Sunday Psalm: God Prefers Obedience to Sacrifices

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Psalms 40:1-17 (KJV)

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Journal Through the Bible: Week 19 Saturday

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Leviticus 21:16-22:33


Does God make any promises?

• God promised to kill the priests that profaned the regulations given for the sacrifices and the use of them in feeding the priests and their families. (The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, come to mind.)

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Jesus was perfect. He was not handicapped or maimed. Therefore, the male descendants of Aaron had to appear without any obvious physical disfigurements or infirmities in order to picture the Messiah. Even the leprous and infectious men were prohibited from eating the offerings since disease is a result of the sin curse and Jesus was not touched by sin until He took it upon Himself at the cross.
• Since Jesus was a willing sacrifice that was offered and was not an unsuspecting victim of predatory men, nor did He die of an infirmity, He could not be portrayed by the animals that died or were slain by hunters further up the food chain. That is why the priests were forbidden to eat such animals.
• Jesus is the only One that could partake of the cup given Him by His Father for the payment of sins. This was portrayed by the fact that only the priestly family (or those of his household servants) could eat the portion reserved for the priests. There really is exclusivity in God's plan!
• JESUS IS STILL INVITING ALL TO COME AND DINE! 

Are there any references to future events?

• There was nothing profane allowed about God's meals. And He was very specific and exclusive in His instructions about who would eat it. That same specificity and exclusivity will be present in eternity. No unclean person will partake of it! (Jesus told the parable about those who were invited but refused to come.)

Does God issue any commands?

• God commanded that any male descendant of Aaron that was handicapped or disfigured could not serve as a priest although he could eat of the bread and offerings that were given by the people for the priest and his family.
• God commanded the priests to separate themselves from the things the people dedicated to God. (My understanding of this phrase in 22:2 is that just because the people had given something for use in the tabernacle did not mean that it automatically belonged to the priests. There was to be a separation between the things that belonged to the center of worship and things that belonged to its ministers. The priests belonged to God. The things dedicated to God did not necessarily belong to the priests!)
• God did not allow any leprous male descendants of Aaron or any afflicted with oozing discharges on their skin to eat the offerings that were given. 
• The priests that were temporarily unclean (contaminated) through touching an unclean animal or insect could not eat the ceremonially offered food until the time of uncleanness had expired. Then they could dine at the table.
• The priests were forbidden to eat clean animals that had died of unknown causes or had been slain by other beasts.
• No one else was allowed to eat the holy food set apart for the priest and his family. But if they did accidentally they could give an offering similar to what they ate and add 20% to it.
• God repeated the instructions that animals offered for sacrifice could not be blemished or maim.
• God commanded that newborn animals were not to be offered until the eighth day and that the mother and baby animals could not be offered on the same day.

Read Through the Bible in 2013: May 20-25

Take Ten

5/20/2013	I Samuel 11-13	Romans 9
5/21/2013	I Samuel 14, 15	Romans 10, 11
5/22/2013	I Samuel 16, 17	Romans 12, 13
5/23/2013	I Samuel 18, 19	Romans 14, 15
5/24/2013	I Samuel 20, 21	Romans 16
5/25/2013	I Samuel 22-24	Acts 21, 22

Journal Through the Bible: Week 19 Friday

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Leviticus 20:1-21:15

Today's promises are mostly in the form of curses which are not exactly the kind of promises we want fulfilled, but the kind deserved by those who fail to keep God's statutes. The same God who promised good to those who obey Him promised punishment for those who disobey Him.

Does God make any promises?

• God promised to turn His face away from any man that profaned His name and defiled His sanctuary by sacrificing his child to an idol.
• God also promised to turn His face away from anyone who knew someone who did the wicked act of sacrificing his child to an idol and did nothing about it!
• God promised to cut off the individual that would seek the advice of fortune tellers and demon possessed individuals.
• God promised that if they would follow His standards of righteousness they would inherit the land and live in it safely but if they would not the land itself would spit them out much like what was happening to the current inhabitants.

Are there any references to Jesus?

•  Romans 5:8-9 says that Jesus died for us while we were sinners (the type of people who did the unholy works that made God angry) and justified us so that we need not fear the wrath of God (those promised punishments).
• The priests were commanded not to grieve in an unholy manner. To do so would signify anger toward the will of a sovereign God and would also be a demonstration that the bereaved did not believe in the resurrection. If anyone should exhibit hope in immortality it should be the spiritual leaders of the people! Jesus said that He is the resurrection and the life. Death and resulting grief are our biggest enemies and Jesus conquered them. God's people are not to grieve in the same manner as those that have no hope.
• God promised to turn His face away from the wicked. Jesus had no wickedness but took ours upon Himself. The result was that God turned His face away from Jesus when He became sin for us.
• The priests' marriages were to pure. This was a holy picture used with meaning both in the Old and New testaments. God described Himself to be the bridegroom and Israel His bride (who proved to be unfaithful: see Hosea  and Ezekiel chapter 16); Jesus is compared to a bridegroom in His relationship to the New Jerusalem in Revelations chapters 21 and 22, to the churches in Ephesians chapter 5, as well as to each individual believer in John 3:29 and Matthew 25:1-6. 
• As our high priest, Jesus was above reproach in manners of relationships. That is one reason why  conjecture about Jesus being married to a mortal woman and having children as a result of that union is blasphemous.
• Jesus made it clear in His teachings that we cannot become citizens of His kingdom unless we become like little children. Whenever He was near them He treated them kindly and cared well for them. He obviously had a high opinion of them and their place in life, considering them an important picture of what His followers should be like. Is it any wonder then that God would be angry with anyone who would abuse children especially parents who would sacrifice them to devils or imaginary gods?

Are there any references to future events?

• None of these profane circumstances will be part of our life in eternity. Unholiness will no longer exist because the High Priest, Jesus Christ, abolished them. Then the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, will reign in righteousness forever and we, His subjects, will no longer bear the torment of sins within our mortal bodies.

Does God issue any commands?

• God commanded that any that put their children to death as a sacrifice to Molech should be stoned to death themselves.
• God commanded the Hebrews to be set apart and holy by refusing the abominable practices of child sacrifice and divination.
• God commanded death to anyone that cursed his parents.
• God commanded adulterers to be put to death. This included other marital relationship sins such as incest, same gender relations, and animals.
• God commanded that they abstain from marital relations during a woman's menses. 
• God commanded that those who were possessed by spirits be put to death.
• God commanded that the priests not be defiled for any of his deceased family members except for those of his immediate family. (This command concerns touching a dead body.)
• God commanded the priests not to cut their flesh, shave their heads or beards, or do any of the other things that the ungodly did at the time of grief. 
• The priests were not to take a wife with a notorious past.
• God commanded that the high priest not be defiled for any person, even in the death of an immediate family member.
• God commanded the high priest to take a wife from among women who were without reproach.
• God commanded the high priest to abstain from any profanity when it came to his children. Purity was to be the standard!