Pastor's Note from February 16, 2014

This week we will be finishing up Leviticus and Hebrews in our daily reading.  I’ve acknowledged over the past two weeks that many Christians don’t spend too much time in Leviticus as it seems so “out of touch,” they say.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Granted we are not under the Law any longer and the Levitical Priesthood has been replaced by our final High Priest, Jesus Christ, under whom we are a nation of priests (Hebrews 7:11-28 and 1 Peter 2:5).  Yet Leviticus still explains as much as any Book of the Bible about God’s Holiness, and that never changes.  Also, it helps to explain the rest of the Old Testament…

Why do I say that?  Because of Leviticus 26, which was a promise of God to Israel that if they remained faithful to Him, He would bless them, but if they rejected Him and served other gods, He would curse them.  If you know any OT you know they went through many cycles of being faithful, then falling away to the worship of other gods, then being chastised by God, repenting, and the cycle starts over.  It’s not only in Judges we see that cycle, but throughout the OT.  Even in Malachi, after returning from the Babylonian captivity (a fulfillment of the promise in Lev 26 to punish them if they rejected Him), they are again being warned about worshiping other Gods and rejecting God’s commands.

Leviticus 26 has no less than 69 references to other passages in the OT where these promises are being fulfilled, both the blessings and the cursings.  There are only 46 verses in the chapter!  Much of Lev 26 is restated throughout Deuteronomy, which is also a critical Book if we are going to understand the OT, but so much of it starts right here in Leviticus.
Besides enlightening our understanding of the OT, Leviticus 26 helps us with our lives as well!  God is the same today, yesterday, and forever after all (as is human nature).  So, while we greatly benefit under the New Covenant, God still blesses us when we love and obey Him, and chastises us when we don’t (Heb 12:3-11; Rev 3:19).  We also tend to go in cycles, just like Israel did.

This week's Bible reading:

2/17	Monday	Leviticus 25-26	Hebrews 9
2/18	Tuesday	Lev 27 – Num 1	Hebrews 10
2/19	Wednesday	Numbers 2-3	Hebrews 11
2/20	Thursday	Numbers 4-5	Hebrews 12
2/21	Friday	Numbers 6-7	Hebrews 13
2/22	Saturday	Numbers 8-10	none
2/23	Sunday	Numbers 11-13	none

This week's Bible memory verse: Hebrews 12:14

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”