Devotionary

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Ep 723 – Numbers 2-3 Dec 09, 2018

Show notes

Sometimes, we read the books of the Old Testament and assume they have nothing to with us. They are just ancient history, chronicling the exploits of the people of Israel as they stumbled their way through the wilderness on the way to the land of promise. But if we look closely, we will see so many lessons that apply to us, right here, right now. And in Numbers 2-3 we get a wonderful preview of God's incredible plan for our redemption. In these two chapters we are introduced to the substitutionary role the Levites played in the lives of the Israelites. They took the place of the firstborns, serving in their place and fulfilling God's claim that these individuals belonged to Him. As we'll see, God had a right to expect the firstborn males of each family to serve Him alone. But rather than requiring their undistracted service to Him, He called on the tribe of Levi to act as substitutes or stand-ins. The Levites gave their lives so that others might live. Just as Jesus Christ has don for us.

Ep 722 – Numbers 1 Dec 08, 2018

Show notes

This episode launches our new study in the book of Numbers. This book is part of what is called the Pentateuch, a section of the Bible that also includes, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The word Pentateuch is from the Greek and simply means "five books." These books are actually considered one book written by one author, Moses, and are referred to as the Torah by the Jews. They also go by the names, "The Law of Moses," the "Book of the Law of Moses," and "The Book of Moses." The name of this book, Numbers, is derived from a translation of the Greek Septuagint title, Arithmoi. This name was chosen because of the two numberings or censuses commanded by God in the book. As the book opens up, we will see God providing Moses with instructions for the first of these two numberings, in order that the people might be organized for battle. The closer the people got to the land of Canaan, there was a growing need for structure and order. They would need to know how many men they had who could fight. God had a plan, and they would play an important role in it. But first, they would have to be organized and under strong leadership.

Ep 721 – Leviticus 26-27 Dec 07, 2018

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In chapters 26-27 of the book of Leviticus, God gives the Israelites one last set of instructions. And they have to do with the making of vows. This particular issue doesn't seem to be one that we struggle with – at least on the surface. But it really has to do with the commitments we make to God. Each of us has probably had a time in our lives where we told God we would do something if He would only help us out of a predicament. It goes something like this: God, if you'll only help me out of this situation, I'll read my Bible every day for a year. When the desired rescue takes place, we are usually grateful and may even intend to keep our commitment to God. But in time, we find that our fervor fades and our determination to keep our word slowly ebbs away. It seems that God would have us understand that He takes our vows seriously, even if we don't. He wants us to be people of integrity, especially when it involves commitments made to Him. So, He provides His people with an escape clause.

Ep 720 – Leviticus 25 Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

The Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee. These two events on the Hebrew calendar are not exactly familiar to us. And it would be easy to assume that neither one of them has any application to our lives as modern Christians. But that assumption would be wrong. The truth is, like so many of the other commands given by God to the people of Israel, these two events provide us with some valuable lessons about dependence upon God. The Israelites were God's chosen people and, as such, they were to look to Him for all their needs. He was not only their source for forgiveness from sin, He was the provider of all their needs. And yet, how easy it is to forget that God is our sole source of sustenance. So, these two recurring events were intended by God to remind the people of Israel that He was their provider and protector. He would meet all their needs. But they would have to learn to rest in and rely upon Him.

Ep 719 – Leviticus 23-24 Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

The Feast of Pentecost is just one of the many feasts God ordained and gave to the people of Israel to keep in perpetuity. But of all the feasts, this one has a special significance that carries over to us as Gentile believers in Jesus Christ. On this one day of the year, the Jews were allowed to bake bread containing leaven or yeast and use it as part of their sacrifice to God. For the Jews, leaven was a symbol for sin. Its ability to spread through a lump of dough was an illustration of sin's pervasive and permeating power. At the Feast of Passover, they were to remove all remnants of leaven from their home, essentially modeling their desire to remove sin from their lives. But on the Feast of Pentecost, they were commanded to bake bread with yeast and present it to God as a wave offering. There is so much symbolism in this passage and it points to a future date when the Holy Spirit would come upon the apostles and the church would begin. From that day forward, the body of Christ, the church would be made up of a surprising blend of Jews and Gentiles.

Ep 718 – Leviticus 22 Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

Leviticus 22 appears to be more of the same. At first glance, it can appear as if God is in a rut, saying the same thing over and over again. But if we look closely and listen carefully, we will see that He is actually driving home a point that is all-too-easily overlooked by the people of God. If we're not careful the concept of holiness can lose its significance. What God has deemed of great importance, we can end up treating as optional or of minimal importance. Too often, we define holiness on our terms, rather than God's. We determine the least amount of effort required to keep God happy with us, but it usually doesn't reflect God's outlook. And in doing so, our lives become an unacceptable sacrifice to God. We go through the motions. We perform the expected duties and live up to the usual list of dos and don'ts. And all the while our hearts are far from Him. This complacent, minimalist approach to our own spirituality ends up giving our witness a poor reputation and God a bad name.

Ep 717 – Leviticus 20-21 Dec 03, 2018

Show notes

Holiness or sinfulness. As the people of God, we don't get to choose one over the other. Of course, we can and do sin. But from God's perspective, sin is not an option for the child of God. We have been called to be holy as He is holy. Our lives are to be distinctively different than those who do not belong to God. And in Leviticus 20-21, we will see God continuing His call that His people live holy lives. But He qualifies and clarifies that call with the statement, "I am the God who makes you holy." In other words, our holiness is something He accomplishes in us. But it requires our obedience to His will. We must strive to keep His commands. The life He has called us to is one of radical distinctiveness. It is intended to set us apart from the rest of the world. But, like the people of Israel, we can find it so easy to compromise our convictions, downplay God's calling, and blend in with the world. We would rather fit in than stand out.

Ep 716 – Leviticus 19 Dec 02, 2018

Show notes

Be holy. That's a command and it comes from God. But, not only that, it comes with a qualification: We are to be holy as He is holy. Sound impossible? It is. But in Leviticus 19, God will tell the entire community of Israel, "You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." He was to be their standard. And His rules and regulations regarding holiness were to be their guide to living holy, set-apart lives to Him. But this is about far more than religious rule-keeping and behavior modification. What God is interested in is heart change. He wanted His people to be different on the inside, not just the outside. In fact, Jesus would tell His disciples that it was not what goes into the body that defiles them, but what comes out of it – in the form of impure thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lying and slander. These are what defile us and make us unholy. So, when God calls His people to be holy as He is holy, He is talking about far more than keeping a list of dos and don'ts. He is calling us to reflect His character – from the inside-out.

Ep 715 – Leviticus 17-18 Dec 01, 2018

Show notes

In chapters 17-18 of Leviticus there is a great deal of emphasis placed on the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. Blood was integral to the whole program, because it was the shed blood of innocent and unblemished animals that made possible atonement. For the Jews, blood was to represent life, not just physical life, but spiritual life. The shedding of blood is what made it possible for sinful men to restore their relationship with a holy God. And God did not want them to take this matter lightly. So, He placed some strong conditions on their attitude toward blood. For one thing, they were not to consume the blood of animals. They were to completely drain the blood from any slaughtered animal before they ate it. This would help ensure that their attitude toward the blood remained pure and holy. As always, God was setting the people of Israel apart from the rest of the nations. He was placing on them restrictions that did not apply to anyone else. All so that they might enjoy their status as His chosen people.

Ep 714 – Leviticus 15-16 Nov 30, 2018

Show notes

Chapters 15 and 16 of Leviticus contain an interesting juxtaposition. One has to do with impurity and uncleanness, while the other speaks of atonement, the forgiveness for sin made possible by God through the sacrificial system. Sin was an ever-present reality in the life of the people of Israel. They were the people of God, having been separated by Him from the rest of the world for His use. In other words, they were holy in His eyes. They belonged to Him. But sin had a way of getting in the way of their relationship with God. It made them unclean and unholy and, therefore, unable to come into His presence. Sin made them unacceptable and, in their impure state, they found God unapproachable. But God had made provision for this problem. He had created the Day of Atonement, a single day on the calendar when the people of God could have their sins cleansed for by God. But it required that they humble their souls, bowing down before Him in recognition of their sinful condition and their need for His cleansing.

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