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FEBRUARY 19
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Leviticus 7:28-38
The thing that stands out to me here is that God built a kind of tithe
into the sacrificial system to provide for the service of the priests. Later,
other tithes will be taken out to support the service of the Levites.
If the people had realized God’s love and provision in contrast to
their need and sin, they would have sacrificed gladly. And, they could only
sacrifice if the priests made the offerings for them. The system was perfect if
everyone kept their eyes on God and His love. If they put their focus anywhere
else, it became a system of drudgery and complaining. Why should they have to
go to Jerusalem? Why should they have to offer up their best animals? Why
should they support the priests who seemed to have easy jobs with lots of help?
In Nehemiah, after he went back to Persia, the people stopped
sacrificing and giving. The priests and Levites had to stop serving Israel and
go back to their land to make a living. The city started going to ruin again,
both physically and spiritually.
In Malachi you have the opposite. The priests allowed the people to be
godless and to bring lame, blind and dying animals for sacrifice. God judges
the priests because of the motive behind their tolerance. If they had stopped
the people from bringing bad sacrifices, what would they have had to eat? That
didn't make God happy. In 1 Samuel, Eli the priest was guilty of this too. If
you wonder why he wouldn’t stop his sons from desecrating the offerings, note
what it says about Eli at his death. Apparently, he had quite an appetite.
I see two things here for us as disciples.
First, after we exercise responsible wisdom and seek the Lord’s
leading, if we can, we are to give for the ministry. Second, money or provision
should never motivate our service. God doesn’t ask us to work without
provision, but there is a legitimate challenge to us when Jesus says, “seek ye
first…and all these things will be yours as well.” A lot of sin has been
allowed for the sake of the financial needs of a church or ministry. Many
pastors have stayed too long or been too silent, because following the Lord
would have put them in an uncomfortable place. Jesus told His disciples not to
be anxious, not to fear, and to live in the harvest believing that God would provide.
Sometimes that sounds so strange.
Leviticus 8
The next three chapters will be devoted to appointing Aaron and his
sons to be priests for Israel. For most people this is all boring detail. For
us as disciples following the Lord in the harvest, I'm not saying we need to
look it over with a microscope to find meaning in it, but we shouldn't just
ignore it either. This is our Father and Lord and the Spirit saying something
that was important to them. It is the Trinity saying something to Israel about
the vital importance this should have in their lives and in the nation. Israel
was to have reached their harvest field for God. These men were their leaders
(disciples /shepherds) who were to have kept Israel focused on redemption and
the love of God as the nation fulfilled its mission.
Vs. 1-4 Notice that all of Israel was assembled to look on this event.
The tabernacle is now being called the tent
of meeting; whereas before the tent of the meeting was a tent outside of
the camp where Moses met alone with God. Now, the tabernacle is the only
meeting place and it is no longer the meeting between Moses and God that is
focused upon; but it is the place of meeting between God and the people.
So, as a disciple, where do you “meet” with God? Yeah, I know we now
have the Spirit, but I mean, where do you meet regularly with God to read His Word
and pray? I actually have a “corner of meeting.” Sometimes just having the same
time and same place can give you a lot of help in having a daily meeting with
the Lord.
Vs. 5-9 The dressing of Aaron and his sons took place before the
congregation. This was an important event.
In clothing Aaron, I’m always amazed at the Urim and the Thummim. To think that if the leaders or people
asked the priest, he could give them any answer. I mean, they could have bet on
horses and won. They could have told the people the weather or when a caravan
would arrive. Seriously, this was an amazing thing that God had given them.
Sadly, except for David, you don’t see anyone relying much on this provision.
Vs. 10-13 After
Aaron was dressed, he was anointed and consecrated for ministry. You don't have
to be Einstein to see that, figuratively, we have been anointed for ministry
too. At salvation, because of Jesus' sacrifice and blood, we are clothed in
Christ's righteousness and anointed with His Spirit. We aren't just
"left" in the harvest; we are sent into it, and there we follow our
Lord and grow as we reach out and make disciples.
It is through symbols like these that we know that anointing has some
link to the Spirit and to commissioning. Think of what happened just after
Jesus' baptism.
Notice that Moses is the one officiating. Aaron, obviously, wasn't able
to consecrate himself. Moses had already been consecrated by God.
Notice that the oil was poured on Aaron's head. A woman once asked for
our church elders to pray for her and anoint her for healing, and when I did it
I poured the oil. It distressed her, because she was used to an oil-moistened
finger being pressed against her forehead. She asked me where I got the idea to
pour the oil, and this is where it came from. BTW, she was healed, but I also really
think that part of the healing came when she and her husband left the area and
the grumpy group of believers they were serving.
Vs. 14-17 Here Moses is leading Aaron
and his sons in the sin offering
that would make them eligible to stand before the Lord. Moses used the blood of
this offering to consecrate the altar. For a normal person this offering could
be eaten by the priests. But when this was done for the priests, part of it was
offered on the altar, and the main part was hauled outside the camp and burned,
thereby showing its sinfulness. Again, symbolically, Jesus was killed not in
the temple in Jerusalem, but outside the city (the camp), having become sin for
us.
Vs. 18-21 Now this was the burnt
offering for Aaron and his sons.
In worship this was for atonement, and it was totally consumed on the altar.
Besides symbolizing the need for forgiveness, the total burning symbolized that
the animal was taking their place and they were devoting themselves wholly to
God.
V. 21 Note that where it says it was a food offering, it means that it was "satisfying" to the
Lord. God didn't eat it. It is saying that along with it being a pleasing aroma, God was satisfied with
the devotion and presentation of the offering. This sense of satisfaction is
seen in Jesus saying, My food is to do
the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work (John 4:34). It
means satisfaction, like food, but not from food.
Vs. 22-32 Normally this would have been the peace or fellowship
offering, but because of the special occasion, it is the ram of ordination.
V. 22 Notice again that there was always a sense of identification with
the offered animal and the transference of sin and guilt by the laying on of
hands.
Vs. 23-24 This was part of the ordination and not a normal part of the
peace offering. The blood was put on Aaron's right ear lobe, thumb and big toe.
Then Moses did this to Aaron's sons. I think every discipleship kit at your
local Christian bookstore should have a small vial of blood for this purpose.
JUST KIDDING! The blood was to symbolize that all of Aaron’s life and ministry
was to help the people stand before their God. As disciples in the harvest,
bearing the blood of Jesus, this has to be our mindset also. We are to be
reminded by the blood we bear, that all we think and do should be directed to
helping people connect with God through the grace and forgiveness in Christ.
That's kind of cool to think about.
Vs. 27-28 Normally the priests would eat this portion, but they aren't
fully consecrated yet, so the right thigh gets offered on the altar.
V. 29 The officiating priest was to receive the breast.
V. 30 This again was special to this occasion. Here they have these
nice new clothes, and Moses sprinkles them with oil and blood. I wonder if they
had OxiClean© back then.
Vs. 31-32 The point of a peace/fellowship offering was to celebrate
before the Lord and share with others what He had given. This is the
celebration part of the sacrifice and ordination. Remember, the goat couldn't
be boiled in its mother's milk.
Vs. 33-36 This wasn’t a quick ceremony. Not only did it take time to
kill, skin, cut and burn the animals; but they had to live in the courtyard
before the tabernacle for seven days.
I think for us as disciples, staying consecrated to the Lord and His harvest
requires us, at times, to lock ourselves in somewhere and refocus ourselves in
prayer and seeking God.
V. 36 They did all that the Lord asked them to do. That might seem like
a lame point, but wait until tomorrow. Regardless of the honor the Lord shows
us one day, He still expects us to try to obey. He shows us grace upon grace
even in our disobedience, but sometimes there is a very short fuse when we
presume on His grace. It is good, as examples to other disciples, to fear the
Lord, that is, to be afraid of Him in a healthy way.
Leviticus 9
Vs. 1-6 Now that Aaron and his
sons are fully consecrated, they will begin their duties by sacrificing for
themselves and for the entire congregation. This would take some days to do all
of this for all of Israel, and it would resemble a feast. Notice that all of
the main offerings are present here. Some people think this would have taken
place before the Passover and been concluded with the Passover feast.
This was a great event. Tomorrow will be a sad day for Aaron.
Mark 3:31-4:25
Mark 3:31-35
Doesn’t it seem like we just covered this in Matthew? So what
application can you make from this story regarding being a disciple?
Mark 4:1-25
As a disciple making disciples, or even talking to an unbeliever over
this section (which is also part of the disciplemaking process), how would you
explain the purpose of parables?
Also, how would you explain the different seeds to a new, growing
disciple? If you hang around long enough, you will meet all of these in church.
Back on January 19 we had this parable told in Matthew 13 and the
reading notes on that day have some additional comments.
How do vs. 21-25 complement v. 20? What is Jesus’ argument here? How
did Jesus define fruit? A disciple is called to testify to Jesus in the
harvest. To have light and not use it is not good. We've been given light to
shape our hearts and to let it shine.
Psalm 37:12-29
There are lots of good verses here. Which of these strikes a chord with
you?
As you read, notice the concern of three major characters. The wicked are concerned about the righteous. The Lord is against the
wicked, but for the righteous. The righteous are concerned about the Lord.
Generally speaking, everything turns out right in life, and everything works
according to God's plan in the end.
Vs. 12-13 This is now David addressing why the righteous should wait. God
indeed sees the wicked and has a wonderful plan for them. God just doesn't
always pay on Friday.
Vs. 14-15 David says that God brings the plot of the wicked against
them. It is like they chop down a tree to fall on the righteous and it falls on
them instead. This may not always be true on earth, but in a spiritual and
eternal sense, it is always true.
Vs. 16-20 So much of what is written here has to do with knowing the
Lord and the resultant faith and understanding of God and what He is doing in
the world. If a person is secure in Christ, they are unshakable, like the house
the wise man built in Luke 6:46-48.
Vs. 21-26 If this is one section, it is interesting that it begins and
concludes with the person who trusts in the Lord being generous with his stuff,
even during hard times. It makes me think of Jesus telling His disciples not to
be anxious about their lives, to give freely and to lay up treasure in heaven.
Vs. 27-29 This is the summary of what David has seen and the
encouragement to follow the Lord. Notice again that the righteous/meek shall inherit the land.
It's probably good for us to understand that these promises are the
norm, but there are exceptions. Think of v. 25. Is this true, always? I
remember hearing of a US city boy having his faith turned upside down by a girl
from a third world country. He held to the absolute nature of the promise, but
she had seen Christians oppressed and Christian children begging for bread. God allows for deviations from the norm. There
are God-designed exceptions. Daniel became overwhelmed when he was told how God
would allow His saints to suffer. In Revelation, God allows the slaughter of
those who believe to reveal the hearts of men. The entire judgment of the sheep
and the goats comes as a result of how people responded to the need of God's
people in the Tribulation. Paul quotes the OT (Ps. 44:22), saying, for your sake we are being killed all the
day long… The promise is true in the normal sphere of following, but God
allows, for His own purposes, the exception. Following as a disciple might mean
only being given a promise for a day, not a year. Our job is to follow Christ
in the harvest, not to have Him guarantee our earthly security or plans.
Proverbs 10:5
Amen!
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and
important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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,
as disciples, 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, 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 (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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