Today’s reading: Lev 4:1–6:30, John 7:14–44, Song 5:13–16

Today’s theme: Dealing with sin

Today’s theme is clearly sin and the ways that sin was once dealt with by offerings. Many sins are unintentional but still need atonement. Intentional sins obviously need atonement so we must confess our sins to God and ask Him to open our eyes to our faults. We must ask for forgiveness of hidden faults in Jesus name, knowing that Jesus bore the very real guilt for all our sins on the cross.

The modern world wants to do away with the idea of sin but the fact is sin is man’s greatest problem and the only solution is found in Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah and Son of The Living God, the one and only God-Man who as God the Son became incarnate as a man. He lived among us, taught us, died for us, rose from the dead and will one day return in power and glory.

Leviticus 4:1–6:30

The offering for unintentional sin

“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them, Leviticus 4:2 (ESV)

This entire section is all about the purification for sin. This is not for intentional defiant sin (transgression) but for the inadvertent type of sin where we “miss the mark”.

In our frailty and ignorance we often fall short but God does not ignore our sins, they are still an offence and need to be cleansed. No other section of the Bible speaks about this type of sin more than this chapter.

The emphasis applied to all levels of society and scenarios show the pervasiveness of sin and God’s determination to deal with it.

Jesus fulfils all the sin offerings for all people by his death on the cross. When we sin we now have an advocate with the father 1 John 2:1.

Realisation of sin

when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it in front of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 4:14 (ESV)

Man is so bound in sin that we often sin without realising we have until later. We should pray for our nation that a realisation of our sin comes and with it repentance.

Jesus, our High Priest

Thus shall he do with the bull. As he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. Leviticus 4:20 (ESV)

Jesus is our High Priest and makes atonement for us with His own blood.

Confess your sin

when he realizes his guilt in any of these and confesses the sin he has committed, Leviticus 5:5 (ESV)

We must avoid generalising sin, some specific sins are used here to illustrate the individual nature of each offence and our responsibility, as much as is possible, to confess our actual sin to the Lord. When we confess our sins to the Lord as our High Priest He forgives and cleanses us 1 John 1:9.

Guilty before God

It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD.” Leviticus 5:19 (ESV)

When we sin we are not guilty before Satan even though he is our accuser. We are guilty before God because our sins are an offence to God. Guilt and conviction from the Holy Spirit are healthy when felt in light of God’s grace and mercy for actual sin. Jesus bore our guilt on the cross.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on The Power & Effects of Sin

Today’s reading: Lev 1:1–3:17, John 7:1–13, Song 5:10–12

Today’s theme: A pleasing aroma

A common theme in Leviticus is the pleasing aroma which comes from sacrifices done in the right way and with the right heart before God. Jesus is the ultimate pleasing aroma and our lives should bring God pleasure and glory too. There should be a distinct sell to our lives that pleases God and causes the world to hate us as we bear witness to the truth.

Leviticus 1:1–3:17

A pleasing aroma

but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 1:9 (ESV)

This term “a pleasing aroma” comes up a lot in Leviticus. It shows that the sacrifices that were made brought God pleasure and were a way of averting God’s righteous anger and appealing to His grace.

It also shows that if the sacrifices do not please God (like in Isaiah where God says He is sick of the heartless sacrifices) then they are dead and without effect.

Ultimately this all points to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross which God was pleased with as mentioned in Ephesians 5:2.

Seasoned with salt

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. Leviticus 2:13 (ESV)

The salt of the covenant represents the durability and eternal nature of God’s covenant as salt is a preservative. Leaven and honey on the other hand cause fermentation and decay so could not be accepted as part of a burnt offering.

The peace offering

“If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers an animal from the herd, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. Leviticus 3:1 (ESV)

The peace offering (also known as the offering of well being and the fellowship offering) was one where peace was made between the person making the sacrifice and God as both would partake of the offering in fellowship.

Again this all points to Jesus, the ultimate peace offering, He removes the offence and brings peace between God and believers. See Colossians 1:20 and Ephesians 2:15.

John 7:1–13

Hold up God’s standard to the world

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. John 7:7 (ESV)

We should be like Jesus, we should hold up the standard of God’s truth to the world which is automatically a testimony that what they do is evil. This will cause us individually and as a people to be hated. We should rejoice in this as we identify with Jesus.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

The Gospel Coalition on John 7

Today’s reading: Exod 39:1–40:38, John 6:52–71, Song 5:5–9

Today’s theme: Finish the work

Today we see an important theme, we must set our hearts to finish whatever work the Lord has given us to do with the sustaining power that Jesus provides.

Exodus 39:1–40:38

Finish the work

Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did. Exodus 39:32 (ESV)

It is great to read that the work was finished in accordance with God’s instructions. We should avoid procrastination and have a mind to finish the mission / work.

Reward for finishing

And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them. Exodus 39:43 (ESV)

Moses blessed the people for completing the work. God rewards us too when we complete the tasks He has for us to do. What work do you have to do?

God with us

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Exodus 40:34–35 (ESV)

Moses had asked God to go with him and the people, this was God’s answer. He asked them to build a temporary house so that He could dwell among them.

The cloud was a physical manifestation of God’s presence. This had a lot of meaning to a people travelling through a hot desert where clouds and shade were welcomed.

God’s presence has moved from the great Mount Sinai, to the tent of meeting and now finally to the tabernacle. This all points forward to God dwelling in us as His house through His Holy Spirit.

John 6:52–71

Sustained by Jesus

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. John 6:57 (ESV)

If we feed on Jesus, we will have eternal life, sustained by Him. Our appetite should be for Jesus.

Stand with Jesus

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68–69 (ESV)

Our response should be the same, despite being ridiculed and mocked for our faith in Jesus we must stand with and for Jesus with complete resolution.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Work & Vocation

Today’s reading: Exod 37:1–38:31, John 6:25–51, Song 5:1–4

Today’s theme: God sovereignly saves

We see a glimpse of the sovereign majesty of God in the gold used in the Tabernacle. We then see the sacrifice of Jesus in the bronze. Both of these themes are reconciled in the invitation to salvation which goes out to all and the reality of God sovereignly saving the elect as a gift from the Father to the Son. This should cause us to rejoice in love, security and hope.

Exodus 37:1–38:31

Gold for the King

And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. Exodus 37:2 (ESV)

All the gold used in the building of the tabernacle points to God’s majesty, kingdom and sovereignty as King.

Jesus took our judgement

He made horns for it on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. Exodus 38:2 (ESV)

Bronze speaks of judgement and points to Jesus taking our judgement through His sacrifice on the cross.

John 6:25–51

Jesus the bread of life

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:27 (ESV)

We should not have our views and goals limited to this life and temporary materialism. Instead we should work and pour our energy into getting the everlasting, sustaining food that will give us eternal life and be our eternal reward…Jesus, the bread of life.

Jesus satisfies

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35 (ESV)

Jesus brings us the ultimate satisfaction.

Gifts from the Father

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. John 6:37 (ESV)

We (disciples of Jesus) are gifts from the Father to His Son. In this verse we can also see God’s predestined plan to save the elect and the security found in coming to Jesus.

God sovereignly saves us

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (ESV)

God is sovereign over salvation and those that are saved. Without God’s initiation of drawing someone to Jesus, no one could be saved. We would not come in our own will as we are bound under sin and do not desire God naturally. God is glorified in saving us.

All are invited

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John 6:47 (ESV)

The invitation to believe goes out to all, it is not limited to rich, poor, Jewish, Non Jewish etc.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

TGC on John 6

Today’s reading: Exod 35:1–36:38, John 6:15–24, Song 4:14–16

Today’s theme: Heartfelt generosity

We must not allow ourselves to be robbed of the blessing to biblical giving by thinking of our giving to God in the same way we think about paying an electricity bill. Many of us are neither joyful or resentful, we are simply indifferent because the bill is a rightfully owed duty. God does not desire this sort of heartless giving.

The modern church’s emphasis on tithes (10% of earnings set aside for God) can leave some feeling short changed (robbed from the joy of biblical giving). People think of giving to God like a bill when in fact the tithe itself is not spoken of in the New Testament. Jesus doesn’t want just 10%, He wants what it represents which is everything!

In this spirit, our giving should not be limited to an indifferent 10% utility bill, we should joyfully give all we can to the glory of God from genuinely generous hearts. If we do not give it joyfully, God doesn’t want it and we will never truly benefit from our giving either.

Exodus 35:1–36:38

Be genuinely generous

Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; Exodus 35:5 (ESV)

We should be generous from our hearts with our money, time and skills for God’s glory.

Serve from the heart

And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. Exodus 35:21 (ESV)

Our service should be from the heart, not just duty or rule keeping.

Serve with joy

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the LORD had put skill, everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. Exodus 36:2 (ESV)

God puts the skills and intelligence in our minds but our hearts must be stirred to joyfully use them for Him.

Provide for the work

for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. Exodus 36:7 (ESV)

If we all give generously and don’t limit ourselves to just 10% for example, then there will be great provision for the Lord’s work.

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Giving