Monthly Archives: February 2017

Leviticus 3-4, 1 Corinthians 12

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In Leviticus 3-4 we read of the peace and sin offerings. The peace offering could be public or private, for giving thanks, dedicating a vow, or a voluntary offering. The sin offering was either communal or individual, in response to a specific sin. There were various animals that could be offered, each with their own specific instructions.

For the Israelite, sin either intentional or unintentional required a sacrifice. Sin could not be ignored or hidden. These animal sacrifices could not take away sin; they were merely a consequence.

By contrast, we “are the body of Christ and individually members of it”. Hebrews tells us that “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”, a more perfect sacrifice that allows us to have a relationship with God based on love rather than payment. Rather than sacrifice, it is up to us to “have the same care for one another” for members of the body, to show God’s love to each other.

Psalm 103

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Psalm 103 was written by David, praising God for His love, for giving us hope and offering salvation. It is essentially the gospel message, the good news that God has offered the whole earth. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit”.

Later, “The Lord is merciful and gracious… he does not deal with us according to our sins. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him”.  God is like a father showing compassion on his children. In contrast to the brevity of man’s life, “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him”.

Let us “keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments”, and in so doing praise and glorify our heavenly Father who has given so much for us.

Psalm 100

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The Psalmist writes, “Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” One short verse describes both God’s power and His relationship to us.

We are God’s creation, and just like any earthly artist, God’s creations belong to Him. But that belonging is not just a one way relationship, the way a potter owns the vase they just made. God provides for our every need, in the same way that a shepherd devotes his life to keeping his sheep safe and healthy, providing the best possible conditions for his sheep.

God goes even further than a shepherd or a potter. “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”  God loves us, a strong enduring love that is faithful across countless generations.  The Psalmist encourages us to be affected by that knowledge, to praise God and let everyone know. “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

Exodus 36

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In Exodus 36, the construction of the tabernacle commences. Two things stand out in this chapter. Firstly, that there were skilled craftsmen to do the work. There wouldn’t have been much call for this skill in Egypt, making bricks, yet we read “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsmen in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction”. God gave these craftsmen the ability to do the work required, just as He also provides us the skill to work as one body in the ecclesia.

Secondly, the children of Israel answered the call in Exodus 35 for a contribution to such an extent that Moses had to ask them to stop. They had brought so much stuff with them out of Egypt and carried it around in the wilderness to this point, that they had more than enough to build the tabernacle. I don’t know what the Israelites would have thought when they were dragging this stuff through the desert, but we see God’s hand at work in providing for a future need.

So in the middle of a chapter that describes in painstaking detail the construction of the tabernacle, we find clear evidence of God working in the lives of the Israelites. If we look closely we can see God working in our lives too, preparing and providing for future needs.

Psalm 92

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Psalm 92 is “a song for the sabbath”. It is designed for reflection and meditation on all the things that God has done and given to us. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name… at the works of your hands I sing for joy … how great are your works, O Lord! … you, O Lord, are on high forever.”

The Psalm concludes by describing characteristics of the righteous. They are like a palm or a cedar tree, living in the house of the Lord, flourishing, healthy. They “declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock”.

This psalm really emphasises God’s exalted position, how powerful He is, and the need for us to plant our lives close to His influence, to be nourished and built close to Him.

Psalm 90-91

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Psalm 90 was written by Moses, begins the 4th book of Psalms. He reminds us about the eternal existence of God, “before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God… a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past”. By contrast our lives are short, “you return man to dust… the years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone”.

The reason for this contrast becomes apparent. “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom… make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us”. We only have a short life in contrast to God’s eternity, but it is up to us to make the most of it, learn from God’s wisdom and develop our relationship with Him. “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

Psalm 91 continues the theme. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”.

Psalm 88, Exodus 30

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Psalm 88 is a prayer to God for help, a desperate plea, “For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.” It’s interesting that we read this prayer on the same day we read Exodus 30, a description of the altar of incense. Incense, representing prayer, was to be burned morning and evening, “a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations”.

The author of Psalm 88 prays regularly too, “Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you”. In this particular prayer the Psalmist feels abandoned by God, “O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?” Yet he doesn’t give up hope, he still cries to God in prayer for help, confident that even in this desperate hour God will hear the prayer.

Psalms like this are one reason I love this book, the raw emotion of this pleading prayer reminds us that it’s ok to struggle in life, that there are times when even the strongest will feel helpless. We are reminded not to give up, to turn to God for help, confident that He is in control.

Psalms 83-84

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Psalm 83 and 84 present an interesting contrast; Psalm 83 is a prayer for the destruction of Israel’s enemies, while Psalm 84 is a song of joy about being in God’s house. Like Psalm 1, this focuses on the future outcome of choices we make today. Are we acting as God’s enemies, like the Midianites, or are we dwelling in God’s house?

“My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God”. The Psalmist paints an incredible picture of the future we can be part of. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield … no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly … O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

Psalm 81

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In Psalm 81 we find another Psalm of Asaph drawing on lessons from Israel’s history. Speaking from God’s perspective, he writes “In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah”.

The Israelites called to God in their distress, God heard and delivered them, answering their prayers. But the process didn’t end there; the Israelites were then tested.  Deliverance wasn’t sufficient to develop Israel’s faith and character, they needed to be tested too.

Sadly Israel failed the test, “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me”, but there is still a valuable lesson for us. God follows the same sequence in our lives.  He listens when we cry to Him for help, and helps us in our time of distress.  But He is also interested in developing and strengthening our characters, so we too are tested.

Mark 11

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In Mark 11, Jesus curses a fruitless fig tree. The next day Peter comments on the fig tree, noticing that it was now withered. Jesus turns this into a lesson on faith and forgiveness, seemingly unrelated concepts to a withered fig tree. It seems strange that Jesus would use the holy spirit on this fruitless fig tree, but it provided a valuable lesson.

Our salvation seems an impossible task, like a mountain being cast into the sea or a tree withering in a day. Jesus had earlier stated that with God nothing is impossible. It is up to us to believe with all our heart, but that belief must be seen in our actions. In this example, Jesus points out the need for genuine, heartfelt prayer, and also the need to forgive others.

Perhaps James is alluding to some of these ideas when he writes in James 5, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working”. Prayer is such an amazing and comforting idea, that our prayers can have a positive influence on others.