To hear of the love of God is sweet – to believe it most precious – but to enjoy it is paradise below the skies.
– Charles Spurgeon
Tag: Christian Life
Leviticus 18-22: Holiness
(18-20) To be holy is to be set apart. God is holy in that he is set apart from his creation and from all evil. Like God, Israel was supposed to be holy (19:1-2). What were they to be set apart from? Set apart to? (18:1-4, 20:22-26)
In what ways are we called to be set apart today (I Peter 1:13-16, Romans 12:2)? Give examples of what that might look like.
To be set apart implies making distinctions between right and wrong, true and false. In what ways do you see our culture seeking to blur those distinctions?
(18-22) What is the significance of the phrase “I am the Lord (your God)” repeated throughout this passage? What would it look like to live by this constant refrain?
(18) What clues in this chapter point to these laws being universal laws that transcend the Mosaic Law?
(19-20) How might we determine which laws are Mosaic Law only, and which laws transcend the Mosaic Law as universal laws?
What major themes do we find in these laws? How might we apply these themes to our lives today?
(21-22) In what ways were the priests required to be set apart unto the Lord? Why? How does that apply for us today?
In what ways does a failure to be holy profane the name of our God (21:6, 22:1, 22:31-33)?
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
The Joy of Self-Discipline – Tim Challies
Four Steps to Kill Nagging Sins – Gavin Ortlund (DG)
15 Discernment Diagnostics – Kevin DeYoung
4 Essentials for Finishing Well – Jerry Bridges (Crossway)
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day growing in the truth of God’s Word with your local church!
Missions Moment
If we love God’s fame and are committed to magnifying His name above all things, we cannot be indifferent to world missions.
– John Piper
Reflections on Leviticus 16-17
Today’s passage introduces the Day of Atonement:
- Cleansing – The high priest would offer special sacrifices once a year to cleanse the people, that they might be clean before the Lord from all their sins (16:30). Jesus our high priest offered himself once for all to cleanse us, that we might be clean before the Lord from all our sins (Hebrews 9:23-28). In Christ, our sin and guilt are washed away. This is good news!
- Bearing – All of Israel’s sins were confessed over the live goat. The goat, bearing their sins, was then be taken outside of the camp, taking their sins away. Jesus bore our sins upon himself (I Peter 2:24) and takes away our sins (John 1:29) – and not just outside the camp. God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Our sins are gone! Praise the Lord!
Current
Here are some helpful posts to help us continue to think through the transgender issue – and more importantly to help us think through how our culture thinks and what it believes.
Watch: College Kids Can’t Explain Why a Short White Man Isn’t a Tall Asian Woman – David French (National Review)
Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme – Paul McHugh (Public Discourse)
7 Troubling Questions About Transgender Theories – Trevin Wax
Women’s Sanitary Bins & Bathroom Theology – Peter Jones (truthxchange)
Sermon Songs: Ephesians 4:7-12
Our Lord descends for you and me
Consider His great love
Ascends again in victory
Praise Him who reigns above
God gave the church His Holy Word
And those who will proclaim
So that each one with hearts now stirred
Would live for His great name
Our God to each a gift imparts
To build up Christ’s Body
And as we all now do our part
We’ll grow strong and healthy
(To the tune of “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing”)
Prayer Quote of the Week
I commend then to your attention, the importance of reverence and humility in prayer. Let us never forget what we are, and what a solemn thing it is to speak with God. Let us beware of rushing into his presence with carelessness and levity.
– J. C. Ryle
Reflections on Leviticus 11-15
Today’s passage deals with laws regarding clean versus unclean. What was the point then, and what are we to make of it now?
- Then – Some have suggested that these laws served as hygienic rules, and this may have been part of their purpose. The passage however focuses on other ideas. First, God is holy, and so they too had to be holy; that is, set apart unto God (11:45). God had separated them from the surrounding nations, and so they were to live differently (20:22-26). Second, they needed to learn to make a distinction between clean and unclean (11:47). These laws were outward teachers of an inward necessity. Today’s passage climaxes with tomorrow’s passage in which the Day of Atonement makes it possible for them to be cleansed from their sins, and so be clean within (16:30). Third, God was dwelling in their midst. They had to be careful lest they defile his holy tabernacle (15:31). God is holy, and his people must be holy if they are to approach him. Again, these outward laws pointed to an inward reality – we must be clean (or holy) if we would approach a holy God.
- Now – So are we to keep these laws today? No, Jesus has declared all foods clean, teaching that we become unclean through our sins (Mark 7:14-23). These laws were part of the Mosaic Covenant only, and we are part of the New Covenant. Yet the principles remain. We should live differently than unbelievers, not by merely external rules, but inwardly and through good works (I Peter 2:11-12). We do need to be clean within, and Jesus takes the place of the Day of Atonement to make this possible (Hebrews 9:23-28). God dwells within us by his Spirit, and so we must be careful to not defile his tabernacle, but rather glorify God with our bodies (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
Classic Quote
The heart must be alive with gracious gratitude, or the leaf cannot long be green with living holiness.
– Charles Spurgeon
Brian J. Mikul 