaven where some levels of sin will be allowed. What happens to that sin in heaven? Do people continue sinning?

But, Christianity stands alone.

1. Christians recognize that absolutely no sin will be allowed into heaven. Zero. Not only that, but Christians believe that we inherit sin from the generations that came before us, so even if we somehow avoid sin (good luck with that), we still are tainted by sin. It also means that sin is sin, whether saying a bad word or being a mass-murderer, both are sin. It doesn’t mean we are ridiculous to say there is no difference between the two, but both are sin. That is a pass-fail grading system where passing equals perfection. In essence, this eliminates any and every one from earning entrance to heaven.

2. Christians believe that every one has the opportunity to enter heaven regardless of their sin. Not by any acts they perform or any denial or avoidance they adhere to, but because Jesus paid the price. The covering of Jesus’ sacrificial offering, by taking all the sins of the world onto His head and carrying them away to the grave, then defeating even death to rise again, is a gift offered to all mankind. The requirement is not works or acts, it is acceptance of this gift of grace. We also believe that this is the only way. Jesus is the only path – No one comes to the Father but through Him.

In these ways, Christianity is absolutely exclusive and absolutely inclusive. But, when faced with the question of how much sin will be accepted into heaven, it is also the only religion that makes any sense. It is also the one that absolutely removes all doubt. If you accept Jesus, regardless of what you have done, you’re covered completely.

So who are you counting on to be the covering of your sins? Is it yourself or is it Jesus?

My Answers:

9.
a.
2 goats, lots drawn, 1 sacrificed blood used for purification and atonement, the other sins of the people were laid upon and it was taken out of the camp into the wilderness

b.
Jesus offered his life (blood) as a sin offering, a payment for our sins. He carried the sins of all mankind on his body, outside of the city to calvary where he bore them on the cross. Through his death, sacrifice and his atoning act of carrying away our sins, we are set free.

10.
a.
take off the linen garments and leave them there, bathe himself and put on his regular garments, come out & burnt offering

b.
to make atonement for himself and for the people. Because God said. Because even though the sins of the people had been removed, sin still continued within the people and the camp and a final atonement was still needed

16.3 Moses 16, Day 3

Sin Splatters, Sin Sticks and Sin Stinks

How often have you heard, “if it doesn’t hurt someone else then I should be able to do whatever I want.”? It is masqueraded as independence or self-freedom. It is simplified to the idea that people should mind their own business. Everyone can just do their own thing.

We think this thinking is so progressive and so modern. But it is ancient. Judges 17:6 says of the people thousands of years ago, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

But the idea that the things I do don’t hurt other people is a lie. Sin splatters and sticks. Like someone dropping and breaking a glass full of orange juice, it splatters on to those around them. An innocent by-stander gets covered in the sticky mess. It’s splatters are almost impossible to clean up. Days later you find a sticky mess that was missed. But to make matters all the worse, sin isn’t a glass of orange juice, it is a glass of the strongest stench, most repugnant smelling, most infectious pathogen you can think of. Try carrying around a vile of Ebola and make the argument, as long as I’m not hurting anyone else I should be able to carry this vile of virus with me and juggle it. We know better.

Children are scared for generations. Marriages and lives are destroyed. Shame and poverty and abuse and excess and all the other wrongs of the world all stem from sin. It’s stench permeates not only our lives, but the very land we live on, the walls, the clothes, everything around us.

But, it does not permeate God. In God’s presence, sin and everything it has infected is burned away. It cannot be tolerated and it cannot be allowed. This is what happened to Nadab and Abihu. This is the warning God gives over and over again to Moses and Aaron in regard to how to approach the inner sanctum, the presence of God – “lest they die”.

While Jesus paid the price of our sin, sin still continues in this world. Someday, Jesus will return to cast sin and its master into a lake of fire, but until that day we still live with sin and its consequences. When He returns we will rise with Him to live forever in His presence. Christ’s covering will save us from the impact of our sin.

If you have accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, the payment of your sin, past, present and future, has been made in full. But you still should do all you can to avoid sin. Not only for improvement of your own life and honor to the one who saves you, but even more so, for the protection of its impact on those around you and the place your live.

My Answers:

6.
1. God said to, 2. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been

7.
Sin is like a skunk – it’s stench permeates into everything it is around. But scripture locks up (cages) the stench of sin. Scripture is not about sin, it is about the good news of the promise/gift of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ

8.
a.
thoughts, words, deeds, not only by what they have done, but also by what they have left undone. They do what is right in their own eyes and ignore and reject any teaching that is contrary. They desperately want and fight for others to accept the sin they are doing as being normal and right

b.
It permeates in pictures, video, music, dress, language. It is in shifting and perverted societal norms, in the abuse of power the neglect of the poor and widows and orphans. There is no part of daily life that is left untouched

c.
bath it in prayer, repent of my sins and pray for those around me. Seek first and only God and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit every day to direct my life and my thoughts

16.2 Moses 16, Day 2

It starts with me

Sin is everywhere. When we open our eyes and look around, sin is permeating every part of our society. It is glorified in music, on television, in magazines, in billboards. It is in politics and journalism. It is in our dress, our speech, our thoughts. With open eyes, it feels like we are standing in the middle of an landfill that stretches for as far as we can see. To make atonement for sin, where does God want us to start.

The temptation is to look to address the biggest areas of sin. Maybe start by trying to change media channels. Or maybe a better approach would be to sin of leaders, since they are leaders. Or maybe the answer is to look to the low-hanging fruit – maybe start with trying to establish dress codes.

But, this isn’t something we need to figure out. God gives us the answer in Leviticus 16.

When He calls Aaron to see the sin in the community and establish a day of atonement, the first area God directs Aaron to focus on is Aaron. He starts simple. Take a bath. Change your clothes. Bring a bull.

So far so good. I can do this. I can start the day of atonement with me. I can take a bath. I can change my clothes. I could even get a bull, at least figuratively, I could bring the stubborn bullheadedness of my sin nature. I can recognize that I need forgiveness and atonement.

But the next step is the one that can trip us up. (I apologize, but this is going to be a little gory). The next step for Aaron was to slaughter the bull. He wasn’t supposed to give it a pinprick. He was supposed to kill it, slit its throat and let it totally bleed out. According to Purdue.edu, blood would make up approximately 7% of the total body weight of the animal. This comes out to about 6 gallons of blood. I know that is gross sounding, but think about that in terms of our own confession of our sins in approaching God for forgiveness and atonement.

I’m o.k. bringing my sin before God. I’m o.k. with a pinprick of bleeding my confession of my sin before God. But God wants me to let it all drain out. He wants me to completely abandon that old life and let it die. Not because He needs it, but because I do.

Only by letting all my sin bleed out in confession to the Lord can I offer up prayers for forgiveness like incense so thick it is like a cloud before God’s eyes. And only then can I be completely at-one-with (atonement) God, putting me in a position where I can truly make a difference in also praying for others’ sin life.

So where should I start: Start with me. Do the basics to approach God. Then let it all come out in confession.

My Answers:

3.
MHP: the inner sanctum in the tent of meeting, the area behind the curtain containing the ark of the covenant

AC: The mercy seat. The lid over the ark of the covenant shaped with 2 cherubim angels, wings streched over it, facing the cover

ARK:

A box of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold inside and out, contains the 10 commandments

4.
a.
16:1 after the death of the 2 sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord, 16:2 or else he will die, 16:13 so that he will not die

b.
Honorable preparation is required. A cleansing of my own thoughts when approaching things that are holy (work, worship) Have I prepared myself to honor God?

5.
a.
one was to be sacrificed as a sin offering, the other was used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat

b.
For his own sin offering, to make atonement for himself and his household. His sins needed sacrifice

c.
wash, change, bring bull, slaughter bull, take censer of burning coals from the altar 2 handfuls finely ground fragrant incense, take behind the curtain, put incense on fire,(smoke conceal), sprinkle blood with finger on front and 7 times before atonement cover

d.
Am I bringing everything before God.? Are my prayers like the incense smoke; so robust and thorough that it fills God’s most holy place with supplication?

15.4 Moses 15, Day 4

Then and there, Here and now, Things to come

In attempting to understand and apply the scriptures, biblical scholars, like you and me, must look at the context under three different lenses.

1. Exegesis: What did this mean then and there? How did it apply to the people and times and social norms when it was written?

2. Hermeneutics: What does this mean here and now? How are we being called to apply this message to ourselves in our times?

3. Proclamation: What does this mean for the things to come? How is this a foreshadowing or revelation of things that have not yet occurred or places that are not yet open to mankind?

I think this is particularly helpful in looking at the story of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu. We are not told much about these men or this event and it is important that we not over-postulate and either make assumptions or contrive explanations to make up for facts that we are not provided. I’m of the belief that if those facts were crucial, they would be in the bible.

So, let’s look at what we do know. For 7 days and 7 nights Aaron and his sons had sanctified themselves and this place for holy service. The best illustration I could think of to put it into current terms would be if for 7 days and 7 nights a team had worked to disinfect, sterilize and sanitize an operating room clean room. Then, after all of that was completed, 2 of the staff members brought in an infection from outside. Leviticus says that Nadab and Abihu brought in “unauthorized fire” contrary to God’s command. The NKJV translation calls it “profane fire”. Profane derives from the word profanus which means “from outside of the temple.” The response was immediate and severe. “Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”

In another part of the bible, Isaiah 6, we learn that when Isaiah came into the presence of the Lord he fell to the ground saying, I am doomed because I am a man of unclean lips. One of the seraphim comes to Isaiah with a coal from the altar (in heaven) and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” From this scripture we know there is an altar in heaven with burning coal.

We also know from Revelation 8 that after the 7th seal was broken, “Then the angel filled the incense burner with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth.”

Basically, from the various scriptures, we see the tabernacle was a real place in the wilderness with the priests of Aaron and the people of Israel. We also know the tabernacle was a representation and foreshadowing of a real place in heaven. We also know that all of this is a physical representation of the spiritual gift of God through Jesus of forgiveness of sin and removal of guilt.

This triplicate meaning carries a far heavier burden than if this was simply a building or a tent in the desert. Variance is not acceptable then and there, because it is so specifically tied to the things to come. The fact that this is a reflection of both a physical place in heaven and a spiritual reality of forgiveness also creates a requirement of exactness.

Not only had the tabernacle been devoted to God, but it also was an image or reflection of so much more. Think of it as a portrait or representation. We would not expect God to look favorably on this portrait of His redeeming love and His heavenly palace to be repainted with inexactness or callousness.

Does God’s response seem harsh? We need to think what steps we go to in protecting things which represent so much less: How do we protect the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of our nation? How do we protect the Mona Lisa?

My Answers:

8.
a.
The offered unauthorized fire (profane fire). Profane comes from profanus which means “outside the temple.” After 7 days of ordination and consecration – they brought in fire from “outside” – they were consumed by fire and died

b.
God’s holiness consumes that which is brought before Him unconsecrated. Either our offering or we will be consumed (but Jesus paid this price)

9.
a.
He grieved, but did not have any worthy comments

b.
You have work today (for which they were ordained). Do not mourn and slack in your responsibilities, however, find comfort that the whole community will mourn on your behalf

15.3 Moses 15, Day 3

Listen and obey, come to the altar, and repent

I understand that the point of the question about the “first duty” of Aaron and his sons was that first they made the offering for their own sin. Any one who has flown on an airplane has heard the direction to first put on your own breathing mask and then assist others. We know the scriptural call to “first take the plank out of our own eye”. In order to help others, we must first take repentant steps in our own life to remove the stain of sin.

But, when we peel back the steps leading up to that sin sacrifice, we receive even more insight. The first thing they were called to do was to listen. Moses called them and said… Moses was talking, giving direction, but Aaron and his sons had the responsibility of hearing the words that God had given him.

Next, they obeyed. Vs 5. they took the things Moses had commanded to the front of the tent.

Then they accepted the altar call in vs 7 and finally, they offered the sacrifice for their own sins.

This is the order of the calling each of us can receive as well. First, God is calling to us. He talks to us through His word, through others in our life, through events and circumstances, through the Spirit. But how many refuse to listen? He who has ears, let him hear. Second, upon hearing the call of our Lord, we have free-will. Sadly, many hear the call to salvation but choose to not obey. Third, we approach the altar. We are not called first to “go out”, but we are called first to “come home” to bring ourselves to the foot of the cross. Finally, through repentance, we accept the gift of sacrifice that Jesus made to fully cover our sins for all eternity.

This is important because God’s love is so great for us that He doesn’t insist that we first repent and then receive the call from Him. It is not that we are seeking Him, but like the Good Shepherd, He is out seeking His lost sheep.

This same pattern continues even after we have been saved. We often will pray for “the direction of the Spirit.” However, here is the truth: The Spirit is not lacking in providing direction – we are lacking in reading, hearing and heeding that direction. If you would like more blessing. If you would like more joy. If you would like more revelation of the glory of the Lord. Reading, Hearing and Heeding is a great place to start. That path will lead you through obedience, repentance and into the presence of the glory of God.

My Answers:

6.
a.
From Moses to God

b.
1. Listen, 2. Come to the Altar, 3. sacrifice a sin offereing

c.
They were commanded by the Lord so that the Glory so that the glory of the Lord may appear

d.
1. our order of tasks is the same. 2. The reason for the ministry must (a) come from God and (b) be only for the glory of God

7.
a.
They shouted for joy and fell facedown

b.
When I have felt the full redemption of God from my sins

15.2 Moses 15, Day 2

Hectic vs. Peace

My wife is a fan of an author of a series of organization books called the FlyLady. There are several very simple principles she offers that at first seem trivial but make a lot of difference. She teaches the concept of forming simple routines, and executing them consistently.

For example, one of her main teaching points is to “shine your sink”. Despite all the “bigger” things that “need to be done”, you have to have a starting point and emptying the sink of dirty dishes and making it clean is a great place to begin. She also teaches to identify the “hotspots” in your home, the places that as soon as one thing is left there out of place that is a sign to everyone else to pile on.

I bring this up not to necessarily promote this author, but to reflect that many, if not the majority of people, are living a life that they readily admit is out-of-order and disconnected.

Fixing this state is the gift that God bestowed on the priests. The word ordination comes from the root word meaning to put in order. The word consecrate comes from the root words meaning to be joined with the sacred.

While there is nothing wrong with taking steps to get our home, work, time and finances in order, the bigger goal is to get our life in order. The only way to do that is to place it in service to God and join our lives to Him.

Like the family of Aaron, when we accepted the calling of God, we became priests. Our old lives and priorities are in the past. Our new lives are not only our own, but we are called to put them into the service of our Lord. But we are not yet living full-time in God’s temple. We face temptation. We continue to sin.

But the message of ordination and consecration is not simply a one-time ceremony, it is a daily walk with God. What are the hot-spots of sin in your life? What simple routines do you need to establish and then execute them consistently?

I love the model that Moses sets for us to do this every day. Many of us rush through showering, dressing and running out the door in the morning. What if we consistently execute this simple routine with an intentional heart directed to Him? What if when we bathe, we focus our thoughts on not only the cleansing of our skin, but on the cleansing of our sin through God’s forgiveness? What if when we dress we think not only about what we cover our selves with physically, but we also think about putting on our spiritual armor? What if when we apply deodorant, cologne or perfume oils to make ourselves have a pleasing aroma to others we also applied a coating of the Spirit and asked His help to make all the activities of our day be a pleasing aroma to God?

When non-Christians look at your life, do they see a hectic life that is out-of-order and disconnected, or do they see someone who is on the path of peace and joy?

My Answers:

3.
a.
We are – believers – those who have been called

b.
W: Believers in Christ have been cleaned by His power, sacrifice and presence
D: Believers are clothed in the Lord, Dressed in while through the cleansing blood
A: Believers are anointed by the Spirit bringing gifts of the Spirit

4.
a.
Ordination comes from “putting in order, arranged. This is being placed in a position of holy leadership. Consecration comes from being joined with the sacred, dedicated or devoted as sacred

b.
The places they would go, the things they would do, the things they hear would be right and holy from God and for God:

c.
Dining and recreation purely for my pleasure and not (other than a prayer of grace) dedicated to God

5.
a.
staying there, purifying, sacrificing a bull each day

b.
Jesus is the one and done. high priest of heaven for all eternity

14.5 Moses 14, Day 5

(Side Note: Before I begin – I was sad to look ahead and see that it does not appear that BSF will cover Leviticus 23. I’m hopeful that it is included as background in the Revelation study because understanding the feasts is very useful as a prophecy/foreshadowing of God’s plan for the future of mankind. I recommend taking a few minutes and reading the information on Feasts on Hebrew4Christians.com for a quick overview).

Defiling the Land

We think of land as, well, dirt and rocks. It is not alive, inanimate. It is neither good or evil, it is just land.

But then we turn around and have hold the consecration of places, rooms and buildings. We pray over and annoint a church building to consecrate it, to literally join it “with sacred”. We set it apart for holy use.

So if a place can be consecrated (joined with the sacred), it can also be desecrated (separated from the sacred). This is not done by something the land does, it is done by the actions of those in the place. They leave a stain, a mark on the land. They take a sacred place and treat it with “violent disrepect and violation”. They act of descrating a place is to defile it.

God warned the Israelite people about their sin. He provided specific rules and laws concerning moral, civil and ceremonial behavior, but the moral code was the one with impact on the land. Acts of immorality separate a place from God.

Many in our time like to believe “I can do whatever I want with my body as long as it doesn’t hurt someone else.” But God is very clear – (1) your body doesn’t belong to you, you didn’t make it, it was a gift from God and (2) immorality always does hurt someone else. We may not see it, but the consequences of immorality permeate the very land we stand on, defiling it and separating it from being joined with God.

Too often the response of Christians is to simply ignore the immorality – live and let live. But Leviticus 5:1 taught that if anyone is a witness and refuses to testify, that is a sin.

So, what should we do? Organize pickets? Hold up signs? Scream and shout? I don’t see that as the model that is set forth for us to follow.

I think our appropriate response is in the instructions that God gave to both Abraham and Joshua about the promised land. Walk through it. Cover the breadth and width of the land. Every where the sole of your foot steps will be given to you. (See Genesis 13 and Joshua 1). While we are walking we need to be praying. Only God has the ability to make something sacred because only He is sacred. Only God has the ability to renew a place. Only God has the ability to redeem a place.

Where will you start? Your home? Your neighborhood? Your kid’s schools? Your church? What if we all showed up 5 or 15 minutes early this week to BSF and walked the halls and classrooms and sanctuary of the church in which we are meeting, asking God to reclaim the land we stand on from the consequences of sin.

I don’t know about you, but the thought of being “vomited out of the land” is really not appealing to me!

My Answers:

10.
The life of a creature is in its blood. Blood is life. Blood is required because loss of life is required. The original gift of God in the first covenant between God and Adam was life – in return he required obedience of 1 law. When mankind chose disobedience, we forfeited any rights to the gift. Atonement is not possible without the return of what was given to us – life.

11.
a.
God has high standards about sexual relations

b.
Listen to God, not what they have observed others doing. “I am the LORD your God.” (my daughter said this sounded like me – “do it because I’m your parent – that is sufficient.”) If you defile the land, it will voit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

12.
a.
Use honest scales – conduct self and staff not with an goal of maximizing possible gain but of being honest and fair and forthright in every business dealing

b.
God’s decrees for a consecrated people are very serious