Finding the Messiah December 11

Finding the Messiah December 11
Leviticus 19:1-16

“We have said that holiness is not about separation or about behavior, but chapters 19 and 20 might tend to make one wonder. They introduce themselves by saying that Israel should be holy because their God is holy. Obviously that does not mean God is separated in some way from certain aspects of his creation or that he is a rule keeper at heart. Any separation on God's part is a consequence of his dedication to the purpose of loving and caring for his creation. The rules he makes are part of that purpose.

As we read through this list of commandments we can see how that care is shown in many details – respecting parents, ensuring regular time for rest and contemplation, and providing for strangers and the poor. Some aspects of these commandments are particularly noteworthy and interesting:
Leviticus 19:15,16 shows that it is not just about what we must not do but also about what we should not neglect to do, since a great support of evil comes from our failure to stand up against wrong doing when we are not personally the target”

This advent prayerful find how for yourself you will stand up against evil, and begin to act on it.
I.E. Give up a Christmas gift and donate to a godly cause. How are you going to support God’s holiness?


Excerpt From: John Turner. “Lessons from Leviticus.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/9oBi1.l

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 9

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 9

Leviticus 18:1-18

“Though it is popular today to tolerate or even encourage homosexuality, the Bible is clearly opposed to any form of homosexual practice.  Our society does not permit kleptomaniacs to indulge their tendencies by going about taking from others anything they please.  Whether these individuals are born with kleptomaniac tendencies, or they have acquired it as a disease of the mind, is not relevant to the issue.  Neither is an acceptable excuse or cause to give expression to the antisocial desire to steal. 

A normal sex drive gives rise to desires which we learn to control and repress in the interest of social harmony.  Most of us, men and women, whether heterosexual or otherwise, manage to avoid committing sexual crimes such as rape.  Some heterosexuals choose to remain single rather than marry.  A good proportion of those who are married manage to obey God and avoid giving social offense by not committing adultery.

Perhaps those homosexuals who wish to observe Biblical principles could manage to similarly control their urges and abstain from sexual activity that God says displeases him.  Theft is prohibited in thought ('Thou shalt not covet') as well as in deed. 

Excerpt From: John Turner. “Lessons from Leviticus.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/9oBi1.l

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 8

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus, December 8 Leviticus 17

We often forget that the Israelite worship center was a slaughterhouse. It was a place where birds were torn apart with bare hands, where the plunge of knives turned livestock into dead-stock, where blood flowed in trenches, and the odor of charred flesh filled the nostrils of worshipers. Death was ever present in the house of God—a reminder of the consequences of sin.”

“We are spared the necessity of such a messy corollary to our worship. Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice we need to escape the penalty due to our sin, becoming effective for us when we put our faith in him. Nothing we can do will either earn or add to our acceptance by God through Christ.”

“Yet there is this: God desires the free offering of our worship. “With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name” (Hebrews 13:15). It pleases God when we praise him, not in the hope of receiving anything in return, but just because we love him for all he is and all he has done.

Our worship is always a response to God giving to us. And as his mercy and grace are infinite, so our worship must never be ending, daily, even moment by moment. Death will only modulate our singing of “Holy, holy, holy” upward to richer chords of praise.

Such worship resounds with goodness. In this sense, it is no “sacrifice” at all; it takes nothing away from us but only gives. Worship is a circular system of blessings. God is the source, and we are the happy participants.

[I pray]

Lord, may my praise to you flow more freely than the blood of bulls in temple days. I worship you for your great goodness to me.”

Excerpt From: Thomas Nelson. “NLT, Personal Worship Bible, eBook.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/B1p_7.l

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 6

Leviticus 16:1-14

Take some time and study the differences between the old and new sacrifice.

Old System of Sacrifice                                     New System of Sacrifice 

Was temporary (Hebrews 8:13)                       New Is permanent (Hebrews 7:21) 

Aaron first high priest (Leviticus 16:32)         Jesus only High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) 

From tribe of Levi (Hebrews 7:5)                       From tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14) 

Ministered on earth (Hebrews 8:4)                       Ministers in heaven (Hebrews 8:1-2) 

Used blood of animals (Leviticus 16:15)              Uses blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:4-12) 

Required many sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-3)         Requires one sacrifice (Hebrews 9:28)

Can you find the Messiah in Leviticus?

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 5

Finding the Messiah in Leviticus December 5 Leviticus 15:16-33

The verses in this section are not implying that sex is dirty ordisgusting. God created sex for (1) the enjoyment of married couples, (2) the continuation of the race, and (3) the preservation of the covenant. Everything must be seen and done with a view toward God’s love and ultimate authority. Sex is not separate from spirituality and God’s care. God is concerned about our sexual habits, for they form and reveal our relationship to our heavenly Father. He designed us, including our sexuality, as wonderfully complex and unified spiritual creatures. We tend to separate our physical and spiritual lives, but there is an inseparable intertwining. God must be Lord over our whole being—including our sex lives. In what ways do you acknowledge your relationship with God in your sexuality? Read Ephesians 5:21-33. What “profound mystery does our Sexuality reveal? How does this section reveal both God’s demand for Holiness and how Jesus Christ meets that demand?