sustenance

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (23)

Leviticus 23:9-14

Lev 23:9 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 23:10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you will bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,
Lev 23:11 and he will wave the sheaf in Yahveh’s sight, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest will wave it.
Lev 23:12 And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you will offer a perfect male lamb a year old as an ascending offering to Yahveh.
Lev 23:13 And the tribute offering with it will be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a fire offering to Yahveh with a soothing aroma, and the drink offering with it will be of wine, a fourth of a hin.
Lev 23:14 And you will eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a permanent prescription throughout your generations wherever you stay.

sustenance

The tribute offering to be given along with the firstfruits presentation was twice the amount as that given to accompany the other festivals. None of the new bread was to be eaten before this offering was made. But on this day, the bread was sanctified for the use of the people, from then on. In the New Testament, Christ is called the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). He is called that because he is the first to be raised to immortal life. He is also called the bread of God (John 6:33). He is God’s provision to give life to the world.

LORD, thank you for our daily bread, and the bread of life who you sent to sustain us forever.

Posted in dependence upon God, Jesus Christ, providence | Tagged | 1 Comment

up time

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 23:4-8

Lev 23:4 “These are the appointed feasts of Yahveh, the holy conventions, which you will proclaim at the time appointed for them.
Lev 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is Yahveh’s Passover.
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Yahveh; for seven days you will eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 On the first day you will have a holy convention; you will not do any ordinary work.
Lev 23:8 But you will present a fire offering to Yahveh for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convention; you will not do any ordinary work.”

up time

Notice the prepositional phrases associated with the description of Israel’s feasts:
“feasts of Yahveh”
“Yahveh’s Passover”
“Feast of Unleavened Bread to Yahveh”

The celebrations were to be dedicated to, and centred around Yahveh, the God of the Bible. Their holidays had to be holy days because their entire culture revolved around God. Taking time off of ordinary work meant taking time for God. Their times of rest were not down time, they were up time.

LORD, help us to focus our down time to include up time for You.

Posted in commitment, holiness, rest | Tagged | 1 Comment

rescue and rest

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (21)

Leviticus 23:1-3

Lev 23:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 23:2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, these are the appointed feasts of Yahveh that you will proclaim as holy conventions; they are my appointed feasts.
Lev 23:3 “Six days will work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convention. You will do no work. It is a Sabbath to Yahveh wherever you stay.

rescue and rest

The LORD listed the Sabbath among the festive celebrations because that is what he intended it to be. It was to be a time set apart every week to celebrate the freedom from bondage bought by the blood of the Lamb. It was to be a celebration of grace, looking forward to the perfect rest promised when the Messiah rules. Jewish legalism turned it into something else, a bondage of works. So, Jesus (the Lord of the Sabbath) had to set the record straight and remind his followers that the Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28).

Christians are not under any obligation to keep the Sabbath just like we are under no obligation to keep any of the other Jewish celebrations. Paul indicated that Sabbath keeping is an option for us under the new covenant, not an obligation (Romans 14:5). There are many Christians who observe a day of the week (either Saturday or Sunday) as a day of rest and spiritual renewal). It is appropriate to do so as long as you are doing it because of your devotion to the Lord. Under the old covenant, the LORD required Israelites to keep the Sabbath to identify with him, and to celebrate their deliverance from slavery.

LORD, thank you for the rescue we have from sin, and the rest you promise us when Jesus returns. We celebrate our rescue and rest every day.

Posted in deliverance, legalism, rest, Sabbath, Sabbath keeping | Tagged | 1 Comment

mutual sanctification

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (20)

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

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (19)

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

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (18)

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

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (17)

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

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (16)

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

marmsky devotions pics October 2016 (14)

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