Burunche’s Blog

Sins Requiring a Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5:14-19; Leviticus 7:1-10)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit— once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or anything else about which he has sworn falsely.

He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value, and pay it to the owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt. Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock. In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.”

The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 9:12-14)

Again the LORD said to Moses, “Command Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth of the altar all night, until morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar. And the priest shall put on his linen robe and linen undergarments, and he shall remove from the altar the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed and place them beside it. Then he must take off his garments, put on other clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place.

The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished.

The Grain Offering (Leviticus 2:1-16)

Now this is the law of the grain offering: Aaron’s sons shall present it before the LORD, in front of the altar. The priest is to remove a handful of fine flour and olive oil, together with all the frankincense from the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Aaron and his sons are to eat the remainder. It must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. It must not be baked with leaven; I have assigned it as their portion of My offerings made by fire. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Any male among the sons of Aaron may eat it. This is a permanent portion from the offerings made by fire to the LORD for the generations to come. Anything that touches them shall become holy.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons must present to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour (2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour) as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle;  you are to bring it well-kneaded and present it as a grain offering broken in pieces, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The priest, who is one of Aaron’s sons and will be anointed to take his place, is to prepare it. As a permanent portion for the LORD, it must be burned completely. Every grain offering for a priest shall be burned completely; it is not to be eaten.”

The Sin Offering (Leviticus 9:8-11)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, the sin offering shall be slaughtered before the LORD; it is most holy. The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water. Any male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy. But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it must be burned.”

God is continuing to describe the sins He knows His people are already committing. God hates theft of any kind, whether by omission or commission. Moses describes theft by keeping a deposit or security that has been entrusted or stealing it, or extorting money, or finding lost property and hiding the fact that it has been found. The offender must pay back 120% of the value of the item and offer an unblemished ram “of proper value” as a guilt offering. No fair choosing the smallest ram possible and trying to use that as an offering.

Burnt offerings are to remain on the altar all night with the fire burning so that in the morning the priest can remove the ashes from the altar, change out of his robes, and then carry the ashes to a ceremonially clean place. The fire on the altar is to burn continuously so that the priests may burn the fat from the peace offerings.

Grain offerings from people other than priests are to be divided so that a small amount is burnt as an offering while the priests and their sons are allowed to consume the rest. But when a priest is being consecrated, a special grain offering is made, and this grain offering will be completely burned.

Sin offerings are handled in a special fashion. The sin offering must be slaughtered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water. Any male among the priests may eat it; it is most holy. But no sin offering may be eaten if its blood has been brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it must be burned.”

Why all the rules about blood? Pagan sacrifice rituals frequently have included pouring blood indiscriminately. Repeatedly, God emphasizes that the life is in the blood and blood is sacred and must be respected. The sin offering and its blood are most holy and deserve respect. But if the blood of the sin offering has entered the Tent of Meeting, that offering must be completely burned.

APPLICATION: Why all these rules? Once more, God is trying to draw a sharp distinction between the way the pagans have worshiped and the way He wants His people to worship. God wants His people to take their sacrifices seriously and to handle them with respect. God wants His priests to minister correctly and not haphazardly. God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace, and He wants worship to progress in an orderly fashion.

God also is trying to draw a line between the priests and the common people so that people apart from priests will not attempt to offer sacrifices or otherwise profane God’s worship. Centuries later, King Uzziah becomes swollen with pride and forces his way into the temple to offer sacrifices. Not only do the priests rush to evict him, but God immediately strikes him with leprosy and he lives in seclusion for the rest of his life while his son reigns in his stead. The actual penalty for such a trespass is immediate death; however, God allows Uzziah to suffer a living death instead.

How many of us lie or steal by omission? We may excuse ourselves by soft descriptions “I didn’t think it would matter,” “I didn’t think anybody would notice.” But the Ruler of the Universe sees everything and knows our hearts. May God convict us, so that we will leave off such practices and may our lives demonstrate the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self – control.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we have lied by omission and commission and that we have not been honest in all our dealings. Please clean us up and help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering (Leviticus 4:1-35)

“If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity. Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty. Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything by which one becomes unclean—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty. Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he later realizes it, he is guilty.

If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin. If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. He is to twist its head at the front of its neck without severing it; then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. And the priest must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven. But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. [A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour).] He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering. He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The remainder will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”

Laws for Guilt Offerings (Leviticus 6:1-7; Leviticus 7:1-10)

Then the LORD said to Moses, “If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering. (A shekel is approximately 0.4 ounce or 11.4 grams of silver.) Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.

If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is still guilty and shall bear his punishment. He must bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has committed in ignorance, and he will be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD.”

The Israelites have a problem: how do you know when you have sinned? As long as the Israelites have been in Egypt, it has been “anything goes.” But now God is trying to reform His people into a holy nation. Many Israelites are still secretly worshiping Egyptian idols. That is why God is laying out all these laws. This chapter describes the following sins:

1. Failing to testify after hearing a public charge about something you have heard or witnessed. This is a sin of omission, and taking the easy way out is not an option. 2. Touching anything unclean 3. Touching any human uncleanness 4. Swearing thoughtlessly

“If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed…” Then a series of offerings is laid out: A female lamb or goat, two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. [A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters, probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour.] No olive oil or frankincense is used for this offering.

There is a special description of the penalties for sinning against the holy things, namely withholding first fruits, refusing to make offering for the first born, failing to tithe, or failing to fulfill a vow. In this case, the penalty is more costly: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel. Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.” Bottom line: fulfill your obligations promptly and respect God’s requirements.

Finally, “If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is still guilty and shall bear his punishment.” Again, the repayment is an unblemished ram, indicating that such a sin is very serious.

APPLICATION: Years ago, there was a commercial on American television for a device that would summon help for older people if they suffered any kind of emergency while they were alone. The catch phrase was, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” All of us are in that situation; we have fallen into sins and we can’t get out by ourselves.

1 John 1:8-10 tells us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be liar, and His word is not in us.”

None of us is free from sin. No matter how hard we try, we will do wrong things and say wrong things and think wrong things. Attempting to cover up our sins is futile and a waste of time. If we pretend we haven’t sinned, we are making God out to be a liar. But praise God,  we no longer have to offer animals to pay for our sins! Because Jesus has made the ultimate blood sacrifice, now we can confess our sins and be assured of God’s forgiveness.

Romans 3:22-24 tells us, “And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  No matter who we are or where we are, we have redemption and hope through Jesus Christ. We are not trapped in our wrong-doing; God has provided a way out.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we do is enough to free us from our sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to shed His blood in payment for our sins. Help us to trust in You and to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments and does what is forbidden by them:

If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must bring the bull to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the LORD. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest must then apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then he shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys— just as the fat is removed from the ox of the peace offering. Then the priest shall then burn them on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, with its head and legs and its entrails and dung— all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and he must burn it on a wood fire on the ash heap.

Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting. The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and it shall be slaughtered before the LORD. Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting, and he is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil. He is also to apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting, and he must pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And he is to remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven. Then he is to take the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt. When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering. He is to lay his hand on the head of the goat and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering. Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.

And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt. When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he is to bring a female goat without blemish as his offering for that sin. He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. Then the priest is to take some of its blood with his finger, apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Then he shall remove all the fat just as it is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

If, however, he brings a lamb as a sin offering, he is to bring an unblemished female. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. Then the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, apply it to the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. And he is to remove all the fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the peace offerings, and he shall burn it on the altar along with the offerings made by fire to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.”

 

At first this chapter seems both repetitious and tedious. There are several categories of people who might need to make sin offerings:

The anointed priest– As a spiritual leader, the anointed priest is held to a high standard because he represents all the people. The anointed priest must bring a young bull without blemish, lay hands on it, symbolically transferring his guilt to the animal, and then slaughter it at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. “Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting. The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. The priest must then apply some of the blood to the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then he shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys— just as the fat is removed from the ox of the peace offering. Then the priest shall then burn them on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, with its head and legs and its entrails and dung— all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and he must burn it on a wood fire on the ash heap.

“Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.” The elders will lay hands on the bull and then slaughter it, after which, the remainder of the sacrifice is carried out just as for the anointed priest.

If a leader sins, he brings an unblemished male goat, lays hands on it thereby transferring his guilt, and slaughters it. The priests handle the blood and body parts as they have for the other sin offerings.

If a commoner sins, he must bring an unblemished female goat or lamb as an offering. The animal will be handled as for the other sin offerings.

Why all these regulations? God wants His people to recognize when they have sinned, and God also wants His people to deal effectively with their guilt. Once the guilty party or parties lay hands on the animal, they are transferring their guilt to the animal. Once the animal has been sacrificed, the guilty parties are freed from guilt until they sin again. But future sins will also have to be paid for with blood sacrifices. Since animals are lower than humans in creation, the blood of a single animal can never be a permanent payment for sins.

APPLICATION: Hebrews 9:11-28 (The Message) tells us, “But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent” – the true Holy Place – once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all.

If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.

Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus’ death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.

Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion. After Moses had read out all the terms of the plan of the law – God’s “will” – he took the blood of sacrificed animals and, in a solemn ritual, sprinkled the document and the people who were its beneficiaries. And then he attested its validity with the words, “This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God.”

He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture. Moses said to the people, “This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you.” Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That’s why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins.

That accounts for the prominence of blood and death in all these secondary practices that point to the realities of heaven. It also accounts for why, when the real thing takes place, these animal sacrifices aren’t needed anymore, having served their purpose. For Christ didn’t enter the earthly version of the Holy Place; he entered the Place Itself, and offered himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins.

He doesn’t do this every year as the high priests did under the old plan with blood that was not their own; if that had been the case, he would have to sacrifice himself repeatedly throughout the course of history. But instead he sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin.

Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.”

Once Jesus offered himself as a sinless blood sacrifice, there was no further need for slaughtering animals. Now we can accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and then confess our sins to God when we sin, confident that God will forgive us because of the blood of Jesus.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we know  that we cannot earn our way into heaven. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins so that our sins have been paid for with His blood. Lord, forgive us, help us to change our ways so that we will please You in all that we do. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

 

 “If one’s offering is a peace offering and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present it without blemish before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.

From the peace offering he is to bring an offering made by fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys. Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

If, however, one’s peace offering to the LORD is from the flock, he must present a male or female without blemish. If he is presenting a lamb for his offering, he must present it before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

And from the peace offering he shall bring an offering made by fire to the LORD consisting of its fat: the entire fat tail cut off close to the backbone, the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys. Then the priest is to burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

If one’s offering is a goat, he is to present it before the LORD. He must lay his hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.

And from his offering he shall present an offering made by fire to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys. Then the priest will burn the food on the altar as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s. This is a perpetual statute for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.”

What is the point of a peace offering? This offering was not to atone for sins but to celebrate enjoying peace with God. There are several things that are different about this particular offering:

1. Although the animals had to be perfect and without blemish, they could be either male or female.
2. The person making the offering lays hands on the animal, indicating that the animal is a substitute for that person, taking away any unintentional offenses against God, so that God and the worshiper will remain in a peaceful and right relationship.
3. The animal is to be slaughtered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting by the person making the offering. The priests will then take over.
4. The part of the offering that is actually burned is the fat, the kidneys encased in the fat, and the lobe of the liver containing the fat while the blood is sprinkled on all sides of the altar. At this time, fat, kidneys, and liver are considered a delicacy and also a source of energy. This offering ensures that God is given the best part of the animals
5. The meat from the animals is to be shared between the person making the sacrifice and the priests, ensuring lovely celebrations whenever peace offerings are made.
6. No matter what kind of animal is offered, the regulations regarding the parts of the animal to be burned are still the same. God knows His people will try to slide out and save choice parts or themselves otherwise. God is being specific to avoid senseless haggling.

Ancient religions are full of regulations for all kinds of offerings to propitiate angry gods who might otherwise do terrible things to their worshipers. But the peace offering is actually a celebration approved by the One True Living God. God wants to celebrate being at peace with His people.

 “It was a voluntary sacrifice given to God in three specific instances. First, a peace offering could be given as a freewill offering, meaning that the worshiper was giving the peace offering as a way to say thank you for God’s unsought generosity. It was basically just a way to praise God for His goodness. The second way a peace offering could be given was alongside a fulfilled vow. A good example of this was when Hannah fulfilled her vow to God by bringing Samuel to the temple; on that occasion she also brought a peace offering to express the peace in her heart toward God concerning her sacrifice—it was a way to say, “I have no resentment; I am holding nothing back in the payment of my vow.” The third purpose of a peace offering was to give thanksgiving for God’s deliverance in an hour of dire need. None of these three reasons to sacrifice had anything to do with propitiation, with appeasing God, or with pacifying Him.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/peace-offering.html)

No system is perfect. Such offerings are open to misuse. The wanton wife described in Proverbs 7 hunts down a handsome young man, enticing him with the promise of meat from a peace offering. “Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart. She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home. Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner. She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him: “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows. So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you. I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses! For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took with him a bag of money and will not return until the moon is full.” (Proverbs 7:10-20)

Sex and a great steak dinner-what a temptation! Never mind that the foolish young man will die spiritually – and possibly physically – as a result. In this case, the woman is perverting the concept of peace offerings as an excuse to kill a fine animal and get great meat in the process.

APPLICATION: The concept of peace offerings remains viable today, although they generally are not labeled as such. In Ghanaian churches, it is quite common for men and women to give special offerings in gratitude after recovering from an illness, surviving a dangerous situation such as a bad traffic accident, achieving something special, or seeing God fulfill a promise. Generally, these offerings consist of money, although a farmer might donate grain or an animal. Such offerings are generally made in the middle of the church service as a way of sharing joy with the entire congregation.

A popular Gospel song here in Ghana asks, “What shall I render unto the Lord, for He has done so very much for me?” gotquestions.org concludes: “God is not interested in taking from us. That is not His heart at all. But the lie we so often believe is that our good actions bring about His goodness, and our sinful actions must be paid for in personal sacrifice. The peace offering shows that worshipers in the Old Testament were not any more responsible for their salvation than worshipers in the New Testament. Throughout the ages, people have been tempted to think that sacrifices create God’s favor. This belief is evident in our modern understanding of a peace offering as a propitiation for wrongdoing. But only Christ’s sacrifice creates favor with God and covers wrongdoing, and the Old Testament sacrifices were a picture of that future provision.”

We cannot possibly buy God’s favor; we can only thank Him for it. We cannot earn our way into heaven, but we can accept the blood sacrifice that Jesus has already made for us.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for our sins so that we might live in peace with You. Help us to believe in that sacrifice and to trust You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Laws for Grain Offerings (Leviticus 6:14-23)

“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it, and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The remainder of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.

Now if you bring an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must consist of fine flour, either unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers coated with oil. If your offering is a grain offering prepared on a griddle, (a shallow pan for baking or frying) it must be unleavened bread made of fine flour mixed with oil. Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering. If your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan,( a deep pan or stew pan) it must consist of fine flour with oil.

When you bring to the LORD the grain offering made in any of these ways, it is to be presented to the priest, and he shall take it to the altar. The priest is to remove the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.

No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as an offering made by fire to the LORD. You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma. And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering—you are to add salt to each of your offerings.

If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer crushed heads of new grain roasted on the fire. And you are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall then burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all its frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the LORD.”  

 Why is God ordering His people to make grain offerings? God knows that in the Promised Land, the Israelites will be doing a lot of farming, raising grain and olives and grapes, and producing grain, olive oil and wine. Obviously, the Israelites will want to make offerings, so they need regulations; otherwise, there will be a line of smirking farmers hauling moldy grain, sour wine, and poor – grade olive oil to the temple.

“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it, and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The remainder of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.”

One of the ways the priests benefited from their work was by receiving their share of offerings. Notice that the priests were only to offer a token amount of the fine grain and olive oil plus all the frankincense. The remaining fine grain plus oil belonged to the priests. Other grain offerings included baked or fried unleavened cakes made from flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers coated with oil.

Why the proscription against leaven? In Egypt leaven was used to brew beer and bake bread. God knew that the Israelites had Egyptian statues, amulets, and all kinds of religious articles hidden in their luggage. God wanted the Israelites to make a complete break with everything reminding them of Egypt. Worshipers could offer honey as part of first fruits offerings but they were not to include honey with any of the baked grain offerings; however, they were to include salt with all the offerings. Not only was salt a precious commodity, but it also was considered as a form of purification.  

“If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer crushed heads of new grain roasted on the fire. And you are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. The priest shall then burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all its frankincense, as an offering made by fire to the LORD.”  At certain times of the year, the Israelites were to present the first fruits of their harvest. Why the first fruits? When offering the first fruits from the harvest, farmers could not be certain that there would be any more. Offering the first fruits meant taking a risk and trusting God to provide a bountiful harvest.

APPLICATION: These days, nobody is hauling grain into church; however, there are charitable farming organizations that donate grain to areas struck with famine. What can we learn from these ancient instructions?

1. God deserves our best, not left-overs.
2. God is not impressed by quantity but by quality. God is not telling the Israelites how much grain  to offer; even the poorest of Israelites might still bring a small offering.
3. The principal of first fruits still applies. When we offer God our best and trust Him for the rest, He will provide.

Many years ago, my bank account had taken several hits. Expenses of traveling to interview for pediatric surgery training programs, supporting an orphan through World Vision, tithing to my church – Although I had been careful, my bank account was down to $1.37. At that point, God spoke to my heart and asked, “How much do you think that $1.37 will do? Give it to Me.” I shrugged my shoulders, said, “Fine!” and dropped a check for $1.37 in the church offering plate. That is when the miracles began. First, I came home to find a huge bag of fresh vegetables from my neighbors on my doorstep. Next, some friends invited me for supper several times. I was living immediately across the street from the hospital where I was working, so transportation to work was no problem. And I still had enough fuel in my car to take me to church until I got my next paycheck. One night I suddenly realized that my dry supplies such as beans, flour, soy powder, etc., should have run out several weeks earlier but my cannisters were still half full. God had provided more than I could possibly anticipate.

God does not play favorites. If you will trust Him, He will provide. But you must take the first step: trusting Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all who read these words to trust You as their Provider. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Burnt Offering

“Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock.

 ‘If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

 ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish. He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; but he shall wash the entrails and the legs with water. Then the priest shall bring it all and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

‘And if the burnt sacrifice of his offering to the Lord is of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons. The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out at the side of the altar. And he shall remove its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar on the east side, into the place for ashes. Then he shall split it at its wings, but shall not divide it completely; and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.”

The Book of Leviticus follows the Book of Exodus. Exodus tells the story of the escape of the Israelites from Egypt, the issuing of the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, and the instructions for constructing the Tabernacle, the portable temple that will accompany the Israelites throughout their journeys. At this point, the Tabernacle has been completely constructed and equipped. Read the instructions in Exodus and you realize that when the Israelites collected gold and silver from the frightened Egyptians, the amount they collected was staggering.

Now God is setting down the rules for burnt offerings. The reason behind these rules is simple: wrong-doing must be paid for with blood. If men and women are not to die, an animal must die as a substitute. Here is what David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary says about the sacrificial system:

“ When any one of you brings an offering: In the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, there were three major parts. The covenant included the law Israel had to obey, sacrifice to provide for breaking the law, and the choice of blessing or curse that would become Israel’s destiny throughout history.

i. The sacrificial system was an essential element of the Mosaic covenant because it was impossible to live up to the requirements of the law. No one could perfectly obey the law, and sin had to be dealt with through sacrifice. Each commanded sacrifice was significant, and they all pointed toward the perfect sacrifice Jesus would offer by His crucifixion (Hebrews 7:27, 9:11-28).

ii. This was not the beginning of God’s sacrificial system. Adam knew of sacrifice (Genesis 3:21), as did Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-4), and Noah (Genesis 8:20-21). Israel offered sacrifice at the Passover (Exodus 12). Job 1:5 and Exodus 10:25 also mention burnt sacrifices before the book of Leviticus.

iii. The idea of sacrifice to the gods was not unique to Israel. Other nations and cultures practiced sacrifice, often ultimately involving human sacrifice. The universality of sacrifice is evidence that this concept was known to man before the flood and was carried to different cultures from the survivors of the flood in Noah’s day.”

Those bringing sacrifices were to bring males without blemish-males because male animals were thought to be stronger and without blemish because offering God anything less would be an insult. These animals had to come from the herd so that the Israelites would not simply go out, catch some random wild animal, and try to bring it as a sacrifice. By the same token, the worshipers bringing animals would lay hands on the animal and kill the animal, thus transferring their guilt, while the priests would handle things after that.

David Guzik tells us about the idea behind these sacrifices: “To make atonement for him: The idea behind the Hebrew word for atonement (kophar) is to cover. The idea was that an individual’s sin and guilt were covered over by the blood of the sacrificial victim.

i. Leviticus is a book all about atonement. “The word kipper (“to make atonement”) is used almost fifty times in Leviticus…. It is used about fifty times more in the rest of the OT.” (Harris)

ii. But there is a difference between the Old Testament idea of atonement and the New Testament idea. In the Old Testament, sin is “covered over” until redemption was completed by Jesus on the cross. In the New Testament, sin is done away with – and a true “at-one-ment” was accomplished by Jesus’ sacrifice. The believer is therefore right with God on the basis of what Jesus has done at the cross, not on the basis of what the believer does. “There are two ruling religions around us at this day, and they mainly differ in tense. The general religion of mankind is ‘Do,’ but the religion of a true Christian is ‘Done.’” (Spurgeon)

iii. Significantly, the burnt offering was more about total surrender to God than about sin. Yet this shows that when we come to God with the greatest surrender possible for us, we are still marked by sin and in great need of atonement. Efforts of greater devotion and surrender to God should, if done properly, drive us to greater dependence on God’s perfect sacrifice of atonement in and through Jesus Christ.

iv. “Our only right to offer anything to God, in any form, is created by the one Offering through which we must be sanctified. Every offering is a symbol still of the One.” (Morgan)

For a more complete explanation of this chapter, you can read Guzik’s full discussion at the following link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/leviticus-1/

APPLICATION: God does not play favorites. The list of possible sacrifices starts with very expensive animals such as bulls and goes all the way down to turtledoves or young pigeons. God does not leave anybody out; even the very poor can still bring some kind of sacrificial offering. Generally, people are the ones who draw class distinctions based on money; in God’s sight, all people are equal. Much later, Jesus will commend a desperately poor widow for offering the smallest coins possible because those coins represent everything she has. While rich men are parading into the temple and flourishing their money before inserting it into the treasury, this lady creeps in unnoticed by anyone apart from Jesus.

These days, we don’t need to sacrifice animals any longer because Jesus has already offered Himself as the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins. Our part now is to accept what Jesus has done for us, confess our sins to Him, and serve Him the rest of our lives.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we do is good enough to earn us a place in heaven. Thank You for sending Jesus to die as the perfect sinless blood sacrifice. We believe that Jesus has died for our sins. Help us now to live for You the rest of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

This morning’s information comes from Pastor Chuck Swindoll’s website Insight for Living. For clear readable explanations, the information on this website is hard to beat. Pastor Swindoll also has podcasts that are excellent as well.

  (https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-pentateuch/leviticus#:~:text=

What’s%20the%20big%20idea%3F,people%20worthy%20of%20their%20God.)

“Who wrote the book? The content of Leviticus relates directly to Exodus, providing evidence that the same hand penned both books. The arguments that support Moses’s writing of Exodus also uphold Moses’s authorship of Leviticus (see the previous chapter). Additionally, we find more than fifty occasions when the text says something like, “The LORD spoke to Moses” (Leviticus 1:1; 4:1; 5:14; 6:1). The New Testament also refers to Moses as the author of passages from Leviticus (Matthew 8:4; Luke 2:22; Hebrews 8:5).

The word Leviticus derives from the tribe of Levi, whose members were set aside by the Lord to be His priests and worship leaders. As a title, the word is translated from the Septuagint, meaning “ ‘pertaining to the Levites,’ and although that tribe as such is not emphasized throughout the book, the priestly subject matter renders the title appropriate.”¹ Its content was originally meant to instruct the new nation of Israel in proper worship and right living, so that they might reflect the character of their divine King.

Where are we? The Law found in Leviticus was spoken by God to Moses at or near Mount Sinai, where the Israelites camped for some time. Because God delivered these detailed laws after the original Ten Commandments, the most probable date for their revelation is 1446 BC. Whether every law was written down at that time is impossible to determine; it may be that they were codified progressively during the ensuing forty-year wandering.

Why is Leviticus so important? “The book of Leviticus was the first book studied by a Jewish child; yet is often among the last books of the Bible to be studied by a Christian.” Today’s readers are often put off by the book’s lists of laws regarding diet, sacrifice, and social behavior. But within these highly detailed directives we discover the holiness—the separateness, distinction, and utter “otherness”—of God. And we learn how sin devastates humanity’s relationship with their Creator.

God established the sacrificial system so that His covenant people might enjoy His fellowship through worship; it also allowed for repentance and renewal:

When an Israelite worshiper laid his hand on the animal victim, he identified himself with the animal as his substitute . . . this accomplished a symbolic transfer of his sin and a legal transfer of his guilt to the animal victim. God then accepted the slaughter of the animal . . . as a ransom payment for the particular sin which occasioned it.³

Many years after Moses wrote Leviticus, Jesus came to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, holy and perfect, once for all, fulfilling the Law and rendering future animal sacrifices unnecessary and void (Hebrews 10:10).

What’s the big idea? The overall message of Leviticus is sanctification. The book communicates that receiving God’s forgiveness and acceptance should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth. Now that Israel had been redeemed by God, they were to be purified into a people worthy of their God. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” says Leviticus 19:2. In Leviticus we learn that God loves to be approached, but we must do so on His terms.

How do I apply this? This theme of holiness extends to the church. In the New Testament,
1 Peter 1:15–16 references Leviticus 19:2 when it says: “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Those who are redeemed by the mercies of God offer different sacrifices today; they offer themselves (Romans 12:1).

Like He did with the Israelites, God has redeemed and consecrated Christians. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice on our behalf, taking the punishment that we deserved so that we might be forgiven. Those who place their trust in Jesus’s atoning act become God’s children, saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8–9).

If you are His child, then He wants you to reflect His character. He is sanctifying you much like He did the nation of Israel. Does your life echo His? In what ways are you growing more like Christ?”

APPLICATION: Jesus said of himself that he came to fulfill the Law and not to eliminate it. While Christians today do not follow the laws described in Leviticus, the reasons behind those laws are still worth studying. I have frankly shied away from handling this book because so many people find it boring; however, God wants us to study His entire Word, not just the parts we find most interesting or inspiring.

If we are only interested in God when He will give us thrills and Holy Ghost goose bumps, we are not truly following God but only looking for entertainment. The ancient Israelites made that mistake, forgoing God’s practices that could have drawn them closer to Him and embracing darker and even more dramatic practices such as fertility rites, child sacrifices, and other unspeakable practices. We will see the rituals God gave the Israelites as a means of drawing them closer to Himself; unfortunately, these rituals proved less exciting than the fertility rites of the Canaanites.

Most of us live lives consumed by tedium and routine. Routines are not bad as long as they draw us closer to God; however, it’s easy to get into a rut, not ever peeking over the edge of the rut to see what’s happening in God’s larger world. As we go through Leviticus, we can trust that God is going to give us new insights, even as He has for other parts of His Word.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to love Your Word and to study it, even when parts of it seem difficult or tedious. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Destroyers of Jerusalem Destroyed

“Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence. For I will gather all the nations for battle against Jerusalem, and the city will be captured, the houses looted, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be removed from the city.

Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.

On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a day known only to the LORD, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light. And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea (The Dead Sea) and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.

All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. People will live there, and never again will there be an utter destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell securely.

And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

In that day a great panic from the LORD will come upon them, so that each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of one will rise against the other. Judah will also fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. And a similar plague will strike the horses and mules, camels, and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps.

All Nations Will Worship the King (Leviticus 23:33-44; Nehemiah 8:13-18)

Then all the survivors from the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, the rain will not fall on them. And if the people of Egypt will not go up and enter in, then rain will not fall on them; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the house of the LORD will be like the sprinkling bowls before the altar. Indeed, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD of Hosts, and all who sacrifice will come and take some pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of Hosts.

One of the challenges of dealing with prophecy is trying to decide when the prophecy might be fulfilled. A second challenge is dealing with the differences in cultures between the time the prophecy is first uttered and the present day. The first part of this chapter is readily understandable. Nothing is more likely than that Jerusalem will be attacked and conquered with looting and rape, and that half its people may be wiped out. The idea of a cataclysmic earthquake that will split the Mount of Olives and level hills into plains is also quite possible; the Jordan Valley is an earthquake – prone area that continues all the way down into the African continent as the Rift Valley.

A natural question is why? Why is God going to allow Jerusalem to be conquered and looted before Messiah finally comes in to defeat the foes? Is it because this is the only way in which people will come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah? Only God knows. But Messiah WILL come and there will be no more night or darkness. “Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.” Are these “holy ones” angels or saints? We do not know, but we can trust that these are those who have proven faithful and true.

“And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea (The Dead Sea) and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.” The living water of God is going to flow into the Dead Sea, making it alive again. That valley that was blighted when God struck Sodom and Gomorrah will team with life.  

“And this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes all the peoples who have warred against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.” Will nuclear weapons be involved? We do not know, but certainly these descriptions fit with victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In that day the Lord God will be King over the entire earth, and people from all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship Him. Those who refuse to worship the Lord will find their lands consumed by drought.

APPLICATION: What can we gain from this last chapter of Zachariah? Parts of it are difficult to understand. Will people really be using so many camels and horses or is this another example of God communicating truths in the only fashion that the people of Zachariah’s day would understand?

The main message for all of us is that Jesus the Messiah WILL come and set all things right. Those who refuse to worship may suffer and die outside the love of God, a love that they themselves have rejected. When Jesus’ disciples asked him when God would bring the end of things, Jesus told them that he did not even know, that only God the Father knew. But Jesus did promise his disciples that the end would come like a thief in the night. Today is the only day we are promised; let us worship and serve God today while we still have time!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we do not understand everything in Your Word, but we do not have to. Help us to love You and to serve You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

An End to Idolatry

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.

And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth. ’ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest ?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Struck, the Sheep Scattered (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31)

Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

Idols, false prophets, stains on the land – If only the Israelites had followed God’s instructions in the first place, things could have been wonderful. Instead of worshiping the One True Living God, the One who had already delivered them from the most powerful army in the entire world and who had fed and watered them for forty years, the Israelites plunged into full-bore idolatry. God wanted the Promised Land to be cleansed; instead, they have made things even worse. What can possibly cleanse this land and these people?

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.” 

Only God can do the cleanup job necessary. God promises to ERASE the names of the idols from the land so that they will no longer be remembered. God is also promising to remove false prophets and the unclean spirits inspiring them from the land.

Why is such an act necessary? Demons are territorial and they refuse to give up their territory unless a stronger Force comes against them. Even if it appears that things are all right, the demons may still be lurking. Several years ago, a series of tragedies took place in a particular part of the town in which we were then living. When local Christians began praying over the situation, one of them suddenly got a vision of a large fetish tree swarming with little demons. In fact, such a fetish tree had stood at an intersection for several years until a local church bought the property and took down the tree. The tree may have been gone, but the demons were not. 

“And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.” Study the Mosaic Law and you will realize that parents are allowed to kill offspring who blaspheme or commit other unspeakable acts. Parents will fear God so much that if their son persists in false prophesy, they will kill him, lest they be struck down for failure to do so.  

“And on that day every prophet who prophesies will be ashamed of his vision, and he will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive. He will say, ‘I am not a prophet; I work the land, for I was purchased as a servant in my youth. ’ If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest ?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’”

Those false prophets fortunate enough to be spared by their parents will repent and cease donning strange outfits to make themselves appear more important or more frightening. To avoid death, the former false prophets will claim to be peasant farmers. The wounds mentioned are probably self-inflicted ones incurred during idol worship. When Elijah was confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the Baal worshipers cut themselves in desperation, hoping to summon Baal in the process. Now these men will have to lie about these wounds to save themselves. Here God is mocking the idol worshipers, since He has never demanded ritual wounding as a form of worship.   

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones. And in all the land, declares the LORD, two-thirds will be cut off and perish, but a third will be left in it. This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

This is a strange passage. The part about “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” came true when Jesus was taken captive and his disciples fled. But what of the threat to cut off two-thirds of the people from the land? It may be that two-thirds of the people will refuse to follow God and there will be a time of reckoning. Is God unjust or unmerciful? NO! The entire universe tilts on the axis off free will. God has not created people to be puppets. These people will make their own choices, choosing oblivion in the process. But God also promises to leave one-third and to purify them and call them His people. These people are the ones who have not rejected God.

APPLICATION: The Bible tells us that when Satan fell from heaven, one-third of the angels fell with him. These angels became territorial demons, taking up residence throughout the earth. If we refuse to acknowledge the presence or influence of the demonic, we are merely fooling ourselves. Dean Sherman from YWAM teaches that “There is more power in one drop of the Blood of Jesus than in all the forces of hell.” While that statement is absolutely true, nonetheless, demonic influences abound and we must take care that we do not allow evil to creep into our lives unnoticed. We do not have to live in fear because God has promised to lead us and guide us if we only ask Him. Let’s do that now.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our eyes to see anything in our lives that is not of You and to reject it. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jerusalem Will Be Attacked
”This is the burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples. Judah will be besieged, as well as Jerusalem.
On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured. On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts: ‘The people of Jerusalem are my strength, for the LORD of Hosts is their God.’
On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the residents of Jerusalem remain secure in Jerusalem. The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the residents of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them. So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning the One They Pierced (John 19:31-37)
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns an only child, and weep bitterly for Him as one grieves a firstborn son. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan on its own: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the remaining clans and their wives.”

One of the challenges of considering prophecy is the question of “When?” When will these prophecies be fulfilled? At first, it is tempting to remember the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.; however, this passage speaks of an attack by “all the nations of the earth.” This phrase implies a more internationally mixed host.

“I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations.” God is promising to make Jerusalem and Judah a heavy stone that will literally crush all those who attack. God is also promising to strike horses of attacking armies with panic. Armies don’t use horses very much anymore; however, computer failures could wreak havoc with attacking weapons. God is speaking to people who have never imagined computers; He must use language that will convey His fundamental meaning to His people.

“On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the residents of Jerusalem remain secure in Jerusalem. The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the residents of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD going before them.
So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

As I write these words, huge forest fires have been consuming millions of acres in Canada, spreading smoke across much of the United States. A lack of rain, coupled with lightning strikes has resulted in a conflagration of enormous proportions. For the ancient Israelites, one of the worst catastrophes imaginable would be someone setting fire to the dry sheaves of grain. There would be one loud “WHOOF!” and everything would go up in flames. Now God is promising that the clans of Judah and the city of Jerusalem will be so mighty that they will consume all the nations around them. God promises to revive the house of David, transforming David’s descendants into an unstoppable force.

“Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns an only child, and weep bitterly for Him as one grieves a firstborn son.” This is Messiah speaking! At a certain point, God will send the conviction of the Holy Spirit on His people and those who have hitherto refused to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah will do so, grieving deeply that they have waited so long.

APPLICATION: It’s easy to understand the verses about God protecting Jerusalem and Judah, but why will people who have refused to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah grieve so deeply? People of all ages need love above all else and will do nearly anything to get it. But Jesus Christ can offer something nobody else can: pure and unadulterated love, the love that has sent him to the cross to die for the sins of all the people of the world. When people encounter love of that purity, they suddenly realize that they have been fighting the One who loves them better than anybody else. Looking at lost time and opportunities, no wonder that people will grieve! All that loneliness, all that suffering, and all the time, Jesus has been waiting for them to turn to Him.

Do we really have to wait for a catastrophe to happen before we turn to Jesus? Why can’t we lay down our foolish pride and allow Jesus’ love to transform us? Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we don’t understand how or why You can love us, but we are thankful that You do. Help us to lay down our foolish pride and allow You to change us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.