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Post by Poet Maybe on Jan 28, 2023 14:40:55 GMT
Day 28 (Exodus 32-34)
Aaron, Aaron, Aaron… How soon you forget. Was it not you when in Egypt saw God work through your brother Moses? And did not the Lord your God set you and your sons apart for Himself? Did not God have lavish garments made for you? And now you make idols of gold to replace the Lord your God. How quick are we to try to replace God in our lives when something doesn’t go our way? How quick do we reach for a bottle or some other god? Just as the Israelites had heard God’s commands spoken to them, we too know them. And yet like them we are quick to break them. Stiff-necked people… now there is a phrase for you. Referring to the stubbornness of the people. Self-centered, so focused on themselves that they would not turn and see the truth.
Moses on the other hand, seems to be what these stiff-necked people need. He gets stubborn with God on their behalf. He reminds God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then he tells God if you are going to destroy the people to take him instead. Time and again Moses intercedes for the people. Christ interceded for me with more than offers of words; He gave His life so I may live.
1/28/23
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Post by Poet Maybe on Jan 29, 2023 19:59:16 GMT
Day 29 (Exodus 35-40)
Focusing on chapter 36:4-7 (So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.) The people brought so much that the workers had to stop their work. I can only imagine that they had so much stuff that they no longer had a place to put it. So they had to go to Moses and have him tell the people to stop making offerings. WOW!!! Just WOW!! That must have been something to see.
1/29/23
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Post by Poet Maybe on Jan 30, 2023 14:22:47 GMT
Day 30 (LEVITICUS 1-4)
Leviticus starts with offerings. Burnt offering, Grain offering, Fellowship offering and sin offering. Notice; all the offerings are to be without defect. They were to give the best of what they were offering. Holding nothing back. I for one am glad we no longer need to sacrifice animals for our atonement. (Christ was our perfect final sacrifice) But could you imagine the sight and smell if we still did this? Bulls, goats, lambs and birds… Oh My!! sooo much blood.. So much sin. I’m sure the EPA would be up in arms from the smoke and fumes. As would the animal cruelty people.
1/30/23
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Post by pastor on Jan 30, 2023 17:52:38 GMT
January 29, 2023 Exodus 35-40
In these chapters we see how God prepared the people to build the tabernacle. First He had provided them all the gold and silver, that they would need when they took the silver and gold and fine things from the Egyptians. Second He raised up men with the skills to do the work. When God needs something done He raises up the men and women that He chooses. Think about that God may be raising you up for something that you don’t even realize yet, but never be afraid of God’s call, for He will equip you for whatever He has planned for you.
Now my favorite part – people kept giving and giving and giving to God until they literally had too much and Moses had to tell them to stop. How different that is from today, where so often God’s plans and God’s house are at the bottom of our giving. Once again God proves that His will done His way will never lack His supply.
Moses consecrated each piece at the put it together, and God filled the place with so much of His glory Moses could not go into it. Wow wouldn’t you have just like to have been there?
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Post by pastor on Jan 30, 2023 18:22:12 GMT
January 29, 2023 Exodus 35-40
In these chapters we see how God prepared the people to build the tabernacle. First He had provided them all the gold and silver, that they would need when they took the silver and gold and fine things from the Egyptians. Second He raised up men with the skills to do the work. When God needs something done He raises up the men and women that He chooses. Think about that God may be raising you up for something that you don’t even realize yet, but never be afraid of God’s call, for He will equip you for whatever He has planned for you.
Now my favorite part – people kept giving and giving and giving to God until they literally had too much and Moses had to tell them to stop. How different that is from today, where so often God’s plans and God’s house are at the bottom of our giving. Once again God proves that His will done His way will never lack His supply.
Moses consecrated each piece at the put it together, and God filled the place with so much of His glory Moses could not go into it. Wow wouldn’t you have just like to have been there?
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Post by pastor on Jan 30, 2023 18:23:55 GMT
January 30, 2023
Leviticus 1-4
Now we come to Leviticus. This is one of the hardest books to read and understand because of all the details about the sacrifices. Remember that the sacrifices were to be a foretelling of Jesus and His sacrifice. The great detail reminds us of all the prophecies of Jesus and how He fulfilled every one of them. There was such great detail God put into the life and death of Jesus so that
1. His sacrifice would be complete and so nothing or no one would ever have to die because of sin again. 2. That we would be absolutely sure that Jesus was the Messiah, and that He was the Son of God who took away the sins of the world.
In today’s reading I was struck once again how many times it says “you shall lay hands on it”. When you took an animal up for sacrifice for your sin, the last thing you did before you killed it was to wipe your hands on it. You were wiping off your sin onto the animal and then you killed it. What a powerful image of what happens when we turn to Christ. We wipe our “hands” on the cross where Christ paid for all our sins and then we “killed” that sin. There is something about understanding that we are to kill the sin, how have you “killed” the sin in your life?
Notice in the grain offering that they were not allowed any leaven in the offering. Remember that leaven was a symbol for sin, (Matthew 16:16, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).
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Post by pastor on Jan 31, 2023 3:05:15 GMT
January 31, 2023 Leviticus 5-7
In the readings it begins with talking about touching anything unclean the person becomes unclean. This is what sin does, when we touch sin, in any way it’s curse comes back on us, it affects us and takes away our purity, and cleansing. As you saw in the video and in previous ones Jesus touches uncleanliness and His righteousness is transferred to what He touches not the other way around. Why because God has covered all sin.
God makes sure even the poorest of the poor can make their offering for sin and be forgiven, even if all he has is flour. God wants all men to be clean, and today there is no reason for anyone to not be forgiven and cleansed, salvation is free
Notice that if we steal from another, or a store or anyone we are to return it (or the monetary equivalent) plus 20% more. Have you ever stolen from anyone. What a great time to make up for it if you can, and what a great witness to Jesus if you do.
There were a lot of rules back then. It makes me laugh when I hear people say Christianity has too many rules. If they only knew what it was like before Jesus.
Having trouble with anybody – read the Psalm closely today.
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Post by pastor on Feb 1, 2023 13:27:18 GMT
February 1, 2023 Leviticus 8-10
Have you ever wondered why God had Moses apply the blood to the right ear, right thumb, and right toe. The answer is something that we should all keep in mind.
The Right ear – Moses consecrated Aaron’s ear so that it would hear clearly the Word of God. The Right thumb – Moses consecrated the right thumb so that Aaron would do the will of God, that his hands would be dedicated to God and everything he did would be consecrated to God. The Right to – Moses consecrated the toe so that Aaron would walk in the ways of God’s commandments. Why the right side – because that was the side of power, symbolizing that Aaron would do all things in God’s power.
We need to remember that our ears, thumbs, and toes have been marked with the blood of Jesus. Maybe it would be a good reminder to paint them for a day or two as a reminder that they as well as all of us have been consecrated to God.
God burnt up two of Aaron’s sons because they quickly became careless with God’s commands. They did not mix the incense the way that God had commanded but took shortcuts. My Bible calls it unauthorized fire, others call it strange fire, what it means is that they did not follow God’s instructions. We need to always remember that ourselves, and never take God’s grace for granted.
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Post by pastor on Feb 2, 2023 14:46:07 GMT
February 2, 2023 Leviticus 11-13
The video does help explain all the teachings about clean and unclean. I have heard many explanations of why God set apart certain animals as clean and unclean. Some of them are a. Health reasons – for example we know that a pig is a meat that can easily make you sick if not cooked properly, certain sea creatures will make you sick, and so on. b. God wanted to separate them from other nations even in the what they ate. c. Cultural reasons. The truth is I don’t know and I don’t think anybody else understands them all.
The diseases makes more sense. Of course a person with a disease is unclean and needs to be separated from the others. And it make sense to get rid of the cups and other things that a mouse or rat died in. So a lot of them were good practices to protect the others.
A woman giving birth went through a lot to become clean again, I am not sure if it was because of the holiness of giving birth that would separate her, or the bleeding that happen during and after. Things were a lot different then.
Give God a prayer of thanks that we are free from these laws, for we are made clean not by our actions but by the blood of Jesus.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 2, 2023 17:30:29 GMT
Day 33 (LEVITICUS 11-13)
Clean and unclean.. To be or not to be… to eat or not to eat.
Some of these are understandable at the time. As some animals carried diseases that could be transmitted to humans. Some due to improper cooking or handling could be harmful. I am not sure as to why some of these were considered unclean at that time but are acceptable now. But I wouldn’t question God. I also don’t understand why the purification time for a woman who gave birth to a girl would need to be longer than that of a boy. Below is how some Jews explain the “Defiling Skin Diseases”: {Leviticus 13, is ostensibly about skin diseases: tzara'at But as we'll see, this external condition is really a sign of an internal moral condition. Though outwardly, tzara'at would seem to be a mysterious skin disease, Inwardly, it reveals something about the human condition,}
But it may have been some type of contagious disease common to the time. (probably not leprosy the symptoms do not indicate that.)
2/02/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 3, 2023 2:20:40 GMT
February 3, 2023
Leviticus 14-15
Requirements for Leprosy
When Jesus told the leper in Matthew 8:3 to go show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices Moses commanded, this is what He was talking about. To shave off all your hair down to your eyebrows wow, yet what a powerful symbol that the old is gone and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). It helps us to understand the power of baptism today.
Laws for cleaning houses
Sounds like mold doesn’t it. I wonder if that was God’s way of protecting them from mold. We know today how bad it can be. Just a thought.
Law for discharges
The first section of this chapter discharges referred to our ones from wounds, infections and the like, this would include diarrhea.
The second deals with semen and if a man has sexual relations or a discharge for other reasons.
For the woman menstrual discharges or any of blood made her unclean along with everything she touched, if she has a continual flow of blood (Mark 5:25-34) she was always unclean and must stay outside of camp. What misery that woman must have lived through until Jesus healed her.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 3, 2023 14:44:24 GMT
Psalm 34:1-10 A soothing balm to a weary soul.
I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
2/03/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 4, 2023 13:24:59 GMT
February 4, 2023 Leviticus 16-18
The Day of Atonement. One of the most holy days of all when God would forgive the sins of all the people. Here is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us. After the High Priest would make atonement for his own sins and his families sin. He would take two goats, one would be sacrificed it’s blood shed for the people’s sin. Reminding us of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us. The other was driven into the wilderness to be lost and never return. This was to remind the people of Israel and also us that our sins are truly gone and will never return. Perhaps this is what King David was thinking about when he wrote: As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12
Chapter 17 starts with a command that nobody shall sacrifice animals anywhere else but at the temple. This was specifically to keep the people from sacrificing to idols or demons, which was common back then in fact it was expected. It is the first commandment “You shall have no other Gods”, by this command God calls them once again to separate them from the cultures, traditions, and gods of others and live for Him alone.
God teaches them why they should not eat blood when He says in verse 11: For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement. Isn’t it amazing sitting here with diabetes which is in reality a blood disease, it makes you realize that our life really is in our blood. This is why we give blood today, blood is still where life is found. Now we are no longer prohibited from eating blood today because the blood of Christ has fulfilled God’s atonement and there is no atonement left to be made.
Finally the sexual sins. We would think that all these would be common sense, but in those days it was not, sexual sin was rampant. These rules were unique in the world they lived in.
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Post by Poet Maybe on Feb 4, 2023 15:09:26 GMT
Day 35 (LEVITICUS 16-18)
You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.
Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.’” ============================================= These verses stood out to me this morning. The first one: if we must obey the laws, then we better know them and place them in our hearts. I especially was drawn to the part that says: for the person who obeys them will live by them. It is not enough just to know the laws we are to live by them. —-------------- The second read; keep my requirements and do not follow any of the things the other people did. We can’t say, “well everybody else is doing it.” or “there’s no law (man’s law) against it.”
2/04/23
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Post by pastor on Feb 5, 2023 12:46:15 GMT
February 5, 2023 Leviticus 19-20
In this first part of 19 I can almost hear Jesus giving the sermon on the mount. Do not be greedy leave plenty for the poor Give fair wages, so not deal falsely with another Do not hate your brother but love your neighbor. Jesus never really taught anything new – He just brought out what the Father had told them a long time ago and they had forgot.
God has strong words for mediums or necromancers (those who speak to the spirits and the dead), how common fortune telling, Tarot cards, and Spiritualist have become today, and sadly so many accept them. We forget that any influence, any insight, any power they may have is from Satan and listening to them is damning.
Like the part about standing up before the gray head. (Now that I have one)
God makes it very clear to stay away from child sacrifice, and makes it very clear what the punishment should be, yet the Israelites would struggle with this again and again. Sometimes it amazes me that God did not wipe them all out and start over again, but even then sin would reign until Christ.
Herer is the first place (I may be wrong) that God lays down the rule to not marry your half-sister. (Remember Abraham did). Up to then it was allowed.
The summation of all this Live Holy – we are to be set apart from the world. Do not live like others, live your life for God alone.
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