Ending of Levitus study

Sharecropper for Jesus!
In these last four chapters of Lev. It deals with various regulations regarding cursing, vows, and conservation of the land—all in view of Israel’s approaching occupation of Canaan. The needs of the tabernacle must be met with a daily supply of oil and bread. The land must be given a sabbatical rest every 7th year. The Year of Jubilee provides that all debts be cancelled and all property returned to the original owner—a clear reminder that the people are only sharecroppers – tenants on God’s land. Penalties for disobedience are severe, but blessing is assured for those who will keep God’s commands.
What do a speeding ticket, an overdue library book and a “bounced” check have in common? Each represents a violation of a posted restriction. When you exceed the speed limit on the hwy., keep a library book more than 2 weeks, or write a check for more than the amt. in your checking account, you are asking for trouble because you have exceeded the clearly posted limits of the law.
God made sure His people would not mistake His will, so He erected warning signs all along their journey to Canaan that read, “Obey Me!” instead of heeding the signs, the people ignored them and violated God’s commands. But not a single person could ever accuse God of enforcing laws He had not previously POSTED.
God is still in the business of making His will plain to those who will look for it.
THE LORD SAID TO MOSES…it is clear that God is giving the instructions! It is repeated often for emphasis.
Ch. 23 special days are called feasts 9 times and holy convocations 10 times. FEASTS have nothing to do with eating. In fact, on the Day of Atonement, the people fasted. The word simply means APPOINTED TIMES. Convocation gives the idea that during each of these feast, all the people met together as a congregation—rather there were special gatherings on some of the special days, --The Lord APPOINTED AND ANNOUNCED these events, which people were to faithfully observe.
THE WEEKLY SABBATH: provided needed rest and refreshment for the people, the farm animals and the land. Reminded the Jews that Jehovah God was the Creator and they were but stewards of His generous gifts. A special sign between God and His covenant people. Other people might work and treat it like any other day, but the Israelites rested…gave witness that they belonged to the Lord. Altho believers today are not commanded to remember the Sabbath Day (Rom. 14:1, Col. 2:16-17, the principle of resting one day in seven is a good one.
PASSOVER: was the beginning of the Jewish religious year and when sinners trust Christ, it marks for them a new beginning in a new life. II Cor.5:21. Israel was not only delivered from judgment; the nation was also delivered from Egypt and set free to go to their promised inheritance.
UNLEAVENED BREAD: separation from sin. yeast – symbolic of sin. We must get rid of the “old life” leaven I Cor. 5:7. Those things belong to our unconverted days and have no place in our new Christian walk I Pet 4:1-5. Put away all leaven!
The people were not saved from death and bondage by getting rid of leaven but by applying the blood of the lamb by faith. People today think they will be saved because they reform or get rid of a bad habit, but good as doing these things are, they can never do what only the blood of Christ can do. Salvation is through the blood of Christ alone, the sinless Lam.
The Christian life is not a famine or a funeral; it is a feast. I Cor. 5:8 Sin can be secretly introduced into our lives and quietly grow so that it pollutes the inner person. One false doctrine if allowed to grow, will destroy an entire ministry. We must be on our guard and courageously seek to keep God’s work as free from the leaven of sin as possible.
FIRSTFRUITS – Christ raised from the dead 9-14
Token that the 1st and the best belonged to God…done before Israel reaped the harvest for themselves. Expression of gratitude to the Lord for giving the harvest and supplying their daily bread. 2 basic truths emerge here. 1st God accepted the sheaf for the whole harvest and because the Father accepted Jesus Christ, we are accepted in Him Eph. 1:6 2nd, the sheaf is like the harvest – as Jesus is now what we shall one day be. Took place on the 1st day of the week…Resurrection Day.
PENTECOST: BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH 15:21 …also took place on the 1st day of the week. Each Lord’s Day commemorates the resurrection of Christ, the coming of the Spirit and the birth of the church. (Acts 2)
TRUMPETS: the calling of God’s people 23-25 A new year…a new beginning…they prayed, meditated and confessed. They sought to make a new beginning with the Lord. We should do likewise. He is a God of new beginnings. For application: like the Jews, some of the saints are in heaven and some are on earth, and those on earth are scattered in many tribes and nations. But all of us should be waiting expectantly for the sound of the trumpet and our gathering. II Thess. 2:1
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT: forgiveness 20-32
TABERNACLES: the joy of the Lord 33-44 – reminds of the blessings in the past, the completion of the harvest. Joy after cleansing. People who want happiness without holiness are destined to be disappointed.
WHAT A TRADEGY the Jews were careful to maintain their traditions and yet completely missed their Messiah Who was in their midst. Do you get caught up in traditions, building memories, busyness of doing even what is good and miss the Savior????
Ch. 24 begins in the holy place of the tabernacle and ends outside the camp. It opens with oil and bread and closes with the shedding of guilty blood. But the emphasis is the same: Our God is a holy God and we must honor Him, whether in bringing our gifts or respecting His name. The Lord doesn’t execute blasphemers today, but there is coming a day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts will be revealed, and then God will render to every man according to his deeds Ro. 2:6
Ch. 25 Israel in their land: if they were to possess and enjoy they had to recognize and respect some basic facts…God owns the land and had every right to dispose of it as He saw fit. God owns the people because He had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage. He told them how to treat one another…not to take advantage of one another – debt or property claims. They were expect to toil in their fields but it was GOD WHO GAVE THE INCREASE v. 21 and supplied them with sunshine, rain and harvests. The people of Israel had God as their Landlord and had to live by faith in His Word. This means obeying His commandments and trusting His promises.
Like the Jews, we are but stewards of God’s gifts; we must be careful not to abuse or waste them. We are but sharecroppers for Jesus!
The Israelites were told to give rest to the land…Sabbath year. Release and restoration – the year of Jubilee…*repentance *release *rest *restoration.
Redemption – kinsman-redeemer 25:25-55…of land…of houses…of the poor. A bankrupt brother in debt, a poor brother who became the slave of a Jew, A Jew enslaved by a Gentile
God is concerned about how we use the resources He has given us and how we treat one another in the marketplace. He will eventually judge those who exploit others and treat them in ways that are less than humane. The church must champion the rights of the poor and the oppressed and use every spiritual weapon to defeat the oppressors.
Cp. 26 – 27 The word IF has been called one of the shortest and yet one of the most important words in the English language. In 26-27 it is used 32 times. 26:3, 14, 40. IF carries a lot of weight in our relationship to the Lord.
Moses gave the Israelites 4 excellent reasons why they should obey the Lord: Because of Who God is v. 1 *Because of what God did v.2a (all the feasts remind of His goodness) *Because of where God dwells v.2b dwelt in the camp! The God Who made them dwelling in their midst! Our bodies are the sanctuary of God and we must be careful to use them for God’s glory I Cor. 6:15-20. The Holy Spirit of God lives in us and we must not grieve Him by using His temple for ungodly purposes. *Because of what God promised. V.3-13 Reward for obeying and discipline for disobedience makes it simple. It is protection. Children gradually learn that both commandments and punishments are expressions of love for their own good. As children of God we already have everything that we need, but do we enjoy what is ours?
THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD 26:11-12…greatest blessing promised because every other blessing depends on it. What other nation had the sanctuary of the living God in their midst and their God walking among them? When we lose the sense of the Lord’s presence and the privilege it is to serve Him, then we begin to despise His Word and disobey His commandments. The covenant of blessing was given to the Jews not to the church today.
They were to be obedient and the details were spelled out. The major lesson is that God expects us to keep our commitments to Him and be honest in all our dealings with Him. We must not try to negotiate a better deal or to escape responsibilities. It is good to give money to the Lord, but giving money is not always an acceptable way to express our devotion to God. Don’t allow it to be a substitute for the service/obedience He requires. I Sam. 15:22…
Remember that Jesus paid with His own life the redemption price for sinners, and we were not worth it. He redeemed us not with silver and gold but with His own precious blood. Any sacrifice we make for Him is nothing compared to the sacrifice He made for us.
Learning from Leviticus: Our God is a holy God God wants His people to be holy
Holiness involves obedience and discipline Holiness must be from God and be genuine
Holiness involves priestly meditation Lack of holiness affects our land
Holiness is not a private affair Holiness glorifies the Lord
Holiness means living to please God alone. The Lord wants us to concentrate on revealing His character and not just building a religious reputation for our self! “Be holy for I am holy!” The hardest and the most simple thing for a Christian to do! The flesh demands its way, the Spirit will rule…we must choose! To allow Him to live out His Life, His Holiness through us…YIELD!