every one of you

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 19:1-4

Lev 19:1 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, you will be holy, because I Yahveh your God am holy.
Lev 19:3 Every one of you will revere his mother and his father, and you will keep my Sabbaths: I am Yahveh your God.
Lev 19:4 Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am Yahveh your God.

every one of you

Here is where the LORD reveals the purpose for all his rules under the Mosaic covenant. He wanted an entire congregation of people who were holy, like him. The various rules and regulations of the Mosaic covenant were designed to reflect the difference between Yahveh and the gods of the other nations. Instead of encouraging rebellion against parents, Yahveh encouraged loyalty. Instead of demanding work for power, he wanted his people to rest in his grace. Instead of images of cast metal, the people themselves were to reflect his image by their holiness. And, instead of a community made up of people possessing various powers and abilities and status, he wanted a community that entirely consisted of holy individuals, equal in status under his grace.

LORD, make us a people entirely holy unto you — every one of us.

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abominable prescriptions

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 18:24-30

Lev 18:24 “Do not make yourselves contaminated by any of these things, because by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become contaminated,
Lev 18:25 and the land became contaminated, so that I punished its violation, and the land vomited out those who stayed there.
Lev 18:26 But you will keep my prescriptions and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the foreign guest who is a temporary resident among you
Lev 18:27 (because the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became contaminated),
Lev 18:28 or else the land will vomit you out when you make it contaminated, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
Lev 18:29 Because everyone who does any of these abominations, the souls who do them will be eliminated from among their people.
Lev 18:30 So keep my charge never to practise any of these abominable prescriptions that were practised before you, and never to make yourselves contaminated by them: I am Yahveh your God.”

abominable prescriptions

The sins categorised in Leviticus 18 sound like a list of extreme sexual and religious deviations, except for the phrase “these abominable prescriptions” in verse 30. That phrase indicates that all these things were actual prescribed practises in Canaanite religion. Such was the depravity in this land, which had become so vile that God said the land itself vomited its people out.

The Israelites were charged to be different. To respect God’s limits and discipline themselves sexually, and hold to the rules of the covenant with integrity.

LORD, make us a people of integrity and personal holiness. Purge us of anything that offends you.

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abomination too

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 18:19-23

Lev 18:19 “You will not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual contamination.
Lev 18:20 And you will not lie sexually with your associate’s wife and so make yourself contaminated with her.
Lev 18:21 You will not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am Yahveh.
Lev 18:22 You will not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Lev 18:23 And you will not lie with any animal and so make yourself contaminated with it, neither will any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

abomination too

This passage does not isolate homosexuality as being more terrible than other mistakes. But neither does it concede any of the things this generation asks for. It lists all these sexual sins, including abortion after-the-fact, as sins against the covenant and the covenant community. Words like perversion, abomination and contamination are not words that we can easily skip over. The God who called for sexual and moral purity in the days of Moses still calls for it today.

LORD, turn the tide, make us a pure people again.

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shameful exposure

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 18:6-18

Lev 18:6 “None of you will approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am Yahveh.
Lev 18:7 You will not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you will not uncover her nakedness.
Lev 18:8 You will not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
Lev 18:9 You will not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
Lev 18:10 You will not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, because their nakedness is your own nakedness.
Lev 18:11 You will not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister.
Lev 18:12 You will not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative.
Lev 18:13 You will not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s relative.
Lev 18:14 You will not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you will not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
Lev 18:15 You will not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife; you will not uncover her nakedness.
Lev 18:16 You will not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
Lev 18:17 You will not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you will not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is an immoral act.
Lev 18:18 And you will not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

shameful exposure

The Israelite would listen to these commands with two realities in view. First, he would remember Ham, the son of Noah, who uncovered his father’s nakedness, and brought terrible consequences down upon his son, Canaan. Then, he would remember the stories told about the descendants of Canaan, how they engage in all kinds of disgusting sexual acts, even doing so as part of their religion. The Israelite had no problem understanding both the shame and the danger of things like pornography and incest. He would also understand that as a member of the covenant with Yahveh, he was expected to be different — to be sexually disciplined.

LORD, may our private lives be a public example of the purity you expect in your covenant community.

Posted in depravity, holiness, pornography, purity, sexuality, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

the impossibility of pluralism

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 18:1-5

Lev 18:1 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 18:2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am Yahveh your God.
Lev 18:3 You will not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you stayed, and you will not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You will not walk in their prescriptions.
Lev 18:4 You will follow my rules and keep my prescriptions and walk in them. I am Yahveh your God.
Lev 18:5 You will therefore keep my prescriptions and my rules; if a human does them, he will live by them: I am Yahveh.

the impossibility of pluralism

The Israelites has religious freedom. They could choose to follow the rules and prescriptions of the God who rescued them, or not. They had been rescued from Egypt, and they were being brought to Canaan. The religions of both of those nations had their appeal, but there would be negative consequences if an Israelite chose to follow Egyptian or Canaanite ways. Pluralism was an impossibility. There was to be no mixture of religious practise or faith among the Israelite community. Yahveh insisted on being their God exclusively.

God has once again rescued his people. He has rescued us from our sins through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. As a part of his rescue covenant, we learn that there is salvation in no one else, because there is only one name by which we can be saved. That means that pluralism is an impossibility in the new covenant as well.

LORD, we declare absolute and unqualified devotion to you, our God.

Posted in deliverance, idolatry, new covenant | Tagged | 1 Comment

respect for animal life

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics September 2016 (18)

Leviticus 17:13-16

Lev 17:13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten will pour out its blood and cover it with land.
Lev 17:14 Because the soul within everyone’s skin is its blood: its blood is its soul. Therefore, I have said to the people of Israel, you will not eat the blood of any creature, because the soul within everyone’s skin is its blood. Whoever eats it will be eliminated.
Lev 17:15 And every soul who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a temporary resident, will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening; then he will be clean.
Lev 17:16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, he will be responsible for his violation.”

respect for animal life

Even for animals killed for food, there were regulations as to how to show proper respect for the loss of life. All of the life forms that God has given to us on earth are precious to him, and should not be taken lightly, or regarded as objects for us to dispose of as we we will for our own amusement.

LORD, thank you for the blessing of the other lives all around us. Show us how to regard these lives as a gift, and respect them as part of your creation which we are responsible to you for.

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given for you

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics September 2016 (17)

Leviticus 17:8-12

Lev 17:8 “And you will say to them, any one of the house of Israel, or of the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them, who offers an ascending offering or sacrifice
Lev 17:9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the conference tent to offer it to Yahveh, that man will be eliminated from his people.
Lev 17:10 “If any one of the house of Israel or of the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood and will eliminate him from among his people.
Lev 17:11 Because the soul within the skin is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to provide reconciliation for your souls, because it is the blood that provides reconciliation for the soul.
Lev 17:12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, no soul among you will eat blood, neither will any foreign guest who is a temporary resident among you eat blood.

given for you

Eating food with the blood still in it was prohibited in the Israelite community for two reasons. First, the LORD wanted his people to have respect for the living souls of the animals. The blood flowing was represented the loss of a soul — not an immortal soul — there is no such thing. But God commanded respect for all living souls. But he also prohibited the eating of bleeding flesh because he had commanded that he alone would consume it on the altar. He alone would participate in the prophecy that would be fulfilled on Calvary. He has given the sacrifice of the blood of his own Son to provide reconciliation for our souls.

LORD, thank you for loving us, and paying the price for our sin — the pice of the life of your only Son.

Posted in atonement, Jesus Christ, the cross | Tagged | 1 Comment

only one place for sacrifice

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 17:1-7

Lev 17:1 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,
Lev 17:2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, this is the thing that Yahveh has commanded when he said,
Lev 17:3 that if any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp,
Lev 17:4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the conference tent to offer it as a gift to Yahveh in front of the tabernacle of Yahveh, that man will be recognised as guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood, and that man will be eliminated from among his people.
Lev 17:5 This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to Yahveh, to the priest at the entrance of the conference tent, and sacrifice them as sacrifices for healthy relationships to Yahveh.
Lev 17:6 And the priest will throw the blood on the altar of Yahveh at the entrance of the conference tent and burn the fat for a soothing aroma to Yahveh.
Lev 17:7 So they will no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This will be a permanent prescription for them throughout their generations.

only one place for sacrifice

Moses was commanded essentially to outlaw any other kind of sacrifice other than those detailed, with the threat of death for a violation. This is the same Bible, and the same God who wants us to love one another and be considerate of one another. He is telling us that our toleration of one another’s differences cannot include acceptance of alternate places for worship or sacrifice. He has only prescribed the one way, the one place.

Now that the tabernacle no longer exists, does this injunction still apply? I think it now applies to all of us. The one place for sacrifice was the conference tent of the tabernacle. Since the cross, that one place is Calvary. Any other attempts to appease the wrath of God is sin — the sin of blasphemy.

LORD, thank you for providing the one way and the one place and the one sacrifice.

Posted in animism, atonement, idolatry, the cross | Tagged | 1 Comment

priest in his father’s place

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 16:29-34

Lev 16:29 “And it will be a permanent prescription to you that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you will discipline your souls and will do no work, either the native or the foreign guests who are temporary residents among you.
Lev 16:30 Because on this day will reconciliation be provided for you to cleanse you. You will be clean in Yahveh’s sight from all your mistakes.
Lev 16:31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you will discipline your souls; it is a permanent prescription.
Lev 16:32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father’s place will provide reconciliation, wearing the holy linen garments.
Lev 16:33 He will provide reconciliation for the holy sanctuary, and he will provide reconciliation for the conference tent and for the altar, and he will provide reconciliation for the priests and for all the people of the collected assembly.
Lev 16:34 And this will be a permanent prescription for you, that reconciliation may be provided for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their mistakes.” And Aaron did as Yahveh commanded Moses.

priest in his father’s place

The LORD established a priestly dynasty, so that there would always be a son of Aaron serving and providing reconciliation for the nation on that special day. It was important that the ritual for that special day reflect the fact that the great high priest to come would be serving in his Father’s place. He would not be a son of Aaron, but the only Son of God. His ministry would not be in type and symbol, but eternal reality. His ministry would make null and void the ministry of the tabernacle or temple in the same way that the event prophesied makes null and void the prophecy.

LORD, thank you for the finished work of reconciliation, and our great high priest who performed it.

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holiness or hell

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 16:26-28

Lev 16:26 And he who lets the goat go for entire removal will wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.
Lev 16:27 And the bull for the mistake offering and the goat for the mistake offering, whose blood was brought in to provide reconciliation in the Holy Place, will be carried outside the camp. Their hides and their flesh and their dung will be burned up with fire.
Lev 16:28 And he who burns them will wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

holiness or hell

What happens to these two offerings is a picture of what has to happen to sin. Either it is to be completely removed by the Holy Spirit’s sanctification and Christ’s glorification when he returns, or it will be destroyed by fire along with its possessor in Gehenna. Just as there was no place in the tabernacle for storing the mistake/sin offering, so there is no place in God’s universe to retain sin. We must be done with our sinful habits and pursue holiness. Holiness will last, but sin will not.

LORD, give us the courage to be done with our sinful habits.

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