One Year Bible, February 16

LEVITICUS 1:1-3:17
The old Hebrew title of this book is "And God Called". It covers one month of the second year out of Egypt. The overall message is that all worship must be a sacrifice and it delivers the worshipper from selfishness and independence. God is holy and His holy people must have holy food, holy bodies, holy homes, holy habits, holy morals, and holy lifestyles. They must be different from everybody else.

Leviticus is a poignant book that begins with "And the Lord called". And thus begins the process of God calling us close. The first usage of the word "offering" is in verse 2. It is also translated "sacrifice". It is the Hebrew word "qorban" and its literal meaning is "to draw near."

Leviticus is about our approach to the throne of God. The term "before the Lord" is used 77 times; the term "unto the Lord" is used 74 times in Leviticus. I counted them myself. The offerings tell the story of the process of a Believer being changed to the Image of Jesus Christ through worship and repentance. Romans 12:1 says we are to present ourselves a "living sacrifice", and so when we worship, we are "presenting ourselves", not a bull or goat.

Because it is so lengthy, I will discuss the five kinds of offerings tomorrow. It takes all five to express the finished work of Jesus. Exactly what happens that changes us when we are born again?  

RESPONSE:   I can hear You calling. I won't neglect You or Your great provision. I know You actually want me close to You! Elsewhere, You have said that You actually listen for my voice! Yowza! I won't disappoint You. Here I am! You are my faithful Friend!

MARK 1:29-2:12
In Mark 1:35 we learn the secret of Jesus' power. He "went off to a solitary place and prayed."

The leper and the paraplegic: Of all the diseases, leprosy is the most graphic picture of sin. Beginning with just a small spot the leprosy spreads, and as it does it desensitizes. Then it deforms. The person who had it was considered "unclean" - and no one was allowed to touch them, and so a leper became isolated. This particular leper did not asked to be healed, but to be made "clean". This was probably the first time that another human being had touched this social outcast in a very long time. His healing was actually to be a testimony to the priests ministering in the Temple. The paraplegic's healing was actually witnessed by "teachers of the law". Paraplegia is used in Scripture to illustrate the inability to live and walk clean. It is the paralysis of sin in our lives that keeps us from embracing Jesus. And so Jesus first forgives his sin. The healing from the paraplegia was outward proof of what had just taken place inside the man.

RESPONSE:   Jesus, without You, we cannot BE clean or LIVE clean. But, what a fabulous God You are! We have BOTH ! Thanks to You we can BE clean and LIVE clean! Just think about that! 

PSALM 35:17-28
Lord, "how long" will You let this go on?   God saw it all. He was able to save him and yet He did not intervene.  He SEEMED to  be paying no attention. He APPEARED not to care. The psalmist, therefore, asks "how long" this was to continue. He did not doubt that God WOULD, at some point, step in and rescue him; but what was so mysterious to him was the fact that He saw it all and did nothing when He could have. The fact that God SEEMS to be indifferent to our miseries, does not prove that He is. In fact, consider Job, who could not sense God ANYWHERE --- when, in fact, Job was the very center of highly focused attention from God.

I believe if we are "married" to Jesus (in covenant) then we share ALL of His life, just like a wife does her husband (Eph 5:28-30). "But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." (John 15:25).  Should the servant have to pay any less than his Master?  He is my Friend and I must go with Him through it all. 

PROVERBS 9:13-18
The "foolish woman" is the opposite to the "wisdom woman". She must also be the same woman who is a harlot.  It is the opposite of wisdom to be "undisciplined and without knowledge." "Undisciplined" here means "chaotic or in an uproar, always got something going on".

"Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"  Anything (that's not your, or is illicit) you can sneak without anyone knowing you did it has the seduction of danger in it. But, it always leads to death. 

RESPONSE:    I admit that yesterday I thought God was not only not paying attention to what was happening to me, but that maybe He even condoned it! Maybe He was trying to tell me something! You know, sometimes your enemies will tell you the truth, that your friends would never say to your face! Thankfully, I have the Word of God to hold me together. "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power..." (Hebrews 1:3) The Truth always frees us from our false perceptions. Sometimes I let my emotions drive me insane, but the Lord always brings me back to center - which is Himself. I, too, ask God "how long?" - it's been a day already!