"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places."

 Leviticus 23

"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places." Leviticus 23:3

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - wrapping up chapter twenty - Celebrating Our Relationship with the Sovereign Lord of Time  - covering Leviticus 23:1-44, looking specifically at the third and final theme for the chapter - Live by the Covenant Celebrations God Established.  Here, the commentary summarizes how, in Leviticus 23, "God communicated powerful truths in the old covenant sacred calendar and in its fulfillment in Jesus.  The way we live should be altered by those truths."  The commentary encourages believers to "live differently in light of God's revealed truth in Leviticus 23" by: 

• seeking God's presence - festivals in the Old Testament spread throughout the year serve as reminders that everything in our lives should revolve around worship and love of God; the commentary states that "God's arrangement of the year in that way constitutes an exhortation to us--seek God's presence
• celebrating God and His salvation - the commentary states that "He should be our greatest joy, and He is the source of every other joy"
• sharing gifts with God and others - we are to be generous with what God gives us (2 Corinthians 9:7)
• submitting to God's sovereignty over time - we are to dedicate ourselves to corporate worship, fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to serve God and others; we must give up our schedule to God and not allow the world to grab hold of our time

The commentary wraps the chapter by reinforcing how the old covenant sacred calendar and its festivals celebrated 1400 years prior to the day and hour of Jesus' death and resurrection demonstrates how God "is capable of helping us with the challenges of our schedules."  If God can order and arrange time as He has with the Old Covenant sacred festivals and how they foreshadow Jesus 1400 years later, God can certainly order and arrange our time - and we should allow Him! 

We also reminded of how the Sabbath is STILL a day of rest when God calls us to corporate worship!

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of love and mercy for me - You are ALWAYS there for me and You ARE the source of ALL joy in my life, and You are worthy of both celebration and worship!  Thank You Jesus for the joy only You can provide and for the blessings You pour out for me.  I am not deserving.  I sin...daily...including worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message to me today and every day.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

 Leviticus 23

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter twenty - Celebrating Our Relationship with the Sovereign Lord of Time  - covering Leviticus 23:1-44, looking specifically at the second theme for the chapter - Learn the New Covenant Connections God Made.  Here, the commentary builds on the theme discussed yesterday, and explains the connection between the festivals described in Leviticus 23 with Jesus's death on the cross.  It states: "[a]mazingly, God timed the most important events in Jesus' saving work to coincide with festivals He had commanded His people to observe over 1,400 years earlier." 

• Passover: on the same day Israel killed a Passover lamb to celebrate how they were spared God's wrath on Egypt, Jesus died on the cross as John writes, He became "the Lamb of God, who took takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) 
• Festival of Unleavened Bread: just as God rescued the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, Jesus delivers believers from slavery to sin (John 8:34, 36)
  
• Festival of Firstfruits: just as this festival celebrates the beginning of the harvest, the New Testament describes Jesus' resurrection; see 1 Corinthians 15:20
  
• Festival of Weeks: on the same day in Acts 2, Pentecost results in a harvest three thousand souls who repented of their sins and believed in Jesus - a harvest of souls for the new church
• Festival of trumpets: just as the trumpet sounds the coming of the new year in the Old Testament, the trumpet sounds the coming of Christ in the New Testament - see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and the book of Revelation
  
• Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur): Leviticus describes how on the Day of Atonement the sacrifices offered and rituals practiced were different then for other days of the year where sacrifices were offered; with Jesus death on the cross, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice, the mediator of a new and better covenant, and He took our sins away; as the commentary describes "He is our scapegoat; our sin was placed on Him, and He went outside the gate of the city to be crucified as a sacrifice for our sins 
  
• Festival of Booths (Tabernacles - Succoth): just as the Israelites celebrated how God provided for and protected the Israelites as they wandered through the wilderness after escaping Egypt, Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, and He provides and protects us - sealing us for eternity - see Philippians 4:19 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides and protects me at all times - thank You Jesus.  I know that through both good and bad times, You will never leave or forsake me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  I worry, and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.