The Always Presence of God

Wenham summarizes Leviticus by talking about the presence of God.  God is always present with Israel, but He is on occasion present with Israel in both a visible and tangible way.  He is preeminently present in worship.

But Leviticus handles far more than just the times of worship and the special feasts.  God is present at all times, even in the mundane duties of life.  "Leviticus knows of nothing that is beyond God's control or concern.  The whole of man's life must be lived out in the presence of God.  The recurring refrain in the later chapters, "I am the Lord your God," reminds the people of Israel that every aspect of their life - religion, sex, relations with neighbors, all is of concern to their covenant redeemer." - (p17).

And so, the detailed and repetitive ceremonies of Leviticus teach us that God is concerned about all aspects of our lives.  For the Christian, we see this brought out in the fact that we are now the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit, enjoying the permanent presence of God.  We are to manifest His glory in all aspects of our lives.

Leviticus Today

"Leviticus used to be the first book that Jewish children studied in the synagogue.  In the modern Church it tends to be the last part of the Bible anyone looks at seriously." - Gordon Wenham

In devotional reading, this is one of the toughest books to simply read through.  Strange, though, that in the middle of a string of miscellaneous laws we find the second greatest commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" - 19:18.  

There is certainly more here than meets the eye.  Wenham suggests that, more than a collection of dated laws, Leviticus tells us about God's character and will.

I heartily recommend Wenham's commentary on Leviticus.   

Idols Consume; Our God Feeds

As we come to the Table of our Lord, remember that our God feeds His people.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd, He knows His own and His own know His voice – and they love His voice – for they know He provides for them.

 

There is a radical difference between the Triune God and all idols and it is this:  Idols consume and our God feeds.  Idols are simply creatures falsely treated as gods, they cannot help being just as dependent as all other creatures are – and like all other creatures, they must be fed.  But what do idols eat.  They eat the ones who give themselves to the idol.

 

But what does the true God do?  Our God has no needs.  He is not lacking anything – He is the transcendent, eternal, ever-loving, ever-loved God.  Every created thing is an overflow of His character and being, an overflow of the self-giving love that is God’s eternal character.

 

And this is why those who are in covenant with this Creator-Redeeming God are invited to His Table to partake of Him by faith.  This is our religion:  God gives, we receive.  Come and welcome to Jesus Christ.

Life and then Food

We are told that, just after creating Adam, God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed, it shall be food for you” (Gen 1:29).

This is a paradigm of how God deals with us.  He creates and He feeds.  He brings to life and then He provides the sustenance for our lives to continue and grow.

Your baptism is the declaration of the life of the Spirit given to You – a gift of new life.  You are to walk in that baptism, according to that baptism, by faith – and even that faith is a gift of God.  Nevertheless, you are to walk in it by faith.

 

And this Table is provided for those of you who have life in the Spirit, the new-birth in Jesus Christ.  Having been given life by faith, you are now to receive the sustenance and nurture of your life, which also is Jesus Christ, by faith.  Always remember, you did not earn your new life and you do not earn the right to be at this Table.  This is all a gift – it is all and always grace – from beginning to end.  Believe and come.

Jesus Reigns Over All

When we come to worship the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as revealed to us in the Scripture, we must realize that what we are doing is political.  It is not partisan, as though it was democratic or republican, independent or green – but it is political.

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered,” Luke tells us – and in the same chapter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are told that an angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

 But Who is this Christ, this anointed one?  Well, it is declared, as we declare in the Apostles’ Creed that He now sits at the right hand of God the Father.  John tells us that there it was and is and will ever be declared that Jesus Christ is “the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  We are told that “out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.  He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:  King of kings and Lord of lords.”  As He took the throne in heaven, a throne over all heaven and all the earth, there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.  And He shall reign forever and ever.”

 So what does this all mean?  This means that we are coming to the throne of the King of the world right now at His summons.  And He has summoned the world.  To not bow the knee, to not submit your power, your authority, your life and riches to this King now is to be in rebellion to the One who is reconciling the world to Himself.  City, State and National governments, all ecclesiastical bodies, and every family is required to render worship and praise and to the bow the knee publicly and from the heart with gladness to this Jesus we have come to worship.

The elections are coming and so of course this has ramifications for us in civil government.  But today, do not harden your heart as they did in the wilderness.  Today and right now – the application is for you as well.  Have you and will you in all things bow the knee to this great and mighty Savior?

Covered - Psalm 32

Psalm 32:1 says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered..." and in the NKJV, verse 5 says, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden..."  But the ESV makes the Hebrew word connection clearer, "...and I did not cover my iniquity..."  The word, ka-sa, is the same in both verses.

And here is the point of the Psalm, wrapped up in this use of the verb.  When we try to cover our sins, as Adam and Eve tried to cover their ashamed nakedness, nothing is covered at all.  There is no forgiveness.  But when we come to the Lord acknowledging our sins, showing them to Him, and not covering them, then they are covered by Him, just as He covered Adam and Eve Himself with the skins of animals.

There is another way to say this.  When we say to God, "I didn't do that," He will say to us, "Oh, but you did do that."  But when we say, repenting as we speak, "I did that," He will say to us, "You did not do that.  It is gone.  It is covered."  And He will not keep track.  He will not keep a hidden account.  For your sin has been covered in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Baptisms - Uncle William and Nephew Bobby Lee

In this multi-family baptism this morning, we do see many facets of the rite of baptism being declared and reaffirmed.  God is in the business of saving people, individual by individual.  There is no presumption to be had that you are saved because you are born into a covenantal family, a Christian family.  Both William and Robert need to be brought to the Lord for baptism at His command because both, even though brought up in a covenant family, need themselves to be saved by grace through faith in the perfect atoning work of Jesus Christ.  It doesn’t matter if your parents or even if your parents and grandparents have been saved.  Each one of these boys must also be saved.

But covenantal faithfulness for families is, at its heart, promise believing.  And these baptisms are a declaration by the believing parents and grandparents that God has made promises to them and to their children and grandchildren.  The work of baptism is a work of God and a response of faith by promise-believers before the great Promise Keeper – our Father and His Son

And with this baptism comes vows made by the parents of the children that they will love, train, and discipline these boys according to the instructions of God’s Word.  Being born into a covenant home does not take away your status of being conceived in the first Adam.  Baptism declares that you have been transferred to a new humanity, another Adam, and a perfect future-grace.  But with the promises comes the declaration that sanctification will come with it.  These two boys are anything but perfect and over time I promise that they will prove me true.  But God has promised that your training of them by faith and in faith will be blessed by His work – a perfect work.

God is setting these boys apart for His service, for His kingdom, and to the praise of the glory of His grace.  You, as their parents and family, are called on to walk accordingly even as we command these two saints, brothers with us in Christ, to do the same.