29 ACHARAI MOT (after the death); Lev 16:1-18:30, Luk 14&15

[Bruce Bertram]

Starting this section Aaron is cautioned not to enter the Holy of Holies just anytime he pleases, but only on the day of atonement. When that day arrives, he must bathe himself and dress correctly, and offer a series of sacrifices. First a bull for himself, then a ram and two male goats. One male goat is chosen by lot for a sin offering, the other is called a scapegoat and is eventually led into the wilderness and released. The bull for Aaron is offered with a lot of incense, enough to make a cloud to cover the mercy seat. No other person is to be in the tabernacle while he is doing the atonement tasks. He is to sprinkle some of the blood from the one male goat and the bull on the mercy seat and on the altar. Interestingly, we are told that the Tabernacle must be atoned for also.

16"He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. 17When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel." (Leviticus 16:16-17 NASB95)

After the atonement is offered he is to bathe and change his clothes and offer the regular burnt offering and sin offering (it appears from the text). God also gives instructions that this day of atonement is to be a day of complete rest (understood to mean even rest from preparing a meal).

Chapter 17 gives some detail concerning sacrificing in general, including the command against sacrificing out in the field and eating blood. All sacrifices are directed to be made at the door to the tent of meeting and not just any old place, to keep Israel from prostituting herself after the goat demons. All blood from a clean animal killed while hunting is to be poured out in the dust and covered. Also, anyone who eats an animal torn by animals or that dies out of sight is unclean till evening and must bathe and launder their clothes.

Chapter 18 starts off with a reminder that Israel is not to do any of the practices of the Canaanites or Egyptians, but are to perform God's judgments and live according to His statutes instead. What follows is a lengthy discussion of sex only with someone not a blood relative, or a relative by marriage (such as step-father or mother-in-law). For all intents and purposes it seems as if a marriage is counted as a blood relationship.

Meanwhile, back at the gospels, Jesus is having dinner at the house of a Pharisee leader and heals a man with dropsy. To the question Jesus poses, concerning whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, the leaders cannot reply. As the other guests are picking out their places at the table according to which has more honor, Jesus comments that the best thing to do in that situation is pick the lower place, because "he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." He also gives advice to invite people to banquets who cannot repay, because then the host will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Jesus goes on to tell a parable of man who gives a big dinner, to which his first invitees decline to attend. Then the man instructs his servants to go out into various places such as highways and hedgerows and bring in as many as will come in order to fill up his hall. Later, Jesus speaks of the terms of discipleship, including "hating" relatives, carrying one's cross, counting the cost, giving up possessions and staying salty.

Some of the religious leaders grumble that Jesus is associating with "sinners" such as tax collectors (and presumably prostitutes and such from other Scriptures). So Jesus answers the grumbling with parables of the "lost sheep who is found," "woman with the lost coin," and finally the "prodigal son." In all these parables the point is that a sinner who repents is worth rejoicing over rather than condemning.

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

11“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 NASB95)

God in Leviticus 16 lays out the specific duties of the priests, especially the high priest, for God’s appointed time of the Day of Atonement. Some additional important information is also given in Leviticus 17 on sacrifices, in particular the admonition that the life is in the blood, which is why Israel cannot eat it.

11‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ (Leviticus 17:11 NASB95)

14“For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ (Leviticus 17:14 NASB95)

The writer of Hebrews tells us that shedding of blood and forgiveness go hand in hand.

22And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22 NASB95)

This appointment for atonement comes every year on the tenth day of the seventh month. The writer of Hebrews tells us that this is because the sacrifice was not for the purpose of perfecting.

1For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4 NASB95)

So what can we conclude from these references? Well, among many things we can see that animal sacrifices never ‘took away’ sins nor ‘perfected’ anyone. They were sufficient for the time, and cleansed for a short while, but sins were committed again which required another temporary sacrifice. The Day of Atonement had to be repeated on a regular basis to continually yet temporarily clean the people of God. But when Immanuel made His offering, the offering of an obedient life including a sacrificial and horrible death on a tree, it was sufficient for all time and in all ways. Therefore it only had to be done once.

10By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10-14 NASB95)

There is nothing for us to do to obtain this sacrifice except to humble ourselves, which is another major theme of the Day of Atonement. That’s why we fast (another term for humbling oneself) and do absolutely no work on this day. It is to remember what it cost God and our Messiah to provide such a complete and adequate atonement for us that we can be permanently and thoroughly cleansed and fellowship with Him forever. Jesus in Luke 14 and 15, among many other places, spends some time speaking of humbling one’s self in the knowledge of our relationship with such a holy and powerful God.

Glory to God who has loved us and sent His Son as a permanent atonement for us all! Let us humbly submit to the God of gods and accept what He did for us while we were yet sinners!

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30; Ezekiel 22:1-19; Luke 14 and 15; Romans 3:19-28, 9:30 - 10:13; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 with 2 Corinthians 2:1-11; Galatians 3:10-14; Hebrews 7:23 - 10:25

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. You shall say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult. “Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD. “Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD.” And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you.” And the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 22:1–31, ESV)

Sometimes I read a section of the word like the one above, and it coincides so well with what is going on in my thoughts and in the world that there isn’t much more I can add or explain. As I read this, it seemed that while it obviously applies to Israel in all her idolatrous glory, it also applies to our godless modern culture. Especially the United States. Notice too that this applies to a people who call themselves by His name “but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.” It’s not just the United States. It is everyone who does these things. Sadly, the church could be characterized this way too. We will not escape the furnace that is even now heating up.

This is the “record of debt” that stands against us mentioned by Paul in Colossians 2:13-15. Yes, it was nailed to the cross, but only for those who have repented and accepted the blood of our Savior Jesus the Christ. It is clear from our general current behavior, however, that not all who say "Lord, Lord" truly have Him as Lord. Our name is defiled, we are full of tumult. All our princes are bent on shedding blood according to their power. We treat father and mother with contempt, we extort strangers; the fatherless and widow are wronged in us. We have despised His holy things and profaned His Sabbaths. There are men in us who slander to shed blood, eat on the mountains, and commit lewdness in our midst. We uncover our father’s nakedness and violate women in their menstrual impurity. Our priests have done violence to His Law, and profaned His holy things. We make no distinction between the holy and the common, nor the difference between the unclean and the clean. We have disregarded His Sabbaths, so that He is profaned among us. Our leaders are like wolves tearing prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain. Our prophets have smeared whitewash, seeing false visions and divining lies for us, saying, “Thus says the Lord God,” when the Lord has not spoken. We have become dross, and as silver is melted in a furnace, so shall we be melted in the midst of God's furnace. He will soon blow on us with the fire of His wrath.

Do not think that mouthing the name of Jesus or attending a church service will protect us from the wrath that is coming.

Meditate on Ezekiel 22 for a while. Think about how these things are being done in our midst. Repent if you need to, and pray for the repentance of those around us. Even those around us on Sunday morning.

Shalom
Bruce