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God’s message to me: Jerusalem and the temple are never abandoned by God. While there are times when the city and the temple have been destroyed and the people scattered or taken captive, the people have always returned to rebuild the city and the temple. Those times of punishment serve to remind the world what happens when we rebel against God. We see what He did to His own people and know how much more He would do to us.
Promises: When people turn to God and ask His forgiveness and His help, He is faithful to provide forgiveness and help regardless of whether we are Jew or Gentile as long as we fear and trust God for salvation.
Commands: “pray for the peace of Jerusalem”. God has placed His name there and true peace for that land and that city can only come when it is wholly under the control of His people Israel and when they turn to Him for salvation. Understand this when you pray for peace. There is no compromise between good and evil and “land for peace” deals will never work because God has condemned them.
Timeless principles: When Solomon finished his prayer of Dedication for the temple fire from heaven came down and consumed the sacrifice on the alter making it clear that God approved of what was done. Once again, God’s approval isn’t usually hard to recognize.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Trust God to provide when I call on His name and remember where He has chosen to place His favor and support that favor.
tomorrow: Second Chronicles 9-12
Showing posts with label sacrifices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sacrifices. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
First Samuel 1-3
God’s message to me: Listen for the voice of the Lord. Most of what God has to say to us can be found in the pages of the bible. Most, but not all. God did not tell us how to recognize profits and how to test spirits to know if they speak the truth just so we could decide neither existed anymore and we didn’t have to listen. God still speaks to us and, through the Holy Spirit, is more direct with Christians than He was with His people in the Old Testament. Learning to listen for His instruction and understanding how to recognize it is an important step of growth in our Christian life. I’ll add a supplemental entry on some basic principles.
Promises: God lifts up the lowly who look to Him for help. He strikes down the haughty who afflict others without cause and defy His commands.
Commands: Do not cause others to stumble and to sin by your actions.
Timeless principles: God can chose people from the most unlikely places. Samuel was not of the tribe of Levi and he wasn’t a descendant of Aaron. He was given to the high priest by a family from one of the sons of Joseph as an adopted son to serve the Lord. God raised him up to take the place of the priestly line which had become to corrupt to serve.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Look carefully for where God is working. You may find His handiwork in the most unlikely places. I heard people on the radio complain about the TV series KINGS. They think it’s propaganda leading to a one world government, a dictatorship, or something similar. They don’t see that, like Touched by an Angel, Promised Land, Second Noah and others, it is an attempt to tell the truths of the bible through entertainment. Whether it can stay on track or even on the air is questionable. Many shows based in Christian values are run off the air despite good ratings and others are corrupted to teach false doctrine.
Even something like Star Wars can teach lessons we should know. George Lucas was said to be quite upset when Ronald Reagan pointed out that his movie had created the environment the president used to overcome communism. It was a reminder that evil exists and must be overcome. It was a hopeful message of the ability of good to triumph.
more to learn for in-depth study: Samuel was an Ephraimite. His tribe was one of the sons of Joseph. He was not bound by law to be in service because the Tribe of Levi had been dedicated to serve the Lord in place of the first born. His mother vowed to make him a Nazirite in service to God for his entire life if she could have a child. His name means Heard by God. Notice also that a basic principle of prayer is demonstrated. The chief priest blessed Hannah and said, “may God grant your request.” Christ also mentioned agreement in prayer. Two or more agreeing before God for a prayer request will cause the request to be granted. Prayer is not meant to be solitary. Often it becomes a solo practice but whenever possible you should share the request and pray with someone.
The sons of Eli were abusive and unruly, ignoring the Law of God and causing people to hate going to the temple because of their abuse. The Evil they did was beyond contempt and would turn the stomachs of many who read of it. Samuel ministered as a priest from childhood and did so in accordance with the law as a priest should. God swore to kill both Eli’s sons in one day and raise up a faithful priest to lead so that the Israelites would not be driven to sin by the evil they encountered at the tabernacle.
Eli had not restrained his sons. He did not prevent them from interfering in the sacrifice. Because he treated them better than the sacrifice and showed more honor to them than to God, his house was cursed. He was still the high priest and so he was able to perceive the Lord was calling to Samuel in the night.
Eli knew the Lord wouldn’t call the boy in vain and asked him the next day to reveal what the Lord had said. Samuel knew it was a curse against the old man and didn’t want to tell him for fear of hurting him but, Eli insisted and Samuel told all. Eli replied by saying, “He is the Lord, let Him do what seems good to Him.” It was a wise and true saying worthy of the high priest. It also showed Eli understood his mistakes.
tomorrow: First Samuel 4-7
Promises: God lifts up the lowly who look to Him for help. He strikes down the haughty who afflict others without cause and defy His commands.
Commands: Do not cause others to stumble and to sin by your actions.
Timeless principles: God can chose people from the most unlikely places. Samuel was not of the tribe of Levi and he wasn’t a descendant of Aaron. He was given to the high priest by a family from one of the sons of Joseph as an adopted son to serve the Lord. God raised him up to take the place of the priestly line which had become to corrupt to serve.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Look carefully for where God is working. You may find His handiwork in the most unlikely places. I heard people on the radio complain about the TV series KINGS. They think it’s propaganda leading to a one world government, a dictatorship, or something similar. They don’t see that, like Touched by an Angel, Promised Land, Second Noah and others, it is an attempt to tell the truths of the bible through entertainment. Whether it can stay on track or even on the air is questionable. Many shows based in Christian values are run off the air despite good ratings and others are corrupted to teach false doctrine.
Even something like Star Wars can teach lessons we should know. George Lucas was said to be quite upset when Ronald Reagan pointed out that his movie had created the environment the president used to overcome communism. It was a reminder that evil exists and must be overcome. It was a hopeful message of the ability of good to triumph.
more to learn for in-depth study: Samuel was an Ephraimite. His tribe was one of the sons of Joseph. He was not bound by law to be in service because the Tribe of Levi had been dedicated to serve the Lord in place of the first born. His mother vowed to make him a Nazirite in service to God for his entire life if she could have a child. His name means Heard by God. Notice also that a basic principle of prayer is demonstrated. The chief priest blessed Hannah and said, “may God grant your request.” Christ also mentioned agreement in prayer. Two or more agreeing before God for a prayer request will cause the request to be granted. Prayer is not meant to be solitary. Often it becomes a solo practice but whenever possible you should share the request and pray with someone.
The sons of Eli were abusive and unruly, ignoring the Law of God and causing people to hate going to the temple because of their abuse. The Evil they did was beyond contempt and would turn the stomachs of many who read of it. Samuel ministered as a priest from childhood and did so in accordance with the law as a priest should. God swore to kill both Eli’s sons in one day and raise up a faithful priest to lead so that the Israelites would not be driven to sin by the evil they encountered at the tabernacle.
Eli had not restrained his sons. He did not prevent them from interfering in the sacrifice. Because he treated them better than the sacrifice and showed more honor to them than to God, his house was cursed. He was still the high priest and so he was able to perceive the Lord was calling to Samuel in the night.
Eli knew the Lord wouldn’t call the boy in vain and asked him the next day to reveal what the Lord had said. Samuel knew it was a curse against the old man and didn’t want to tell him for fear of hurting him but, Eli insisted and Samuel told all. Eli replied by saying, “He is the Lord, let Him do what seems good to Him.” It was a wise and true saying worthy of the high priest. It also showed Eli understood his mistakes.
tomorrow: First Samuel 4-7
Friday, February 27, 2009
Deuteronomy 10-13
God’s message to me: Certain religious traditions, many of them Christian, have, in the past, made a habit of incorporating the practices of other religions and cultures into their own system to reach others and out of a desire to improve their own worship. While the Goals are lofty the method is all wrong.
God isn’t honored by worship in the style of false religions no matter how beautiful or uplifting their ceremonies may be. These religions were abominations to Him before and their practices are still abominations now, even if they are done in His name.
Promises: God provides us the good of the land and does not hold it back. Eating meat wasn’t just a religious practice reserved for temples, wild game and cattle slaughtered for meat but not for sacrifice could be killed, butchered and eaten at home.
Commands: Do not do anything which follows after false Gods. Here is a command opposite of what we do and think. When conquering the enemy, destroy all temples, religious art, religious artifacts, religious icons and writings, worship sites, alters and anything else having to do with the false religion. Do not adopt their practices no matter how good they seem. Do not use their religious sites no matter how beautiful they are. Do not salvage their artifacts and paraphernalia no matter how nice or valuable it seems to be. I’ve said it before, the Taliban made us all look bad when they had the guts to destroy the giant Buddahs in the mountain on their land. The followed their religion and, despite the fact that our religion teaches the same thing, we condemned them for it.
Timeless principles: Why do we go to church? That question could develop a lot of study and detail but the basics start here. God set aside places which where to his name where people could go to worship and bring sacrifices. The Tabernacle and the local temples of the tribes were the proper place for the religious practices. Religious ceremonies like sacrifices that were held elsewhere were considered worship to false Gods, with only rare exceptions(e.g. Passover). As we see in the teachings of the New Testament, He caused His people to gather at certain locations to ensure what God calls “the fellowship of the saints”.
Having a place of gathering causes believers to come together for mutual strengthening rather than living apart and unconnected. The Way of God is not a solitary path but one of community. Each member of the church has certain abilities, talents and gifts to bring to the table and only together can they be effective. No one has all the abilities within themselves and that is because God wants us to work together.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Signs and wonders cannot replace knowledge of the bible. Chapter 13 describes clearly the idea of being told to do something you shouldn’t. God never contradicts Himself. Let’s create an example based on the chapter.
Pastor Christian Pilgrim of Christian Heritage Ministries has a Television ministry that has become a worldwide phenomenon. In two years he went from a local congregation of 50 members to a world wide TV ministry to over 1.5 billion viewers and has safely secured TV ratings better than any other Sunday broadcast. Reverend Pilgrim comes on the air on the first Sunday in January and says that he has received the world of the Lord. He says that God told him everyone who truly loves God and wishes to go to heaven should purchase a small statue of Jesus from his ministry for $1 and pray to that from now on. He also says that they should not do so now. Instead, he says that God will provide proof that what he says is true. He says that God has promised a great wonder, to prove Himself and that on the first Saturday in February it will snow in Tahiti. If the sign does not come then he is false.
Just under a month later, for no reason anyone can explain, the tourists in Tahiti wake up to find the temperature has dropped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and there is 3 inches of snow on the beaches. The next morning the preacher demands everyone recognize God’s sign and worship the statuettes of Jesus.
God forbade us to make statues of Him or to Him. He would not let the Israelites see anything but a pillar of cloud or fire so that they would have nothing to make statues or images of. God commanded us to never worship any such image. Given the sign of the snow compared against the Word of God, how would you worship? Deuteronomy 13:3-4 should give you your answer.
more to learn for in-depth study: Isn’t it harsh to say, Kill the false prophet? Consider this. for the past year you have been hounded by a local hoodlum. He hasn’t much power and his gang is of about 8 people but he has become a criminal mastermind in that he never seems to get charged, let alone arrested for his crimes. You see him, on average, twice a month. You don’t intend to but, it’s impossible to avoid him completely in the small city in which you live. Every time he sees you he tries to kill you. What do you do?
The false prophet is trying to lead you from the path of life eternal in Jesus Christ and in the presence of Almighty God to the eternal death and damnation of separation from God and eternal torment in the lake of fire. Left to his own devices, Rev. Pilgrim will do whatever it takes to keep his place of power and wealth and lead much of the world to Hell. Would you preserve the life of someone who wiped out 1/6 of the worlds population? What about someone who led 3,000,000 to the gas chambers, that’s about 10% of the US Population. 37,000 people is about .01 percent of the population of the United States. Is it reasonable to assume that atheists have led 1/100 of one percent of the population to hell? What would you want to see happen to someone who killed the entire population of Minot, ND as an act of terrorism. The population of Minot is less than 37,000 according to the 2000 census.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 14-17
For the record, I'm feeling a lot better today and hope to finish these studies for you by the end of the day so that we are caught up for the week and continue in the morning from where you should already be.
God isn’t honored by worship in the style of false religions no matter how beautiful or uplifting their ceremonies may be. These religions were abominations to Him before and their practices are still abominations now, even if they are done in His name.
Promises: God provides us the good of the land and does not hold it back. Eating meat wasn’t just a religious practice reserved for temples, wild game and cattle slaughtered for meat but not for sacrifice could be killed, butchered and eaten at home.
Commands: Do not do anything which follows after false Gods. Here is a command opposite of what we do and think. When conquering the enemy, destroy all temples, religious art, religious artifacts, religious icons and writings, worship sites, alters and anything else having to do with the false religion. Do not adopt their practices no matter how good they seem. Do not use their religious sites no matter how beautiful they are. Do not salvage their artifacts and paraphernalia no matter how nice or valuable it seems to be. I’ve said it before, the Taliban made us all look bad when they had the guts to destroy the giant Buddahs in the mountain on their land. The followed their religion and, despite the fact that our religion teaches the same thing, we condemned them for it.
Timeless principles: Why do we go to church? That question could develop a lot of study and detail but the basics start here. God set aside places which where to his name where people could go to worship and bring sacrifices. The Tabernacle and the local temples of the tribes were the proper place for the religious practices. Religious ceremonies like sacrifices that were held elsewhere were considered worship to false Gods, with only rare exceptions(e.g. Passover). As we see in the teachings of the New Testament, He caused His people to gather at certain locations to ensure what God calls “the fellowship of the saints”.
Having a place of gathering causes believers to come together for mutual strengthening rather than living apart and unconnected. The Way of God is not a solitary path but one of community. Each member of the church has certain abilities, talents and gifts to bring to the table and only together can they be effective. No one has all the abilities within themselves and that is because God wants us to work together.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Signs and wonders cannot replace knowledge of the bible. Chapter 13 describes clearly the idea of being told to do something you shouldn’t. God never contradicts Himself. Let’s create an example based on the chapter.
Pastor Christian Pilgrim of Christian Heritage Ministries has a Television ministry that has become a worldwide phenomenon. In two years he went from a local congregation of 50 members to a world wide TV ministry to over 1.5 billion viewers and has safely secured TV ratings better than any other Sunday broadcast. Reverend Pilgrim comes on the air on the first Sunday in January and says that he has received the world of the Lord. He says that God told him everyone who truly loves God and wishes to go to heaven should purchase a small statue of Jesus from his ministry for $1 and pray to that from now on. He also says that they should not do so now. Instead, he says that God will provide proof that what he says is true. He says that God has promised a great wonder, to prove Himself and that on the first Saturday in February it will snow in Tahiti. If the sign does not come then he is false.
Just under a month later, for no reason anyone can explain, the tourists in Tahiti wake up to find the temperature has dropped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and there is 3 inches of snow on the beaches. The next morning the preacher demands everyone recognize God’s sign and worship the statuettes of Jesus.
God forbade us to make statues of Him or to Him. He would not let the Israelites see anything but a pillar of cloud or fire so that they would have nothing to make statues or images of. God commanded us to never worship any such image. Given the sign of the snow compared against the Word of God, how would you worship? Deuteronomy 13:3-4 should give you your answer.
more to learn for in-depth study: Isn’t it harsh to say, Kill the false prophet? Consider this. for the past year you have been hounded by a local hoodlum. He hasn’t much power and his gang is of about 8 people but he has become a criminal mastermind in that he never seems to get charged, let alone arrested for his crimes. You see him, on average, twice a month. You don’t intend to but, it’s impossible to avoid him completely in the small city in which you live. Every time he sees you he tries to kill you. What do you do?
The false prophet is trying to lead you from the path of life eternal in Jesus Christ and in the presence of Almighty God to the eternal death and damnation of separation from God and eternal torment in the lake of fire. Left to his own devices, Rev. Pilgrim will do whatever it takes to keep his place of power and wealth and lead much of the world to Hell. Would you preserve the life of someone who wiped out 1/6 of the worlds population? What about someone who led 3,000,000 to the gas chambers, that’s about 10% of the US Population. 37,000 people is about .01 percent of the population of the United States. Is it reasonable to assume that atheists have led 1/100 of one percent of the population to hell? What would you want to see happen to someone who killed the entire population of Minot, ND as an act of terrorism. The population of Minot is less than 37,000 according to the 2000 census.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 14-17
For the record, I'm feeling a lot better today and hope to finish these studies for you by the end of the day so that we are caught up for the week and continue in the morning from where you should already be.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Numbers 27-30
God’s message to me: God ordained and regulated the rules of inheritance. Not everyone has something to pass on to the next generation but, it is proper to try and preserve an estate for your heirs.
Promises: God does not leave us without guidance. Joshua was appointed to succeed Moses and Eleazar was appointed to succeed Aaron. Moses spoke with God directly but no one else did. In order to ensure continued communication in a world where the Torah had just barely been completed with the book of the law and the rest of the bible was not available, the Priest carried the Urim and Thummim. This is a simple tool of divining answers and most believe it implies a draying of lots or, essentially, a coin flip yielding simple yes or no answers. Properly used by the high priest this would reveal God’s view on a subject.
Taken with other references we can see that drawing lots(like drawing straws) was a typical way of determining God’s will for those who were not prophets. This is sensible doctrine as Christ tells us to test the spirits and there are repeated references to testing God’s calling in the bible. Simple things like laying out a wool fleece and asking God to keep it dry in the morning dew or to soak it and leave the ground dry around it as a yes or no.
Commands: God’s commands don’t change with circumstances. He ordered holidays and feasts as the Israelites traveled in the wilderness and reiterated them before they entered the promised land so that the Israelites wouldn’t think they could stop the sacrifices and holy days just because they had finally been given a permanent home.
Timeless principles: Leaving a legacy to our heirs allows our family to continue growing in prosperity through the generations. It’s also important to pass on the values we practice so that our descendants will act in the same manner for their heirs.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Continue to follow God’s commands in good times as well as bad and make an effort to ensure that I have a legacy to pass on to the next generation.
more to learn for in-depth study: God was pretty specific about how he felt an estate should be handled in regard to inheritance. The daughters were expected to share in any inheritance of their husbands so inheritances were expected to go to the sons. If there was no son then the inheritance went to the daughter to carry on the family legacy.
If the man had no children then his estate would go to his brothers and if he had no brothers it would go to his uncles. Lacking any of these relatives it would go to the closest living relative. This system ensured the continuation of a family legacy and allowed a continual building of wealth in the family so that God’s people would continue to grow more prosperous.
While everyone seems to have their own ideas on inheritance these days the method laid down in the bible has logical and financial merit for continuing to ensure the prosperity of the family. If we followed this pattern and made an effort to ensure there was something for our heirs to inherit the financial concerns of our families would likely be much less.
tomorrow: Numbers 31-32
Promises: God does not leave us without guidance. Joshua was appointed to succeed Moses and Eleazar was appointed to succeed Aaron. Moses spoke with God directly but no one else did. In order to ensure continued communication in a world where the Torah had just barely been completed with the book of the law and the rest of the bible was not available, the Priest carried the Urim and Thummim. This is a simple tool of divining answers and most believe it implies a draying of lots or, essentially, a coin flip yielding simple yes or no answers. Properly used by the high priest this would reveal God’s view on a subject.
Taken with other references we can see that drawing lots(like drawing straws) was a typical way of determining God’s will for those who were not prophets. This is sensible doctrine as Christ tells us to test the spirits and there are repeated references to testing God’s calling in the bible. Simple things like laying out a wool fleece and asking God to keep it dry in the morning dew or to soak it and leave the ground dry around it as a yes or no.
Commands: God’s commands don’t change with circumstances. He ordered holidays and feasts as the Israelites traveled in the wilderness and reiterated them before they entered the promised land so that the Israelites wouldn’t think they could stop the sacrifices and holy days just because they had finally been given a permanent home.
Timeless principles: Leaving a legacy to our heirs allows our family to continue growing in prosperity through the generations. It’s also important to pass on the values we practice so that our descendants will act in the same manner for their heirs.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Continue to follow God’s commands in good times as well as bad and make an effort to ensure that I have a legacy to pass on to the next generation.
more to learn for in-depth study: God was pretty specific about how he felt an estate should be handled in regard to inheritance. The daughters were expected to share in any inheritance of their husbands so inheritances were expected to go to the sons. If there was no son then the inheritance went to the daughter to carry on the family legacy.
If the man had no children then his estate would go to his brothers and if he had no brothers it would go to his uncles. Lacking any of these relatives it would go to the closest living relative. This system ensured the continuation of a family legacy and allowed a continual building of wealth in the family so that God’s people would continue to grow more prosperous.
While everyone seems to have their own ideas on inheritance these days the method laid down in the bible has logical and financial merit for continuing to ensure the prosperity of the family. If we followed this pattern and made an effort to ensure there was something for our heirs to inherit the financial concerns of our families would likely be much less.
tomorrow: Numbers 31-32
Friday, January 30, 2009
Leviticus chapter 4-6
God’s message to me: Covering up the sin of another is sin.
Promises: Unintentional sin can be forgiven if you confess it and ask forgiveness when you learn you did wrong.
Commands: Make atonement for unintentional sin when you learn you have sinned. Be careful not to lead others to sin and, do not help people to cover up their sin.
Timeless principles: Even Unintentional sin is sin and, when that sin becomes known to the sinner he must ask God’s forgiveness for that sin.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t make excuses for unintentional sin. Confess it and ask forgiveness immediately when you realize you have done wrong.
more to learn for in-depth study: Chapter 6 starts with “bunko” and describes various cons that would allow someone to dishonestly gain what wasn’t theirs. Frankly, the victims and most of society just call this theft but the con man often doesn’t see it as theft and looks down on thieves as if they were scum.
Rules for priests: The fire on the alter should be always burning and never be allowed to go out. A handful of each grain offering along with all the frankincense that came with it should be burned and the remainder is to feed the priest and his sons in the tabernacle. The grain offering for the priest must be baked into an unleavened cake and burned on the alter. The sin offering is eaten by the priest and his sons in the tabernacle unless the blood was brought into the tabernacle for atonement in which case it should be completely burned. The pot for boiling meat should be broken afterward and if it is metal it should be thoroughly scoured out and rinsed.
tomorrows assignment: Leviticus chapter 7-9
Promises: Unintentional sin can be forgiven if you confess it and ask forgiveness when you learn you did wrong.
Commands: Make atonement for unintentional sin when you learn you have sinned. Be careful not to lead others to sin and, do not help people to cover up their sin.
Timeless principles: Even Unintentional sin is sin and, when that sin becomes known to the sinner he must ask God’s forgiveness for that sin.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Don’t make excuses for unintentional sin. Confess it and ask forgiveness immediately when you realize you have done wrong.
more to learn for in-depth study: Chapter 6 starts with “bunko” and describes various cons that would allow someone to dishonestly gain what wasn’t theirs. Frankly, the victims and most of society just call this theft but the con man often doesn’t see it as theft and looks down on thieves as if they were scum.
Rules for priests: The fire on the alter should be always burning and never be allowed to go out. A handful of each grain offering along with all the frankincense that came with it should be burned and the remainder is to feed the priest and his sons in the tabernacle. The grain offering for the priest must be baked into an unleavened cake and burned on the alter. The sin offering is eaten by the priest and his sons in the tabernacle unless the blood was brought into the tabernacle for atonement in which case it should be completely burned. The pot for boiling meat should be broken afterward and if it is metal it should be thoroughly scoured out and rinsed.
tomorrows assignment: Leviticus chapter 7-9
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