mutual sanctification

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:31-33

Lev 22:31 “So you will keep my commandments and do them: I am Yahveh.
Lev 22:32 And you will not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am Yahveh who sanctifies you,
Lev 22:33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am Yahveh.”

mutual sanctification

The LORD uses the same verb to describe his act of delivering Israel from the defilement of the surrounding nations, and the exclusive loyalty that he expects from them. He is sanctifying the Israelites, and expects them to sanctify him alone as their God. He expects their works to flow from his act of grace. So, the whole salvation experience can be described by analogy of the Israelite community in the desert, awaiting the promised land.

LORD, we set you apart as our exclusive God and Father. Teach us to walk in your ways, and so set us apart as your children.

Posted in discipleship, ethnic Israel, holiness, loyalty, sanctification | Tagged | 1 Comment

consecration, not cruelty

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:26-30

Lev 22:26 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 22:27 “When an ox or sheep or goat is born, it will remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it will be acceptable as a fire offering to Yahveh.
Lev 22:28 But you will not kill an ox or a sheep and her young in one day.
Lev 22:29 And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahveh, you will sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.
Lev 22:30 It will be eaten on the same day; you will leave none of it until morning: I am Yahveh.

consecration, not cruelty

Calvin commented on this passage that taking an immature animal fresh from the womb to the altar was a sign of contempt toward God, and would make people grow accustomed to cruelty. Our religion is supposed to show respect to God, and foster good habits, not cruel ones. A religion that does harm does not reflect the holiness and fairness of our God.

LORD, give us the courage to change our ways, when we discover that they do not reflect your image.

Posted in discernment, kindness, traditions | Tagged | 1 Comment

only the best

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:17-25

Lev 22:17 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 22:18 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel and say to them, when any one of the house of Israel or of the temporary residents in Israel presents an ascending offering as his offering, for any of their solemn pledges or spontaneous voluntary offerings that they offer to Yahveh,
Lev 22:19 if it is to be accepted for you it will be a perfect male, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats.
Lev 22:20 You will not offer anything that has a defect, because it will not be acceptable for you.
Lev 22:21 And when anyone offers a sacrifice for healthy relationships to Yahveh to fulfil a solemn pledge or as a spontaneous voluntary offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there will be no defect in it.
Lev 22:22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you will not offer to Yahveh or give them to Yahveh as a fire offering on the altar.
Lev 22:23 You may present a bull or a lamb that has a part too long or too short for a spontaneous voluntary offering, but for a solemn pledge offering it cannot be accepted.
Lev 22:24 Any animal that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut you will not offer to Yahveh; you will not do it within your land,
Lev 22:25 neither will you offer as the bread of your God any such animals gotten from a foreigner. since there is a defect in them, because of their mutilation, they will not be accepted for you.”

only the best

God only accepted perfect animals for sacrifice. One reason was that each sacrifice was a prophecy of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross, a reflection of that ultimate work of grace. But there was a social reason as well. God was encouraging his people never to settle for second-rate for themselves either. By setting their standards high in their worship, they were learning to set them high for the quality of their lives. They were learning not to cut corners or produce ordinary work. If they were to reflect the image and glory of the LORD, they must set their standards high.

LORD, make us a people who reflect your high standards.

Posted in atonement, discipleship, holiness, Jesus Christ, sanctification | Tagged | 1 Comment

holy contributions

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:10-16

Lev 22:10 “A lay person will not eat of a holy thing; no foreign guest of the priest or hired worker will eat of a holy thing,
Lev 22:11 but if a priest buys a soul as his property for money, the slave may eat of it, and anyone born in his house may eat of his food.
Lev 22:12 If a priest’s daughter marries a layman, she will not eat of the contribution of the holy things.
Lev 22:13 But if a priest’s daughter is widowed or divorced and has no child and returns to her father’s house, as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food; yet no lay person will eat of it.
Lev 22:14 And if anyone eats of a holy thing unintentionally, he will add the fifth of its value to it and give the holy thing to the priest.
Lev 22:15 They will not profane the holy things of the people of Israel, which they contribute to Yahveh,
Lev 22:16 and so cause them to be responsible for violation and need reparation, by eating their holy things: because I am Yahveh who sanctifies them.”

holy contributions

The purpose of these rules was not to establish a separate caste among the Israelites, but to provide for those whose purpose was to represent God among the people, and the people before God. Anything given to God was to be consumed only by the priests and their dependents. This kept the gifts from becoming something ordinary.

Today’s churches struggle with a similar problem. With all the occupation with budgets and skill-sets, schedules and meetings, it is easy to lose the sense of the sacred. But everything that the Holy Spirit is doing among and through God’s people today is a holy thing, and should be regarded as a contribution to the LORD, and protected from mundane interests.

LORD, thank you for working your holy work in all of us.

Posted in church, holiness, ministry | Tagged | 1 Comment

when the sun goes down

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:4-9

Lev 22:4 None of the offspring of Aaron who has a leprous disease or a discharge may eat of the holy things until he is clean. Whoever touches anything that is contaminated through contact with a dead soul or a man who has had an emission of semen,
Lev 22:5 and whoever touches a swarming thing by which he may be made contaminated or a human from whom he may take contamination, whatever his contamination may be–
Lev 22:6 the soul who touches such a thing will be contaminated until the evening and will not eat of the holy things unless he has bathed his body in water.
Lev 22:7 When the sun goes down he will be clean, and afterward he may eat of the holy things, because they are his food.
Lev 22:8 He will not eat what dies of itself or is torn by beasts, and so make himself contaminated by it: I am Yahveh.’
Lev 22:9 They will therefore keep my charge, or else they will be responsible for making a mistake against it and die thereby when they profane it: I am Yahveh who sanctifies them.

when the sun goes down

The prescription for restoring a priest who has become contaminated is this: wash and wait. Bathe in water, and wait until the sun goes down. Time will do the rest.

Our Lord’s yoke is easy and his burden is light. He only asks that we admit our need, trust him to cleanse us, and wait for his provision.

LORD, give us the wisdom to take your way to restoration.

Posted in baptism, deliverance, dependence upon God, patience, priesthood of believers, sanctification | Tagged | 1 Comment

making the sacred mundane

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 22:1-3

Lev 22:1 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 22:2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am Yahveh.
Lev 22:3 Say to them, ‘If any one of all your offspring throughout your generations approaches the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate to Yahveh, while he has an contamination, that soul will be eliminated from my presence: I am Yahveh.

making the sacred mundane

The sense of the sanctity of things dedicated to God is stressed here. Even the priests, who have a right to such offerings — are not to touch those dedicated things while they are ceremonially impure.

It would do us all well to cultivate a sense of the sacred. Those of us who “do church” all the time can develope an attitude of familiarity about church people and church buildings, and we all know what familiarity breeds.

LORD, show us how to show respect for things and people dedicated to you

Posted in Aaron, church, discernment, holiness | Tagged | 1 Comment

participation and officiation

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 21:16-24

Lev 21:16 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 21:17 “Speak to Aaron, and this is what you should say, none of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God.
Lev 21:18 Because no one who has a defect will draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long,
Lev 21:19 or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand,
Lev 21:20 or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.
Lev 21:21 No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a defect will come near to offer Yahveh’s fire offerings; since he has a defect, he will not come near to offer the bread of his God.
Lev 21:22 He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things,
Lev 21:23 but he will not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, because I am Yahveh who sanctifies them.”
Lev 21:24 So Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons and to all the people of Israel.

participation and officiation

All the sons of Aaron could participate in the tabernacle offerings, but those with physical defects were forbidden to officiate — to go through the veil or approach the altar. The tabernacle was a sign of God’s holy presence and grace, so no appearance of imperfection was to be allowed. Everything had to be perfect in order to reflect the glorious image of God.

In the church today, there are high standards for leaders. An elder must be above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2). Like the tabernacle priests, leaders in the church are representing God’s work in the world, and must reflect his holiness in what they do. We are all responsible to live holy and just lives before God. But leaders must demonstrate the ability to do this before they are granted the priviledge to represent the church.

LORD, give us leaders who meet your standards.

Posted in Aaron, church, holiness, leadership | Tagged | 1 Comment

legacy of loss

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 21:13-15

Lev 21:13 And he will take a wife in her virginity.
Lev 21:14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he will not marry. But he will take as his wife a virgin of his own people,
Lev 21:15 that he may not profane his offspring among his people, because I am Yahveh who sanctifies him.”

legacy of loss

If a priest were to disobey this rule, he would be excluded from the priesthood, and his choice would bring dishonour on himself and his family. His children would carry around the disgrace of someone who had a responsibility to God, and let self get in the way of that responsibility.

Today all believers are priests to God under the new covenant. This rule does not apply to us, but the principle behind it always applies. We must make our life choices according to the Lord’s wishes for us. If we choose selfishly, we will lose out, and pass on the legacy of that loss to our children.

LORD, give us the wisdom to choose well, and pass on a legacy of your blessing to our children.

Posted in children, discipleship, kingdom of God, loyalty, self-control | Tagged | 1 Comment

avoid any dead souls

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 21:9-12

Lev 21:9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she will be burned with fire.
Lev 21:10 “The priest who is most influential among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, will not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
Lev 21:11 He will not go near any dead souls nor make himself unclean, even for his father or for his mother.
Lev 21:12 He will not go out of the sanctuary, or else he profane the sanctuary of his God, because the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him: I am Yahveh.

avoid any dead souls

It is in the context of rules governing priestly consecration that we find this restriction. The priest who is active in his role must avoid any dead souls. In other words, if he has a relative who dies, he cannot leave the sanctuary to attend the funeral. To do so would be coming in contact with a dead soul, and thus becoming ceremonially contaminated. This is only one of the numerous passages in scripture which refute the common notion of immortal souls. By definition an immortal soul cannot die. So, if you must hold to Plato’s philosophical view of human immortality, at least do so with integrity. Do not claim that you hold that view because it is biblical. Human beings are only potentially immortal. When we die, all of us dies. When Christ raises believers from the dead, then we will have immortal souls.

LORD, the fate of our souls is in your hands; thank you for the promise of eternal life.

Posted in conditional immortality, dependence upon God, eternal life, mortality, resurrection | Tagged | 1 Comment

exclusive dedication

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 21:5-8

Lev 21:5 They will not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their skin.
Lev 21:6 They will be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they offer Yahveh’s fire offerings, the bread of their God; therefore, they will be holy.
Lev 21:7 They will not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither will they marry a woman divorced from her husband, because the priest is holy to his God.
Lev 21:8 You will sanctify him, because he offers the bread of your God. He will be holy to you, because I, Yahveh, who sanctify you, am holy.

exclusive dedication

The Israelites were to exclusively dedicate their priests to the LORD, because the priests were responsible for the worship at the temple. The priests offered the bread of their God — the bread of the manifest presence. Because the LORD exclusively dedicated the whole people to himself, the priests were to reflect the LORD’s holiness.

Under the new covenant, all believers are priests. We are a kingdom of priests. We have been given the means of reflecting God’s image, and manifesting his presence, because we have been given his Holy Spirit.

LORD, thank you for the means of reflecting your glory, your Holy Spirit within us.

Posted in commitment, glory, holiness, Holy Spirit, priesthood of believers, sanctification | Tagged | 2 Comments