ANSWERS TO PRAYER; HOLINESS AND THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL; WHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM?

FEB 28- TODAY’S READINGS FROM THE ONE YEAR BIBLE

Leviticus 22:17-23:44; Mark 9:30-10:12; Psalm 44:1-8; Proverbs 10:19

ANSWERS TO PRAYER and TODAY’S READINGS- HOLINESS AND THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL; WHO IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM

In past months many have been praying for Said Musa, an Afghan Christian who had been arrested in May in Afghanistan and sentenced to be executed for his conversion to Christianity. After an aggressive campaign to bring attention to this story, an international diplomatic effort was made and representatives from the US and Italian embassies offered him asylum.

According to a letter dated Feb 13, after the foreign representatives left the room, Musa was visited by three Afghan officials who told him that he would be released within 24 hours if he wrote a statement declaring that he regretted his conversion to Christianity.

“I laughed and replied, ‘I can’t deny my Savior’s name,’’” Said wrote, “Because my life is just service to Jesus Christ and my death is going to heaven where Jesus Christ is. I am a hundred percent ready to die. They pushed me much and much. I refused their demands.”

Musa was then transferred back to his prison cell.

On February 21 an official from the US Embassy in Kabul confirmed that Said Musa was released and is safely out of the country.

However, according to a report from the International Christian Concern Organization, another Afghan Christian, Shoaib Assadullah, remains behind bars and faces the same charges of apostacy that Musa was rescued from.  Shoaib was arrested for giving a Bible to a man who later reported him to authorities. In a letter dated February 17, smuggled out of prison in northern Afghanistan, Assadullah expressed fears that his execution in imminent.

He writes: “The court’s decision is most definitely going to be the death penalty for me, because the prosecutor has accused me under the Clause 139 of the criminal code which says, ‘If the crime is not cited in the criminal code, then the case has to be referred to Islamic Sharia law.”

International Christian Concern regional manager, Aidan Clay writes, “We still have a long road ahead before we witness religious freedom in Afghanistan. We must remain vigilant and keep the public and diplomatic pressure alive by continuing to shout with one voice for Shoaib Assadullah until together, we can also celebrate his release.”

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Leviticus 22:17-23:44

In Leviticus 19 The Lord speaks to Moses saying:  

"Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”  (19:2)

This is the theme of Leviticus. The Lord, who is present in the midst of His people, is holy. Therefore His people must properly recognize their sin and pursue practical personal holiness in the light of their redemption through the Tabernacle.

Why are they to be holy? The reason is given repeatedly. “For I the LORD your God am holy.” 16 times in the midst of the listing of commands in Leviticus 19 we hear the proclamation:  “I am the Lord” or “I am the Lord your God”.  His commands are not arbitrarily given. They are based on His character. They are related to His person. The Lord is making known that if He is to identify Himself with His people they must identify with Him in a manifest way.

Notice that God does not call His people to be holy until He first redeems them and makes them His own. The Book of Leviticus does not come before the Book of Exodus. Holiness does not come before redemption. Holiness is a result of redemption. We do not become holy so that God will redeem us and call us His own. He redeems us and calls us His own so that we can receive His presence and be holy. It is only as a result of being identified with the One who brought us out of bondage (our Redeemer) and tabernacled among us (our Holiness)  that we can bring forth holiness.

HOW IMPORTANT IS HOLINESS?

We were created in God’s image- to tell the truth about God.  But all of us, through the deceitfulness of sin, have abandoned truth-telling. We need to be restored to our original place and function. This is the restorative work that is to follow redemption.  The Lord buys us out of our slavery, pays our debt and ransom, and brings us out of the place of bondage into our full inheritance to make us a people who can proclaim His virtues.

1 Peter 2:9 (NASB) ⁹ But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Our behavior will reflect the God (or gods) we worship. Personal and national corruptions mirror their idolatries.  Israel was called to manifest the character of God and demonstrate the ways and truths of God by living according to His laws as a distinctly different people.

There were 613 commandments in the Law, 248 positive “Thou shalts” and 365 negative “Thou shalt nots” .  Throughout  the centuries scribes debated which of these 613 was “the Great Commandment”.  Jesus quoted a pair that summarize them all and thereby proves that we all fall short of keeping them and need a Savior.

First, Jesus quotes from the “Shema”, the statement of faith (Deuteronomy 6:5) which is recited or sung daily by every Jew:

Matthew 22:37-38 (NASB)
³⁷ And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' ³⁸ "This is the great and foremost commandment.”

To their surprise Jesus continued:

Matthew 22:39 (NASB) ³⁹ "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

Here Jesus quotes Leviticus 19:18 and adds:

Matthew 22:40 (NASB)
⁴⁰ "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Jesus is again explaining the kind of holiness that God requires is a righteousness that is greater than that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20)-- 100% devotion to God and love towards others.  This is a righteousness and a love that we do not have. It describes the fully responsive heart of devotion that we were originally created to have, not the heart of stone and corruption that resulted from the Fall of Adam.

Jesus’ answer condemned the Pharisees as lawbreakers by highlighting the way they were mistreating their neighbor, Jesus.

The New Testament agrees that the test of an authentic love for God will be expressed in loving our neighbors as ourselves (1 John 3:10-18;4:7-21). The gospel tells us that the righteousness and the love we need and cannot attain is a gift to be found in the person and work of the Messiah, Jesus.

The call to holiness is continued in Leviticus 20.

Leviticus 20:26 (NASB) 'Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.

Leviticus 20:7-8 (NASB) ⁷ 'You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. 'You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Notice how this verse foreshadows the gospel! It contains a PROMISE! The Lord God says: “Be holy, for I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”  HE is our sanctifier! This reminds us of what we read in the New Testament:

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NIV) ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

In chapter 20 you will notice the severe punishment for sexual sins in Leviticus 20:10-21.

“The One Year Bible Companion” notes:

The detestable acts listed here were very common in the pagan nations of Canaan; their religions were rampant with sex goddesses, temple prostitution, and other gross sins. The Canaanites’ immoral religious practices reflected a decadent culture that tended to corrupt whoever came in contact with it. By contrast, God was building a nation to make a positive influence in the world. So he prepared the people for what they would face in the promised land and commanded them against falling into the trap of such sexual sins.

Sexual sins were dealt with very swiftly and harshly in the Old Testament. God had no tolerance for such acts for the following reasons: (1) They shatter the mutual commitment of married partners; (2) They destroy the sanctity of the family; (3) They twist people’s mental well-being; and (4) they spread disease. Sexual sin has always been widely available, but the glorification of sex between people who are not married to each other often hides deep tragedy and hurt behind the scenes. When society portrays sexual sin as attractive, it is easy to forget the dark side. God has good reasons for prohibiting sexual sins. He loves us and He wants the very best for us.

Leviticus 21 and 22 contain regulations for the priests. They bore the serious of representing a Perfect Mediator who would have the strength and the unblemished nature required to make atonement for sin (Lev 21:1-22:16).  This was to be true of the animal sacrifices also (22:17-33).

LEVITICUS 23

We learned about the seven feasts of Israel in Exodus 23. In Leviticus 23 we read of them again:

THE SABBATH – OUR RESTING IN THE TRUSTWORTHINESS AND SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST (23:1-3)

The Sabbath is modeled on the seventh day of creation in which God rested in the satisfactory completion of His creative work (Gen 2:2). God said ‘It was good!’ We can rest in what God is pleased with.

The Sabbath is a gift (Exodus 16:23-30). To further illustrate this the Lord gave twice as much manna on the sixth day, manna that would not grow stale or moldy, so that no one would need to work for food on the Sabbath day. God’s people could not only cease from their own labors but rest in what God provided. And equally  miraculous was the reinforcing fact that there would be no manna on the ground to collect on the seventh day.  God’s people were being trained and commanded (in the Decalogue) to “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy”. 

The Sabbath Day was a reminder that God’s people can rest in the character of their Creator and Redeemer and all that He has done and will do on their behalf.  It was to be a day of rest and worship. It was to be a day for a “holy convocation” where God’s people come together. God knows our need for physical rest and worshipping together as a gathered company of believers. The daily sacrifice for six days of the week would be one lamb. Two lambs were offered on the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9,19). We can worship every day during the week but our joys are doubled when we are able to gather together on the first day of the week and worship Him together in a holy convocation!

The law to keep the Sabbath Day is not repeated in the New Testament.  We have the report that the disciples gathered on the First Day of the Week as a testimony to the Resurrection. Jesus is the One who finishes the work of redemption. Just as God was satisfied when the work of creation was finished, so God is satisfied when the work of redemption was finished.  Jesus cried from the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The work of redemption is perfect. God rests in it and we can too.  We rest in that which satisfies the heart of the father. The Bible word for the satisfaction that fulfills the requirements of justice and releases God’s delight in mercy is called “propitiation”.  (1 John 2:2; 4:10; Romans 3:25; Heb 2:17)

Jesus invites us to enter into a lasting Sabbath rest:

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) ²⁸ "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This Sabbath is an ongoing state of rest that reflects an ongoing state of trusting Jesus. It is not limited to a 24 hour period. This original seventh day was one with no evening or morning; no beginning or ending.  This is a prophecy of an eternal day of rest.  The first six days have an evening and a morning (Gen 1:5,8,13,19,23,31); a beginning and an ending. The seventh day is described without any reference to beginning and ending (Genesis 2:1-2). Melchizadek, the priest who had no genealogy listed in the Bible, no record of beginning or ending of days, is a type of Christ in His eternal priesthood. The seventh day, with no record of beginning or ending, is a type of the eternal sabbath rest we have in Christ.

“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

The writer of Hebrews speaks about the Sabbath rest that is ours to enter into in Christ. He reminds us that we can rest in the sufficiency of God’s promise even as we can rest in the perfection of His accomplished work of redemption (Hebrews 4:2).

The Sabbath Day of the Old Testament is not a sufficient rest for God’s people, according to Hebrews 4:4.  The New Testament clearly teaches that the Sabbath is a shadow of what was to come in substance in Christ (Colossians 2:16-17). Like the sacrifices of the Tabernacle, it was a placeholder and sign-post for the future grace that was to come. The Holy Spirit prophesied through David of CERTAIN DAY of hearing God’s voice with a new heart that delights to do God’s will (Hebrews 4:7). “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” (Heb 4:9). The writer implies that the rest is found not in keeping the Sabbath day but in resting in the Person of our Sabbath. We can enjoy an ongoing state of rest in the sufficiency of His Word and His work as the Perfect High Priest on our behalf (Hebrews 4:11-16). We need to abandon our own brand of self-justifying works and enter by faith into what brings rest to the heart of God— the perfections of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:10).

THE SABBATH YEAR- THE PROMISED RENEWAL OF THE LAND (Lev 25:18-22)

Not only were the people to reflect rest in the sufficiency of their Creator and Redeemer, but the land was to enjoy this relationship.

The promise of redemption affects the earth. Adam and Eve did not rest in the sufficiency of God’s word when they were tempted in the garden. As a result of their disobedience the land was cursed and turned to a wilderness. Jesus, the second man, and last Adam, was tempted in the wilderness. He rested in the sufficiency of God’s Word (Matt 4:4). As a result of His obedience, the wilderness will be turned back to a garden.

THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER- CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS (Leviticus 23:4-5)

As we have seen in the Book of Exodus. Jesus was crucified and shed His blood on the Feast of The Passover.  God’s firstborn dies in our place, paying the penalty for sin, that the angel of justice that brings death might not strike those who put their faith in the blood of the Lamb and claim that payment as their own.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD- SEPARATION FROM SIN (Leviticus 23:6).

Notice that the Feast of Unleavened Bread comes the day AFTER the Passover. Paul notes this relationship in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

⁷ Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. (1 Cor 5:7)

Christ has made us holy (unleavened) through His sacrifice on the cross as our Passover Lamb (Heb 10:14). Now we can get rid of that sin and pursue personal holiness. This feast lasts for seven days.

THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS- RESURRECTION SUNDAY (Leviticus 23:9-14)

The day after the Sabbath after Passover is the Feast of First Fruit. The priest waves the the firstfruit sheaf of the harvest, which is the result of a seed that fell into the ground to die to rise and bring a harvest (John 12:24). This sheaf of barley, the first fruit of the harvest, is to be accepted by God as a representative of the full harvest to follow. The Jews were not allowed to eat of the harvest until the firstfruit was offered to the Lord (Lev 23:14)

FEAST OF PENTECOST (Leviticus 23:15-21) THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

Seven weeks later, on the fiftieth day, the day after the seventh sabbath,  the seventh week after the presentation of the first fruit (in Resurrection) the harvest comes in and two loaves are baked “with yeast” and presented to the Lord. This speaks of both Jews and Gentiles presented together as one, although they still have yeast (a type of sin). They are accepted because of the offerings made without defect on their behalf. This has its fulfillment in The Book of Acts, Chapter 2. (For more detail on the Significance of the Feast of Pentecost read the earlier Blog notes on Exodus 23).

THE LAW OF THE HARVEST (Lev 23:22) THE WELCOMING OF THE GENTILES

Coupled with the commandments for ritual sacrifices on the Feast of Pentecost are the laws of the harvest. The corners of the field are to be left unharvested so that the foreigner and the needy will be able to freely glean. (In the Book of Ruth we will see how Ruth, a Gentile who made an exodus from Moab to the Promised Land, finds acceptance and full provision through the kindness of this Harvest Law  and the mercy of a Kinsman Redeemer). She becomes the ancestor for our Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

THE AUTUMN FEASTS- These have prophetic significance in that they are grouped together. The Spring feasts were fulfilled in the First Coming of Christ (Passover, Resurrection First Fruit and Pentecost). The autumn feasts will be fulfilled at the Second Coming.

These feasts take place in the seventh month. The Hebrew word for ‘seven’ is derived from a root word that means, “to be full, to be satisfied.” It is also related to the word that means “to swear, to make an oath.”  The number seven is used in the Scripture in a way in which the Lord reminds us that what the Lord does and says is perfect and therefore completely and trustworthy.

THE FEAST OF THE TRUMPETS (Leviticus 23:23-25) THE CALLING OF GOD’S PEOPLE

On the first day of the seventh month, the trumpet will sound to assemble God’s people. This day becomes “the head of the year” (Rosh Hashannah) ushering in a new civil year. It’s a day for a new beginning with the Lord and is spent in prayer, meditation and confession. One day Israel will hear the call and be gathered before the Messiah.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (Leviticus 23:26-32) -WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR FORGIVENESS

In Leviticus 16 we observed that this was the Great Day in which Atonement is made for sin. This is a day of humiliation when His people recognize their sins, repent of them and are cleansed from them. (Zech 12:10-13:1)

FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Lev 23:33-36) THE JOY OF ENTERING INTO A PREPARED PLACE

This feast reminds the people of Israel of God’s blessing them with His presence tabernacling among them. He cared for them and sheltered them in the wilderness. For a season they lived in booths. One day, in the land of their inheritance, they will live in houses, a place prepared for them. (Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2-3)

This was the “Feast of Ingathering” a celebration of the completion of the harvest. This is a day of great rejoicing and by the eighth day they had offered 199 animals (Numbers 29). The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the time when Israel received their Messiah and how the Gentiles will celebrate with them (Zech 14:16-19).

NEW TESTAMENT READING:   Mark 9:30-10:12

The disciples discuss among themselves who among them was the greatest. His answer is a wonderful reality check to focus upon Him and not ourselves. Let us follow His example in the power of His Spirit.

Mark 9:35 (NASB) ³⁵ Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

TODAY’S PRAYER FOCUS: BAHRAIN

Today we pray for BAHRAIN. As popular uprisings have been sweeping the Arab world, perhaps you have seen pictures of more than 100,000 people assembled to protest in Pearl Square on February 22. What is astonishing is that those assembled were 1/10^th of the national population. According to the NY Times, this small desert kingdom is one of the most politically volatile countries in the Persian Gulf and one of the most strategically important to the USA which bases its Fifth Fleet there. 


Protestors are demanding sweeping political concessions from the ruling monarch, King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa. Pray for peaceful resolve and good government.

PRAYER REQUEST: There are many more opportunities for Saudis and Kuwaitis and local Arab communities to hear the gospel. The labor force is 59% foreign, drawing from more than 50 nations. Most are on temporary contracts and often must endure poor treatment, poor pay and unrealistic expectations from back home. Pray for the Christians among the national groups to be fruitful in evangelism. Nearly half the congregations and house groups are from South India. The less evangelized expatriate communities are Iranians, Sri Lankans, and Hindus and Muslims from India and Pakistan. (See pages 131-132 in “OPERATION WORLD”)

Pastor David

So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)

New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742

www.newlife.org

Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742

Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773  978-369-0061

Home Office: 978-371-3176

New Life Fine Arts

"Theater you can believe in."

www.newlifefinearts.org

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT FULFILLED; LAWS PERTAINING TO SEXUAL MORALITY; JESUS AND THE SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN

TODAY’S READING IN THE ONE YEAR BIBLE: 

• THE DAY OF ATONEMENT FULFILLED; 
• THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE and THE SANCTITY OF THE BLOOD
• LAWS PERTAINING TO SEXUAL MORALITY; 
• JESUS AND THE SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN
• JESUS HEALS THE DEAF MAN AND FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND
• PSALM 41 ON MERCY and PROVERBS 10 ON MONEY MANAGEMENT 

Leviticus 16:29-18:30 | Mark 7:24-8:10 | Psalm 41:1-13 | Proverbs 10:15-16

THE COMMAND FOR THE ANNUAL YOM KIPPUR (Leviticus 16:29-34)

The sacrifices required on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) were to be repeated annually. It would be a day when the people of Israel would humble themselves and observe the High Priest making the atoning sacrifices for the holy sanctuary, the priesthood and all the people of the assembly.

The New Testament Book of Hebrews speaks of Christ fulfilling Yom Kippur with a sacrifice that is so perfect that it completely satisfies God's requirements for atonement. No more sacrifices  need to be repeated. This "once and for all" sacrifice is good "for all time".

Hebrews 7:26-27 (NASB) ²⁶ For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; ²⁷ who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did ONCE FOR ALL when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 10:14 (NASB) ¹⁴ For by one offering He has perfected FOR ALL TIME those who are sanctified.

There is a remaining prophetic significance to Yom Kippur which we will learn more of when we get to Chapter 23.

Leviticus 17 deals with the place of sacrifice and the sanctity of the blood.

The Place of Sacrifice

No ox, lamb or goat could be slaughtered for food by anyone in Israel unless it was first brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting and presented to the priest as a peace offering. No one could sacrifice an animal in the field with a private ceremony, building their own altar of worship. Left to themselves, human beings will invent their own religion. God who created heaven and earth has made Himself known as a holy God and He has appointed one altar (This is a prophetic picture of the cross where Jesus was appointed to be the once and for all sacrifice).

The interjection of the command to not sacrifice to goat-demons is a reminder of the ever present danger of reverting to the idol worship of our neighbors.

The Sanctity of the Blood.

Leviticus 17:11 (NASB)
¹¹ ~'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

The eating or drinking of blood was forbidden. Why? The life of the flesh is in the blood (v.11,14) In the case of an animal, its blood is identified with its life.  In the sacrificial system, the animal is innocent, and its blood represents the life of the sinless substitute.

G. Campbell Morgan writes,

“Redemption is only possible by blood. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews gathered up the whole message of the Levitical economy in the words, "Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission." (Heb 9:22). The shedding of blood is life given up. It is necessary to make this statement emphatically, because it is now sometimes asked whether it is not permissible to say that we are saved by life, rather than by blood, seeing that the old economy declared that "the blood is the life" ? While that is perfectly true, it would still be utterly false to say that the teaching of Leviticus is that a man is saved by life. It teaches rather that he can only be saved by life given up, given up through suffering-not by blood, but by blood-shedding. The ancient symbolism was indeed awful and appalling, but the final weight of awe and horror ought to be that of the sin which made such symbolism necessary, in order to teach its real meaning to God. There are those who speak of the doctrine of salvation by the shedding of blood as being objectionable and vulgar. The shedding of blood is objectionable; it is awful, it is dastardly; but it is the ultimate expression of the activity of sin; and the whole meaning of the appalling truth is that sin, in the universe, touches the very life of God with wounding.

We know the book of Leviticus is terrible reading; it is a tragic story of blood and fire. It is time that this living message was heard anew, that sin smites God in the face, and wounds Him in the heart; and that redemption is the outcome of the tender compassion, which receives the wounding, and bends over the sinner, pardoning him by virtue of that infinite and unfathomable mystery of which the shedding of blood is the only equivalent symbolism. (G Campbell Morgan, Living Messages in the Bible)

It is through the shedding of the blood of Jesus that we have redemption.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB) ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

It is through the full atonement provided by the shed blood of Christ that we have forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 1:7 (NASB) ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

It is through the blood of Christ we can legally be pronounced righteous before a holy God (justification).

Romans 5:9 (NASB) ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Because we are justified through faith in Christ and His atoning blood, we now have peace with God (Romans 5:1). Without the shed blood of Christ that would be impossible.

Colossians 1:19-20 (NASB) ¹⁹ For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Jesus is God. He knows what it takes to sanctify a sinner.

Hebrews 13:12 (NASB)
¹² Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

As I have traveled to various countries around the world I hear believers singing in their own languages, “What can take away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” These are those who know they have been redeemed.

Law on Immoral Relations

“You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.” (Lev 18:3)

What follows are the Lord’s judgments in regard to sexual morality.  God does not want His created order (Genesis 2:24) pertaining to human sexuality to be violated.

There is reference to “uncovering the nakedness” which in some cases may merely refer to voyeurism (Gen 9:22-23) it is most commonly used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

Incest, fornication, adultery, male homosexual activity (18:22; Lev 20:13; Romans 1:27; 1 Cor 6:9) are at odds with the creation ideal of heterosexual monogamy (Gen 2).

G Campbell Morgan comments, “All the promiscuous intercourse between the sexes which inevitably tends to disease and degeneracy, was contrary to the mind of God, because it was destructive to humanity. Therefore, His people were safeguarded against those things by general command, and by detailed particularity of statement. In the interests of health and strength of national life these enactments are still of force. To break them is to bring about inevitable deterioration and ultimate destruction, The principle involved in the words has much wider application. The people of God are called upon to conform in all the ways and habits of life, not to the customs of the world, but to the mind and will of God as made known in His law. The full force of this principle is found in Paul’s injunction: “Be not fashioned according  to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). It is a requirement of which we need to remind ourselves constantly. It is so easy to be lured from our loyalty by the customs of the men and the women by whom we are surrounded. Such requirement is not capricious. It is based upon God’s loving purpose for His own, and His determination to preserve them from all destructive practices. (p. 39 G. Campbell Morgan, Searchlights from the Word)

NEW TESTAMENT READING MARK 7:24-8:10

A  Syrophoenician woman approaches Jesus with a petition that He heal her daughter who is vexed by demons. .  Mark refers to her as Syrophoenician which speaks of her political background which would be more recognizable by his Roman audience. Matthew, who is writing for a Jewish audience, refers to her as a Canaanite woman (Matt 15:22).

Jesus’ response to her begging seems off-putting, if not insulting: “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (7:27).

Jesus came first to the Jews. They were the people of the covenant, the people God prepared for the bringing forth of the Messiah. They were His ancestors. They were His own. (John 1:12). The Apostle Paul said that the gospel was to the Jew first and then the Gentile (Romans 1:16). The blessing of salvation was intended for all nations, but Jesus was indicating by His response that He was  called to recognize the appointed order. He was to first offer salvation to the people to whom He had made a covenant.

The Jews called the Gentiles ‘dogs’ because they were ‘unclean’ according to the Levitical laws of separation. Jesus did not use the term derogatorily but to demonstrate the purpose of His mission to bring deliverance to the Jews first. Then He would offer deliverance to the Gentiles in His hearing. He uses the diminutive word for ‘dogs’, meaning ‘puppies’.

But the woman’s response is one that demonstrates humility and faith. The woman knew why she was there. She was there for her daughter. She knew Jesus was her hope for her daughter’s deliverance from the grip of demonic oppression. Her hope was not in her credentials. Yes, she was a Gentile. But she was getting in line.

Mark 7:28 (NASB) ²⁸ But she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs."

She understands Jesus’ parable. She knows that she is not given a seat at the table but that there is enough on that table for every hungry soul in the entire world and she needs deliverance for her daughter now.

She comes to Jesus in humility and faith, submitting to His terms and not coming on her own.

Mark 7:29 (NASB) ²⁹ And He said to her, "Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter."

Jesus was impressed with her answer. She seems to have understood the purpose of His mission better than the people of Israel.

Tim Keller writes in his commentary on The Gospel of Mark, title “King’s Cross”:

This woman saw the gospel—that you’re more wicked than you ever believed, but at  the same time more loved and accepted than you ever dared to  hope. On the one hand, she is not too proud to accept what the gospel says about her unworthiness. She accepts Jesus’ challenge.  She doesn’t get her back up and say, “How dare you use a racial  epithet about me? I don’t have to stand for this!” Can you hear yourself saying that? But on the other hand, neither does this woman insult God by being too discouraged to take up his offer.  See, there are two ways to fail to let Jesus be your Savior. One is by being too proud, having a superiority complex—not to accept  his challenge. But the other is through an inferiority complex— being so self-absorbed that you say, “I’m just so awful that God couldn’t love me.” That is, not to accept his offer.

One of the great prayers of the English language is the prayer of approach to the Lord’s Supper, written by Thomas Cranmer, in the first Book of Common  Prayer; it’s based on this story in  Mark, and over the centuries millions of people have prayed it:

We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.

Every time anyone has ever prayed that prayer, Cranmer has been inviting them to step into this woman’s shoes and approach Jesus boldly, with rightless assertiveness. To take up both the offer and challenge of God’s infinite mercy. ”: (King’s Cross p. 89)

READ PSALM 41-

Psalm 41 is a celebration of God’s mercy. God in His infinite grace can receive guilty sinners who know that their only hope is in the mercy that can treat us in the innocence, the righteousness, of Christ.  (v.12) He upholds us in the integrity of the perfect finished work of redemption.

PRAY FOR THE NATIONS. 

As we pray for every nation of the world throughout the year, today we focus on Austria.

Challenge for Prayer

Austria, a nation of culture, music, art and beautiful scenery, lies for the most part spiritually empty. While 84% of Austrians believe in God (high for Europe), few have met Jesus personally. Rates of suicide, abortion and alcoholism indicate the great need for spiritual foundations. Pray for the shell of religion in this nation to be filled by the living presence of Christ.

-David MacAdam

Pastor, New Life Community Church
Concord, Massachusetts

So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)

New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742

www.newlife.org

Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742

Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773  978-369-0061

Home Office: 978-371-3176

New Life Fine Arts

"Theater you can believe in."

www.newlifefinearts.org

PURITY AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

FEB 24- TODAY’S READINGS IN THE ONE YEAR BIBLE

Leviticus 15-16:28 | Mark 7:1-23 | Psalm 40:11-17 | Proverbs 10:13-14

NEW TESTAMENT READING: MARK 7:1-23

JESUS- OUR PURITY

One of the benefits of reading through the One Year Bible is that we read a daily portion from both the New Testament and the Old Testament and can readily see how they correlate together. It has been said:

The New in the Old Concealed

The Old in the New Revealed.

We can see how busy the Holy Spirit is in the Book of Leviticus prefiguring the person and work of Jesus in the sacrifices and offerings.  The Spirit was communicating through the laws of cleansing, the required sacrifices for making amends for sin, and the rituals of the priesthood, a shadow image of what was to come in the New Covenant- the perfect atoning sacrifice and saving life of Christ.

“All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Tim 3:16)

“For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:10)

The writer of the Book of Hebrews, referring to the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 40, affirms that the sacrifices and offerings in the Old Mosaic Covenant prefigured what would be presented to God on our behalf in the offering of the body of Christ on the cross.

Hebrews 10:5-10 (NASB)
⁵ Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; ⁶ IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. ⁷ "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" ⁸ After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), ⁹ then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The inspired Old Covenant laws were prophesying the requirements for reconciliation between a holy God and sinful men. These are perfectly fulfilled in Christ.

Today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament is particularly relevant to what we have been reading of the cleanliness laws from the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament.

Mark 7:1-2 (NASB)  The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, ² and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

The Pharisees are outraged that the disciples of Jesus were not strictly conforming to their traditions based on the laws of cleanliness.  Mark offers an explanation to his predominantly Roman audience knowing that they were largely unfamiliar with the Jewish laws and traditions:

Mark 7:3-4 (NASB) ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; ⁴ and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)

The Pharisees wanted to discredit the ministry of Jesus by implying that the behavior of His disciples was not in conformity to the Law.

Mark 7:5 (NASB) ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"

The problem was not that the disciples were eating with dirty hands. It was that they did not perform a ceremonial washing before their meals. 


There were a variety of laws and traditions for ritual cleansing for situations in which Israelites would come in contact with the unclean. You will remember that if a person had an infectious skin disease such as a boil, rash or sores, or if a person came in contact with a dead animal or human being, or mildew on their clothes, articles in their home or their house itself, if they had any kind of bodily discharge or ate meat from an animal considered unclean, they would be considered ritually impure.  This meant that they were not permitted to worship God with the community until they were pronounced clean.

Tim Keller helps to put these ceremonial laws in perspective in his book, “King’s Cross”:

“Such strenuous boundaries seem harsh to us, but if you think about it, they are not as odd as they sound.  Over the centuries, people have fasted from food during seasons of prayer. Why? It’s an aid for developing spiritual hunger for God.  Also, people of various faiths kneel for prayer. Isn’t that rather uncomfortable? It’s an aid for developing spiritual humility. So the washings and efforts to stay clean and free from dirt and disease that were used by religious people in Jesus’ day were a kind of visual aid that enabled them to recognize that they were spiritually and morally unclean and couldn’t enter the presence of God unless there was some kind of spiritual purification.

If you are going to meet with somebody who is particularly important to you—for that big date or important job interview— you wash, you brush your teeth, you comb your hair. What are you doing? Getting rid of uncleanness, of course. You don’t want a speck or stain on you. You don’t want to smell bad. The cleanness laws were the same idea. Spiritually, morally, unless you’re clean, you can’t be in the presence of a perfect and holy God”.  (Tim Keller, King’s Cross, p.71)

Jesus certainly agreed with the fact that we are all in need of cleansing before God.  But He disagreed with them about the source of uncleanness.

Mark 7:14-16 (NASB) ¹⁴ After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ¹⁶ ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]

And then Jesus explains what truly needs cleansing. A diet of Kosher foods cannot make him clean. Nor can unclean food defile him. It is the heart that is the source of defilement. It is the heart that needs purification.

Mark 7:21-23 (NASB) ²¹ "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, ²² deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. ²³ "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

The disciples ask for a further explanation of His one sentence parable:

 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) (Mark 7:18-19)

 Mark gives another rare editorial explanation to his predominantly Romans readership—. Jesus was at this time declaring that all foods were clean.

The Mosaic regulations regarding the need for cleansing were visual object lessons to highlight what is needed to approach a holy God. The Psalmist put it this way:

Psalm 24:3-4 (NASB) ³ Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.

The laws of cleansing, like food, enter the body and leave the body without the power to cleanse the heart of its defilement. Jesus’ parable shows that it bypasses the heart altogether.

External conformity to purification regulations and rituals do not deal with the soul. Religion, politics, ethics, self-help makeovers, behaviorism, social programs, all prescribe the “outside-in” approach to life change. They do not work because what causes our problem works from the “inside out”- the sin nature.  Jesus came to give us an “inside out” solution for life change- His life.

Mark writes: Thus He declared all foods clean.

Tim Keller gives a helpful insight:

“It doesn’t read, ‘Jesus said all foods were clean.’ If it did, then maybe the meaning would be, ‘Jesus says you don’t need to worry so much about these foods, everything is all right, go ahead, eat them.’ Jesus would be saying that the cleanliness laws were an outdated idea, and let’s get beyond them. He would be giving an authoritative opinion of the subject.

But that is not what happened. It reads, ‘Jesus DECLARED’. Jesus PRONOUNCED. Greek experts and scholars agree: Jesus is saying, AS OF NOW I MAKE THESE FOODS CLEAN. I called the world into being; I called the storm to a halt; I called a girl back from death. And now I call all foods clean. In order to understand the magnitude of this, you have to remember that Jesus has an incredible high regard for the Word of God. He considers it binding, even on himself...What He is saying here is that THE CLEANLINESS LAWS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED— that their purpose, to get you to move toward spiritual purification, has been carried out. The reason you don’t have to follow them as you once did is that they’ve been fulfilled.” 

JESUS has come to be OUR PURITY before God. He gives HIS PURE LIFE for us on the cross TO REMOVE OUR IMPURITY in the sight of God and then He gives His life to us in resurrection power through the Holy Spirit TO PROGRESSIVELY PURIFY OUR HEARTS. The Holy Spirit gives us new birth with a new life and a new heart with a new nature.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Leviticus 15-16:28

DISCHARGES AND UNCLEANNESS

Leviticus 15 deals with rituals of cleansing for bodily discharges for men and women. There is a reminder in this chapter that our procreative powers have been affected by the curse. There are tensions, struggles, bothersome pains, malfunctions and messes involved with human sexuality. God is the author of sex.

There are many passages in the Bible that celebrate the beauty of sanctified sex in marriage and the virtues of male and female sexuality. But this passage reminds us that God’s purpose is to bring cleansing and healing to EVERY area of our lives.  There are natural and unnatural discharges from sexual organs. The word ‘unclean’ here does not mean ‘sinful’.  We are to guard the gift of our sexuality from being perpetually contaminated by sin. Therefore it is to be surrendered to God for its sanctified use and blessing. God made us intensely sexual creatures and wants His good and joyful purposes for our sexuality to be preserved.

God created humankind, male and female. And He said it was good. The complementariness of the sexes is good.  God created sex for the enjoyment of married couples as well as for reproducing children (being fruitful and multiplying).  Our sexuality was created to be subject to God’s love and control and to serve His purposes.  Our sexuality is linked to our spirituality. God is interested in the whole of our lives, public and private. He is the Lord of the bedroom and the boardroom.

We can be grateful that today we don’t have to be occupied with these ceremonial procedures but see them in the context of the purpose for which they were given to Israel.  God is holy and He calls His people to take seriously the fact that they were to be holy.  How wonderful it is to hear the good news that God’s demands for holiness; the heart cry for purity and the laws of cleansing are all fulfilled in Christ.

DAY OF ATONEMENT

Leviticus 16 describes the greatest day in the Hebrew calendar- The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.  This is a very public event that takes place once every year as part of the autumn feasts.  There were series of offerings to atone for sins— a ram as a burnt offering; a bull as a sin offering for Aaron himself, the High Priest and His family (16:6); and two goats, one as a sin offering for the people, and one which would be the designated ‘scapegoat’ (16:15). The blood of the sacrificed animals would be taken into the tent of meeting and beyond the veil to the inner sanctuary to be sprinkled seven times on the mercyseat over the Ark of the Covenant and beneath a cloud of incense.  As we read the Book of Hebrews in the New Testament we understand how this powerfully pictures the finished work of redemption accomplished by Christ through His atoning sacrifice on the cross (Hebrews 9:6-14).  The blood would also be taken to the outer court and applied to the horns of the altar, once again sprinkled seven times with his finger, to provide atonement for the Holy Place itself.

THE SCAPEGOAT

 One of the goats was chosen by lot to be the sin offering unto the Lord. The other goat was designated as the scapegoat.

Once the atoning sacrifices were offered and the blood sprinkled upon the mercyseat and altar, Aaron laid hands on the live goat and confessed over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the people. The sins are symbolically transferred to the scapegoat and then sent away with the scapegoat into the wilderness “by the hand of a man who stands in readiness” (another picture of Christ).

The goat bearing all the iniquities of the people is taken to a ‘no man’s land’, the wilderness of God’s forgetfulness, a solitary land where it is released.

Aaron then washes once again and offers the rams as burnt offerings for himself and the people.

READING THROUGH THE BOOK OF PSALMS

PSALM 40- In this Messianic Psalm we have the prophecy that links the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings to their fulfillment in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 40:6-8 (NASB) 6 Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart."

The Lord is mindful of us in all of our afflictions, Our prayer is that in all things He will be magnified!

Psalm 40:16 (NASB)
¹⁶ Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"

PRAY FOR THE WORLD-

This year we are praying for every nation on earth using the book, “Operation World” (www.operationworld.org) as our guide. It is available at New Life Community Church in Concord and online.

Today we continue to pray for the Arab nations in political crisis, for those recovering from the earthquake in New Zealand and the floods in Australia.

Pray for the gospel work among the unreached people in Australia.

Here is a link for that you can use as a prayer guide.

http://www.joshuaproject.net/assets/prayer-cards/en/PrayerCards-Country-AS-en.pdf

OPERATION WORLD also notes among today’s prayer requests:

Australia’s role as regional peacekeeper and stable democracy is a blessing to many Pacific and Asian countries (Timor, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, others). Thank God for the wherewithal and willpower to save lives abroad, and pray that this role would bond Australians together and establish stability overseas. Attitudes toward refugees and asylum seekers are strained by the constant inflow of people.

The precarious ecology is overexploited, in urban settings as much as in rural ones. Australia’s ecology is possibly the most fragile of any continent, and with the years-long drought and increasing use of land and water, serious ramifications for the future must be addressed. It may be that the land itself fails, even if Australian society succeeds. Government and grassroots efforts to preserve Australia’s environment are, however, admirable in their scope and commitment. Pray for wisdom in conservation and stewardship

Pastor David

So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)

New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742

www.newlife.org

Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742

Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773  978-369-0061

Home Office: 978-371-3176

New Life Fine Arts

"Theater you can believe in."

www.newlifefinearts.org