Feb 21 Leviticus 1-6, Numbers 15 The Awfulness of Sin

The descriptions of the various sacrifices can be tedious. Hang in there - we will get through them. Again, every detail can have significance.

Notice how gross it is for the person giving a burnt offering in atonement for his sin - it is totally gross - the hide, the guts, and all of the blood, not to mention slitting its throat! Our sin is that awful to God. Dwell on that thought. Also, these sacrifices would have been very expensive to offer for their sin. So, is the offering of God (Jesus) for our sin. Think about that.

Feb 20 Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16, Numbers 28-29 The Feasts of Israel All Point to Christ

For the Jew, the appointed feasts point mainly to historical events, but for the Christian, the feasts point ahead to Christ. Nearly every detail of the feasts pre-figure the significance of Christ.

As we work through the Book of Genesis this year, we will celebrate each of the feasts by preaching on them and their significance to us. This week, I will preach on the Feast of Purim, not an appointed feast of Moses. On March 24th, I will preach on the Passover.

Feb 19 False Prophets Might Do Miraculous

God may choose to allow Satan to use the miraculous to test God's people. We should know that the miraculous is a snare if the enticement is to follow another God (or person). We have been warned!

Note how God feels about His name being blasphemed. How casually we curse God today due to lack of fear of God. However, His commandment has been given to instruct us, even warn us.

God expects us to give Him our 1st and our best in our giving to support the work of the Levites (local church in today's context). Not the leftovers. Andy Stanley says our priorities are often shown below, but this is not God's direction:

1. spend (on ourselves)
2. pay debts (what we over spent on ourselves)
3. pay our taxes (self-protection)
4. Save (for ourselves)
5. Give (if anything is left)

Our priorities in money management speak volumes about our spirituality - temporal vs. eternal, trusting God, etc. This is why tithing is embedded in the section on worship in Deuteronomy.

Exodus 34:21 gives a very interesting insight into the reasons for the Sabbath - no plowing or harvesting can be done on Sabbath Days. Taking a day of rest in seven is needed for our own well-beings. But there is also an element of trusting God for our sustenance. 

Feb 18 Religious and Ceremonial Laws Have Their Place

We will be reading over 600 various laws given by Moses over the next days. This can become tedious. However, look for the character of God in these laws.

Today, God wants ALL worship. People who worship other gods displease God greatly - then and today. It was a serious offense to worship another god in the covenant community of Israel. Anyone doing this could lead others astray - perhaps generations. Sin almost never remains a private affair. Others are almost always swept into sin's vortex.

Notice who were the 1st to be involved in the execution of others - the accuser(s). Think about those implications!

Notice also, that the tithe (tenth of everyone's increase) was an integral part of everyone's worship. This is still true, today.

Feb 17 Deuteronomy 9-11 Grace, Obedience, More Blessing

In these chapters, you can see a supernatural law at work. The people are blessed to be chosen by God among the peoples of the world. They were not chosen because they were more numerous or more righteous than others.

God promised that if they obeyed Him, even more blessings would follow. In Chapter 11, material blessing would come from rain. Israel is located on the backside of a desert. When it rains in season, the increase of the land is plentiful. When it doesn't rain, there is famine. God tied the rain to their obedience.

God first chose us to. He gave us His Son for forgiveness, certainly not because we were deserving. And as we obey, we are given more grace and blessing. But God's grace in our times is not always in material blessing, but sometimes in eternal blessings and contentment.

The Israelites were put in a geographical place where they were dependent on the material blessings of God to not only thrive, but in many circumstances just to survive. We are to live our lives in the same way - always dependent on God! He is the ultimate source of every good thing we have. We, like the Israelites, are called to live a life of dependent faith.

Feb 16 Deuteronomy 5-8 Godliness to Come From a Strong Family

There is much to commend in these writings, but I would like to focus on the importance of family in God's economy. Believers must marry each other. God clearly warns - again- and this isn't the last of the warnings -  that an unbelieving spouse tends to pull the believer away from God. Why is this? Remember the Garden. Our sin nature naturally pulls us toward independence from the true God. The primary way that godliness is to be passed on to the next generation is through the parents. This is a difficult task made much more difficult when both parents aren't godly believers. The basic unit of God's kingdom is the family.

As the family has broken down in America, so has Christianity. As a church, we must do extra to help broken families teach God and His ways to the next generation. We need committed men and women who want to help. If our children can't get godly role models at home, let's help them get some at church. It would be even better to help ungodly parents to become godly and to encourage them to do their correct job of godly parenting.

Be there for your family now - or for your future family - and for maybe some others in the church.

Feb 15 Deuteronomy 1-4 The God Who Invades Our Time and Space

Secular humanists and naturalists either deny the existence of God or deny that He supernaturally "invades" our time and space. But the 1st 4 chapters of Dt. reminds us that God surely does! Moses reminds the Israelites the God made the starry hosts, so it is crazy and blasphemous to worship them. Moses reminds the people of all the mighty acts of God in Egypt and in the desert. The LORD (Yahweh) is the only God - "There is no other."

Moses establishes God as the One who has chosen the Israelites and who has brought them to the border of the Promised Land. God has shown Himself worthy of worship and obedience. Moses reminds the people of his disobedience and their forefathers'. He warns the people of the dire consequences of further disobedience.

I hope that you read these chapters and feel the awesomeness of God. He is worthy of our worship and obedience. "There is no other."