[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
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"The reason is so that the sons
of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they were sacrificing in the open
field, that they may bring them in to the LORD, at the doorway of the tent of
meeting to the priest, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to
the LORD."
A proper sacrifice, a legitimate
sacrifice, a sacrifice that will please God; a sacrifice that will not be
rejected; a sacrifice that will not bring wrath and judgment upon those who
sacrifice is done through the priest and by bringing to the temple (they were
still in the wilderness, so, in a tent).
No man (past, present, future) should
think he can come before God without the priest. No man should think he can
meet God anywhere but, in the temple, (the house of God).
Jesus has become our priest, and our
body has become the dwelling place of God. So, now we can pray to God anywhere
anytime without needing to go even to the church.
But the negative implication still
applies. He who thinks he can please God on his own shall be cut off. He needs a
mediator, either the Levitical priests or the Heavenly Priest.
Another elucidation is, worship is
both private and public. People these days have made worship private and not
public anymore.
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"You shall not do as they do in
the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land
of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their
statutes."
It's a call to be different. But many
want to live just like the world.
I've seen professing boys and girls
staying together before marriage, that's fornication; yet their consciences are
seared, excusing themselves in saying "everyone's doing only"
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"Speak to all the congregation
of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your
God am holy.’"
Our motivation to live a life of holiness
is God. If we love God, if we want to dwell in His place, if we are His people,
we must be holy indeed!
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"Moreover, you shall not follow
the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these
things, and therefore I have abhorred them."
Some cultures are better than others'
cultures.
What may be good, perfect, and legal
in some cultures may be evil and sinful in the sight of God.
Activities mentioned in this chapter
weren't uncommon, even from the dawn of humankind [apparently]. But the people
of God were and still are instructed to live differently.
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"Speak to Aaron, saying, ‘No man
of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the food
of his God.’"
While some people get disqualified,
others are unqualified.
God deserves the best, the most
competent, the most perfect things.
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"You shall not profane My holy
name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who
sanctifies you, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I
am the LORD."
We are not our own; we don't do what
we please. We don't live for ourselves; we live for God. Or we can quit calling
ourselves believers and perish!
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''When you reap the harvest of your
land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather
the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD
your God."
The Lord wants to demonstrate His grace,
mercy, kindness, and providence to the poor and needy through those who have
much!
Something to think through again and
again, both for self and to teach others!
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"If a man injures his neighbor,
just as he has done, so it shall be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for
eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on
him."
This is how true justice looks like.
In fact, nobody wants true justice. Nobody can stand true justice. We all want
mercy. We love to go in the street and protest "we want justice" when
we are the victims, but when we are the perpetrators, we want mercy crying,
"This is not fair."
Only God gives true justice for the
"tiny" sins of Adam and Eve. They were spared because God decided to
kill His Son, which Adam and Eve couldn't endure [even their own sins], the
infinite wrath of God.
Both the Gospel and the Law actually
point us to be merciful, and to leave vengeance upon God, who alone knows to
give true justice!
#Mercy, Justice, Vengeance#
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"The land, moreover, shall not
be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and
sojourners with Me."
And in the New Testament, God says we
are not our own, we are bought, not even with precious gold but by the precious
blood of Jesus Christ. We belong fully to Him and Him alone.
Yet, how we want to live an
independent life! Even the “Lord's Prayer” teaches us to be dependent on him
daily, “give us our daily bread.”
With this perspective, we will not
fear nor worry about tomorrow or today. We will not be attached to the things
of this world. We will not be jealous nor covet the things of others! On the
contrary, we shall be productive knowing we are just stewards; we can't afford
to waste, it's not ours!
Indeed, everything, life itself,
belongs to God. Even the sinner's soul belongs to God and will be kept in hell.
Nothing is independent of God!
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"Then the land will enjoy its
sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land;
then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths."
Sabbath is of God. God rested on the 7th
day. Man ought to rest as well. But man is greedy. They want to work and work.
They let their employees and animals work and work. They thought if they work
and work, they will get more and more. But is it not God who produces anything?
At best, man can water the seed; it's God who let the seed sprout and grow.
Even when they get more, they never
get satisfied. Millionaire wants to be billionaire. Greed, greed, greed!
In Leviticus 26, God told the
Israelites to rest on the 7th day, or else, God will not let their crops grow.
God fed them with manna, even without them working for 40 years, not to talk of
1 day, 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year.
Working or not, it's God who sustains
life. Working greedily is tantamount to stealing credit from God, in that they
trust themselves, and not God.
Sabbath was made for man primarily,
and if the Israelites wouldn't be grateful for that, God would remove them and
give the Sabbath for the animals and the lands!
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"For every tenth part of herd or
flock, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth one shall be holy to the LORD.
He is not to be concerned whether it is good or bad, nor shall he exchange it;
or if he does exchange it, then both it and its substitute shall become holy.
It shall not be redeemed."
Good or bad, it belongs to God. No
other intention is acceptable. Just obey.
How often have we heard "that's
not what I mean" "that's not my intention" Hmmh!
Obedience is indeed better than all
the best intentions of a man carried out in disobedience!