Plymothian

God dictates how he is to be approached.  We may question in our own minds the stench of death and burning flesh that accompanies sacrifice.  However, God as an absolute king dictates what rites that those who wish to approach him must fulfill.  If a true follower of God follows each of the intricate steps that God lays out for sacrifice a person’s sin will not be held against them.

Leviticus 1:2-17

² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.

 ³ ” ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it ^[a] will be acceptable to the LORD. ⁴ He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. ⁵ He is to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁶ He is to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. ⁷ The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. ⁸ Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. ⁹ He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

 ¹⁰ ” ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, he is to offer a male without defect. ¹¹ He is to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides. ¹² He is to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. ¹³ He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

 ¹⁴ ” ‘If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to offer a dove or a young pigeon. ¹⁵ The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. ¹⁶ He is to remove the crop with its contents ^[b] and throw it to the east side of the altar, where the ashes are. ¹⁷ He shall tear it open by the wings, not severing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is on the fire on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Questions

1. Where must an animal to be sacrificed come from?
2. What condition is the animal to be in?
3. What exactly is pleasing to the LORD?
4. Why should a person not take a wild or damaged animal and offer it?
5. What do you bring to God, the best or the left-overs?

Going Deeper

Observation

• Where is the animal to be presented?
• What is the offerer to lay on the head of the animal?
• What parts of an animal are to be washed?
• What kind of birds may be offered to God?
• What happens to the blood of these animals?

Interpretation

• Why does the sacrifice take place in the tabernacle and not near a garbage heap?
• Do you think the offerer lays his hands on the bigger animals to show ownership?
• What signs are there that the priests are preparing a meal for God?
• Why is the blood treated specially?
• How exactly would a person giving one of their animals to be burnt to nothing please God?

Application

• Do you allow god to dictate to you how your life is to be lived?
• How do you hold your possessions in an open hand?
• How do you fellowship with God through Jesus?
• Has the blood of Jesus got any significance for you?  What exactly?
• How does it seem that God wastes resources while teaching us about himself?

The connection of Leviticus with the rest of the books of the Penteteuch is highlighted through this verse.  To see the connection we need to look at Exodus 24:16.  In that verse it says that the cloud covered the mountain and the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.  The last verse of Exodus says, “the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle …”  The first verse of Leviticus says ” and the LORD spoke to Moses from the tent of meeting (tabernacle).”  There has been a shift from the mountain to the tabernacle, but the sentence structure is parallel in the original language.  There is a link where the first sentence in Leviticus actually comepletes the thought at the end of Exodus.

Leviticus 1:1

The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.  He said,

Questions:

1. Who is calling whom?
2. From where does God speak?
3. Exactly where in the Holy of Holies is God’s presence?
4. How does this verse speak of God’s holiness?
5. How do you react when God speaks to you from the pages of Holy Scripture?

Going Deeper

• Prayerfully prepare yourself to have an encounter with a holy God.

Reading the introduction to Leviticus, I find that the book gives us a strong idea of God’s holiness.  The holiness of God sets him apart from mankind.  However, to come close to God certain rituals must be performed.  these rituals in many ways reflect what Christ did for us on the cross.  He was the prefect sacrifice who brought to completion all the different sacrifices in Leviticus.

Read an introduction to Leviticus in study Bible, commentary, or regular Bible (if it has one).

1. Who wrote Leviticus?
2. What larger body of writing is Leviticus central to?
3. What are the themes of Leviticus?
4. What have you already learned about God’s holiness and ‘sacred space’?
5. What do you know about jesus’ death as a sacrifice?

When people love God they read the Bible.  When they get to Leviticus they wonder why the God of the Bible hates everyone so much.  I am going to do a study and I am going to take the time to understand why the book of Leviticus is with us today.

1. Have you ever read the book of Leviticus?
2. Do you know what the book of Leviticus is all about?
3. Why might people stop reading the Bible when they reach Leviticus?
4. Pray that God might create a positive attitude about this book.

Having read Exodus it seems a long time since Israel called out to the LORD that he would deliver them from Egypt.  God did rescue them and then he entered into a relationship with them.  God revealed who he was in ways that were both terrifying and comforting.  However, the God of Israel is our God today.  He dwells with us in the tabernacle of Jesus and in the tabernacle of our own bodies.  We can walk in the presence of God in ways that Israel could only dream of.

Exodus

Take what time you have to review as much of Exodus as you can.

As the book of Exodus draws to a close God graciously agrees to dwell with Israel.  Although He exists through all creation, He is especially present in the tent of meeting.  This has been a hard concept for me to grasp.  God exists equally at every point.  He is infinite.  Yet in time and space there are some places where God is more or less present.  Being cast from the presence of God is hell.  Being in the full presence of God is heaven.  The Tent of Meeting is heaven on earth.  However, Moses can not dwell there whenever he chooses.  God chooses.

Exodus 40: 34-38

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

 ³⁶ In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; ³⁷ but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. ³⁸ So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

Questions

1. What filled the tabernacle?
2. What could Moses not do?
3. What is holiness?
4. How are God’s holiness and his presence communicated in the passage?
5. How will you experience God’s holiness and his presence at church?

Going Deeper

Observation

• What two descriptions are there of God’s dwelling place?
• What had settled upon the tent?
• When would the people set out from their camp?
• What was over the tabernacle by night?
• What terms show us that the Israelites were nomadic?

Interpretation

• In your mind’s eye what does the cloud look like?
• What does the pillar of fire look like?
• In your own words describe ‘the glory of the LORD’.
• How can glory be dangerous?
• Who is directing where the people travel?

Application

• In what places do you experience more of God’s presence?
• Read the very short book, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.
• How have you become complacent about your access to God through Christ?
• How could you be more aware of the access to God that you have through Christ?
• How can you bring heaven to hellish situations?

Having other gods is serious business.  For most of us our god is in the mirror.  It is hard for us to stop thinking about ourselves and easy for us to obsess about every little details of our lives.  The Israelites had left Israel and found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai.  When they create the Golden Calf they create a new way to worship the gods who brought them up from Egypt.  The result of such flagrant law breaking is that God’s people suddenly become Moses’ people.  God refuses to walk with them any more.

If we are in Christ God always walks with us.  We do not endure the consequences that Israel endured at Sinai for breaking the covenant.  It should cross our minds what kind of God we have relegated to second place when we spend hours fawning over ourselves in the mirror.  We should be glad that God no longer decrees that we grind the mirror to dust and drink it.

Exodus 32

 ¹And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

 ²And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

 ³And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

 ⁴And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

 ⁵And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.

 ⁶And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

 ⁷And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

 ⁸They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

 ⁹And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

 ¹⁰Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

 ¹¹And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

 ¹²Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

 ¹³Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

 ¹⁴And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

 ¹⁵And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

 ¹⁶And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

 ¹⁷And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

 ¹⁸And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

 ¹⁹And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

 ²⁰And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

 ²¹And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

 ²²And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

 ²³For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

 ²⁴And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

 ²⁵And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

 ²⁶Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

 ²⁷And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

 ²⁸And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

 ²⁹For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

 ³⁰And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

 ³¹And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

 ³²Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

 ³³And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

 ³⁴Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

 ³⁵And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

 ¹And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:

 ²And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

 ³Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

 ⁴And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.

 ⁵For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

 ⁶And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

 ⁷And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

 ⁸And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.

 ⁹And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

 ¹⁰And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

 ¹¹And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

 ¹²And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

 ¹³Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

 ¹⁴And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

 ¹⁵And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

 ¹⁶For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

 ¹⁷And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

 ¹⁸And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

 ¹⁹And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

 ²⁰And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

 ²¹And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:

 ²²And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

 ²³And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Questions

1. Where was Moses when Israel decided he wasn’t coming back?
2. Who administrated the making of the calf?
3. What was the punishment for making the calf?
4. How did Moses argue with God?
5. How thankful are you that you are not under the law like the Israelites?

Going Deeper

Observation

• What did the people give to Aaron to make the calf with?
• What did Moses break?
• What was Aaron’s explanation about where the calf came from?
• How did God change his mind?
• What happened to Moses’ face?

Interpretation

• What do you think was the tone in the camp while Moses was gone?
• Why did Aaron make the calf?
• What did breaking the tablets symbolize?
• Why does Aaron lie about where the calf came from?
• How can God change his mind?

Application

• How do you react when your spiritual leaders are hard to get hold of?
• What pressures did you experience to ‘conform’ over Christmas?
• Can your relationship with Christ be broken?
• How can people see the presence of God on your face?
• When was your last time alone with Jesus?

Our family had Christmas yesterday.  We opened presents and shared food and fun with the neighbors.  I read Exodus 20 to myself in the morning but I had no time to post.  I read again today from the same chapter.  Exodus 20 is so monumental that it is worth reading twice.  The rules that the chapter lays out have been a cornerstone to our society.  However, three things are worth pointing out:

1. The people already have a relationship with God when they are given the rules on how God expects them to live.  I.e. Rules don’t bring about a relationship with God.
2. The rules are not divided along sacred and secular lines.  The ancient Israelites wouldn’t have understood our modern tendency to divide religious and public life. 
3. These rules are poorly applied when we demand that those who do not have a relationship with God adhere to them as their standard.

Exodus 20

 ¹ And God spoke all these words:

 ² “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 ³ “You shall have no other gods before ^[a] me.

 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 ⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

 ⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

 ¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

 ¹³ “You shall not murder.

 ¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

 ¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

 ¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

 ¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

 ¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance ¹⁹ and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

 ²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

 ²¹ The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Idols and Altars

 ²² Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: ²³ Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.

 ²⁴ ” ‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, ^[b] your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. ²⁶ And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’

In this chapter God has fulfilled his promise to bring the people out of captivity.  They have arrived at the mountain that God had promised Moses he would come back to.  The covenant with Abraham is being kept and we are the cusp of the devlopment of the covenant through Moses.

Exodus 19:1-25

 ¹ In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on the very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. ² After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.

 ³ Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you ^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

 ⁷ So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. ⁸ The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.

 ⁹ The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.

 ¹⁰ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes ¹¹ and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ¹² Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain.”

 ¹⁴ After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. ¹⁵ Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

 ¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain ^[b] trembled violently, ¹⁹ and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. ^[c]

 ²⁰ The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up ²¹ and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish. ²² Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”

 ²³ Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ “

 ²⁴ The LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.”

 ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Questions

1. Which desert have the people come to now?
2. What kind of possession is Israel to become?
3. How would you describe God’s presence in this chapter?
4. How do you show your reverence for God?
5. How can you prepare for Christmas?

Going Deeper

Think of ways that you can make this Christmas a more ‘holy night’ than previous years.  Then implement your plans.  I have been thinking of going to a midnight service in TN.