The Festivals - Leviticus 22-24

Throughout the Old Testament, we read of the very specific practices of religious celebrations and festivals, such as Passover, the Festival of the Trumpets, etc.  Each of these had specific significance and were outlines with great detail in God's Word. 

While we as New Testament Christians do not practice these festivals and feasts, it is important to know their significance both to the Old Testament saints and the portrayal of Christ's work in each one. 

Below is an excerpt from an interesting article about Biblical feasts and how they can point us to Jesus Christ:

 

The Biblical Festivals That Teach Us About Jesus Christ -  article by Mario Seiglie

“Few people are aware of the seven festivals God reveals in the Bible. Even fewer are aware that they center around and teach us a great deal about Jesus Christ and His role in God's plan for all mankind.

"The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts" (Leviticus 23:2).  Sounds impressive, doesn't it? God Almighty saying in Scripture, " These are My Feasts ."

Yet for most of traditional Christianity, these "feasts of the LORD" are thought to have been kept only by the Jews and are deemed meaningless for Christians. New religious holidays have been substituted that supposedly center on Jesus Christ.

How did all this come to be? What is the true meaning of these "feasts of the LORD"? Do they have anything to do with Jesus Christ, or is their symbolism limited only to long-ago events? If we truly want to find the answers in the manner God instructs us, then we should follow the advice He inspired: "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

The seven feasts of the Lord are "a shadow of things to come," and Jesus Christ is at the center of all of them. Yet He has not brought them to ultimate fulfillment; that will only occur in the coming Kingdom of God.

Yes, Christ is our Passover, He is the Unleavened Bread that purifies us, the Giver of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the coming King whose arrival is announced by the blast of the trumpets, the one who banishes Satan for a thousand years, and who tabernacles with man as King of kings. Finally, He is to judge mankind and offer to all an opportunity to have their names written in the Book of Life.”

What a benediction! 1 Thes 4-5

In the scripture we have letters that the apostle Paul has written to groups of believers.   Some are words of encouragement, others are words of admonition.  The last 16 verses of 1 Thessalonians 5 are a final benediction, or closing, farewell remarks to his friends in Thessalonica.

He leaves them with some reminders that will not only allow them to live peaceably with one another, but seek to encourage fellow believers in their walk as well.

12We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.

Finally, he pronounces a blessing on the people, and asks for their diligent support through prayer.

23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

25 Brothers, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

The Final Sacrifice Luke 23-24

It is beyond overwhelming to be able to put into words on a page, let alone brief words to describe the magnificent events that are detailed in these two chapters.  Let's observe in this passage, the strange and mingled motives which influence the hearts of unconverted great men. We are told that when our Lord was sent by Pilate to Herod, king of Galilee, "Herod was exceeding glad; for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to see some miracles done by him."

These words are remarkable. Herod was a sensual, worldly man, the murderer of John the Baptist--a man living in adultery with his brother's wife. Such a man, we might have supposed, would have had no desire to see Christ. But Herod had an uneasy conscience. The blood of God's murdered saints, no doubt, stained his hands and his conscience, destroying his peace. The fame of Jesus' preaching and miracles had penetrated even into his court. It was said that another witness against sin had risen up, who was even more faithful and bold than John the Baptist; and who confirmed his teaching by works which even the power of kings could not perform. These rumors made Herod restless and uncomfortable. No wonder that his curiosity was stirred, and he "desired to see Christ."

In the end, the Jews agreed to make the exchange of Jesus' life for that of Barrabas- a well-known and dangerous criminal.  This exchange is such a beautiful picture of the transaction that took place that day on the cross.  A vile man was set free, not because of his own merits, but because a fully righteous and sinless man was crucified in his place.  

The events of the hill called Calvary, and the days that followed fulfilled every prophecy laid out hundreds of years before by God through men who earnestly were seeking their Savior.

Not one detail was left to chance.  Every moment, every word, exactly as God had intended; and it was all for me.  It was all for you.  Most importantly it was ALL we need.

Dry Bones - Ezekiel 37-42

 

“1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”  7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.  11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

 

The picture of hope for life in a valley of dry bones is beautiful!  Each of us knows someone that is seemingly a “lost cause” when it comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  They are steeped in a life of sin, fail to see their need or maybe have never heard how Jesus’ death on the cross paid the price necessary for us to enjoy eternal life free from the bondage of sin.  How much more “dead” can one be, that just a pile of bones, dried from the elements, and lacking any skin, vital organs or the life blood and breath necessary to provide earthly presence.  This miraculous event in the history of the nation of Israel shows how God can give life to anyone, despite having all hope lost.

 

Who will you encounter today who has never heard?  What dear friend or loved one have you decided will never receive God’s gift of salvation?  These dry bones can still receive the Spirit and they can live!

Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of our great nation.  He is also known for his clever quips and quotations.  Some of the most notable are “Honesty is the best policy” and “Well done is better than well said.”  After reviewing some of these quotes, one that sticks out is “It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man.”  Many of the quotations of Benjamin Franklin have their basis in Biblical principles. 

Solomon advises us that to be rich, you must be diligent in your efforts.  I think this applies to not only material riches but also spiritual riches.  An employer looks for an employee that is a hard worker, one that gets the job done, on time and produces quality work.  A lazy employee will not last long and he will not be satisfied.  We want our children to be diligent in their responsibilities, putting in the effort that will produce the best results according to their abilities.   Solomon says that if we are diligent, we will be happy, but if we are lazy we will not be rewarded.

Let’s translate this over to our spiritual walk with God.  In order for us to be happy, we must be faithful in our efforts to stay in the Word of God, be consistent in our prayer life, and grow in the knowledge or our Lord.  This is the source of true joy and happiness.  Can we expect to grow closer to God if we are lackadaisical in this relationship?  Solomon warns us that true happiness, doesn’t just happen.  It requires persistent and fervent effort.

Psalm 87-89

“There is no kind of suffering equal to the ravages of sin. No physical problem; no financial problem; no lost relationship; no tragedy or fear of unforeseen trouble. There is nothing as bad as sin.

We cannot rescue ourselves from the peril of sin. It is not in man that walks, to direct his own steps (Jer. 10:23). We must look to God - regarding Him as the God of our salvation, willing to accept what He offers in Christ.

Today, to all who live in sin, God remains the God of our salvation. The story of the salvation He provides today is - the gospel.

We need to call to our attention the gospel of Christ. You do not have to live in sin. You have to recognize that you have sinned. But the message of the gospel is you do not have to live in sin!

Nobody needs to experience the misery described in Psalms 88. If you know who Christ is, what He did - and you believe in Him - no reason to live in the deep pit of sin; no reason to let disobedience to God ruin your life. If you are willing to act on your belief in Christ - in obedience to the gospel - you can be raised from that ugly pit out of sin, and into Christ.”

By Warren E. Berkley
From Expository Files 14.7; July 2007

2 Kings 16-20

 1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done, 3 but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree. 5 Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to wage war on Jerusalem, and they besieged Ahaz but could not conquer him. 6 At that time Rezin the king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria and drove the men of Judah from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they dwell to this day. 7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and rescue me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8 Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king’s house and sent a present to the king of Assyria. 9 And the king of Assyria listened to him. The king of Assyria marched up against Damascus and took it, carrying its people captive to Kir, and he killed Rezin. - 2 Kings 16: 1-9

Few and evil were the days of Ahaz. Those whose hearts condemn them, will go any where in a day of distress, rather than to God. The sin was its own punishment. It is common for those who bring themselves into straits by one sin, to try to help themselves out by another.

                                                            - Taken from Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Leviticus 19-21

In these chapters, Moses lays out for the entire nation of Israel, the law of God and the resulting punishments for breaking those laws.  He ends the passage by setting a higher standard for the priests, starting with Aaron and his sons. 

After reading through these laws, I’m certainly glad that I didn’t live in Old Testament times.  While these laws are certainly honorable and definitely worth trying to abide by today, the punishment for breaking the laws was often severe, often resulting in death.  But why were these laws established?  The nation of Israel needed a way to separate from the world and be holy.  These laws did not provide a way to salvation or righteousness after salvation.   They were merely a set of standards by which to live. 

Standards in and of themselves are not bad.  It is when we believe that by following any set of rules we can gain favor with God or earn our salvation, that we give more power to the rules and devalue the gift of Christ’s death on the cross.  God’s word gives us all we need for life and godliness, and the atonement paid at the cross should be the driving factor for our lives.  It’s why we do what we do. 

1 Thessalonians 1-3

In these introductory chapters to the book, Paul writes to the Thessalonians to encourage them in their faith and to let them know that he truly missed being with them.  Paul’s genuine concern for them illustrates his true heart for ministry.  Paul was close to the church at Thessalonica, having spent much time with them, laboring day and night in his ministry.  The people of Thessalonica were true believers and their belief was demonstrated in their lives, each and every day.  When Paul heard of this, he was overwhelmed with joy.  However, Paul was concerned their young faith would be challenged by Satan and that they would quickly turn from God.  As such, Paul sent Timothy to visit them and encourage them in their faith.  Timothy reported to Paul that the Thessalonians were doing well and they wished that Paul could be with them again.  This report came at a time of affliction for Paul and Silas and both needed this encouragement.

As Christians, it is our duty to encourage and support our fellow believers in Christ.  After all, we are brothers and sisters of God’s family.  Who of us would not want to be an encouragement to a family member?   These are the people that we love the most.  We all go through afflictions and troubles.  Pray for your family members, just as you would pray for yourself.  Offer an uplifting word to a friend.  Send an email or text to someone with a brief message.  It doesn’t have to be much.  But it encourages the hearts of your fellow believers and may be what they need just at the right time.

Communion with Christ - Luke 21-22

We all know the details of the Last Supper.  This was the final gathering of Jesus with His disciples prior to His crucifixion.  In essence, this was the end of the old Jewish covenant with God and the beginning of a new covenant with Christ through His suffering.  In verse 15, Christ states “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”  Christ knew the events of the coming hours were all part of God’s plan for His life and that this was His mission on earth. 

After the meal was over, Christ declares “I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  Christ has not celebrated a passover meal in Heaven.  He is waiting until all of His children are in Heaven with Him and then there will be a great supper, the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9). 

We observe communion in our worship services to remember the past, what Christ did for us on the cross, the sacrifice He gave so that we might have eternal life.  But let us also look forward to what awaits for us in Heaven, a face to face communion with our Savior. 

Ezekiel 31-36 - Necessary Knowledge

Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 34:30)

“To be the Lord's own people is a choice blessing, but to know that we are such is a comfortable blessing. It is one thing to hope that God is with us and another thing to know that He is so. Faith saves us, but assurance satisfies us. We take God to be our God when we believe in Him; but we get the joy of Him when we know that He is ours and that we are His. No believer should be content with hoping and trusting; he should ask the Lord to lead him on to full assurance, so that matters of hope may become matters of certainty.

It is when we enjoy covenant blessings and see our Lord Jesus raised up for us as a plant of renown that we come to a clear knowledge of the favor of God toward us. Not by law, but by grace do we learn that we are the Lord's people. Let us always turn our eyes in the direction of free grace. Assurance of faith can never come by the works of the law. It is an evangelical virtue and can only reach us in a gospel way. Let us not look within. Let us look to the Lord alone. As we see Jesus we shall see our salvation.”

                                                - Taken from “Faith’s Checkbook” by C.H. Spurgeon

Proverbs 11-12

Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. Proverbs 11:12

Solomon gives practical insight on how to treat your neighbor. He shows how to deflect poor opinions of others in conversation. If someone is tearing down someone else in their conversation then the right decision is to remain silent and not participate in the slander. Solomon gives practical insight throughout Proverbs presenting the tongue as an instrument that can get people in trouble. However a "bridled" or controlled tongue is a key component of a Spirit filled life. 

So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. James 3:5-6

Psalm 84-86

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

The Lord will give grace and glory. Both in due time, both as needed, both to the full, both with absolute certainty. The Lord has both grace and glory in infinite abundance; Jesus is the fullness of both, and, as his chosen people, we shall receive both as a free gift from the God of our salvation. What more can the Lord give, or we receive, or desire. -The Treasury of David

 It is with certainty that we can appeal to God in our greatest times of need. Sometimes we need protection in our circumstances or light for the path ahead. Sometimes we need grace to endure or strength to continue. Regardless of our need we can be sure God's provision will be good. As we walk with Him He will always bestow His best.

2 Kings 11-15

And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. - II Kings 12:2

In this story God gave us insight into a dark chapter in Israel's history with nearly the entire royal family killed by a power hungry woman. However, it led to one of the greatest revivals in Israel's history. It began with one man who instructed the king in the truth of God's word, and this man was able to witness the Word being implemented in the reign of that king.

How can we make a difference? How can revival start in a home or in our country? It begins with a simple choice to know and practice the truth of God's word. We may not have the ear of our leaders like Jehoida, but we do have the ear of our families and friends. Let us be faithful in the "small" details, and let God work through us by the power of the Spirit and the Word.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; - Psalm 130:5

Leviticus 16-18

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. Leviticus 16:21-22

The representation of atonement is amazing - all we have in Christ today represented here in the Old Testament. How does God view forgiven sin? This goat is the vessel of an entire nation's sin that is taken and released in the wilderness. It is never to be seen by man again. It is not remembered or brought back before God or man.

That is the same exact way that God views our sin. Christ is our substitute to be our sin offering, and the entire world's sin was placed on Him. His death brought us a pleasing sacrifice, and therefore God chooses to remember our sin no more. We sometimes want to feel guilty or believe God surely will not forgive us because of all the times we sin, but in Christ as we confess our sin the Scripture tells us - He is faithful and  just to forgive us all our sin (I John 1:9).

 Atonement is so amazing that we often fail to realize that God chooses never to see or remember sin again. It is truly blotted out and God sees only Christ in us. It is not an excuse to live in sin, but the more we grasp the concept of what we have in Him it prompts us to live grateful, praising, and obedient lives. None of us deserves this unmerited favor, but He formed this plan before the world began for our forgiveness. Let us sing and live obedient lives in light of His marvelous grace!!!!!

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:4-7

"Christ, who is our life." - Colossians 3-4

 "When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." - Colossians 3:4

Paul's marvelously rich expression indicates, that Christ is the source of our life. "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." That same voice which brought Lazarus out of the tomb raised us to newness of life. He is now the substance of our spiritual life. It is by his life that we live; he is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought which moves every other thought. Christ is the sustenance of our life. What can the Christian feed upon but Jesus' flesh and blood? "This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die." O wayworn pilgrims in this wilderness of sin, you never get a morsel to satisfy the hunger of your spirits, except ye find it in him! Christ is the solace of our life. All our true joys come from him; and in times of trouble, his presence is our consolation. There is nothing worth living for but him; and his lovingkindness is better than life! Christ is the object of our life. As speeds the ship towards the port, so hastes the believer towards the haven of his Saviour's bosom. As flies the arrow to its goal, so flies the Christian towards the perfecting of his fellowship with Christ Jesus. As the soldier fights for his captain, and is crowned in his captain's victory, so the believer contends for Christ, and gets his triumph out of the triumphs of his Master. "For him to live is Christ." Christ is the exemplar of our life. Where there is the same life within, there will, there must be, to a great extent, the same developments without; and if we live in near fellowship with the Lord Jesus we shall grow like him. We shall set him before us as our Divine copy, and we shall seek to tread in his footsteps, until he shall become the crown of our life in glory. Oh! how safe, how honoured, how happy is the Christian, since Christ is our life!

- taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

Luke 19-20

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:9-10

This verse is one of the theme verses for the ministry of Christ. It is one passage of many in which any who heard understood exactly what Jesus was about. It all happened because Jesus took notice of a man whom everyone understood was a sinner and a despised man. However, this rich, despised man humbled himself and allowed Jesus to affect his life by seeking Christ.

The most important thing in a man's life - whether rich or poor- is that he receives Jesus. Christ came to earth to fulfill this task over 2,000 years ago. After all this time salvation is the same; He still receives sinners to be changed into the glory of God. He has given us the task to spread this news. We are to be the ambassadors of Christ, and present the Savior to the world.

For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2

The Fall of Nations - Ezekiel 25-30

And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a man mortally wounded. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh shall fall. Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I put my sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries. Then they will know that I am the LORD."

-Ezekiel 30:24-26

In these chapters God spoke to Ezekiel to prophesy concerning all the nations that rejoiced at the fall of the children of Israel. He spoke about the malice and anger these nations displayed against His chosen people. God made no bones about what would happen to these people - He would bring about the end of their countries. Today if you look upon a globe to find the country of Ammon, Edom, Philistia, or Tyre you would see they no longer exist. There may be remnants of names in the region, but God executed His perfect judgment to bring about their destruction. Why would God do such a thing? He wanted to make His glorious name known to these people who hated Him and His people. God told them even how He would do it - through Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.

These chapters may seem like obsolete relics to us today - chapters of history that seem to make no significance outside of being in God's Word. However, they show anyone who looks back in time that never at any time has God's Word fallen short. Even in judgment God shows us His perfect character. He protects His people, leads them in ways we would never imagine, and gives comfort in times of suffering. He lifts up and casts down, not for arbitrary punishment, but so that all may know that He is God and there is no other.

"...God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. I Peter 5:5-7

Wisdom of love - Proverbs 10

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."  - Proverbs 10:12

Where there is hatred, every thing stirs up strife. By bearing with each other, peace and harmony are preserved.  - Matthew Henry

True love seeks the highest good for another.  - John MacArthur

Love covereth all sins - i. e., First hides, does not expose, and then forgives and forgets all sins. - Albert Barnes

On the contrary, love conciliates; removes aggravations; puts the best construction on every thing; and pours water, not oil, upon the flame.  - Adam Clark

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.  - 1 Peter 4:8

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.  - Proverbs 17:9

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:7

...whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. - James 5:20

photo source

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. - Psalm 81-83

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.  Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him, and their fate would last forever. But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." - Psalms 81:10

God reminded His people He is their LORD, Yahweh. He reminded them of their past and of His provision. He urged them to seek Him, but they refused. They missed out on all the blessings He wanted to lavish them with. They missed out on God's best.

In this same way God calls on us as His children to seek after Him - to desire Him in a BIG way. He wants us to open our mouth wide in expectancy that He will fill it. We can call on Him for the little and big things, and He will take care. He delights when we lay it all before Him and ask and seek and ask and seek some more.  He wants our expectations high and our faith confident. He will always do what is good - more than we can ever imagine.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen"- Ephesians 3:20-21

Our God is Greater - 2 Kings 6-10

"Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." - 2 Kings 6:16

The enemy had surrounded them; there was no escape. Isn't that how much of life is? Trials, enemies, burdens threaten to overwhelm and discourage us. We are tempted to fear. We do fear. Elisha's calming reminder reaches through the millennia and challenges us as God's faithful children to not fear. Our God is greater. He is stronger. He is higher and wiser than any of our enemies or burdens. He will prevail and we will have the victory.

Parallels to sin and redemption - Leviticus 13-15

"This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. " - Leviticus 14:3-7

The leper could do nothing to achieve his healing just as we sinners could do nothing to cleanse our hearts from the dirt and grime and disease of sin.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. - Romans 4:5

The priest sought out the leper to pronounce him clean.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. - Luke 19:10

The priest commanded blood to be shed. The live bird was dipped in blood and set free.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. - Hebrews 9:22

Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. - Romans 4:25 

 

Complete in Christ - Colossians 1-2

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." -Colossians 1:13-14
 

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority." -Colossians 2:9-10

In Christ we have been filled; we "have been given a fullness" or completeness. We have been filled with acceptance, with love, with an identity that cannot fall away. In light of that reality all else pales in comparison...

Complete in thee, no work of mine
Could take, oh Lord, the place of  Thine.
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I shall stand complete in Thee

Complete in thee, each want supplied,
And no good thing to me denied.
Since thou my portion, Lord, wilt be,
I ask no more, complete in Thee.

Complete in thee, no more shall sin;
Thy grace has conquered; reign within.
Thy blood shall bid the tempter flee,
And I shall stand complete in Thee

Dear Savior, when before Thy bar,
All tribes and tongues assembled are,
Among the chosen I shall be
At thy right hand, complete in Thee

Yea, justified, oh blessed thought!
And sanctified, salvation wrought.
The blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified I, too, shall be.

- Aaron Wolfe & James Gray

 

Specific Faith - Luke 17-18

"And he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' He said, 'Lord, let me recover my sight.' And Jesus said to him, 'Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.'" - Luke 18:38-42

What faith this blind beggar had! He simply cried out to Jesus - no shame, no reserve, no doubt. He persisted to cry out even when those around him ridiculed and despised him. Jesus, in perfect love and compassion, answers the man's cries and calls on his faith - "What do you want me to do for you?"  Of course our omniscient Lord knew what the blind man desired; He knew what his needs were. Yet He called on the blind beggar to acknowledge his need and bring his specific request. He called on him to demonstrate his faith.

Sweet Savour - Ezekiel 20

I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. - Ezekiel 20:41 (KJV)

The merits of our great Redeemer are as sweet savour to the Most High. Whether we speak of the active or passive righteousness of Christ, there is an equal fragrance. There was a sweet savour in his active life by which he honoured the law of God, and made every precept to glitter like a precious jewel in the pure setting of his own person. Such, too, was his passive obedience, when he endured with unmurmuring submission, hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, and at length sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane, gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked out the hair, and was fastened to the cruel wood, that he might suffer the wrath of God in our behalf. These two things are sweet before the Most High; and for the sake of his doing and his dying, his substitutionary sufferings and his vicarious obedience, the Lord our God accepts us. What a preciousness must there be in him to overcome our want of preciousness! What a sweet savour to put away our ill savour! What a cleansing power in his blood to take away sin such as ours! and what glory in his righteousness to make such unacceptable creatures to be accepted in the Beloved! Mark, believer, how sure and unchanging must be our acceptance, since it is in him! Take care that you never doubt your acceptance in Jesus. You cannot be accepted without Christ; but, when you have received his merit, you cannot be unaccepted. Notwithstanding all your doubts, and fears, and sins, Jehovah's gracious eye never looks upon you in anger; though he sees sin in you, in yourself, yet when he looks at you through Christ, he sees no sin. You are always accepted in Christ, are always blessed and dear to the Father's heart. Therefore lift up a song, and as you see the smoking incense of the merit of the Saviour coming up, this evening, before the sapphire throne, let the incense of your praise go up also.

- taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

Proverbs 8-9

There is too little space here to fully explore the Bible's treatment of wisdom, both as a virtue and as an apostrophe, but it's worth looking at a few notable refrains. Consider:
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10)
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7)
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10)

We see that wisdom begins with a proper appreciation of and admiration for God. In addition, we know wisdom is not something we accumulate through our own striving, nor is it a reward for our merit. On the contrary, wisdom is a virtue that truly is its own reward, for we can only attain it through knowledge of God and relationship with Him.

Psalm 78-80

There's one particularly moving passage in Psalm 80 wherein God is beseeched, "O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, you have made them drink tears by the bowlful" (Psalm 80: 4-5). It's hard not to feel pathos for beleaguered Israel with a petition like that.

And yet we know that Israel did this to themselves. Invariably, no matter how many times God redeems them, they find a way to turn away from Him once again. It is a testament to God's surpassing mercy, faithfulness, and grace that He continues to seek us even when we would shun Him.

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19)

2 Kings 1-5

2 Kings 2 is a remarkable passage of Scripture in many ways. For starters, who could forget the image of Elijah being taken up to heaven on a chariot of fire (2 Ki 2:11)? And as if this didn't make enough of an impression, Elijah has the distinction of being one of only two people in the entire Bible to go to heaven without dying first (Enoch is the other; cf. Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5).

But the most remarkable thing of all about Elijah's "death scene" is that it's not ultimately about Elijah at all. It's about Elisha and the way he responds to his mentor's end. He is repeatedly told that Elijah will be leaving him soon, and each time he replies "Yes, I know" (2 Ki 2: 3,5). Once it is finished, Elisha is wracked with grief and he "Took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart" (2 Ki 2:12).

Contrast this response to that of the disciples in the days and hours leading up to and immediately following Jesus' crucifixion. They do not understand why they cannot follow Jesus where he is going; this is because they do not understand in any measure what is about to happen (John 13: 33, 36-37). Later, while Jesus appears before the high priest Peter is outside trying to keep warm and with equal fervor denying he ever followed Jesus (John 18: 17, 25, 27).

Elisha understood, accepted, and embraced God's plan. Even though he didn't like it, he understood that God's way of ordering events was far superior to anything he could have devised on his own. Would that we all had the faith of Elisha!

Leviticus 10-12

I've always struggled with the idea of ceremonial uncleanliness. It just doesn't make sense to me. But when I read the postpartum cleanliness requirements, I'm struck first and foremost by how cyclical and incomplete they are. Every time a woman has a child she needs to go through this process anew. And what if she has twins, triplets, quadruplets, or more?

Incomplete as they may be, these requirements prefigure Jesus' perfect atoning sacrifice on the cross. Jesus is the culmination and fulfillment of the Mosaic law (Matthew 5:17). Unlike the forgiveness purchased by animal blood, which is temporary and will be overridden by the next "transgression," the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus never needs to be renewed.

"Blessed assurance" indeed!

Philippians 3-4

As I read Paul's description of himself in Philippians 3, I immediately think of the contrast between this passage and the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. Having been counseled by Jesus to "Sell your possessions and give to the poor," the young man "Went away sad, because he had great wealth" (Matthew 19: 21-22). It's uncertain precisely why the rich young ruler was sad; was it because he knew he'd never do what Jesus said or because he mourned for his wealth? In any event, it's not the attitude that Paul espouses.

And it's not because Paul had nothing about which to boast, either. "If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more" (Philippians 3:4). But rather than finding his identity in worldly possessions, accomplishments, and laud, Paul puts those things in appropriate, vertical perspective. "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him" (Philippians 3: 7-9).

God delights in giving us good things, and there is nothing wrong with possessions in and of themselves (Matthew 7:11, 1 Tim 6:10). But is that where we find our value and our hope or, like Paul, do we "Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14)?

Luke 15-16

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This well-known quotation is attributed to the Englishman John Dalberg Acton, though similar sentiments were expressed long before his time. Whatever its precise provenance, however, I'll tell you who DIDN'T espouse this idea: Jesus. At the conclusion of the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus tells his disciples and the Pharisees, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much" (Luke 16: 10-11).

Though we all go through seasons of temptation and seasons of strength, Jesus understood that our hearts don't change simply because our circumstances do. On the contrary, our hearts are a source of constancy in behavior and mien. "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it ... As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects his heart " (Proverbs 4:23; 27:19).

Unfortunately for us, our hearts are afflicted with depravity so complete that no mortal effort can erase or overcome it. The good news, though, is that Jesus' death and resurrection gives us the opportunity to experience forgiveness of sins and restoration into relationship with God (Romans 3: 23-24; John 3:16). As for the problem of our depraved hearts, the solution is simple: When we put our trust in Jesus, we are supernaturally re-created with a renewed heart (2 Cor 5:17, Galatians 2:20).

"Create in me a pure heart, O God" (Psalm 51:10).