cloudy with a chance of death

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 16:11-14

Lev 16:11 “Aaron will present the bull as a mistake offering for himself, and will provide reconciliation for himself and for his house. He will kill the bull as a mistake offering for himself.
Lev 16:12 And he will take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar in Yahveh’s sight, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he will bring it inside the veil
Lev 16:13 and put the incense on the fire in Yahveh’s sight, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.
Lev 16:14 And he will take some of the blood of the bull and spritz it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he will spritz some of the blood with his finger seven times.

cloudy with a chance of death

Aaron was commanded to bring smoky incense into the holy of holies, so that the smoke would cover the mercy seat. Calvin says “by this sign it was shewn how formidable is God’s majesty, the sight of which is fatal even to the priest; that all might learn to tremble at it, and to prostrate themselves as suppliants before Him; and again, that all audacity and temerity might be repressed.” In spite of Aaron following each prescription to the letter, it was still a dangerous thing for him to be in the manifest presence of God. That was because he was ministering only in type. He was symbolising the universal day of reconciliations that is to come.

Christ, our great high priest, did not need to fog up the mercy seat when he brought his blood into the heavenly sanctuary. His trip back into the manifest presence of God was coming home for him. And he made it possible for us to stand in God’s presence again as well.

LORD, thank you for restoring our relationship with you through Christ.

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entire removal

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 16:6-10

Lev 16:6 “Aaron will offer the bull as a mistake offering for himself and will provide reconciliation for himself and for his house.
Lev 16:7 Then he will take the two goats and set them in Yahveh’s sight at the entrance of the conference tent.
Lev 16:8 And Aaron will cast lots over the two goats, one lot for Yahveh and the other lot for entire removal.
Lev 16:9 And Aaron will present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahveh and use it as a mistake offering,
Lev 16:10 but the goat on which the lot fell for entire removal will be presented alive in Yahveh’s sight to provide reconciliation upon it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness for entire removal.

entire removal

One of the reasons that the original name for this ceremony was the day of reconciliations (plural) is explained here. There are two goats presented, and lots are cast to see which would be sacrificed to appease Yahveh’s judgement against the nation’s sins, and which would be set free to signify forgiveness and deliverance from those sins.

Global reconciliation will also happen in two stages. The one holy sacrifice was crucified on a cross for the sins of all, to reconcile God to humanity. That part has already been done. The next stage is yet to be accomplished. When all humanity has been set free from the power and presence of sin, that is when the promise signified by the Day of Reconciliations will find its ultimate fulfilment.

LORD, thank you for the blood of Christ, shed for our reconciliation. Come, Lord Jesus, and set us free from sin forever.

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he set the day

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 16:1-5

Lev 16:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near in Yahveh’s sight and died,
Lev 16:2 and Yahveh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. Because I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.
Lev 16:3 But in this way Aaron will come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a mistake offering and a ram for an ascending offering.
Lev 16:4 He will put on the holy linen shirt and will have the linen undergarment over his skin, and he will tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He will bathe his body in water and then put them on.
Lev 16:5 And he will take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a mistake offering, and one ram for an ascending offering.

he set the day

In this chapter, and in chapter 23, meticulous instructions are given regarding the Day of Reconciliations. This is a day of national repentance and worship that was to be held every year. But it was not up to Aaron to set that day. The LORD himself had established that it would only happen on the tenth day of the seventh month. No matter how much the nation had transgressed, it still only took a day to provide all the reconciliation needed, and the LORD established that it would happen on that day.

The LORD also set a day for worldwide reconciliation. Our Great High Priest entered the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood as the price for global reconciliation. It was only Him, and it was only then.

LORD, thank you for providing eternal reconciliation through the blood of Christ on Calvary’s cross.

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something wrong with normal

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:31-33

Lev 15:31 “Thus you will keep the people of Israel separate from their contamination, or else they die in their contamination by contaminating my tabernacle that is in their midst.”
Lev 15:32 This is the law for him who has a discharge and for him who has an emission of semen, becoming contaminated thereby;
Lev 15:33 also for her who is unwell with her menstrual impurity, that is, for anyone, male or female, who has a discharge, and for the man who lies with a woman who is contaminated.

something wrong with normal

As I mentioned yesterday, the discharge rituals reminded the community of Israel that there was something wrong with normal. In the normal run of life there would come times when the men and women would become contaminated. When that happened, the rest in the community had to be separated from them, so that the whole community did not become contaminated. These discharges symbolised the process of reproduction itself, and drew attention to the fact that human life has a beginning and an end.

Meanwhile, the tabernacle stands in the midst of that community. God’s presence is among them. The tabernacle is to be protected from this “normal.” There can be no “normal” death there. The only death allowed at the tabernacle is sacrifice. Because when the Holy One would dwell among us, his death would not be “normal.” His death would reverse the curse that caused “normal.”

LORD, thank you for the hope of resurrection unto immortality.

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beyond personal

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:28-30

Lev 15:28 But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she will count for herself seven days, and after that she will be clean.
Lev 15:29 And on the eighth day she will take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the entrance of the conference tent.
Lev 15:30 And the priest will use one for a mistake offering and the other for an ascending offering. And the priest will provide reconciliation for her in Yahveh’s sight for her contaminated discharge.

beyond personal

Like some of the other sacrifices prescribed in the tabernacle system, these provide reconciliation, but do not target a personal sin. Instead, these sacrifices and ceremonies remind us that there is an evil and a brokenness in our world that goes beyond personal. These incidents in this chapter speak of the very essence of life itself, and reveal that there is something wrong with normal. The evil that breaks the life cycle is death, and Christ will overcome that evil too. He is the resurrection and the life.

LORD, thank you for the hope of immortality.

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chronic contamination

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:25-27

Lev 15:25 “If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she will continue in contamination. As in the days of her impurity, she will be contaminated.
Lev 15:26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, will be to her as the bed of her impurity. And every container on which she sits will be contaminated, as in the contamination of her menstrual impurity.
Lev 15:27 And whoever touches these things will be contaminated, and will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.

chronic contamination

The Israelites had to treat a case of chronic discharge as a contamination as well. Anytime it happened, it was a reminder that in the human heart there is something wrong. Once again, I have to say that it is important for us not to get Pharisaical about this. The symbol was always to be recognised as a symbol, and not the thing itself. In this case, the discharge of blood symbolised the evil that proceeds from the heart. For that reason, the woman was considered ceremonially impure.

So this particular rule reminds us that some are so deeply ingrained in their sin that impure words and thought will constantly come out of them. That does not make them beyond hope of redemption, but it does mean that we must be particularly careful not to be contaminated by their “discharge.”

LORD, make us a pure people in a chronically contaminated world.

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what contaminates

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:19-24

Lev 15:19 “When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she will be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her will be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:20 And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity will be contaminated. Everything also on which she sits will be contaminated.
Lev 15:21 And whoever touches her bed will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:22 And whoever touches any container on which she sits will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:23 Whether it is the bed or any container on which she sits, when he touches it he will be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:24 And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he will be contaminated seven days, and every bed on which he lies will be contaminated.

what contaminates

Anyone within the covenant community — male or female — would be ceremonially unclean if something discharged from his or her body. Jesus taught his disciples that true contamination happens because evil within the heart comes out (Matthew 15:10-20). These rules concerning contamination due to discharge were to be a reminder of that spiritual truth.

A woman’s menstrual cycle is a very normal and healthy thing, and there is nothing evil about it. But in the old covenant community, this time became a time for her to focus on her relationship with God, and declare her devotion to Him.

LORD, show us how to separate ourselves for you, and not to allow our own hearts to defile us.

Posted in holiness, law, relationship with God, sanctification | Tagged | 1 Comment

what cleanses

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:16-18

Lev 15:16 “If a man has an emission of semen, he will bathe his whole body in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:17 And all his clothes and every skin on which the semen comes will be washed with water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:18 If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them will bathe themselves in water and be contaminated until the evening.

what cleanses

It is easy in most cases for us to recognise the ritual purity laws and their spiritual significance without becoming Pharisaical. But rules like this — concerning sexual relations — are perhaps the exception. Our society today drives us to view sex as something outside the jurisdiction of anyone else — not even to be controlled by our faith.

These rules can still help us if we want to stay sanctified. We just have to remember that, in the new covenant, it is the word that cleanses us (John 15:3). All our activities and relationships should be governed by that word.

LORD, help us to value your cleansing, and respect your word.

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the wait for restoration

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:13-15

Lev 15:13 “And when the one with a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he will count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes. And he will bathe his body in fresh water and will be clean.
Lev 15:14 And on the eighth day he will take two turtledoves or two pigeons and come in Yahveh’s sight to the entrance of the conference tent and give them to the priest.
Lev 15:15 And the priest will use them, one for a mistake offering and the other for an ascending offering. And the priest will provide reconciliation for him in Yahveh’s sight for his discharge.

the wait for restoration

This generation does not understand the purpose of waiting. We are in an instant gratification society, and that attitude tends to creep into our idea of grace as well. The Israelites had learnt to wait on the LORD for their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. And, so that they would not forget that lesson, there were instructions like this. It involved a waiting period between the cleaning with water, and the cleansing with the blood of sacrifice. A full week of waiting was prescribed for a man who had a seminal discharge. In a sense, that full week symbolised a full lifetime. All of us who have been washed by the word and through baptism are now waiting for the glorification that will only come when our Saviour returns. Meanwhile, we have time to consider how we might serve him in purity while we wait for complete restoration.

LORD, we are washed, and we await the complete sanctification that is to come.

Posted in baptism, deliverance, patience, restoration, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

sexual contamination

Posted on September 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

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Leviticus 15:1-12

Lev 15:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and this is what he said,
Lev 15:2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is contaminated.
Lev 15:3 And this is the law of his contamination for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his contamination.
Lev 15:4 Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies will be contaminated, and every container on which he sits will be contaminated.
Lev 15:5 And anyone who touches his bed will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:6 And whoever sits on any container on which the one with the discharge has sat will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:7 And whoever touches the body of the one with the discharge will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:8 And if the one with the discharge spits on someone who is pure, then he will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:9 And any saddle on which the one with the discharge rides will be contaminated.
Lev 15:10 And whoever touches anything that was under him will be contaminated until the evening. And whoever carries such things will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:11 Anyone whom the one with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening.
Lev 15:12 And a clay pottery container that the one with the discharge touches will be broken, and every container of wood will be rinsed in water.

sexual contamination

Not every disease is catalogued in Leviticus, so when one is mentioned, we need to look for its significance. Male seminal discharge due to disease would be an appropriate condition to highlight if the goal of the instruction is the encourage sexual purity. Laws concerning leprosy were a visual demonstration to the Israelites that God wanted them to avoid public corruption. Laws concerning seminal and menstrual discharge, and circumcision were visual demonstrations that God wanted a people free from sexual contamination.

LORD, keep your people pure by the power of your word.

Posted in holiness, pornography, sexuality | Tagged | 1 Comment