Psalm 36

Psalm 36  

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

CS Lewis once said that he believed in the sun not just because he could see it but by it, he could see everything else. Verse 9 goes right along with that thought for by God’s light we see light. It is only in God’s light that we can see how things really are. In the paradigm of a Christian worldview, everything makes sense. Even those things that may not make sense now will when we stand in His presence. ”

Psa 36:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Psa 36:2  For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
Psa 36:3  The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
Psa 36:4  He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
Psa 36:5  Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Psa 36:6  Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.
Psa 36:7  How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Psa 36:8  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
Psa 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Psa 36:10  O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
Psa 36:11  Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
Psa 36:12  There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

Leviticus 2

Leviticus 2

TUESDAY  Reflections

One thing that stands out here and throughout the offering given to God is they are supposed to be unleavened. Leaven (yeast, baking soda, etc.) causes bubbles to form and the thing (most often bread) to puff up. This action adds no substance to the bread though it can make it easier to eat and adds a very different texture.

 

Leaven is a type/symbol for sin and pride. Sin and pride causes a person to think more highly of themselves. It causes them to be puffed up. Sin and pride adds nothing of substance and absolutely changes the content (texture) of a person’s character. God is using a picture that what comes before him can’t be puffed up. This is a reminder, we can’t come before God and expect to be received if we don’t deal with the sin and pride in our life.     

Lev 2:1-16
(1)  And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
(2)  And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:
(3)  And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
(4)  And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
(5)  And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
(6)  Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
(7)  And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
(8)  And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.
(9)  And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
(10)  And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.
(11)  No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.
(12)  As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.
(13)  And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.
(14)  And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
(15)  And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.
(16)  And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Leviticus 1

WEEK 19                                           Leviticus 1 

MONDAY  Reflections

While preparing for my study of Leviticus I came across this note from Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:

“The tabernacle of the congregation - Rather, the tent of meeting. See Exodus 22:21 note. When Jehovah (Yahweh) was about to give His people the Law of the Ten Commandments Exodus 19:3 He called to Moses from the top of Mount Sinai in thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud. When He was now about to give them the laws by which their formal acts of worship were to be regulated, He called to Moses out of the tabernacle which had just been constructed at the foot of the mountain. Exodus 25:22.”[1

I had never realized the importance of where God called Moses from when he gave the commandments, but it is important. The importance comes in light of the New Testament where we no longer obey the sacrificial system but still hold to the Ten Commandments. Some want to argue that we are inconsistent because we hold to part of the Law but not all of it. Yet we see here that the center of the Ten Commandments proceeds from the mountain which belongs one could say to everyone and to the tabernacle which held only to the children of Israel. We see Jesus and the New Testament writers repeating the commands given from the mountain (yes even a version of the Sabbath command in that God sanctifies all days, but that discussion is for another day), but throughout the New Testament, the sacrificial system is dismissed.

Why? I think the reason is seen here. We now have a new tabernacle which Stephen hints at in his address before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 and is clear talked about in Hebrew. The Levitical law laid out in Leviticus is a picture of the sinfulness of man and the sacrificial grace of Jesus, but it is not the law we now live under for we have a new tabernacle where we worship. A tabernacle not made by hand but made by God in the hearts of men as Jeremiah 31:33 says: "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The law we are preparing to read is good to understand and know, but it is not the law that guides our lives, because now we enter into a new tabernacle, not the one Moses was called into here in Leviticus chapter 1.

Lev 1:1-17
(1)  And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
(2)  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
(3)  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
(4)  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
(5)  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
(6)  And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.
(7)  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
(8)  And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
(9)  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
(10)  And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
(11)  And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
(12)  And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
(13)  But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
(14)  And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
(15)  And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
(16)  And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
(17)  And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Isaiah 44

Isaiah 44  

SATURDAY  Reflections

Isaiah here describes the foolishness of worshiping idols. He talks about the craftsman who cuts down a tree uses part of it to warm himself, part to bake bread, and part to make am idol which he will worship. So what is so magical about this last part of the tree? What makes this section unworthy to be burned and another deserving to be worshiped? What power can this have if you made it yourself? These are the questions Isaiah asks. The answer to all of them is there isn’t anything special about them. Idols are worthless.

Yes, some could argue that these things are only representations of a greater power. However, the question God asks through Isaiah is have they saved you? The answer is no. No talisman can save, only God. 

Isaiah 44:1-28
(1)  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:
(2)  Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.
(3)  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
(4)  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
(5)  One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
(6)  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
(7)  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
(8)  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
(9)  They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.
(10)  Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?
(11)  Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.
(12)  The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
(13)  The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
(14)  He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
(15)  Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.
(16)  He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:
(17)  And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.
(18)  They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
(19)  And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
(20)  He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
(21)  Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me.
(22)  I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
(23)  Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
(24)  Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
(25)  That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
(26)  That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
(27)  That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
(28)  That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

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Job 39

Job 39  

FRIDAY  Reflections

Throughout this chapter, God demands of Job questions he can’t answer. God even asks, “Can you do these things?” The answer is no he can’t.  The idea is if Job can’t understand these things how can he understand why God has allowed what He has. God has Job looking all over creation at the intricacies of life. Even today with the use of modern science we can’t answer many of these questions and we definitely can’t reproduce them. So how do we think we can understand why God allows some of the things He does?

 

There are some answers to the question of why, but when you are facing the challenge and emotions run wild it is hard to get past them. At the end of the day, we are left with the question are we going to trust God or not. If your condition for trusting is everything going the way you think it should then you’re going to have a hard time trusting anyone in life. 

Job 39:1-30
(1)  Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
(2)  Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
(3)  They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
(4)  Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
(5)  Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
(6)  Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
(7)  He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
(8)  The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
(9)  Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
(10)  Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
(11)  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
(12)  Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
(13)  Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
(14)  Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
(15)  And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
(16)  She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
(17)  Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
(18)  What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
(19)  Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
(20)  Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
(21)  He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
(22)  He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
(23)  The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
(24)  He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
(25)  He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
(26)  Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
(27)  Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
(28)  She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
(29)  From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
(30)  Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

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