Leviticus 22:17-23:44
Lev. 22:17-33
I never noticed this before, but animals offered for sacrifice couldn't be branded or cut with some identifying mark of ownership. This means that people had to be thinking in advance, at the birth of an animal, whether it would be used for sacrifice or not.
Vs. 31-33 This is the summary that gives the statement of purpose for the passage. The people were to sanctify God…that is be separate to Him, make Him special, because God had done that for Israel by saving them and bringing them out of Egypt.
Lev. 23:1-44
These feasts are more than religious events. They are feasts, they are celebrations of God's salvation and grace to them. Instead of non-religious holidays like New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's, May Day, and Halloween, all of the holidays of Israel pointed to God's mercy and their salvation. And they were feasts, fun times, to enjoy and celebrate God's blessing to them. This is pretty cool to have this built into their culture.
Funny that the Sabbath was mentioned first, because this was weekly; but the interesting thing is that it is mentioned under "feasts." The Sabbath was not a fast, it was a weekly thanksgiving and reminder of God's care.
Vs 4-8 are two things, the Passover for one day, followed the next day by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the NT when it says that Jesus went up to the "feast" or the "feast of the Passover," this is what is being referred to.
Vs. 9-14
This feast is thought to be held on the day after the Sabbath following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This was at the time of the barley harvest, so barley was the sheaf that was being waved. What you have then is 3 major events being clustered together: Passover-Unleavened Bread-First Fruits. It almost seems like a reminder of the salvation in Egypt-Salvation through the wilderness-the Blessing of the Land.
Vs. 15-22
So you had all the males in Jerusalem for the Passover-Feast of Unleavened Bread-Feast of the First Fruits.
Then they go home. After the wheat harvest, 50 days after the Feast of the First Fruits, they appear again for the Feast of Weeks, for the 7 weeks after the First Fruits. This is Pentecost, where we celebrate the birth of the Church.
Note the warning given not to do a totally thorough job of harvesting the fields, so as to provide for the poor.
Now come the fall feasts. Just like the 3 feasts in March, these 3 feasts in October are all clustered together.
Vs. 23-25
The Feast of Trumpets was a Sabbath beginning the 3 feasts. All of the males in Israel were required to be at the Day of Atonement, so they probably showed up here. This feast is the symbolic calling of the people to come to receive forgiveness. It's a Sabbath, but it is a feast.
Vs. 26-32
Three days later is the Day of Atonement. This day was not a feast, it was a Sabbath and the only Sabbath in their year when they had to fast.
Vs. 33-44
Five days later was the Feast of Booths. This was a feast when all the people had to make little huts to sleep in to remind them of their journey in the wilderness to the promised land.
What hits me, without reading anyone else, this looks like the covenant at Mt. Sinai, the trumpet sound before the mountain calling the people, God making the covenant with them, and then Him carrying them through the wilderness.
Both the feast in March and the feast in October have to do with God saving, calling, forgiving, and providing for the people. The reminder that I think is interesting is the Feast of Booths. They needed to remember what it was like in the wilderness with nothing but God to sustain them, over 2,000,000 of them. Maybe we in the western world need reminders like this, too, something that helps us appreciate that only God sustains us. Only He is our salvation.
Mark 9:30-10:12
Both of these vignettes fit together nicely as the "in the house discourses."
You notice that Jesus has not only been focused on ministry and declaring his offer to the nation, but woven through all of this has been His training of the 12. For us as disciples, woven through everything we do should be encouraging & mentoring others, making disciples who will make disciples who will make disciples. Jesus focused on a small group of men, and within that group, He worked with 3. But what really made this work is what it says when Jesus called them in Mark 3:14…to be with them, to be sent out to preach, to have authority.
They had a job and a skill to develop, so this wasn't theoretical and academic. Their desire to learn was constant because they were constantly involved in ministry. They would have authority. But all of this only worked because they were constantly with Jesus. Jesus held "class" with them everywhere, all the time.
Practically speaking, we can't do this like Jesus did, but what it does say to us as disciples, is that the "classroom" might be an escape for us in terms of making disciples. Making disciples means spending lots of time with people. Now you can't spend time with everyone, but neither did Jesus. If we are too busy, it really means we might have other priorities. We always have enough time for what we really want to do. No exception to this rule. If we don't put time into this, it is because there are other things we think are more important for us. I'm speaking to myself here, too.
Mark 9:30-50
Notice that Jesus has already told them He would die and be raised, but they didn't understand. So why didn't they ask Him. I remember in Algebra when the teacher explained something to me in front of the class and then asked me if I understood. Of course I said, "yes," but I really had no clue. Then I was afraid to ask for fear of looking dumber than I already was.
But they weren't afraid to talk about which of them would be the next in command when He established His kingdom. They still did not believe He would die. They still could only see the Kingdom being established. It was natural for any leader to choose his "right-hand man" out of his immediate group of followers.
Jesus waited until they were settled at this house, most likely Peter's, before approaching the subject. So who was the kid? I'm thinking it wasn't a son of any of the disciples. That would have been playing into their hand. But Jesus was followed by lots of people and many women who supported them out of their means, and it might have been from one of these women. Who knows.
Verses 37 and 41 seem parallel and add to one another.
In answer to John's question in v. 38 Jesus says that no one who does a mighty work in Jesus' name will be able to speak ill of Him. How do you balance what Jesus is saying here to what He said in Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'"
Apparently, motives matter. Doing a mighty work in Jesus' name and not "speaking evil" of Him doesn't equal receiving Him as Savior and Lord.
The warning in vs. 42-50 is very serious and aimed at the disciples. In this context, I would suggest this meaning. Jesus knew there would be diversity among those who would follow Him. Salt and light are important to Him, not Jew/Gentile, educated/illiterate, spotless theology/flawed theology. At the end of this, Jesus tells them to mind their own business and bear fruit (salt in the world) and live at peace with others. To enter into theological or racial conflict with other believers, causing them to stumble and become "unsalt" is absolutely wrong. The reality of life is that some of us have spotless theology, yet reach few. Some, in China or in Siberia or the Ukraine are reaching people for Christ and risking their lives, yet they have very spotty theology. Some of these people are so narrow, that they wouldn't worship with us, and we wouldn't worship with them. Jesus says to His disciples to watch out and be aware of their pride and arrogance. Whatever causes them to feel superior and make the weaker brother stumble (read Rom. 14-15) needs to be "cut out" before it causes ruin. I don't think we can lose our salvation, but like some of the people mentioned in Matt. 7:21, I don't think everyone I've met in church or in Christian service is necessarily a believer. If we constantly are making others stumble and lifting ourselves up, it might indicate that "Christianity" means something other to us, than Christ alone. Have Salt in yourself, living before Christ as a disciple in the harvest, and live at peace with others who are following Christ, though not, in every detail, your creed.
Mark 10:1-12
The Pharisees were like fire ants in Texas, always everywhere and ready to sting.
Jesus answered their question with a question on the Bible, then taught the Bible. Great idea. In the house, the disciples ask Him and He tells them the awful truth. In God's eyes a couple is still married after a divorce and when they remarry, as they consummate the relationship with the new spouse, they both commit adultery, breaking the covenant of their first marriage. Messy business in a dying world where hardness of heart keeps people from being unified in God. God granted a certificate of divorce and laws regarding remarriage, but only because the miracle and need for oneness is built into our being and because sin keeps us in rebellion to God.
Interesting that Jesus taught them like this instead of handing out a schedule and saying, "Next week Tuesday at 2pm we'll be meeting at Peter's porch for a lecture on "Scripture and Marriage." That might have been forgettable, but this discussion, born out of conflict, would always be remembered, and it has been.
Psalm 44:1-8
We live in this tension between knowing we need to follow and "do" stuff, yet it is so easy in all of that to think we are the ones opening doors and pushing everything forward. Then the Lord leads you into a situation where doing everything you've done before doesn't work. You can't even start gasoline on fire. And you realize, it always was the Lord. Sometimes the Lord needs to dry up the well, to make us realize the water comes from Him. He alone is the one who brings fruit or success to working in the harvest. We have to be willing to get involved, but then, it is really all from Him.
Proverbs 10:19
I wish I had learned this in my 20s. Still, reading Proverbs like this, it makes you wonder some days if the Spirit isn't giving you a warning. I've had many days when something has come up unexpectedly, and this word of caution from the Lord is exactly what I needed to honor Him and stay out of trouble.
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 interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
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, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is 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.
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