Saturday, December 24, 2016

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus, December 24

December 24
Leviticus: 25:8-22

In Leviticus 25:3-4  He (God) told Moses they couldn’t sow during that year.  “The land is to have a rest.” (Vrs 5) Have you ever heard of a company that would take a year off every six years?  No way!  That’s crazy! We have to make money!  We have to produce!  We can’t miss all those opportunities!  Many business owners (and customers) think it’s weird enough when a Christian company like Chik fill a-closes on Sundays.  Yet, they remain one of the most profitable fast food corporations, as well as one of the most respected, in the world.

Their corporate leaders understand this basic principle that God first gave to the Israelites.  By  letting the land lie fallow, they allowed the depleted nutrients to restore themselves.  This even seemed weird to the Israelites, since they didn’t have county extension agents to perform agricultural soil testing.  God revealed the right thing for them to do, asking them to trust him on faith.  (Today farmers usually rotate crops that draw out different nutrients-and utilize chemical restoration-so they never have to let the land sit fallow. Groeschel C. (2011) THE REST IS UP TO YOU. In WEIRD.  (2011 Ed). Grand Rapids, MI : Zondervan

Today, the eve of Christ Child’s birth is celebrated.  In Christ, like the land, man must rest.  In Christ, we are made righteous, perfect and holy.  All striving, work and effort must stop and faith in Christ begins!  

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesian 2:8-10

No comments: