[H]e looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Mark 3:1-6

[H]e looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. Mark 3:5-6

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 3:1-6, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary.  Observations from the text using the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God does not seek strict rules around worship or the Sabbath.  His intent with the Sabbath is for God's people to be together in corporate worship.  The Bible does not say God's people shall not heal anyone on the Sabbath - note Jesus' anger and grief at the Pharisees hardness of heart (v5).  See also Galatians 5:22-23 where Paul notes there is no law for believers that demonstrate fruit of the Spirit.     
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: The Pharisees are not simply history - they represent any group of people that seeks legalism or elitism in church such that they know the proper way to worship.  Such arrogance creeps in the church in more subtle ways with intolerance about different worship styles - we should be mindful of different styles.  See also this article per DesiringGod.com.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: We should be careful to seek and know God's intent - carefully studying His Word and gaining guidance from church leadership on difficult questions where it is less clear.  We should not add or subtract anything from the Word.  We should never tire of doing good works with an intent to glorify God.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - loving me while still an enemy and hostile to You, saving me, and pouring out an inexhaustible supply of grace daily.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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. 

[H]e said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28

[H]e said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mark 2:25-27

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 2:23-28, looking at the second of three divisions, starting with vv25-27.  Excerpts from the commentary for vv25-27: 

• With regard to Jesus' reference to David in the text, the commentary shares that "God did not want them to starve. God was primarily concerned with caring for His servant David, the anointed king of Israel. Scripture nowhere condemns their actions."
• "The Sabbath was made to bless man, not man to bless the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man’s enjoyment, not man for the Sabbath’s significance. Jesus’ liberating vision of the Sabbath frees us from legalistic constraints instead of binding us with unbearable burdens."
• We are referred to Colossians 2:16-17 and the commentary shares: "[t]he Lord’s Day, indeed every day, is a blessing that lifts us up, not a burden that weighs us down."    

It's not just worship that is an expression of our love for God, obedience to God in all things is love of God and it's not burdensome.  Our obedience to God and our desire to please Him is a natural response to how much He loves us as He has not just sacrificed His life for us, but His rich blessings for us never stop flowing. See 1 John 5:3 where John writes "[f]or this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."  Ultimately, God wants us to offer our bodies - our lives - as a living sacrifice as our worship - see Romans 12:1.  In all that we do, do it all for the glory of God - 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves - You also pour out mercies without end every single morning, You are SO good!  Thank You Jesus!  You are worthy of all praise, honor, glory and worship!  I am not deserving of how You love and bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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. 

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:23-28

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. Mark 2:28

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 2:23-28, which is the text for next chapter of the commentary.  Observations using the Sword Bible Study Method:

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Similar to vv18-22, God is not concerned about empty rituals if we don't have a heart for God. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Pride and arrogance is one of the most dangerous sins and it led to the arrest and persecution of not just Jesus, but countless followers throughout redemptive history. The Pharisees were more concerned about their status and position then they were about pleasing God. Jesus challenged the Pharisees by citing 1 Samuel 21 as an example of God's intent with ceremonial practices where David is on the run from Saul and partakes of the holy bread set aside for the priesthood (see Leviticus 24:5-9).  Surely Jesus' example of David will not be challenged as someone whose heart is not right with God! 
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey - sins to avoid, promises to claim, examples to follow, or commands to obey?: Sins to avoid - we should avoid empty ritual worship practices.  We should also avoid judgement and disagreement over matters that are either inconsequential (or not Biblical) or less clear in scripture.  Many a congregation separate over or have conflict about such matters.  Promises to claim - recognize that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord over all - having providence over all matters in the universe.  Jesus is the example to follow of course.  Commands to obey include how we are to worship - focusing on the most important commandments which are to love God, and to love others (Matthew 22:34-40).  

V28 in particular strikes a chord in how Jesus shares how Sabbath was modeled during creation and then codified in the Ten Commandments - see Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11. Sabbath was designed as a day of rest and to focus on God - and our heart condition is of primary concern.  It's less about what you do vs how you do it. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves and gives rest - thank You Jesus!  You also save and pour out mercies that never cease and that are new every morning.  I am not deserving of how You bless so richly and how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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.  

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:6-14

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 1:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.  Today, I complete a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 1:6-14. The commentary offers both an introduction, two divisions for this text, and a conclusion that summarizes the text and offers application.   

Excerpts from the introduction:

• Given God's judgement on the priesthood in the text for their failure to lead worship with all of their heart, soul and mind - to offer their best - the text offers us an opportunity to examine our own worship to test whether we are truly offering God our best.  Worship is described as "an attitude of one's heart" towards God.  
• Based on what God has done and continues to do for us we should be loving, fearing and worshipping God!

Highlights from the commentary for the two divisions:

• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Depraved Actions of Worship (1:6-12) 
• God’s Complaint against Israel’s Priests for Their Apathetic Attitudes toward Worship (1:13-14)

The priesthood in Malachi's time had grown cold in their worship.  As an example, they offered not perfect, spotless sacrifices, but blemished and imperfect sacrifices.  They did not offer their best.  This of course was reflective of their heart towards God - despite who God is, what He had already done, and continues to do for them (and us). God not only expects our best but He deserves it!  He is worthy! For believers of today, there are many distractions that we allow to separate us from a worship of Him.  We should throw ourselves at the mercy of God to forgive us when we do this - He will welcome us back if we truly return to Him with a repentant heart and if we recommit to loving Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind.  The commentary shares how we cannot hide from God - He knows our heart.   

Excerpts from the conclusion:

• Text to consider for appropriate responses: Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5. 
• Recommended applications: (1) offer your body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), (2) offer finances to God as spiritual sacrifice (Philippians 4:14-18), (3) offer praise to the Lord (Hebrews 13:15), (4) offer up good works (Hebrews 13:16), (5) offer up those who have accepted the gospel as a result of your sharing (Romans 15:16).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who is worthy of my praise and worship!  Thank You for my salvation and for the mercies You pour out for me every day and that never cease.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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.

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Ecclesiastes 5

For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. Ecclesiastes 5:7

I resume (see last post on this) my study today of Ecclesiastes using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for this book.  Today, my focus is an unassisted review of Ecclesiastes 5:7, which covers the second division of the commentary chapter titled Religion Is Meaningless without Jesus - this second division specifically is referred to in the commentary as Through Christ, We Can Approach God with Confident Reverence.  My last post on Ecclesiastes 5:1-6 discussed how inappropriate worship of God is sinful and how the American church is probably guilty of this sin more so than perhaps most other churches elsewhere around the world. V7 starts once again reiterating the futility of inappropriate and sinful worship, but ends with a pointer to God and how worship on His terms is where believers should focus.  We must remember that we exist to glorify God, so of course it should follow that our worship should reflect this purpose.  Our worship is about Him, not about us!  We should fear God (Proverbs 1:7), remember that all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), be humble (Psalm 46:10), praise God for His great mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23), and surrender ourselves fully to God, allowing Him to work together with and through us for good and for His glory (Romans 8:28).  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your great mercies that are new every morning and that never cease - thank You also for my salvation. I am not deserving of such blessings - my sin is great and it continues...daily.  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 continue to 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, apply and be obedient to Your message for me today and every day.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11

I maintain a pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I continue using DesiringGod.com's Advent devotions where I pick up on Day 10.  Here, John Piper unpacks Matthew 2:10-11 where the magi worship the new born Jesus, and bring Him gifts.  Piper starts by referring us to Acts 17:25 where the scripture is clear that God does not need anything - He is not "served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."  So these men from the east, the magi - who are not Jews - worship Jesus and offer Him gifts.  Piper's devotion seeks to help us explore why these gifts were offered and the purpose they serve. The devotion states that these are not bribes - pointing us to Deuteronomy 10:17.  Instead, Piper shares that anytime gifts are given to wealthy, self-sufficient people, these gifts echo and intensify "the giver’s desire to show how wonderful the person is. In a sense, giving gifts to Christ are like fasting — going without something to show that Christ is more valuable than what you are going without."  Piper continues by sharing that "[w]hen you give a gift to Christ like this, it’s a way of saying, “The joy that I pursue (notice Matthew 2:10! “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy”) — the joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich by bartering with you or negotiating some payment. I have not come to you for your things, but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things, in the hope of enjoying you more, not things. By giving to you what you do not need, and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’"  Piper concludes by sharing that it is his prayer that all people in all nations awaken to a desire for Christ Himself as their treasure above all else.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion.  Thank You Jesus - I seek to make You my treasure above all else - You are worthy.  Help me with this response to Your grace and compassion.  I need Your help desperately every day.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  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.   

[Y]ou were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6

[Y]ou were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20

I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at how we are to worship, as worship is biblically defined not just by church worship services, but by all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Eating, drinking, working (see also this post and Ephesians 6:7-8), hobbies, etc. We must remember that as the text today is written, God bought us with a price (His life), we received through grace forgiveness of sins, fullness of life now and for eternity, and as such we should respond through worship - yet not just on Sunday morning.  Every day...every moment. Paul expresses this also in Romans 12:1 where he says "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." We exist to glorify God - plain and simple.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, who paid the ultimate price for me - and You gave me forgiveness of sins, and fullness of life now and for eternity - incredible!  I am not deserving of such gifts and blessings...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such 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. 

You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 26-27

You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. Leviticus 26:1-2

 

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter twenty-three (the final chapter) - Either-Or - covering Leviticus 26-27, looking specifically at the introduction and first theme for the chapter - God Calls Us to Right Worship. Here, the commentary's introduction for the chapter describes a black and white set of commands God gives us to live in obedience or disobedience to Him.  The commentary theme for today then starts with Leviticus 26:1-2 where it commands us to not worship idols or other gods above the one true God (see also Exodus 20) and to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and to experience corporate worship with other believers at church. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who blesses me...daily.  Your mercies are new every morning - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me Jesus!  I sin every day, including worry, harsh words, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus.  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.

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

 Leviticus 17 

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:15-16

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter fifteen - Laws of Worship Prefiguring Christ - covering Leviticus 17:1-16, looking specifically at the second theme for the chapter - God Commands Us How to Worship Him.  Here, the commentary, as the theme explicitly states, focuses on how God wants us to worship Him.  In the Old Testament, specifically in Leviticus, God lays out the the sacrificial system, and here in Leviticus 17, God lays out the place and manner in which sacrificed animals were to be offered.  The commentary states "God did not allow His people to offer personal sacrifices any way they wanted to offer them, any place the wanted to offer them.  God still expects us to worship Him according to His Word, not according to our desires." The commentary then pivots to the new covenant believers have with Jesus Christ, and how "God has abolished His old covenant laws about worship....However, God gives worship commands in the new covenant too."  The commentary provides the following scriptural examples in the New Testament for how God commands us to worship Him:

• Hebrews 10:25: meet together for corporate worship
• John 4:24: worship Him in spirit and truth (based on God's Word)
  
• Psalm 95:1: worship through songs of praise
• Hebrews 13:15-16: worship through words of praise and through sacrifice of time, talents, and money; gifts that glorify Him

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and You are worthy of my worship and praise - non stop!  My white hot worship!  You do so much for me and of course You died for me!  I am not deserving of such blessings - not by a long shot.  My sin continues - grumbling and complaining, etc. 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 today and every day.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Leviticus 16

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! Psalm 100:4

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter fourteen - God Forgives and Removes Sin - covering Leviticus 16:1-34, looking specifically at the second theme for the chapter - We Come into God's Presence with Care.  Here, the commentary theme for today highlights God's instructions for Aaron to follow on the Day of Atonement as described in great detail in Leviticus 16. God warns Aaron to follow these instructions to the letter "so that he may (does) not die" (v2, 13). The commentary writes how Aaron, after the death of his two sons as described in Leviticus 10, was surely more motivated to be careful to follow God's instructions. During my study of Leviticus, I've previously posted on the topic of how we are to approach worship carefully and with a right heart - certainly not flippantly or carelessly as we might if we are simply going through the motions. The commentary urges us to see this same application today: "we are not to approach God in a haphazard way or in the way that suits us in the moment.  We submit to what God says in His Word about how to approach Him.  He is God, not man.  He is our sovereign Lord, not our buddy, and we come into His presence with a keen awareness of that fact....We don't come into His presence naming our demands or imposing our opinions; we come into His presence giving Him praise as God and bowing our hearts in reverence out of fear of His holiness and awesome power."  The commentary provides both Matthew 6:9 and Psalm 100:4 as scriptural examples of how we are to approach God. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is always available for me - in worship, for prayer and quiet time studying the Word, etc.  Thank You!  Yet I am undeserving of how You bless me and protect me as I have often gone through the motions.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn 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.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Leviticus 10

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" Isaiah 6:3

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting with chapter ten - Our Response to God's Holiness - covering Leviticus 10:1-20, looking specifically at the theme - God's People Approach God as Holy.  Here, as the commentary begins a new chapter looking at Leviticus 10, the introduction to the chapter focuses on the contrast between Moses and the priests in Leviticus 8-9 vs that of Aaron and sons Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10.  The commentary points out how, in Leviticus 8-9 scripture states that Moses and priests did exactly as the Lord commanded twelve times. Yet in Leviticus 10:1-2, Nadab and Abihu offer "unauthorized fire" to the Lord "[a]nd fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord."  The commentary points us back to Leviticus 8, where in v8:35, Moses warns "Aaron and his sons to obey the Lord, 'so that you will not die.'"  The commentary also points us to v10:3, where Moses further explains to Aaron that "[t]his is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified."  We are urged to see God as sanctified, holy - as "set apart" - implying that we are to avoid treating God as like us, or as a better version of us - both of which are not only not true, but sinful to believe as such!  The commentary refers to theologian A.W. Tozer and his book The Knowledge of the Holy, where he writes: "[w]e cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of.  God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable."  The commentary then provides a number of scriptural examples that refer to God as Holy (Isaiah 6:3), His Word as Holy (Romans 7:12), and all of His attributes as Holy (Psalm 98:1) - of course this is not an exhaustive list.  The commentary then closes the first subheading or theme - God's People Approach God as Holy - by exhorting all believers to treat worship with the reverence God is due; God is Holy so we must approach God carefully and with awe and reverence.  We must avoid worship that is "unauthorized" as  Nadab and Abihu did.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Holy, Your Word is Holy and everything about You is Holy!  You are perfect in all Your ways, and You love me.  You are worthy of my awe and white hot worship!  Yet sometimes I fail to treat my worship with the awe and reverence You desire.  Please forgive me Jesus!  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.

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Leviticus 9

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:6-8

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - moving on to chapter nine - Powerful Worship - covering Leviticus 9:1-24, looking specifically at the theme - Powerful Worship Includes Submission to God's Word. Here, the commentary examines the broad brush of how God commanded Moses and the Israelites regarding the details of worship.  In the inaugural worship (described as powerful per my post yesterday), "God's people in worship submitted to what God had said regarding worship." The implication is clear: while the ceremonial law, including the Old Testament sacrificial system, no longer applies, God still seeks an appropriate worship from believers, as our worship reflects how we submit to God's Word, and it is how we relate to God.  The commentary notes "three ways worship relates to submission of God's Word":

1. "We Submit to God's Word by the Act of Worship": throughout scripture (see Psalm 96:8-9, John 4:23, Matthew 6:10, and Revelation 4:8 as examples) God commands us to worship.  The commentary exhorts believers to see how we must attend church weekly as "[n]othing is clearer, more fundamental, and more imperative in God's Word than God's people gathering to give worship and praise to God.  We submit to God's Word by the act of the worship."
2.  "We Submit to God's Word by the Way We Worship": We are to sing praise to Him; we are to be contrite - so humility and confession are important; we are to pray; we offer gifts and tithes; and we read and examine scripture. "God's Word does not tell us to critique what others do in worship, but to worship.  We are not spectators, we are participants.  The almighty, holy, sovereign God meets with us in worship.  He has told us to gather to worship Him, and He has told us what to do in worship."
3. "We Submit to God's Word by a Life of Worship": God does not need animal sacrifices as described in Leviticus, and He does not want empty rituals  - He wants our heart. We are encouraged to fully submit to God in all areas of our life.  We are encouraged to follow Micah's words (Micah 6:6-8).  

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has provided amazing churches for me to experience powerful worship.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me in this way, or in any way.  I am full of anger and harsh words.  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.

And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 9

And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:23-24

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - moving on to chapter nine - Powerful Worship - covering Leviticus 9:1-24, looking specifically at the theme - Powerful Worship Follows Preparation for God's Presence.  Here, the commentary focuses on how in Leviticus 9 we see a description of the "inaugural worship service for the tabernacle that God had commanded to be built during Israel's wilderness wandering.  God had told them to build the tabernacle; they obeyed and built it.  God had told them to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests, and they did that [Leviticus 8].  God had told them what sacrifices to offer and how to offer them [Leviticus 1-7]. Now, the time of preparation was over and the time of worship had arrived, and, and if any worship experience could be described as powerful, this one was powerful.  It was ordained by God, blessed by God, and visited by God.  God can use it to teach us something about powerful worship."

The commentary describes powerful worship as an undeniable demonstration of God's power moving in our life or in the life of others near us.  The commentary then pivots to how believers can consistently experience powerful worship as believers often do not experience such powerful worship because we are focused perhaps solely on secular aspects of the worship experience such as the music, or the sermon. Or believers may focus on earthly concerns or cares and such distractions prevent us from experiencing powerful worship. We are then urged to see how we don't experience powerful worship simply because we weren't ready to receive anything from God[, as p]owerful public worship is so often preceded by powerful private worship."  The commentary points out how the Israelites inaugural public worship was preceded not just by preparation via learning about how to perform the sacrificial system as the means of atonement or or learning about how priests are to be consecrated and ordained.  The inaugural worship was also preceded by a recognition and acknowledgement of all that God had done for Israel at that point: delivery from bondage in Israel (including the 10 miracles/plagues God demonstrated to Pharaoh/Egypt), provision for food and water in the wilderness, God's awesome presence at Mount Sinai, the giving of the Ten Commandments, etc. As we prepare for worship on Sundays, we too prepare our hearts for worship.  We should recognize and acknowledge all that Jesus has done for us and how He is all that we need.  We should pray that we exalt Him during our time in worship, and for God to prepare our hearts to receive Him and His Word for us.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has done so much for me - my words and worship cannot fully describe the breadth and depth of Your love for me, how You reign, and how awesome You are.  Thank You Jesus for Your love for me and of course for my salvation - the greatest gift of all time.  I am not dserving of such a gift and for how You love me.  I am often harsh with others.  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 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.

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

Leviticus 6-7

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 10:29

This afternoon, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing chapter seven - Serving God in God's Way - covering Leviticus 6:8-7:38, looking specifically at the theme - We Maintain Holiness Before God.  Here, the commentary focuses on how God desires us to avoid uncleanliness (or sin), and for us to "show reverence for God's means of atonement."  In several places in the text for today, God commands the Israelites to keep the place of worship clean - the implication being for Christians of today is (per the commentary) that God "does not want us to engage in something holy, like worship, when our lives are unholy.  He wants us to live holy lives and offer holy worship." We are urged to see how this principal in Leviticus shows up elsewhere in scripture, including Isaiah 52:11 and in 2 Corinthians 6:17 when Paul quotes Isaiah 52:11. 

The commentary for today and this chapter wraps by urging believes to not treat Christ's sacrifice "flippantly."  God designed the Old Testament sacrificial system and all of its details perfectly with an eye towards having the Israelites work through the details carefully to ensure complete obedience to God.  While this sacrificial systems is no longer used for Christians, God nonetheless wants us to see Christ's death on the cross as a very serious matter and an act that demands both our attention and ongoing focus was we approach worship and every aspect of our life.  We must remain right with God.  As a scriptural basis for how we are to remain right with God and to not treat His death on the cross flippantly we are to refer to Hebrews 10:29.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Holy and You are perfect and all of your designs are perfect, including how You command us to worship.  I have also seen Your perfect design in my life with how You orchestrate the many blessings I experience - thank You Jesus!  Yet there are times when my worship is treated flippantly - please forgive me Jesus! 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.

All fat is the Lord's. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.

Leviticus 3

All fat is the Lord's. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood. Leviticus 3:16-17

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - looking at chapter three - Peace with God - covering 3:1-17, looking specifically at the theme We Submit to the Word of God.  Here, the commentary urges us to look carefully at the details of God's commands for animal sacrifice as part of the Old Testament sacrificial system.  Many, including myself, often ask about these details and the role they play in the Bible - similar details are expressed in the construction of God's temple (first constructed by Solomon in 1 Kings). My commentary offers great insight on this question on several fronts, including how in Leviticus 3 we see details about how certain parts of animal (kidneys, fat, entrails, liver) are to be cut up and offered. Blood is also to be sprinkled on the sides of the altar.  The commentary writes how pagan/Canaanite worship, at the time Leviticus was written, used animal liver as a form of divination called hepatoscopy:  "[t]he one true God told His people not to save that part of the animal--not for divination or for anything else--but to burn the liver on the altar.  They were not looking at a liver to determine the future; they were trusting in God for the future."  God detests such pagan worship. Similarly, the commentary writes how the offering of blood during sacrifice represents "the giving of life" as blood, and how blood carries oxygen to all parts of the body is the key to life.  The commentary summarizes the use of details during animal sacrifice (again, done away with in the New Covenant with Jesus Christ) as important to the extent that God did not want empty, mindless rituals, and the use of such details forced worshipers to slow down to ensure careful following of God's commands.  Such a message should not be lost on believers in Christ and we should not speed through empty rituals as we approach Christ with any aspect of our worship.  

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who provides a path for atonement and a path to reconcile with You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide this path or for any of the blessings You pour out for me.  I worry, am harsh with others, etc.  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.

The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock."

Leviticus 1

The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock." Leviticus 1:1-2

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - moving from an overview of the book itself to review 1:1-7, looking at the theme God Speaks His Truth to Us.  Here, the commentary focuses me right away on an appropriate view of worship.  I am encouraged to view worship based not on my own view or preferences (i.e. music, preaching style, etc.) but on what God says. The words and its variations "the Lord spoke (or called) to Moses" appear 38 times in Leviticus and the statement the "Lord commanded Moses" occurs 18 times. How I worship is important and it is wholly important for me to better understand God's view on worship. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and You have saved me and bless me in ways unimaginable.  I am grateful but of course not deserving.  My sin, anger, worry, etc. continues...in small and large ways - either way it is a sin.  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.