Category: Leviticus-BibleTrekToday
Trek through Leviticus
Day 3–Good News for ‘Tent-Dwellers’!
Scripture reading for May 27: Psalm 91:7-10 “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place–the Most High, Who is my Refuge–no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”
In Scripture, our bodies are likened to ‘tents’ that we live in while on earth. John 1:14 states that ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. . ‘, referring to Jesus coming to earth to live among His people and reveal the heart of the Father God. The word ‘dwell’ actually means to ‘tabernacle’ or pitch a tent. If you remember, the Israelites had a ‘tent’ for God, the Tabernacle, that they carried and pitched for God to dwell in their midst. The cloud of God’s glory would rest over it until it led them in their journey. It was a fire by night bringing light and the comfort of God’s presence. They also had a yearly feast of Tabernacles where they lived in temporary dwellings remembering their journey through the wilderness. (Leviticus 23:33-36)
The psalmist wrote to encourage those who know God by Name and trust in Him as their Refuge and Fortress. Thousands may fall close to you, but the plagues and satanic attacks of this life will not come near you. You will observe the recompense of the wicked only. The psalmist King David wrote in Psalm 37:34 that those waiting on God will look on when the wicked are cut off. If the Lord Most High is your ‘dwelling place’, if His ‘Tabernacle’ is your refuge or secret place, no harm or evil will come near your ‘tent’!
What good news the psalmist brings to first responders on their missions to help the hurting and diseased! These ancient confessions of faith in the Most High God give us comfort and courage to face danger with calm and trust. No plague or evil can harm us as God abides in our ‘tent’.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for these ancient words written down to encourage and teach Your people faith and trust. Help us as faith responders to remember that You dwell in our ‘tent’ by the Holy Spirit. You give us power and courage to share the Good News with those You send us to. Amen.
The Crowning of the High Priest
Scripture reading for September 28: Zechariah 5-6
Our goal during these devotions on God’s Word is to see Jesus Christ in every book of the Bible. Zechariah, other than Isaiah, has more references to the coming of Jesus and His ministry than any other prophet. In today’s reading we have more of the eight visions that God gave Zechariah to encourage the workers who were rebuilding the temple and city of Jerusalem. Eight is the number of ‘new beginnings’.
Zechariah had already mentioned the ‘Branch’ Who was symbolized by Joshua, the High Priest. This ‘Branch’ would come and be fully obedient to God and take away the sins of the nation in a single day. (Zechariah 3:8-9) The High Priest symbolically did this on the Day of Atonement each year. He went behind the veil of the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of a lamb on the mercy seat. His offering of blood was for the sins of the nation. (Leviticus 16:15-17)
In today’s reading, Zechariah saw another vision of powerful horses going throughout the earth. (Zechariah 6:1-6) One of the horses went toward the North and reported rest being brought to God’s Spirit. Zechariah then was told to take silver and gold from the returned exiles, make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the High Priest. He was to say to him: “Here is the Man Whose Name is Branch, and He will branch out from His place and build the temple of the Lord. It is He Who will build the temple of the Lord, and He will be clothed with majesty and will sit on His throne. And He will be a Priest on His throne and there will be harmony between the two.” (Zechariah 6:12-13)
As we reflect on this vision in light of the life and current ministry of Jesus Christ, we see that the ‘Branch’ is again a picture of Jesus Christ Who was and is both Priest and King! He is our “High Priest” before God, there interceding for us. (Romans 8:34) He is the “King of Kings” Who is coming in power to claim His bride, the church, and punish His enemies. (Revelation 19:11-16)
We are encouraged by these ancient visions today because of the revelation of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Jesus, our Priest and King, is praying for us today. He has given us the Holy Spirit and we have overcoming power to share with the lost world the good news of His coming again. We are watching for His return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Our faith and faithfulness will crown Him when He comes! (Revelation 4:9-11)
The wisdom of life experience!
Scripture reading for April 5: 1st Kings 12-16
“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32 “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31
Old people are often marginalized in today’s world and it was no different in Solomon’s time. Rehoboam became king. His mother was an Ammonite, one of Solomon’s many wives. Solomon had accumulated great wealth through forced labor and excessive taxation. The people appealed to Rehoboam to lighten the burden and harsh yoke of his father and they would serve him. He had to choose what to do and wisely consulted the elders. (1st Kings 12:4-7) They advised him to serve the people and lighten the yoke on them. But Rehoboam rejected the elder’s good advice.
He next consulted his peers, young men he grew up with. They advised him to answer the people with harshness and more taxes. The new king refused to listen to the people or the elders but instead took the advice of his peers. This divided the people and fulfilled the Word of the Lord to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah that Solomon’s kingdom would be divided. (1st Kings 12:13-16)
This passage of Scripture reminds us of the importance of having ears to hear the voice of the Lord. God is always ready to speak to us, if we are willing to listen. Our hearts can easily be led astray by sin and selfish ways. In the abundance of counsel there is safety, but we must be discerning with whom we listen to. We often find that those most easy to receive from are those we agree with. The younger generation often does not value the advice of the older. This often leads to division and strife as in this story.
Ask the Lord to help you with discerning His voice today. Identify an “elder” God has placed in your life who has been a source of wisdom for you. Thank the Lord for that person today. Call that person and thank them for their wisdom.
Sin has consequences
Scripture reading for March 23: 1 Samuel 27-31
Have you ever been curious about what will happen in the future? If we had that information, we feel that we could get rich, save ourselves from disaster, or control the world. God warns us not to seek any source other than Himself for this information! (Leviticus 19:31) He is the only source of Truth because He alone knows the things to come! (Isaiah 42:9)
Saul lived in rebellion and was tormented by an evil spirit. He had tried to seek the Lord, but God no longer answered him through the priests or prophets. (1st Samuel 28:5-6) He was living in fear and desperate for direction. He, himself, had banned all witches, mediums, and sorcerers from the land. But now Saul sought out a medium to ask for the spirit of Samuel to be brought up from the dead. A spirit, like Samuel, appeared and spoke prophetically to King Saul one last time, pronouncing his coming death the next day and telling him the reasons why. There was no visible remorse or repentance.
1st Samuel 28:18-19 “Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord and did not carry out His fierce wrath against Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover, the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons shall be with Me. The Lord will give the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines.”
True to the Word of Samuel, Saul and his sons died the next day. Saul was wounded and asked his armor bearer to put him out of his misery. The armor bearer was terrified and refused, so Saul fell on his own spear, taking his own life! Even in his death, Saul took matters into his own hands! (1st Samuel 31:2-6).
Are you doing something right now that you know is in disobedience to God’s Word? In what ways did God show Saul mercy and demonstrate His patience? If you need to repent, today is the best time.
“But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1st John 1:9)
Rebellion, witchcraft, and arrogance
Scripture reading for March 19: 1st Samuel 13-15
“But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft-KJV) and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” (1st Samuel 15:22-23)
When we think about witchcraft and the occult, we tend to think about men and women dressed in black, bats, curses, and evil including violence, blood and death. Our modern culture promotes the occult through television and movies that are watched by millions. Children’s books, like ‘Harry Potter’ introduce the young to occult teaching as entertainment. Games like dungeons and dragons are used by the naive promoting the occult. God’s Word is clear, participation in the occult is rebellion against His Word.
Saul was anointed and empowered to lead the nation. He was the answer to the people’s cry for a king who would protect them. The Philistines prepared a huge army with horses and chariots to attack Israel. Samuel, the prophet, had told Saul to wait for him to come and sacrifice to the Lord in order to seek God for direction . Saul waited but grew impatient and although not a priest, decided to offer the sacrifice himself. Samuel returned just after Saul completed the offering, and rebuked him. (1st Samuel 13:13-14)
Samuel then instructed Saul to attack the Amalekites and destroy everything as punishment from the Lord for their attacking Israel on their way from Egypt. Saul obeyed, but only partially! He kept back the best sheep and goats for sacrifice and let King Agag live. The Word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” (1st Samuel 15:10-11) We must take note that partial obedience is not obedience!
God hates rebellion and stubbornness! We can call it entertainment, but God still calls it sin! These sins don’t entertain God and should not be entertained in our lives or homes! Are you in ‘partial’ obedience in any of these areas of sinful behavior? What actions can you take today to bring God’s grace?
Dress for success!
Scripture reading for February 8th: Leviticus 21-23
Today people dress in the most casual attire possible. They are very individualistic in their tastes and often want to stand out because of some unusual hair style, color, tattoo or piercing. Some shave off all their hair and others wear various hair pieces. Some wear jeans and others dress in suit and tie. But God had specific clothes and grooming rules for His priests in Moses’ day.
God was holy and His priests must be holy too or they might die! (Leviticus 22:9) In Chapter 21, God warned his priests not to shave their heads, cut the edges of their beards, or cut their bodies. Their appearance was connected with holiness and respect for God. These men had to present offerings to the Lord each day. The High Priest who had been anointed with the holy oil could not let his hair become unkempt or messed up! He could not touch a dead body, even that of his mother or father! He was under strict rules because of his position and responsibility before God.
The priests could not marry just anyone either. They could only marry a virgin from among their own people. They could not marry a widow or divorced person or anyone engaged in prostitution! The reason given is that this would defile the offspring and make them unfit to serve in the priesthood and handle the holy offerings. (Leviticus 21:7-8, 13-15)
Priests could not serve and handle offerings if they had a skin disease or had been near a dead body. If they did handle the offerings knowingly when they were unclean, they must be cut off from God’s presence and never allowed to offer sacrifices again! God looked at these requirements with great seriousness! (Leviticus 22:1-4) God always looks at the heart and our actions based on our faith.
So, what does this mean for us today? Jesus fulfilled the law by perfectly keeping it. Does this mean that we can come before God and gather with His people any way we feel like? When you dress yourself, are you aware that you are God’s temple and He dwells inside you? Are you dressed in His provided clothes? What are those coverings? God’s wants His people dressed for success!
Sin that makes earth vomit!
Scripture Reading for February 7th: Leviticus 18-20
God talks about sex and all it’s perverted variations in these chapters of Leviticus. He tells his people that they are not to have sexual relations like the nation of Egypt where they were enslaved. God’s people are to live differently from the world. God’s laws about sexual conduct are designed to bring about a holy people who have children who will be blessed by God with His presence and power through a relationship with Him.
Honor is important in sexual relations. Incest dishonors your father or mother and you if you initiate it. God also states that it is wickedness. (Leviticus 18:17) Sex with close relatives (incest) is wrong and dishonors the family. Sex with another man’s wife (adultery) defiles you! (Leviticus 18:20) Sex with the same sex is “detestable” to God. (Leviticus 18:22) Sex with an animal (bestiality) is perverted! (Leviticus 18:23) God has designed man for one woman for life and has promised to bless that relationship. (Genesis 2:24) Are you pursuing His blessing?
When you commit any of these sexual sins, God says that you defile the land where you live. God states that this defilement causes that land to “vomit” out people who do these sins! (Leviticus 18:24-28) In fact, this is why and how God has destroyed many of the great civilizations in history! Many people living in America are committing sins of incest, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and bestiality. We may appear to get by but the consequences of sin always find us out. (Numbers 32:23) God’s people are to be markedly different! They are to be holy because God is holy. (Leviticus 19:2) This holiness is to be walked out in love and respect for God’s laws and in our conduct towards others.
America today needs our prayer and intercession. We are a nation who knows too much and applies too little. These sins are prevalent in the church as well as in the nation we live in. Take time today to repent and pray for God’s mercy. The earth may be ready to vomit!
“And if you defile the land,(with these sexual sins) it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.” Leviticus 18:28
The “scapegoat”
Scripture reading for February 6: Leviticus 16-17
Man is always looking for someone to blame for sin. It was the “woman you gave me” for Adam. Eve became his “scapegoat”! It was the “serpent” for Eve that became her “scapegoat”. God Himself was blamed by both of them as the ultimate problem. Amazingly, God had already planned to provide a “scapegoat”!
God loves man and worked out a picture of salvation from sin which is recorded in these chapters of Leviticus. God set apart one day a year when the High Priest could go behind the curtain of the Holy of Holies in the Tent of Meeting. That day was called the Day of Atonement. The term “atonement” simply means a “covering”. On this day, the Israelites could have a yearly “covering” for their sins.
First, a bull was killed and the blood sprinkled for the High Priest as a sacrifice for his sins. Then two goats were brought before the Tent and lots were cast. One of the goats was sacrificed and the blood sprinkled by the High Priest behind the curtain for the sins of the people. Everyone waited outside to see if God would accept the sacrifice for sins committed. They were relieved when the High Priest came out. (Leviticus 16:6-19)
The second goat was then brought forward and the High Priest laid his hands on it and confessed the sins and rebellion of the Israelites. This goat was then led out away from the camp into the wilderness to a solitary place and left there. As the Israelites watched the goat bearing their sins disappear in the distance, they were reminded of the sacrifice necessary to bring a covering for their sins. God provided a “scapegoat” who would take the blame for them! (Leviticus 16:20-28)
Jesus Christ came as God’s designated “Scapegoat”! He offered Himself on the cross to make “atonement” for our sins. He shed His own blood to pay the penalty for our sins, once for all time! (Hebrews 9:11-14) He bore our sins and carried them away into a place of God’s forgetfulness, never to be remembered again! (Hebrews 10:17)
Have you ever blamed someone else for you own misdeed? Have you ever had someone who willingly took the blame for your misdeed so you could go free? Thank God for His provision for you today!
1st Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake, He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Fatal attraction?
Scripture reading for February 3th: Leviticus 8-10
Preacher’s kids are sometimes a mess! (Not mine of course!) The sons of Aaron and nephews of Moses had experienced the miraculous deliverance from the plagues and seen God act in power at the Red Sea when the Egyptian army was drowned. They had witnessed the miraculous events of the journey, eaten the “manna” and heard God’s voice on the mountain. They were dressed, instructed, and anointed for ministry along with their father and other brothers. They were sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice. (Leviticus 8) You would think that they knew enough to take seriously God’s power and presence! But sometimes, those in ministry or close to it, become complacent. Worse yet, they behaved disrespectfully towards God in front of others who were looking to them for spiritual leadership!
Nadab and Abihu had witnessed Moses and Aaron going into the Tent of Meeting and the visible Glory of the Lord appearing to the people. (Leviticus 9:23-24.) Fire came from the Lord and consumed the sacrifice. All the people shouted for joy and fell face down. Evidently, Nadab and Abihu were fascinated with the Tent of Meeting. They decided to go in there themselves and experience God. They took “strange” fire with them and God took their lives right on the spot.
It appears that these boys might have been drinking or possibly drunk. In Leviticus 10:8-11, Aaron warns his other sons not to drink wine or any other fermented drink when they went into the Tent of Meeting! Paul the Apostle also gives the same warning to believers: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18) God is not mocked and holds those with more responsibility accountable for their conduct! Alcohol affects our ability to reason and think clearly. It lowers our inhibitions and brings out fleshly behaviors that can lead to destruction or death.
Has alcohol or drugs caused difficulty in your home or family? Why do children of those in God’s service sometimes have a problem with proper respect for God? Pray for those you know who struggle with this.