Misunderstanding The Law And The Law Giver

Deuteronomy 19 (HCSB) “When the Lord your God annihilates the nations whose land He is giving you, so that you drive them out and live in their cities and houses, you are to set apart three cities for yourselves within the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess… You must purge the evil from you. Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you. You must not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.”

For a religion that is undergirded by love, mercy and grace, today’s chapter questions the very fabric of that belief – or does it?

Red Heifer Redemption

Numbers 19:1-3,9,20,22 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence”… “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin”… “But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them, and they are unclean”… Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening.”

Another beautiful animal destroyed for a hard-hearted nation it seems and what is the relevance of all of this in our lives today?

World’s Most Expensive Gift

Leviticus 4:2-4,13,22,27,35 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the Lord’s commands. “If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the Lord a young bull with no defects. He must bring the bull to the Lord at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the Lord… “If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty… “If one of Israel’s leaders sins by violating one of the commands of the Lord his God but doesn’t realize it, he is still guilty… “If any of the common people sin by violating one of the Lord’s commands, but they don’t realize it, they are still guilty… Then he must remove all the sheep’s fat, just as he does with the fat of a sheep presented as a peace offering. He will burn the fat on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the Lord. Through this process, the priest will purify the people from their sin, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.

Another record of the seemingly senseless brutality of the Israelites is on display as God instructs them to make atonement for their unintentional sins by sacrificing animals.

We know today there is no blood shed for sins but why did God insist on such a gory sacrifice and is it relevant today?

Hope To The Hopeless

Leviticus 14:1-10 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean. “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil.

In all the condemnation of leprosy, there is hope and that is what today’s chapter is about.

Pretty or not, there is hope and there seems to be a deep meaning we can draw and what might that be?

The Lasting Peace-Offering

Leviticus 3:1-5,17 “‘If your offering is a fellowship offering, and you offer an animal from the herd, whether male or female, you are to present before the LORD an animal without defect. You are to lay your hand on the head of your offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash the blood against the sides of the altar. From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the LORD: the internal organs and all the fat that is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which you will remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering that is lying on the burning wood; it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD… “‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’”

Not only was God detailed in His directions, He was also all encompassing. Previously, reading these books of the Old Testament was a challenge because I wondered why all the repetitiveness.

Today, upon closer study, I have started to appreciate the depth of God’s word and the breadth of its content that gives me the assurance that God is not just god of the parts but of the whole!

Why then do we not follow these instructions God gave us with regards to each of these rituals and have we lost focus on what God called us to do?

Bound By Laws

Exodus 22:9,20-23,25,28-29,31 In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to his neighbor… “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed. “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt. “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry… “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest… “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people. “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. “You must give me the firstborn of your sons… “You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.

It is obvious that God wanted to set out clearly what His expectation for the Israelites were through of the detail in the laws He laid down for them. The ten commandments were the foundations of the law and each of these laws reflect them in nature and character.

It must have been a great relief to Moses and the elders of Israel that they now had a structure to work in and under and thereby could keep up order among the masses.

Burning Out For God

Exodus 18:5,9,12,17-23 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God… Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians… Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God… Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Well meaning visitors are often a great blessing as was Jethro whose visit brought Moses and the Israelites much comfort both then and even today. Jethro’s visit was not only a formality but because God led him to.

We know that God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and take them to a land of their own but how then could Moses pass on the mantle of leadership to others?

Profit and Loss Statement

Philippians 3:7-9, 20-21
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith… But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

As I continue on my journey with Christ, I realize that layer by layer, He is peeling off my dependencies on this world, my selfishness, my hardheartedness, my deceitfulness, my pride, my strength, my abilities and everything that is in me which I spent 33 years gaining and is replacing it with Him in me. I might sound like I am boasting but in reality, this is most embarrassing because to the world, I am quickly becoming a misfit as I am not norming to it. I realize day by day that as I walk with Him and share Him in my life, people consider me ‘religious’ and weird and I am quickly losing the world but hopefully gaining Christ. Is that what Jesus is asking of us?

Paul born a Jew, circumcised as per Jewish customs on the eight day by a Jew, was of the tribe of Benjamin, was a Hebrew by blood, was a Pharisee with the zeal of one which showed in his persecution of the church and was legalistic in his righteousness and faultless to the Jews. For him to change would not be possible but God did change him and God then turned his life around by shedding every inch of the old him and replacing it with Christlikeness. We are reminded today that whatever we have gained here on earth on our own is worthless in comparison to what God gives us when we put our faith in Him. We get a new genetic code, a new citizenship, righteousness from comes from Him alone and a new body to live a glorious life with Him for eternity. If that is not worth losing self for, what is?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Jeremiah 9:23,24 Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

An Offer of Peace

Ephesians 2:14-18, 22
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit… And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

As we continue to read through the rich text in the book of Ephesians, I struggle to choose the right passage as there is so much the Lord is speaking to me today. Even though I might chose a certain portion, I do encourage you to click the link and read the entire chapter to get a good sense of what God is speaking to us. Paul’s ministry was to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and the two people becoming one is about us, non-Jews, being reconciled with the Jews to become God’s chosen people. What hostility is he referring to one might wonder. With the current situation in the Gaza strip and the questionable response of the Israelites, it is a challenge to understand what God is doing but lets not focus on current affairs and politics but rather keep our focus on what God is saying to us today.

When I consider the life of Jesus, I see peace throughout His life here on earth even though he was troubled, betrayed, cheated, lied to, condoned, crushed and given the lowly punishment of death on a cross for no sin of His own. During His earthly stay, Jesus was constantly working to reconcile man to God and His message was one of hope. When we look around at life today, the last thing one can find is peace as there is strife and unrest globally. Having traveled to over 111 cities around the world, I am yet to find a peaceable place and the reason is that we are seeking peace in a selfish and broken place. Jesus however is offering us peaceful living in God’s presence for eternity and calls us, whether Jews or Gentiles, to be a part of His chosen family simply by faith in Him and what He came to do for us. My world is no longer driven by current affairs but by the leading of the Holy Spirit and I seek to glorify God in everything and live in peace with Him. What have you decided?

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Fighting Sin

Galatians 5:16-17, 22-25
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Freedom in Christ if not clearly explained might mislead us and therefore Paul clarifies the spiritual freedom we receive as a people saved by the grace of God. As humans, we like to establish boundaries to know where we can operate and what is out of bounds. While this might be the case, as broken as we are, some of us like to work on the edge of these boundaries and when challenged argue our way out of it. For example when we have a speed limit on the road, the purpose is to ensure safety of all who use the public road and the keyword stated with the speed limit is ‘Maximum’. However, we like to use it as a gauge of what speed we can drive at and we generally drive around that speed or higher, seldom lower. How then does the spiritual freedom operate and how do we exercise it?

Overcoming sin such as that mentioned above is a real challenge because as hard as we try, we fail. However, when we are saved by the grace of God, we are in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and it steers us away from sin because it desires to serve God and not Satan. The fruits of the Holy Spirit evident in us are listed in the passage above and it shows that there is no room for sin. When we are confronted by sin, we know it because we are reminded by the Holy Spirit and our response should be to run away from it because if we court sin, we cannot serve God. When I am reminded by the Holy Spirit about doing something that is not pleasing to God, I submit myself into God’s hands and run from it. Satan attacks us in very subtle ways and walking close to God helps us hear His voice which directs us away from sin. This is hard for me to talk about because I know my brokenness and my propensity to sin but I also know that Christ has won the victory and as long as I am His, I am protected.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Romans 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.