Thursday, February 26

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015

Leviticus 7:28–9:6

Mark 3:7–30

Psalm 37:12–29

Proverbs 10:5

 

 

“On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.  He said to Aaron, ‘Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord.  Then say to the Israelites:  “Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil.  For today the Lord will appear to you.”’

 

“They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord.  Then Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.’”

 

 

In Leviticus 1–9, we read about a series of offerings, including their purposes and their implementation.  Before the coming of Jesus Christ, God required that the Israelites offer atonement for the sins that they had committed, knowingly or unknowingly.  The sacrificial system impressed upon them the tremendous costs of sin, as they faced real-life consequences from reducing their flocks.

 

The Israelites’ letter-perfect adherence to God’s commands in Leviticus 9:1–6 stands in sharp contrast to their conduct through the remainder of the Old Testament.  Their rebellious hearts caused them to seek their own paths, ultimately rejecting God as their King.  Judges 17:6 summarizes this reality:  “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”  This apt description of sinful rebellion addresses many of modern-day Americans’ attitudes as well.

 

Yet, God did wish the Israelites to follow His commands.  First, these commands would set them apart as His people.  Second, God’s presence would accompany their following the commands:  “…This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” (Leviticus 9:6)  Jesus also explained that our obedience demonstrates our love and gratefulness for God’s own lovingkindness:  “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.  The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21) 

 

God’s self-revelation therefore accompanies our obedience.  Naturally, those who do not wish to follow God most likely have little interest in knowing Him either.  The Israelites would show their disobedience primarily by inviting foreign gods to take precedence in their worship, in direct defiance of the first of the Ten Commandments.

 

What place does the sacrificial system hold for us?  I believe that it gives us a great example of God’s mercy to us.  Similar to the Israelites, we deserve punishment for the many sins that we have committed and will commit.  We have fallen short of God’s standards and continue to do so on a daily basis.  In His grace, God has sent His Son to us so that whoever might trust in Him may have the forgiveness and freedom from sin and eternal life.  Jesus promised an “abundant” life for His children, one full of purpose.

We must all approach God with humility, recognizing that it is His mercy that allows us to draw near to Him.  Unlike the Israelites, however, we have an assured promise that God does wish for us to draw near to Him.  His sending of Jesus as our Great High Priest demonstrates how deeply He wishes to have fellowship with us.  Hebrews 4:14–16 explains how Jesus’s once-for-all sacrifice has brought us peace with God and allows us to draw near to Him:  “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

May we draw near to Him and find our joyful purpose in knowing Him.

 

 

Lord God, we thank You for Your awesome provision for us.  We recognize that our sin caused us to become dead, but, in Your grace and by our trust in Your Son, we have received new life.  Thank You that this new life is full of purpose and that knowing You is such a great joy.  Thank You that we may approach You with confidence by the completed work of Jesus on the cross.  Give us a greater hunger and thirst for knowing You.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

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