Leviticus 1:5

 ‘He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

 

The word “blood” appears in the Old Testament over 340 times.  Sixty-five of those occurrences (about 20%) are found in the book of Leviticus.  Leviticus reads as type of manual for the correct approach to the LORD God, in His tent of meeting, particularly when one has sinned against Him.  Repeatedly, the Israelites are told that they must provide the blood or their unblemished male animals as substitutionary sacrifices for their sins, to re-establish the fellowship with God broken by their sins.  All kinds of sins are covered in the book; purposeful, accidental, known, unknown—there seems to be no end to the guilt that humans bear before the Lord.  But over and over again, the Israelites are told that fellowship with the LORD can be reestablished, renewed, if they simply provide a substitute to bear their punishment in their place.  But it costs blood—the very life blood—of the best and seemingly innocent, to achieve this fellowship with the LORD.  The sacrificial system of Israel was meant to accomplish both an immediate and a long-range purpose in the life of the nation.  In the immediate sense, the sins of the people would be forgiven as they faithfully confessed their sins—as demonstrated by substitutionary animal sacrifice.  In the long-term, the daily, endless need for animal sacrifice would build into the nation a desire, a hope, an expectation that one day a final, perfect sacrifice would be made on their behalf whereby they would experience a secure, eternal restoration with the LORD—a sacrifice which would forever end the need for animal blood to daily be sprinkled about the altar on their behalf.  The staple of their religion, it seemed, was blood—unblemished, perfect, substitutionary blood, shed on their behalf, to secure forgiveness and restore their fellowship with God.

Fast forward 1400 years.  On the banks of the Jordan River, a prophet named John looks up from the water and sees a Man approaching.  He knows the Man Jesus (who is John’s cousin), but at this point, John announces to the gathered multitudes the identity of this Man.  It is the first public proclamation of His identity in thirty years—“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)  Very few of the people even knew their Scriptures well enough on that day to realize the shocking meaning of the statement John made about this Man, Jesus of Nazareth.  But those who understood knew that they were laying eyes on the perfect sacrifice, the One promised who would bear their sins away, just as countless lambs, bulls, and goats had been bearing away their sins for centuries.  Only this was a Lamb provided by God, not themselves.  This one was different than all the rest…

Let’s not get squeamish about the need for blood in the Christian faith, for it is the blood needed by sinners like us to achieve a forgiveness and a fellowship that no animal blood could ever produce.  Only, we won’t find this One’s blood sprinkled around the sides of an altar on our behalf; we will find it flowing freely down the sides of the stained, rough hewn wood of a Roman cross, on a hill, for all the world to see.

Welcome!

Have you ever thought of opening up your heart and home to children who need a safe place to live in temporary or permanent foster care?  There’s plenty of need, flexibility, support, and blessing for those who make the effort.  If you’re interested in some more information about foster care please get in touch with me!  Ken

Exodus 40:34-38

 34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; 37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. 38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

 

When the Tabernacle (an elaborate tent where God would meet with His people) of Israel was finally completed, the Lord came and filled it.  This glory was observable to the nation in the form of a cloud which rested on it by day and a fire by night.  Thus, Israel needed no further confirmation of the Lord’s presence than to simply look toward the Tabernacle and see the Lord’s cloud or His fire.  And when the cloud or fire moved off of the Tabernacle, God’s people knew it was time to break camp and move on, in whichever direction Lord indicated.  They didn’t need compasses or maps; they simply followed wherever the Lord led them.  We often think of Israel has having been lost in the Wilderness, but—but according to this text, the nation was never really lost, physically speaking.  They were simply following God, despite outward appearances to the surrounding peoples of the land.

For Christians today, our direction through the wilderness of this life is to come from God, as He reveals Himself to us in His word, the Bible, and through His indwelling presence in the soul—His Holy Spirit.  Has God communicated to you that you are to remain in a place or situation, worshiping Him and participating in the community around you?  You may feel a strong desire for other places, new experiences and challenges, and yet the Lord would have you stay where you are at, trusting Him and learning whatever lessons He has for you.  Or, perhaps He is showing you that it is time to move out in a new direction, participating in a new ministry, or taking on a new challenge to your faith.  This can be quite a test, for we can become very comfortable, and then complacent—even in a wilderness!  Whether we stay or go, pack up or dig in, our leading is to come from God.  We are to be His people looking toward our Tabernacle, the place where God meets with us.  The gospel of John tell us that Jesus Christ came to “dwell” (literally tabernacle) among us (John 1:14).  If we look to Him, the God-man who bears our sins and provides us access to our Holy Father, we will receive the guidance and direction we need for the wilderness journey we’re all on.  We must ask the Lord for guidance, and then keep our eyes on our Tabernacle, Jesus Christ.

Exodus 32:1-6

¹Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”  ²Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” ³Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.  ⁴He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” ⁵Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” ⁶So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

 

For many years, the mental picture of ancient Israelites dancing around a golden calf was about all I knew of this story—a picture taken more from an old Hollywood movie than the Bible itself!  But if we look a bit more closely, we can discern some very applicable truths about the components of a false religion, and how people are tempted in the same way today to worship their own types of idols.

First, we can see that when the people of God practice false religion it is often rooted in a complaint against God.  The Israelites accused God of either forgetting or abandoning them—so they demanded a new god who would provide them with leadership and protection.  A second trait of false religion is that it is human created—Aaron did a little metal sculpting with the gold donated by the people and…Viola!, a new god for them to follow!  Third, this god was a counterfeit of their real, living, personal God, the LORD.  A counterfeit is like the real thing in appearance, but not quality. They wanted something like God, but not God Himself.  Finally, this false, little-g god was controllable by its creators.  They decided when and how it would be worshipped.  (Oddly enough, in a way that provided them with the opportunity to have a party!) 

Here is a telling picture of what happens when the redeemed people of God decide to start over in their religion and create a god more to their own liking—even if they still call their creation “the LORD” and ascribe to it their deliverance.  It is when we are disappointed, bored, or distrustful of God that we find ourselves tempted to create, and then worship something else—as if we were still worshiping and following the LORD God.  Money, houses, family, jobs, education, status, sex, substances…you name it—we make it a god and religion when we give it the loyalty, honor, and investment of our time and resources that rightfully belong to the LORD God who saved us.  As we journey through this wilderness of the world, on our way to an eternal home with God, let’s beware of creating, and then giving loyalty to, the “little gods” that would draw us away from an obedient, patient loyalty to the One who saved us from the slavery of sin.

Father, give us the gift of patience and obedience today.  Form us into people of stubborn loyalty and obedience to You alone.

 

 

 

What kind of old man do you want to be…?

Here’s the list from Gordon MacDonald’s book “The Life God Blesses.” I thought it was great!  We are told to spend so much time, energy, and money planning for our elder years.  How much time do we spend building the character qualities that we’d like to have by the time we reach them?  I’ve included many quotes from the book, and some comments of my own.
The kind of old man I want to be…
…is full of gratitude. “All of them are appreciative. Their conversation, their correspondence, and their responses to events are all marked by appreciation.
…is enthusiastically interested in the accomplishments of the younger generation. “They take delight in what they see their younger comrades able to accomplish.” Ouch!  Envy and criticism be gone!
…keeps his mind sharp and agile. “Unlike so many others, they have not stopped thinking, not ceased grasping for new ideas.”
…thinks in macro terms. “They look at life from the largest point of view, and they resist panic when sudden events grab the headlines and younger people are sure that the end of theme has arrived.”
…never retires. “They are called to the notion that life and vitality are in the act of adding value to the generations.”
…still loves his wife, deeply and romantically. “When they speak of their wives , they speak in noble tones, and each man does nothing but heap praise and appreciation on the one with whom he’s walked through the majority of life.”
…does not try to hold on to institutional power. “They do not try to control (or maintain control of) people.” (Italics mine.)  It is surprising to me to see the absence of any real strategic thinking concerning the transfer of leadership in churches, and the resultant panic when suddenly faced with the need to find a new pastor, or fill a leadership position in the ministry.  I hope as I reach my sunset years of life that I spend increasing amounts of time and energy simply hanging out with younger men and their families, encouraging them to stay strong in their faith and loyal in their commitments.  I hope I graciously and optimistically hand the reins of leadership to a younger man, rather than having those reins taken from my hands by others, or time itself.  I hope that my stepping down from a ministry position is not a cause of instability or panic for my church, but a gracious, joyful event following a lifetime of “giving away” ministry to the up and coming generation.
…knows how to pray, “…they have come to realize that there are no more vital moments than those in which they are in close contact with God.”  Wow!  Do we really plan to become more committed to prayer as we age, or simply assume we’re fine now, or will naturally increase in that area?
What a list! Let me ask you this….What kind of old man, or old woman, to you want to be?  Is there anything you’d add to the list?  Let me know your thoughts!
Ken

Exodus 22:21-24

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

As Israel began her journey to the Promised Land, the Lord provided her with His law.  It was to be their code for living as the people of God.  They were to live differently than the nations around them—in how they worshipped, ate, celebrated, and did business.  They were to treat people differently, with a gracious generosity and regard that historians tell us was by in large lacking in the surrounding cultures.  By being such a people, Israel would serve as a living witness to the gracious tenderhearted kindness of God.  This quality was to be particularly shown to those who were removed from the safety of family, or who had no home, or were simply away from their home.  A stranger was not to be treated wrongly or oppressed—simply because the Lord’s people themselves were once strangers in the land of Egypt, and had experienced horrible oppression at the hands of that land’s residents.  They were not to afflict any widow—a woman who, having left the safety of her own family for marriage, had lost her husband and now lived without social connected and protection.  They were also to see to it that they did not afflict the orphan.  An orphan is a child whose parents have either died, or (for whatever reason) no longer function as parents.  Israel was to show kindness, generosity, and concern for all of such people—all in a reverent regard for the deep, intense, personal concern that the Lord had for such marginalized souls.  Though forgotten by the surrounding cultures, no one of these were to be forgotten, mistreated, or disregarded by God’s people.  And just so they were clear on the importance of the issue—God reminded them that He Himself, personally, would take up their cause should they experience any mistreated from the people of God!

Today, we Christians are surrounded by those who have lost or left homes, are alone and unprotected, or are simply vulnerable and abandoned.  Our streets and fields are full of strangers:  some who are US citizens and some who are not.  Our neighborhoods are filled with widows: women who have suffered mistreatment and abandonment by lovers and boyfriends who refused to grow up to be husbands.  And our burgeoning foster-care system argues that we are surrounded by increasing numbers of children whose parents have abandoned their responsibility to nurture, protect, and raise their own babies.  Many of these are viewed with suspicion, and often find indifference and even outright hostility from the citizens of the richest, most powerful nation on the earth.  But regarding their treatment from the church of Jesus Christ, this must not be so.  We must be, and become, a people of increasing kindness and sacrificial generosity to those around us who are without home, family, and parents.  They are not bound to the dusty pages of our Bibles, wandering the paths of ancient cultures—they are here, today, among us, the people of God.  Let’s examine our excuses for failure in this area in light of the blazing, relevant truth that God cares very, very much about how we as His people treat those who live their lives on the edges of our culture.  Have we any right turn our backs?

 

 

 

 

Exodus 13:21-22

   The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

 

As the nation of Israel entered into the wilderness in their escape from Egypt, they were not without guidance.  The LORD Himself provided them with the most amazing roadmap ever; a cloud to guide them by day and a pillar of fire by night.  Think of it!  There would never be a doubt as to the direction of God’s will.  They didn’t need to hesitate about which direction they were to be heading—there was a pillar of cloud right before their eyes directing them, providing them a constant source of guidance.

When we Christians are delivered from sin by the blood of Christ we then enter into a type of spiritual journey.  The rest of our earthly lives become a wilderness experience as we travel along, freed from sin’s slavery, promised a land beyond, and yet left to travel through the challenging, dangerous wilderness of this world.  It is here that we learn to trust in the Lord, and simply obey His direction.  God used ordinary elements—a cloud and fire, in an extraordinary way, to provide a nation with direction.  In the same way, our decisions in life are now to be made in accordance with the “cloud” and “fire” of His word.  We’re to obey the Bible, as taught to us and applied to our lives and specific circumstances by the Holy Spirit, as we make our way through this life.  And just as the Lord did not take away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night, so He will never take away His Spirit from us, or fail to speak to us in His word.  We are Christians, freed from a life of slavery to sin.  We have the Holy Spirit of God living in us and the Holy Bible to guide and direct.  Let us follow, despite the difficulties!

Father, thank you for delivering us from sin.  Please train us for the future, by making us into obedient travelers today.  Our cloud and our fire are the constant presence of Your Spirit, and the eternal wisdom of Your word.

Exodus 13:17-18

  Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.

 

Israelites were saved; they’d been delivered by the mercy of God.  They’d been passed over by the Angel of death because of the blood of a lamb painted in faith on the doorposts of their homes.  Now, this redeemed nation set out for their Promised Land—where they would dwell in safety and blessing.  But the text tells us that God did not send them there by the most direct route, by the way of the Philistines.  This route would have taken them about a week to traverse.  Instead, God led them by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea, almost the exact opposite direction they desired to go!.  Why did He do this?  

It seems that there was a character flaw in the people that needed to be corrected, one that would bring them defeat if it were allowed to remain.  They were timid and weak—likely to turn tail and run back into slavery rather than fight their enemies.  They needed to be toughened up—formed into the kinds of people who could enter and occupy a good, but challenging land.   Though they were freed, they needed to learn to live in freedom.  Though they were no longer slaves, they needed to be made into soldiers.  And so, God led them to a place of difficulty, pain, testing, and growth—the wilderness.  The first lesson—they were to trust their leader (Moses), and live as members of a larger, organized group, traveling in martial array. 

Have you found that life often seems just as difficult and challenging since becoming a Christian as it was before?   All who trust in the Lord Jesus for forgiveness are freed from sin, forever released from slavery, but it takes time and testing before most of us are willing believe that we’re not slaves anymore, and so we are liable to turn tail in the face of difficulties and go back to our pitiful, though predictable, lives of slavery to sin.  It has been said, “You can take the slave out of Egypt, but it takes some time to take Egypt out of the slave!”  So God leads us into a wilderness called “the world,” and we walk through it in a process that convinces us we are no longer slaves, but soldiers.  Along the way, our character flaws are challenged and (if we welcome His correction) removed.  We are trained through the tough, wilderness circumstances of life—to live not as slaves to this world and its attempts to intimidate, but as soldiers of a grand, eternal army—the people of God.  Maturity and skill in the Christian life are not won by taking the most direct, easy paths, but by following the Lord of the Wilderness into places and circumstances that will challenge and change the very core of our personality—our character.  And we’re not alone, either!  We have the church, a band of like-minded rescued slaves, all walking beside each other through this wilderness of the world, heading for a Promised Land called heaven.

Father, make us people who gladly endure the wilderness, that we would be made fit for the kingdom that You have prepared for us.  

Exodus 12:13

 ’The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

 

How bizarre the instructions that Moses gave to the Israelites!  They were to slay an unblemished male lamb and kill it at twilight.  Then they were to prepare its body for a unique, hastily eaten meal, and they were to paint its blood on the doorposts of their homes.  When the Lord came that night to execute judgment on the Egyptians, He would pass over (read, not strike) the families taking refuge in homes that had the lamb’s blood painted on the doorposts.  They were nourished for their coming journey out of slavery by the body of the lamb, and they were saved from the righteous judgment of God by the blood of that same lamb.

But given the great need of humanity for forgiveness of sin and restoration with God, perhaps Moses’ instructions were not so bizarre after all.  We’re not slaves in Egypt, but we’re slaves to sin.  God is righteous, and will therefore judge sin.  We need salvation; we need to passed over when the judgment of God visits.  We need a lamb.  Jesus is our Lamb.  We have been saved from the judgment of God for our sins by the sacrifice of His perfect, sinless blood on our behalf.  We have escaped judgment from God because God provided His own Son as our Lamb.  We gain strength for our journey through life, increasingly leaving behind the slavery of our sin, by continued fellowship with Him.  As the Israelites literally ate the body of the lamb for their strength, so we spiritually receive our Lord Jesus through the continued presence of His Spirit at work in our souls.  As they were delivered by the blood and body of an unblemished lamb, so we have been saved from judgment and given new life by the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Perseverance in Ministry article, link works now…

I was given the opportunity of contributing an article to The Spurgeon Fellowship Journal (online). If you’re interested in looking it over, thanks!  I didn’t set up the link correctly when I initially posted this, but it should work now…
http://thespurgeonfellowship.org/feature_w09_1.htm