THE FEAST OF JESUS

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In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’

Sabbath

‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.’

'These are the Lord's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:’

Passover

‘The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month, the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'”

First Fruits

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect, together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made to the Lord by fire, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.’

Feast of Weeks

'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.’

'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.'”

Feast of Trumpets

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month, you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire.'"

Day of Atonement

The Lord said to Moses, "The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves, and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do no work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the Lord your God. Anyone who does not deny himself on that day must be cut off from his people. I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. You shall do no work at all. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath."

Feast of the Tabernacles

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord's Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days, present offerings made to the Lord by fire, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present an offering made to the Lord by fire. It is the closing assembly; do no regular work.’

'These are the Lord's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the Lord by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord's Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.’

'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day, you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.'"

So Moses announced to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the Lord.

Leviticus 23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In addition to daily standard tabernacle worship practices, the Lord also designated “appointed feasts” which were to be treated by the Israelites as “sacred assemblies.” In Leviticus, chapter 23, we find the Lord detailing the observances.

It’s important to note that all of these feasts have been covered in the scriptures before this point in Leviticus. Specifically, the Sabbath was discussed in length throughout Exodus and was also highlighted in God’s Ten Commandments. The Passover observance was first ordered as the Lord delivered Israel from the oppressive hands of Egypt’s Pharaoh in the twelfth chapter of Exodus. The dedication of first fruits, as well as the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Tabernacles, were introduced in Exodus, chapters 23 and 34. And finally, the Day of Atonement (also known as Yom Kippur) was covered by God earlier in this book in chapter 16.

With all this, Leviticus, chapter 23 becomes a summary of all these sacred assemblies mandated by the Lord, each with their own significant meaning and specific requirements. The only exception to this is the Feast of Trumpets, a single day celebration which involved special sacrifices. We read where it was to occur at the time of every new moon and was marked by the priests blowing trumpets to mark the occasion thus the feast’s title. Of note, the Israelites used the lunar calendar in Old Testament times and so the start of the new moon was seen as the first day of each month.

As we look at our lives in Jesus as Christians today, we can see how much have changed since the days of the Old Testament. For we no longer need to observe special feasts that fell under the Old Testament covenant because in Christ Jesus, God made a new covenant with His creation and it was one for all people, Jew and Gentile. In this new covenant, God took the blood of His Son, the sacrificial Passover Lamb who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7), and spread it around the doorpost of every heart that believed and trusted in His Son so death would pass over them and they would gain eternal life.

Further, we read in the Gospels of Matthew (26:26-29), Mark (14:22-25), and Luke (22:14-23) as well as in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth (11:23-34) that Jesus mandated a new feast for all His disciples – past, present, and future. Given on what was a Passover day more than 2,000 years ago, He commanded that it be observed and followed until the day He returns. It’s a sacred sacrament known as Communion, The Eucharist, or The Lord’s Supper today, one with simple elements representing His body (the bread) and blood (the cup with wine or often grape juice). Through this feast of Jesus, all believers remember Him and the sacrifice He made on Calvary’s cross where His body was broken and His blood shed for all.

Here’s how this is detailed in Matthew’s Gospel:

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for You to eat the Passover?"

He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with My disciples at your house.'"

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is My body."

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father's kingdom." Matthew 26:17-20, 27-29

As part of God’s final act of atonement, His only Son was sacrificed to purchase the pardon of every sinner who would simply place their belief and trust in Him as Savior. It would be the final sacrifice needed. No more animals would need be killed with their blood sprinkled on altars, later to be burned. Ditto for any grain or drink offerings. None of them were necessary because of the redeeming with of Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection.

And so today and in the days to come, as we partake of the Lord’s Supper in our respective churches, let’s all remember our Savior Jesus as He called us to do, never forgetting the immense suffering He went through to buy our pardon with His life and bring us the hope of Heaven.

Let us as well, not just reserve this time of remembrance for formal, corporate observances but keep Christ and the cross at the forefront of our hearts and minds every day, knowing that through Him we have a certain victory over death and Hell that no one can take away.

And one day friends, we will be able to express our thanks to Jesus face to face as we abide with Him in Heaven. What a glorious day that will be, a day of rejoicing for sure!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SETTING THE BAR HIGH

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: 'A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean. He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.’

'Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the offerings made to the Lord by fire, the food of their God, they are to be holy.’

'They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy.’

'If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.’

'The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.’

'The woman he marries must be a virgin. He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, so he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.'”

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron: 'For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the Lord by fire. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate My sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.'"

So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Leviticus 21

The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to Me, so they will not profane My holy name. I am the Lord.’”

“Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the Lord.’

'If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.’

'The priests are to keep My requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’

'No one outside a priest's family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it. But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food. If a priest's daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions. But if a priest's daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father's house as in her youth, she may eat of her father's food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat any of it.’

'If anyone eats a sacred offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it. The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.'"

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you—either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf. When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable. Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the Lord by fire. You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow. You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.'”

The Lord said to Moses, "When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the Lord by fire. Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.”

"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord.”

"Keep My commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who makes you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord."

Leviticus 22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Two full chapters, Leviticus 21 and 22. In both, the Lord sets strict guidelines for Aaron and all priests who would follow after him.

As we see, these rules from God are rigid and stringent. They cover requirements for holiness, cleanliness, and behavior that exceed what was expected of the other citizens. This is because the priests were expected to uphold the highest standards because they were appointed to the highest level of earthly spiritual leadership. They were literally God’s representatives on earth, expected to lead and guide the people in such a way that they would grow in faith, obedience and righteousness, something they could only do if they upheld the standards themselves.

Translating this to modern times, I often wonder if pastors and ministers today fully understand the awesome responsibilities that the Lord has placed on them to spiritually lead others. It’s obvious that some don’t because we read or hear about too many who have failed and fell while in their lofty church positions, largely for acts they well knew were wrong and sinful to start with. And yet, they still were willing to violate the Lord’s trust in them and in doing so lost the privilege to hold their position of spiritual leadership.

And while it’s true that those in spiritual leadership positions are just as much sinners as anyone else because we know that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), this cannot be used as an excuse to somehow overlook a pastor or minister’s transgressive behavior and allow them to continue to hold their leadership position. We can add church deacons and elders to this as well.

In the end translation, the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, establishes clear standards for those who have the opportunity to be blessed by the Lord to lead the church and His people. The bar is set high and as a result, the consequences are harsh. As the old saying goes, the higher up you are in position, the greater and harder the fall.

Later, we will soon see this principle happen with Moses who will lose his spiritual bearing enough to disobey the Lord’s command in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Numbers. His spiritual failure as a leader would cost him the privilege to lead God’s people across the Jordan and into Canaan, the land God had promised for His people.

There has been a long, established battle strategy that involves intentionally targeting a nation’s leader first in order to take down the rest of the people. There is a spiritual application to this as Satan works overtime to see how many church leaders he can entice to fall into temptation and willfully sin. Usually, this is under the guise that they won’t ever be exposed and found out but we know that our enemy was labeled by Jesus as the “father of lies” (John 8:44). For the Bible is clear that anything done in the dark will be brought to light (Luke 8:17), something that any educated church leader would be aware of and yet, they still test the very Word of the Lord and come up on the losing end of things.

Friends, with this, we need to be in constant prayer for those the Lord chooses and calls to lead His people. For as they step into these critically vital spiritual positions with the Lord ever willing to stand by them and direct them in all they should do, we need to know that the devil is also actively looking to try and take them down. For we know that he only has one purpose in mind and this is to destroy every good and perfect thing God has done and this includes the appointment and ordination of spiritual leaders.

The bottom line is that anyone chosen by God to spiritually lead others, whether a priest, minister, pastor, elder, deacon, Bible teacher, or even a Christian writer as myself, is in a vulnerable place seeking to uphold the high standards that God has set while constantly having to ward off the attacks of Satan. Victory is only gained by these leaders if they remain connected to the Lord and His power and His Word, every second of every minute of every hour of every day. And while this might sound impossible because no person is strong enough to perfectly maintain God’s expectation of perfection, we need to keep in mind that we can do all things through the Lord’s strength within us (Philippians 4:13).

When the Lord calls us to serve in ways where the bar is set very high, we need to remember that He does so with the intent of helping them succeed. And so, He will provide everything needed to ensure His will is carried out, to include a shielding and protecting from any attempts of the devil, the enemy that He has already gained victory over, the enemy He will help us overcome as well.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SET APART

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. I will set My face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name. If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.’

'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.’

'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.’

'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.’

‘If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads. If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you. If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible. If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people. Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible. If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless. If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.’

‘Keep all My decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.’

'You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those which I have set apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own. A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”

Leviticus 20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Leviticus, chapter 19, we saw the Lord making it clear that He wanted the people of Israel (and us as well) to conduct a holy, moral, and upright lifestyle, one that is unblemished by the ungodly, cultural norms of the world, and in the case of the Israelites, the influence of the pagan nations they will be living among once they established themselves in the land of Canaan.

As we turn the page to chapter 20, we find God reinforcing all that He commanded in the previous chapter, establishing harsh consequences for sinful behavior such as child sacrificing, false worshipping, cursing one’s parents, adultery, a variety of sexual perversions, and dealing with unclean animals. Prescribed punishments ranged from childlessness to being cut off from the people to even death for the more serious offenses. Truly, the Lord meant business and expected full obedience from His people as they were to be holy as He was, or else.

We also see God reminding His people that the Promised Land He was leading them to, the land that would be their "inheritance", was a land that was “flowing with milk and honey". And although Canaan was currently inhabited by nations that violated all the moral issues the Lord mentions in chapters 19 and 20, God assures the Israelites that He would drive them out. In their place, He expected His people to live for Him and Him alone, completely carrying out all He commanded.  

There’s one final important point that we find the Lord making with Israel, one I would like us to focus on in this passage because it also applies to us today in the twenty-first century.

For note that God tells Israel that He had "set (them) apart from the nations". Indeed, the Israelites were chosen by God to be His people and they were the ones that He specifically made a covenant with. He would bless them in special ways, always present with them and being for them. In return, the people of Israel were to be faithful to Him and Him alone, never giving attention to any false gods or idols as they lived by the righteous, holy standards He had established. As long as Israel remained dedicated to God, He would dedicate Himself to them, making them a nation that would be above all others.

There’s little doubt that the Lord spent so much time instructing the Israelites how to live because He wanted them to be set apart, distinctly holy and different from the sinful world they were in.

Today, He wants the same for all Christ believers.

For through His Word and the illumination of the Holy Spirit who imparts understanding to the reader, God reveals His will for us and that will includes an expectation that we will be obedient to all that He has commanded in regard to behavior. As Christians, our every thought and spoken word and deed needs to be in step with Jesus. For to truly be a Christian, we need to be Christ-like because when we are, we will be holy and set apart from the world we live in.

Friends, in Jesus, we find the only person who ever lived a perfectly right and righteous life, one that was in complete obedience to God, His Father and ours. We also find that He had to deal with all the problems life can bring, even ones that most of us will never have to endure such as being unjustly crucified, nailed to a cross although being totally innocent. When we are afflicted or suffering, we can always turn to Jesus to learn how to get through our difficulties. Ultimately, everyone who believes in Him as Savior will have victory over sin and death, guaranteed eternal life in Heaven while abiding in a special place Jesus has prepared (John 14:2-3).

In other words, through belief in Jesus and by the grace of God, Christians will be set apart for all eternity.

Brothers and sisters, is this not blessed encouragement coming to us through such a blessed assurance? It’s the kind of everlasting hope that can lead us to follow these words of guidance from Peter when He wrote this:

"…in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15).

In other words, let’s get out into this world we are set apart from and testify of the amazing gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, seeking to make disciples every day as He commanded us to do (Matthew 28:18-20).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BE HOLY AS THE LORD IS HOLY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’

‘Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe My Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.;

‘Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.’

'When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up. If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated what is holy to the Lord; that person must be cut off from his people.’

'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’

‘Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.’

‘Keep My decrees. Do not mate different kinds of animals. Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.’

‘If a man sleeps with a woman who is a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord. With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.’

‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year, all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year, you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.’

‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. Do not practice divination or sorcery. Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.’

‘Observe My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.’

‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.’

‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin.’

‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Keep all My decrees and all My laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

Leviticus 19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

“Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

These words open up the nineteenth chapter of Leviticus and resonate throughout its verses as God continues to establish a moral code for living for the people of Israel.

His expectations were crystal clear. His people were to obediently follow all of His commands and expectations without compromise, demands from the One who represented perfect holiness. And if the Israelites were going to be holy as their Lord was holy, then they had to follow His guidance and set them apart from the sinful, pagan nations that would be in their midst.

For if the people lived the same way as the people within the world they lived, how would anyone know that they were distinguished from any others, people chosen by God to be His?

The Lord’s laws, decrees, and commands established His standards for living, standards that would assure that the Israelites would stand out from any other people group in the world and as we read through His expectations in this chapter, we see a basic review of His Ten Commandments (full text in Exodus 20) along with additional instructions. Those additional instructions covered matters such as honesty, hospitality, respect, reverence, harvesting, gossip, treatment of others, and proper worship.

It’s important to note that some of the practices the Lord refers to, like eating blood, divination, sorcery, cutting hair at the sides, and having tattoos, were actually part of the culture in heathen communities and therefore were rejected by the Lord. Remember that if the people were to be holy as their Lord was, they needed to behave differently than those who rejected God.

We also see a continuation of a concern that God shows throughout this Book of Leviticus, a concern that the Israelite people would assimilate themselves with pagan cultures and in turn be drawn into their sinful practices, especially the worship of false gods and idols. Unfortunately, knowing the history of God’s people, we know His concern was well founded as this was their chief transgression that brought His fiercest judgment.

At the end of this chapter, we find the Lord closing with words that leave little doubt as to what He expected.

“Keep all My decrees and all My laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

The final four words, “I am the Lord”, are used no less than fifteen times in this chapter alone as God leaves little doubt that it is He who is speaking and issuing the demands on His people.

Friends, today we have the Holy Bible, the “God-breathed” book containing His complete and inerrant Word and revelation. Through it, we find the Lord “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training (us) in righteousness, so that (we) the servant(s) of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In other words, the Word of God sets believers apart. They are in the world but live in ways that shows they aren’t really of it because they strive to be holy as their Lord is holy. Indeed, the Lord’s expectations for holiness and righteousness are no different today as they were for the people of Israel well over 2,000 years ago. He makes it clear how He wants His people to live and then He demands that they comply and follow His directives to perfection.

And so today and every day thereafter, let all take a moment to recommit ourselves to our Lord, seeking His will and way for everything that we do in our lives so to be set apart from the world and become holy as He is holy.

To that end, let me close with these words of exhortation from Peter:

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:13-16

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

YOU’RE IN THE WORLD BUT ARE YOU OF IT?

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey My laws and be careful to follow My decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.’

'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord.”

'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father.’

'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.

‘Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.’

‘Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.’

‘Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.’

‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.’

‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.’

‘Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.’

‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.’

‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep My decrees and My laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.’

‘Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.'"

Leviticus 18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

One of the biggest challenges we face in our Christian walk is resisting worldly influence. For as we go through life trying to live in accordance with God’s standards and expectations, we’re doing so immersed in a world that runs completely counter to Him.

If God says not to do something, you can bet you’ll encounter someone who is living for the world and its ways, not hesitating to disobey His expectations with every opportunity. For when it comes right down to it, the ways of the world are the ways of Satan, who is always at work to lead the world astray (Revelation 12:9). The scriptures make it clear that the enemy’s wisdom in completely unspiritual in nature (James 3:15) and yet so many people submit to it, ever moving further and further away from holiness and righteousness toward sinfulness and wickedness.

The people of Israel had the same problem and it caused major issues for them, severely damaging their relationship with God. Looking at the history of the Israelite people, we see where they willingly adopted the sinful practices of other cultures and in doing so, violated God’s commands and the covenant He had made with them. This is why we find the Lord commanding His people "not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live” or adopting the practices of “the land of Canaan” where He was leading them. God went onto forbid the Israelites from following the wicked practices of other pagan nations, demanding that His people obey His laws and follow His decrees.

Indeed, the key for the Israelites was to live in obedience, being faithful to their God while seeking and then carrying out His will for their lives. Unfortunately, they didn’t exactly comply with God’s mandate.

With this as a backdrop, let’s now go back to our passage for today where we find God telling the Israelites how they were to conduct themselves in regard to sexual relations and the abhorrent practice of sacrificing children. Look again at His words here for they still are applicable to us today:

‘Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways (the ways listed in Chapter 18) because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people.’

The bottom line here is that any sexual immorality or child sacrificing was not only forbidden but considered detestable by the Lord, and rightfully so. Anyone committing these offenses could expect harsh punishment to include the Lord having the land vomit the offender out just as deplorable nations had been vomited out prior.  

Indeed, God was going to drive out all the nations who would hinder His people from inheriting the land He had set aside for them but we also know that things got to a place where the Lord’s wrath and punishment rained down on the Israelites in a big way through two acts of exile, the first to Assyria followed by a seventy year captivity in Babylon. The Lord certainly would make good on His Word to His people and vomit them out of their lands over sinful acts that had defiled them and activated His wrath.

Through all this, we are reminded of one important truth to remember. For our Lord will always keep His word when He says something, bringing blessings to the obedient and judgment to those who live for the world and the enemy’s ways.

So this brings us to some important questions:

If the Lord were to assess our lives, would He see us striving to live in accordance with His will and way...or would He see us turning from Him and living for the world?

How would the Lord grade each of us on His obedience scale?

Are we being adversely influenced by non-believing people of the world to the point where we relate to them and their worldly sinful standards more than we side with God, His Holy Spirit, and those believers who commit themselves to His righteous ways?

Friends, there should be no question what we should do. For if the Lord says we are to do something, then we need to obey. Period. No more explanation is needed.

If we do this, if we choose complete compliance with the Lord’s Word and will, then we can ensure that we are living in a way that pleases Him and developing the kind of life behavior He wants every believer to adopt.

I don’t know about you but I would much rather live in God’s favor than be in a place of enmity with Him. We can always find ourselves in this place if while living in this world, we choose to not be of it, instead living for the Lord and His ways with every waking moment until He calls us out of the earth to abide with Him forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SAVING BLOODSHED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the Lord has commanded: Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord -that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.'”

"Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to the Lord -that man must be cut off from his people.’

'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any blood—I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from his people. For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.’

'Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.’

'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will be held responsible.'"

Leviticus 17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we reach Chapter 17 of the Book of Leviticus, we see the Lord seeking to stave off two possible problems within the Israelite community: improper sacrificing and the eating of blood.

As we know, the Lord had given strict direction as to how sacrifices were to be conducted and all of them involved the assigned high priest performing the sacrifice rituals within the tabernacle (also referred to sometimes as the Tent of Meeting). No one was to be conducting their own sacrifices but as we read this chapter, it’s rather obvious that some were. Specifically, we read where there were “sacrifices” being offered up “to the goat idols", not only a violation on His directives regarding sacrifices but also in direct disobedience to God’s commands to not have any gods before Him and never worship false idols.

And so in response to this, we find God issuing the following prescribed penalty for willfully breaking His commandments:

"Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord -that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people."

We need to remember that offering sacrifices to idols was consistent with the pagan worship rituals performed by the Canaanites and so God was laying down the law to deter His people from being assimilated into the polytheistic, sinful religion they would encounter when they would enter the Promised Land. Unfortunately, we will see later in the Old Testament where the people still sinned in regard to this matter, despite God’s clear instruction not to.

The other issue the Lord mentions in this passage is the matter of eating blood.

Why?

The Lord answers this question and through His words, we see where blood was considered sacred because it represented the life of the creature. We read where the blood of the creature was either wiped or sprinkled on the altar after every sacrifice, an action central to the atonement process with life being substituted for life, the life of the sacrifice and its shed blood in death assuming the place of the sinner being absolved.

So given the sacred nature of blood, it was not to be eaten and any animal hunted and killed was to be drained of its blood first. The scriptures also tell us that any dead animal or one torn by other animals could be eaten but would result in a person being unclean until evening and required to wash their clothes as well as themselves.

Now, back to the matter of blood and sacrifice as today was Communion Sunday at my church, a time to once again participate in the Lord’s Supper and remember the great, sacred offering that God made to save us when He gave His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins.

During Holy Communion, we’re not just reminded of His body that was beaten, broken, bruised, and pierced for our transgressions but also His blood that was shed for us to bring cleansing, forgiveness, and ultimately eternal hope.

With this, we should remember this assurance from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews. There, he writes this:

"When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”

“The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean, sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

“For this reason Christ is the Mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that He has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”

“In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”

"In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did He enter Heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.”

“But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Hebrews 9:11-28

Friends, as we get set to enter a new week, let us keep our hearts and minds centered on our divine and holy High Priest who is our blessed Sanctifier, Savior, and Mediator, the One who has saved us through His shed blood and given us the promise of everlasting life. Let’s remain focused on Jesus and make sure we tell everyone about Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE FINAL SCAPEGOAT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.”

"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.”

"Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.”

"Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.”

"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 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. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.” \

"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.”

"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 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. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.”

"Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.”

"The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.”

"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you-because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.”

"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."

And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Leviticus 16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The tenth day of the seventh month of every year.

It was a special, holy day as we see through the words of the Lord as He spoke the following to His people:

"…you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you…It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance."

Indeed, the tenth day of the seventh month would become a day of great significance, a day that the Lord designated as the Day of Atonement. It was a time designated once a year where the people were promised forgiveness and pardon from their sins and as we read, it was to be a "lasting ordinance" that was to be passed down from generation to generation.

Earlier, in a message titled “Blessed Intercession”, I touched on the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur, but today’s scripture passage from Leviticus, chapter 16, contains all the specific steps that the priest was to take in order to carry out the observance. We find the Lord’s guidance applying to Aaron, the high priest, and it involved a progression of cleansing and atonement works from the inside out.

Here’s the general order that was followed:

First, Aaron himself needed to be clean so he was required to "bathe himself with water" before donning his "sacred garments" which included "the sacred linen tunic with linen undergarments", a "linen sash" which would be tied around him and a "linen turban" for his head. Aaron was then to "enter the sanctuary area with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" as well as “two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" from the Israelite community.

The Lord then ordered Aaron to "offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household" before taking the two goats to "present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." After presenting the goats before the Lord, Aaron was to "cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat." From this casting of lots, the "goat whose lot falls to the Lord" was taken into the sanctuary and sacrificed as sin offering; the other goat would be designated the scapegoat and would be spared so to be for the sin atonement of the Israelites.

The scriptures tell us that once Aaron "finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar" through the blood of the sin sacrifices, he was to return to the live goat, the scapegoat. He was to "lay both hands on the head” of the scapegoat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelite people so that all their sins would symbolically be placed “on the goat's head." Then, the scapegoat was to be sent "away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task", carrying away the sins of Israel to a "solitary place", released into the desert.

Well, this ritual was indeed carried on from generation to generation. Every tenth day of every seventh month, a day was set aside for atonement and cleansing and on that day, a scapegoat was released into the desert carrying off the sins of Israel. But then God did something amazing that changed everything, something that would ensure that a scapegoat would never be needed again.

For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, our Savior and Redeemer Jesus, who became the final divine, holy, sinless scapegoat as He took away the sin of the world through His death and resurrection. Indeed, as Jesus was nailed to and raised up on the cross at Calvary, He bore all the sins of mankind, both Jew and Gentile, paying the penalty and purchasing the pardon for every single person who would ever live after His act of selfless sacrifice.

It was the last day of atonement which ushered in a new covenant between God and His people. All that would be required to gain the blessing of eternal life in Heaven was for one to simply believe and trust in His Son.

Friends, today and every day, let us give thanks to our God for His infinite mercy, grace, and love that was no greater put on display than through the gift of His Son.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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