Confession – yesterday we talked about Christ’s sacrifice replacing the Old Testament offerings. In those sacrifices, it was just that, a sacrifice – the people had to give something that they could have enjoyed because of their sin.
Even though there was a loss, the people had no clear way to alleviate the weight of guilt and find forgiveness in their lives. God has provided another way to help with that – Confession.
Confession is something that is hard to do. Many lie, deny and push blame on others just to avoid confessing. It is something that God asks of us not for his benefit but for ours. I remember being told often as a kid the only way to fix a problem is to realize there is one. And that is what confession is.
Further, confession gives a proper view on sin, God and ourselves.
The punishment for sin is death – we need a proper view of sin. I have often heard of people talk about their sin as “Not that big of a deal.” Sin is just that, SIN. If it is wrong, we shouldn’t do it. Sin that is not confessed and not repented of leads to missing out on the Kingdom.
God cannot be in the presence of sin – we need a proper view of God. Our God is a holy God. He expects purity not just in our actions but also in our hearts. (Matt. 5:8 says the pure heart will see God.)
We cannot do it on our own – we need a proper view of ourselves. We often try to fix our problems on our own. Sin is not something we can fix on our own or earn enough to repay the debt. We need a savior and Christ is willing to step in on our behalf.
A couple tips on confession:
Confess immediately – when you know you have done something wrong do not push it off. It is easy to push it off.
Confess specifically – I hear a lot of prayer that vaguely ask for all sins to be forgiven. Make it personal and specific.
Confess honestly – Take it serious and do not make promises you know you will not keep.
Confess to someone else – this is something I push in the church. For some reason people are afraid of letting others know about their sin. Most will acknowledge they are a sinner but would never discuss their struggles for fear of other’s judgement. Find someone you trust and create an open discussion and ask for accountability.
John Wincapaw
(Originally posted February 14, 2020)
Reflection Questions
What are you guilty of? What have you tried (lie, deny, blame, etc…) to avoid correctly addressing the problem?
How does not confessing hurt you? What are the benefits of confession?
What has God been waiting to hear from you? Talk to Him today.
Do you have an accountability partner? If not, who do you know who would make a good accountability partner?
At the end of Exodus, after the Tabernacle has been finally built, God’s glory comes to rest in it, but Moses is unable to enter (Exodus 40:35). However, at the beginning of the next book, Numbers, Moses is speaking with God in the Tabernacle (Numbers 1:1). This middle book, Leviticus, is the explanation about what is necessary to come into God’s presence and enjoy His fellowship. Since God is so holy and separate from us, there are things that we are expected to do in order to come into His presence. Thankfully, out of His love, mercy, and desire to be with us, God provided a way for us to come before Him, both for the Israelites back then and for Christians today.
Immediately in Leviticus 1 and 2, we find descriptions of different animal sacrifices and what is necessary to perform certain rituals in God’s presence. Since we don’t have a Tabernacle or Temple to worship in, and we don’t perform animal sacrifices anymore, how is this really relevant for us?
In Leviticus 1:4, we are told that these animals are dying in the place of the person who is offering it to God. The truth of these sacrifices is simple: sin is serious and deserves death. Whenever you do something that is contrary to God’s laws, both minor and major, it is offensive to the One who gave you life in the first place, and we deserve death for it. The mantra of our age that “everyone is naturally good in their own way” is simply not true; we are all broken, sinful, and corrupt human beings in need of God’s saving grace. For the Israelites back then, the answer to the problem was an animal sacrifice to cover their offense against God; for us today, it is the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ that is sufficient.
The New Testament continues the teaching that sin is serious, offensive to God, and deserves death: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a) We cannot forget the seriousness of our situation, because when we do, we lose the power of the gospel. The good news for us is that we don’t have to die for the things that we did; Jesus died in our place, like the animal sacrifices in Leviticus. “… but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b) The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to cover over every sin that we have ever committed or will commit (Hebrews 10:10). We need to thank God for providing a way out of our sinfulness, both in Leviticus and today through Jesus Christ. Through this sacrifice, we can enter the presence of God and enjoy fellowship with our heavenly Father (Hebrews 4:16).
-Talon Paul
(Originally posted February 15, 2021 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection Questions
What were the duties or responsibilities of the Israelites to come before God to be forgiven? What are the duties or responsibilities of the Christians to come before God to be forgiven?
How many times do you find the phrase ‘without defect’ or blemish? Why was that important to God for the Israelites? How does that apply to Jesus as sacrifice?
As Christians we can bring (living) offerings and sacrifices to God, not to earn salvation and forgiveness, but to thank God and show we live for Him and He has first place. What would you like to offer/sacrifice to God and how can you do it?
Today we had several scriptures on our journey to read through the Bible in a year. The ones that resonated in my heart were from Leviticus 22 and 23. Chapter 22 talks a lot about sacrifices, being clean for them and what you are able to sacrifice. What comes to mind for me at first is that God wants our best. He lays out the things that need to be done in order to come before Him.
The scripture also tells us what can be sacrificed – and what can not be sacrificed. It says in 22:19 & 20 “you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.” This makes me think of when I buy fruit or veggies at the grocery store, I stand in front of the strawberries looking for the best container I can get, no mold, nice and red, not soft and squishy, the best. God wants our best, unfortunately, sometimes it is hard to give him our best. We work or go to school all day, do homework, laundry, cook dinner…and the list goes on and on. The beauty of this is that Jesus died for us, we don’t have to be perfect to come to God. We just need to be children of God, have a relationship with Him, love Him and then love others. We should try to give Him our best, but we will fail (at least I do) and that is okay. We just need to keep trying.
Leviticus 23 talks about Festivals. The thing that stuck out to me was verse 3 “There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.” During each of the festivals mentioned rest is a big part of it. Making sure you take the sabbath day to rest. The rest He is speaking about is not a nap. Although I love naps, and I think they are a great thing to do, He is speaking about resting in Him. Spend time with God. I will be honest with you; this is something that I need to work on. First,I need to slow down and rest, but most importantly, I need to rest in Him. Taking some time to stop your day to give your brain a break is great but are you giving Him your time?
After receiving instructions from Moses in Leviticus 18 and 19, instructions about how to live a holy life continue in Leviticus 20 and 21. Not only are the children of Israel warned and instructed about sexual sins and moral conduct, then a law of consequence is set forth to them. The penalty for killing babies, consulting familiar spirits (devil spirits, mediums, wizards and such like) and sexual sins is death! The death penalty was necessary because the blood offerings of animals can not cover for these sins. God has been very generous with his chosen people in communicating these consequences. Wanting to please Almighty God and live a holy life requires submission to his ways and his justice. So what does one do when the laws of land permit such abominations and atrocities?
In Leviticus 20:4-5: “And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he gives of his seed (offspring) unto Molech, and kill him not; then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among the people.” It is not good to be cut off from God and his precious covenants. It is not good to have God’s face set against you. We are not to just shut our eyes to these kinds of sins. The people of Ammon had a god named Molech whom they worshipped by sacrificing their children. Apparently, this way of sacrificing children, killing your own offspring was after the doings of the land. The penalty for this kind of sin and also the ignoring of the sin by the people has serious consequences. Eternal life for some is on the line.
Only because of Jesus Christ and his holy sacrifice could these sexual sins and moral sins be forgiven. Acts 13:38-39: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Now’s the time to preach forgiveness of these sins and to draw men to Christ. If they do not submit to God’s way of redemption, they most surely will die from these sins and perish forever. For it is written in Revelations 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
It is important that we take a stand and teach people how to draw to a Holy God. It’s also important for us to instruct those who oppose themselves. “God would have all men saved and come unto a (full) knowledge of the truth.”(1 Timothy 2:4).Now is the time to plead with people and invite them to know the only true God so they can see his love and why he knows what is best for mankind. If we can show people that God loves them and sent his son so they could be forgiven of these types of sins because of Jesus Christ, then at least they will have a choice. That is the real pro-choice issue. Many do not understand, because they have not been shown God’s love. We are here to be that love and to give them the real choice.
-Cindy Abbott
Reflection Questions
Is there someone you could help to see the error of their way by loving them enough to show them the truth?
Have you ever hidden your eyes from someone committing these sins, instead of lovingly imploring them with true knowledge of life and death decisions?
In what ways do you pray and ask for strength to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph 6:13)?
Have you ever felt like or heard the expression as you are trying to navigate through life, “Oh boy! I sure wish there was a manual for life!” Or perhaps, “Couldn’t someone write a manual for life for dummies?” After reading the book of Leviticus, it’s impossible to return to this way of thinking because there it is, plain as day, rules to live by. Not just rules though, specific instructions on how to live life without sin and how to please the Most Holy, One and Only God whose name is Jehovah! Even though these valuable instructions were written long ago, there they stand, perfectly applicable to the here and now and somehow perfectly suited to our day and age. What a God to create and not leave us without instruction!
Leviticus 18:1-5:”And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am Jehovah your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt (America, Russia, China, insert your land here and it’ll apply), where in you dwell, shall you not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am Jehovah your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am Jehovah.”
Next Jehovah God gives specifics about avoiding sexual sins and how to deal with our nakedness. A very specific and thorough list, so we make no mistake and do not give ourselves permission to sin in this way. In chapter 18 verse 22, “You shall not lie (to have sexual relations) with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Verses 24-25: “Defile not you yourselves in any of these things (again long list in previous verses-read for yourselves): for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.” There are quite a few more verses that warn the children of Israel (which children you are, if you believe in Jesus Christ-because you are then Abraham’s seed and grafted into the family tree. See Galatians 3:29 and Romans 11:11-32).
Leviticus 19 continues on to describe the conduct and expectations of the people of God. Much of this section reiterates the 10 commandments. I had a Christian friend say to me last year that she was teaching the children’s fellowship that they no longer have to fulfill the 10 commandments of the law, because she believed we are no longer under the law. My insides were set on alarm and my eyes widened. Then her own son replied, “But, we should, right mom?” When Christ fulfilled the law and commandments, the law was not abolished; but rather, we were set free from sin so that we could fulfill the law! It gladdens our Father God’s heart for us to love him with our everything and to demonstrate our love for God by loving one another. How can we know what love is without instructions? God declares of himself that he is love (1 John 4:16). He ought to know what love is and how to be holy and without sin. An exhortation to live by is in Leviticus 19:2b: “You shall be holy: for I Jehovah your God am holy.” Following God’s instruction manual will liberate you to be holy and to love more.
Psalm 40:
“I waited patiently for Jehovah: and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my foot upon a rock, and established my goings. And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Jehovah. Blessed is that man that makes Jehovah his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Jehovah my God, are your wonderful works which you have done and your thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be recounted in order to you: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; mine ears have you opened; burnt offering and sin offering have you not required. Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, o my God: yes, your law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Jehovah, you know. I have not hid your righteousness within my heart: I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation: I have not concealed your lovingkindness and your truth from the great congregation…”
Oh to have the heart of David and of Jesus Christ, our forerunner! Let us not conceal the word! Let us not hide what is righteous! Let us do what is right and show others what God has done by delivering us out of the miry clay of our sins! We will be happy if we trust in Jehovah and do what is right.
Acts 13:
The gift ministries of a prophets and teachers:
Acts 13:1-3: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” (Right here there were 6 prophets and teachers recorded). “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
A prophet is one who speaks for God or receives information from God for the people. They speak on God’s behalf to the people. A teacher is one who expounds and conveys what God has said and what has been written in God’s word. Both gift ministries are gifts to the church to build up the people and to keep the people of God growing and on God’s track. They are gifts to the body of Christ until we all come into the full measure of the fullness of Christ.
People may not always like a prophet or a teacher; but nevertheless, they are God’s gift to the church until Christ comes in his kingdom.
In chapter 13 we have Barnabas and Saul separated unto specific work for them to do. Each prophet/teacher prayed and fasted asking God’s direction and afterwards received word from God and sent these two men on their way to do what God would have them do.
On his way, Paul first addresses a false prophet (someone not sent from God, who is not doing God’s will) and Paul being filled (filled to overflowing in the Greek text) with the holy spirit, set his eyes on the false prophet, rebukes him and blinds him! Paul made full proof of his ministry right there! Next Paul preaches on the first Sabbath and in essence rebukes the Israelites for not seeing the Christ coming and how Jesus fulfilled just what was prophesied that he would fulfill. Then Paul preached to them the forgiveness of sins through believing Jesus Christ and that they can be justified from all things. Paul warned the Israelites not to miss the boat and then comforted the proselytes (Gentiles who believed). Paul continued to preach there until “the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.”
There are still prophets/teachers in the body of Christ today. You may see them doing these specific things as seen here. Being filled to overflowing and performing the works of God, rebuking, preaching, warning, comforting and continuing. If you are a prophet, keep doing it! If you see a prophet/teacher, thank God for them and heed them! If you feel you want to serve in this capacity, pray and ask God for the gift that can benefit the body and meet with other prophets/teachers so you can learn and grow and fulfill God’s will for your generation.
-Cindy Abbott
Reflection Questions
Is there someone in your life or at work or school who would benefit from learning the instructions in Leviticus 18 and 19?
Can you sit and appreciate all the thoughts that God is having about you this very minute? Thoughts of peace, thoughts of love, thoughts of longing for your fellowship?
Can you tell someone who is suffering and in a horrible pit how God delivered your soul and can deliver them as well?
In what ways have you seen God demonstrate his love for the body in your area through the men and women who chose to serve as prophets and teachers?
Has God called you to this gift ministry? Will you answer the call?
My parents tried very hard to treat me and my sisters equally. Especially when it came to spending money or giving gifts. The idea that one might get more or better than the other, or perceived more or better, has made gift giving stressful for them. And now there are grandkids and great grandkids! We chose to handle gift-giving a little differently. Of course, we try to be close in what we spend, but if a gift is found that someone really wants or needs we go with it. Whether it’s a little more or less than the others.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul tells us of God’s gifts. The first important thing to note is that it says in verse 7 that “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit..” Everyone who is part of the body of believers has been given Spiritual gifts. That means you if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior. The end of verse 7 tells us why. It says, “…for the common good”. We are to use the gifts given to us for the common good of the church – to support, encourage, build up, protect, provide for, teach, etc. This chapter describes many of these gifts. We are told that there are many gifts, but that they all come from the same Spirit. Verse 18 says, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.“ As he chose. He gives us what we need, what he wants us to have, not what we want or wish for. Think for a minute about your church and the people in it. This verse is telling you that God chose each member, that he arranged them (gifted them) just how he wanted. Now think for a minute about where you might fit in. You see, God’s plan only works when everyone does their part; when everyone uses the gifts God has given them for the common good of the body.
Our passage in Leviticus demonstrates another parenting thought. When we wanted our kids to obey a specific command, we let them know what good things would happen if they chose to do so (we really built it up big). We also told them what would happen if they chose to disobey (we tried to make this choice sound horrible). We learned that oftentimes it is in the presentation. God wants his children to obey Him at all times. In Leviticus 26 God says, “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you….”. He lists rain in season, abundant harvests, security, peace, victories, and His presence (verses 3-13). He goes on to tell them, “But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you:…”. He then tells them that they will deal with panic, wasting disease, enemies eating their harvests, wild beasts, and be scattered among the nations (verses 14-33). The list for disobedience is long and nasty. It seems like such a “duh” decision. Of course they, and we, want the blessings and good stuff. But they didn’t always choose to obey. We don’t always choose to obey. Thankfully, God also provides a way for us to change our minds and make the right choice. Verses 40-45 say, “But if they confess their iniquity….then I will remember my covenant with Jacob…and Isaac…and Abraham…that I might be their God…”.
-Todd and Amy Blanchard
Reflection Questions
There are a lot of Spiritual gifts “tests” online. And they can be fun to take. However, one of the best ways to know what your gifts are is to try some different ministries or acts of service. Which ones fill you up? Which ones drain you? Notice I didn’t ask which ones you were best at. God will help you learn. God will help you find courage. He will provide opportunities for you to grow in your gifts, so you don’t need to worry about doing it really well right away.
What choices are you currently facing? Do any of them have the “duh” right answer?
What traits did you find in today’s reading that describe God?
What is the worst food you’ve ever eaten? There’s been a few in my life. Gamey lamb. Bad goat cheese. Beets. Eggplant. I can easily say I detested those things. I wanted to spit them out, whether it was from taste or texture. Detest – that’s a pretty strong word for not liking something. Other translations for this scripture say abhor, felt disgust, loathe.
Leviticus 20:23 says, “And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.” (ESV). Our nation, our world, has a lot of customs (statutes, practices) that God hates. There are many customs/practices that God detests. There are the things we consider the “biggies” – abortion, homosexuality, pre- or extra-marital sexual relations – that our nation/culture says are good. They say that they are right. God says they are very wrong. Leviticus 20:26 says, “You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.” God says that if we have chosen Him, He has separated us from the peoples. He has set us apart. He expects us to be different. But, before we get on a soapbox on the “biggies”, consider what other things are practices in our world. Consider things like gossip, envy, untrustworthy, unmerciful, disobedient to parents, boastful, jealousy, discord, and selfish ambition (Romans 1:29-31, Galations 5:19-21). These are in the same list as sexual immorality, idolatry, witchcraft, and murder. The Galatians passage says that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Wow! That is how much God detests worldly behavior.
So, how do we live like God has set us apart, separated us from the peoples? We know, living in this world, we will be surrounded by things detestable to God. Verse 8a of Leviticus 20 gives us an answer for that. “Keep my statutes and do them”. Sounds simple, right? Simple, yes. Easy, no. If you read the other passages for today you will find some help. In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul tells us that we need to exercise self-control and discipline ourselves. Psalm 56 tells us to trust God.
I often say that people cannot meet your expectations if you don’t let them know what your expectations are. God has given us His Word, His expectations are there for us to find. When we accept Jesus as our savior and are baptized, we receive the gift of His Spirit. His Spirit IS in us. That’s what we need in order to act like we are separated from the peoples. But we get to choose. Every day we have to make choices. We choose many times a day whether to follow God and His expectations or to follow the world. Choose to run the race for the prize. To discipline your body – your thoughts, attitudes, actions.
-Todd & Amy Blanchard
Reflection Questions
Paul’s description of an athlete in a race creates a picture of commitment. Running a race takes lots of training. Disciplining our bodies requires consistent effort. Reading these devotions daily, and the Scriptures that go with them, is a great tool. What other things are you doing consistently to be able to finish the race? Are you surrounding yourself with others who are running the same race? It’s not a competition, we need to encourage one another.
What worldly attitude or action do you struggle with most? Note that to struggle is an action; struggling with something means you are actively trying to overcome or change it. What will it take for you to win the struggle?
What did God reveal of Himself to you in today’s reading?
We all love to read a good book full of rules. This is what makes Leviticus the perfect bedtime story. Just kidding, unless if you actually enjoy reading pages of laws… but the majority of us don’t. It can be easy to skip over a book like Leviticus without gathering any insightful information because of how long, repetitive, and honestly boring it can be. But this begs the question, why did God have Moses write it? And why do we need to read it? At first it may seem like God set all the rules in place to restrict us and make life hard. But, through the law, He offered a way for His people to draw closer to Him. The laws found in Leviticus regarding the different offerings are there for the purpose of revealing WHO God is. God is holy. And in order to be in His presence… we must be holy too.
The book of Exodus closes with Moses not being able to enter the tent of meeting, because “the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Moses was not able to be in the presence of God because there was no system in place that made humans clean. The continual theme throughout Leviticus is that humans are unclean. And unfortunately, there are so many tiny things that can make us unclean and keep us from God. This is why the book of Leviticus is so important to the Israelites. It offered a way for the Israelites to enter into the presence of their God. This is a major development of God’s plan of having a personal relationship with us.
Chapters 4, 5 and 6 describe the occasions when sin offerings and guilt offerings were necessary. The difference between a sin offering and a guilt offering is that a sin offering is when the sin only affects yourself, and a guilt offering is when your sin affects others. Therefore, guilt offerings included a 20% reimbursement to the person who was wronged. God designed it this way so that relationships could be restored between the Israelites. The sin and guilt offerings demonstrated that the life is in the blood. Being able to see the blood being poured of the innocent sacrifice allowed the Israelites to understand the concept of a substitute for their sins.
Not only does Leviticus remind us of the holy attributes of God, but it ultimately shows the drastic differences between us and God by revealing all the sin that separates us. Even though we are no longer bound to the offerings and laws, the theme of Leviticus is just as important for us now as it was for the Israelites. God is holy and therefore we need to be holy in order to be in God’s presence.
-Makayla Railton
Reflection Questions
What makes you unclean? What makes you clean? What do you do with your sin and guilt?
What does it mean to you that God is holy? And that even in His holiness He still wants a relationship with you?
What else can we learn about God and His attributes and His heart in our reading of His word today?
I am a Daddy’s girl, through and through. As a child, you could usually find me hiking with my dad, reading books with him, snuggling up to him, or helping him with a building project. He was so strong, secure, safe. Now, as his terminal illness has progressed, I have much more of a parental role toward him than he does toward me, but I’ll still always consider myself a Daddy’s girl.
Sometimes I like to sit back and just observe my daughters interacting with my husband too. They fawn over him! They want to attend all the Daddy-Daughter dances together. They draw him sweet pictures regularly. They beg him to scratch their backs to get them to sleep. When they are scared, they run to him for comfort and protection, knowing that he is strong and gentle.
Though in this flawed and sinful world many fathers don’t live up to God’s ideals, we all do have a Heavenly Father who wants to guide and protect us.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, ESV) I’ve always loved this verse. It has spoken to the depths of my soul during many tumultuous times in my life. Following these encouraging introductory verses, Psalm 46 proceeds to mention many catastrophic events – the earth gives way, mountains fall into the sea, waters roar, mountains tremble – and calls us to have no fear during these times. Verses 4 through 9 then remind us of the power and provision of our God.
“Be still and know that I am God.” This verse I have both underlined in my Bible and written in the margins so I will be sure to notice it as I read. It is a good reminder that when all the chaotic events occur (both the ones mentioned in this Psalm as well as any others that happen in my own life), I am still called to find shelter in His stillness and remember that God is on the throne and He is in control. I don’t know about you, but “be still” is a tough command for me to follow; I like to always keep my hands and mind busy. My mind, actually, does not often settle down at all; anxiety has been my constant (uninvited) companion for as long as I can remember. However, when I purposefully choose to be still, basking in the presence of God, I can feel His peace wash over me like a spring rain. It takes a lot of effort, as I am not naturally driven to “be still”, but I’ve never been disappointed following a quiet moment with God; to the contrary, I find a renewed sense of purpose and strength when I remember – rather, KNOW within the depths of my soul! – that He is God.
“‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!’ The LORD of hosts with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” God is our protector, our fortress… our Daddy who loves us so much!
-Rachel Cain
Reflections:
1. Pray this Psalm today. Think about it intently as you say each word.
2. Choose a time this week that you can “be still and know that He is God” – bask in his presence for a while as you praise and pray.
3. What in your reading today helps you KNOW that He is God? What are His qualities?
In our Old Testament reading, yesterday we finished reading Exodus, tomorrow we will begin Leviticus – here today is our
Introduction to Leviticus
Leviticus is the third book in the Old Testament, and the middle book in the Torah. Moses wrote Leviticus, which is mostly a record of God dictating His rules to Moses – while the Israelites were camped in front of Mount Sinai.
The recurring theme in Leviticus is, “Be holy, because I [God] am holy”. Leviticus 20:26 sums up the whole book pretty well, “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
God had rescued the Israelites from slavery to belong to God. They had served the Egyptians, and now they must serve God. And in order to do that, they needed to know what God required.
As you read, you’ll be struck repeatedly by the fact that God is holy, and people aren’t. God gave all these rules because He wanted His people to be holy, and if they followed all these rules, they would be holy. The story of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 is a stark reminder that misdirected zeal for God can result in death.
You will see that reconciliation is possible for those who break God’s laws in ignorance, but only punishment awaits those who defiantly break God’s laws.
You will recognize that some rules were fulfilled in Jesus. For example, Leviticus 23 describes the “Feasts of the Lord”, which have fulfillment in Jesus. For example, Jesus fulfilled the 4 Spring feasts on the exact calendar day of the feast. I suspect the 3 fall feasts will be ultimately fulfilled exactly when Jesus returns.
Passover – Jesus *was* the Passover lamb, and was killed on the date of Passover
Unleavened Bread – Just as yeast was to be removed from houses, Jesus removed sin to his grave on this date.
Firstfruits – Jesus was raised from the dead on the date of the feast of firstfruits.
Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost) – The Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers on this date in Acts 2.
Feast of Trumpets – I believe this will be the date the last trumpet sounds
Day of Atonement – I suspect this may be the date of the Great White Throne Judgement
Feast of Tabernacles – I suspect this may be the date of God’s dwelling with men.
Ultimately, I suspect what you’ll recognize is that God is holy, and no matter how hard we try, we just can’t follow all His rules to be holy. You’ll acknowledge that we couldn’t please God on our own. And will appreciate all the more that God sent his one and only Son to reconcile us to Himself.
How many days of the week are you scared or afraid to do something or be someone? For me, that’s everyday. I’m afraid of so much.
Reading this passage, yes, I could have gone the route and talked about all the punishments God warned these people about. But a few verses stuck out plenty, and these were in the section on the reward for obedience. Leviticus 26:6-8 “‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.’” This sticks out because it’s very comforting. You will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I’m constantly thinking about what others have to say about me. It’s my biggest fear. Probably not alone on that. Knowing when and who to be afraid of is what we should ponder.
There’s a song called “Whom Shall I Fear” with a verse that says, “And nothing formed against me shall stand. You hold the whole world in your hands. I’m holding on to your promises.” There is nothing formed against you to be afraid of, if you are following His decrees and being careful to obey His commands (26:3). The one true God holds the entire world in his hands. Our creator is watching over us. How comforting is that one sentence? We all are holding onto the promises that he gives us because that gives us a reason to not be afraid.
The other part I wanted to talk about was Leviticus 26:13, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.” He has shown he’s powerful enough to free us. He has shown us His power and shown us why we have nothing to be afraid of because He is on our side, when we are on His.
-Genesis Dylewski
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
List the rewards God promises to those who follow His commands. How would you put them in your own words. Which are most appealing to you? Why?
What sorts of punishments are promised for those who do not listen to God or follow God’s commands? Which are the scariest to you? Why? When is fear a good thing?
Can you describe a time you have experienced God’s blessings for obedience? Can you describe a time you have experienced God’s punishment for disobedience? Which do you find more powerful for keeping you on the right track following after God and His commands – His rewards or punishments?
How do you explain when something bad happens to somebody who appears to be following God’s commands or when something good happens to somebody who seems to be disregarding God and His commands?
Seek Grow Love 