February 25, Reading Notes

Leviticus 16:29-18:30

Lev. 16:29-34

It makes you wonder why this section wasn't included with the section from yesterday.

Israel's first month would have been March.

It is notable that this is the only Sabbath in Israel's year where the people had to fast during the Sabbath.

Can you understand that this event and the Passover were to be two of the main events of their year? All of the males in Israel were supposed to be on hand for both of these events.

Just think, God built many reminders into year and culture of the Jews. Reminders of what? As disciples, we have even more reminders and things to keep us focused. Reminders of what?

Lev. 17:1-9

Of all the existing religions of the world, the Jews were the only ones who could only offer on one altar. Why do you think that was? What was it meant to create?

There are a lot of things to observe in this section.

Lev. 17:10-16

We've talked about the theme of this section. God makes a big point about blood. It might also be that the drinking of blood was associated with pagan religion. In any case, blood was to be seen as precious.

Being cut off, meant being punished by death.

Lev. 18:1-23

After reading verses 1-5, it is probably a good idea to read 18:24-30. God was not speaking theoretically here. Notice what He says of Egypt in verse 3.

If you are interested in going further in Bible study, go through this section and write down the different relationships that are mentioned.

As you go through the list, you see that all of this had to do with sexual perversion. "Uncover the nakedness" was a figure of speech having to do with violating someone sexually/relationally. Where it talks about "your father's nakedness," or "your brother's nakedness," I think it is talking about the relational union that already exists between the guy and his father and his father and his father's wife. In this case, the guy would have been violating both of them. God might be pointing to the sanctity of that spiritual union as the main reason for not violating the relationship, but just from the standpoint of adultery or rape, it would have been wrong anyway.

Notice that both Abraham and Jacob would now be out-of-bounds.

Notice that homosexuality is forbidden.

So why do you have the mention of Molech in verse 21? This doesn't have anything to do with sexual behavior, right? Because of the very loose sexual behavior back then, because sex was a part of pagan worship (Baal, for example), there were a lot of unwanted kids. Figuratively speaking, in this society of perverted morality, where you also had the temple of Baal on one corner, you also had a temple to Molech. In Molech worship, you offered the baby in sacrifice, throwing it into the "mouth of Molech," which actually was a flaming pit with a fireplace, mouth-like opening. Even Solomon did this at the end of his life. They didn't have abortion back then, but they did have unwanted babies, so they needed Molech. He is also called Molech (Lev. 18:21 20:2-5) etc., Milcom (1Ki 11:5,33) etc., and Malcham (Zep 1:5) This god became Chemosh among the Moabites. Eaton Bible Dictionary

Lev. 18:24-30

These laws are more than ceremonial laws for Israel. There is a universality to all of them except, maybe, verse 19. That God allowed certain things in different cultures at different periods of time, does not mean He approved them. These laws tell you what He approves of. The fact that God adds words like perversion and abomination, show you that these are not "object lessons" for Israel, but real social and moral laws.

Mark 7:24-8:10

Mark 7:24-30

So why is this story here? It has a lot to do where Jesus is, where He is healing and what the response is.

Mark 7:31-37

Again, this story is important because of where Jesus is. This is the area that was prepared by that other disciple, who was not only clothed and in his right mind, but was glorifying God all over the place.

So, in this story, what questions do you have? I wonder why Jesus had to take the man away from the crowd. I also wonder why Jesus had to use the little ritual He did. I wonder if it was for the sake of the deafness of the man.

8:1-10

Jesus didn't have to feed large crowds twice to prove He could do it. And the gospel writers didn't have to mention Him feeding two large crowds. The difference, again, is where this happened. The people in all of these stories were Gentiles.

We didn't see it because we haven't read John 6 after the feeding of the 5000, but Jesus falls out of favor with the Jewish people. They are rejecting their Messiah. On the other hand, the Gentiles are coming to Jesus. Jesus is still making His offer to the Jews, but it is obvious already, that He is welcoming all nations to salvation.

Psalm 41

One of the verses here is an allusion to Jesus' betrayal. Can you find it?

Proverbs 10:15-16

Seems like a dark proverb unless the man is rich because of working in righteousness, and the poor man is in poverty because of pursuing gain from doing wrong.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell.  The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.