SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEVITICAL SACRIFICES IN CHRIST

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LEVITICAL SACRIFICES IN CHRIST

It is common for the Christian to stop reading the Old Testament when they come to the book of Leviticus.  All those sacrifices seem so ritualistic and unrelated to the Christian life.  But once you find out their significance in Christ they take on a greater meaning and makes you grateful for all Jesus has done for us as the Lamb of God that has taken away our sins! (John 1:29)  

- BURNT OFFERING (Lev 1:1-17) - Significance in Christ: Foreshadows the total sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. (Heb 9:14) how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God… Significance for the believer: It symbolizes that the worshiper must be wholly dedicated to God without reserve. (Rom 12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 

- GRAIN OFFERING (Lev 2:1-16) – Significance in Christ: Represents Jesus as the Bread of Life  (John 6:35). The flour was beaten fine as Christ was beaten for our sins. (Isa 53:5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Significance for the believer: The believer, too, has to be refined as a pure offering to the Lord. (Luke 22:31) And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 

- PEACE OFFERING (Lev 3:1-17)  – Significance in Christ: Through Christ’s death man has been reconciled to God. (Rom 5:1)Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Significance for the believer: We are at peace with God and we also have peace with one another: (Eph 2:14) For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation…   

- SIN OFFERING (Lev 4:1-35) – Significance in Christ: Emphasizes the death of Christ as a satisfactory substitutionary sacrifice. (2 Cor 5:21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  Significance for the believer: No more does a Christian have to feel guilty for their sins. (Eph 1:7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. 

- TRESPASS OFFERING (Lev 5:1-6:7) - Stresses that aspect of Christ’s death which atones for the damage done by sin. (Isa 53:10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin… Significance for the believer: We will want to make things right with God and with those whom we’ve sinned against. (Mat 5:23-24) Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,  24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

Louie    

CREMATION VS. BURIAL

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

CREMATION VS. BURIAL 

A question often posed by Christians is whether cremation is Biblical or not.  Of course this query is especially sensitive during times of the impending loss of a loved one.  It’s a good question to ask, especially in the light of the increasing popularity of cremation due to spiking funeral costs.  Does the Bible speak for one method of burial over another?  Let’s look at both sides and then make a conclusion. 

For Christian advocates of burial, their contention is that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that it should not be desecrated by burning.  (1 Cor 6:19-20) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.  They also bring up the fact that in the Old Testament the whole body was buried or placed in a tomb.  Genesis 23 records a whole chapter concerning Abraham securing a burial place for his wife Sarah and which then became the place of interment for the future patriarchs.   

Then burial-only supporters bring up the fact that when people were cremated in the Bible it was something done for wicked deeds.  (Joshua 7:25) And Joshua said, “Why have you (Achan) troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.  (See also Lev 20:14; Lev 21:9; 1 Sam 31:12; Amos 2:1).   

Another argument for burial against cremation by Christians has been the teaching of the resurrection and how the Lord will raise the body up and change it into a new body.  (1 Cor 15:51-52) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—  52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.   

Proponents of cremation typically retort that the body of Christians who died long ago are already broken down into dust so why is it any different than a body in ashes?   What burial does in a set of years is accomplished in a few minutes by cremation.   God doesn’t need the old body to make a new body.  Or even if He did couldn’t He bring it back together by His power?  And wouldn’t this be the same for a person lost at sea, etc?  Besides this there are the practical reasons such as low cost, simplicity, delaying the memorial service for family members to arrive, the deceased love one’s wishes, etc.   

Let’s be sensible.  Nowhere in the Bible does it forbid to be cremated.  There might be personal reasons but surely they are not Biblical.  It then comes down to an issue of Christian liberty as with other debated subjects.  (Rom 14:5)…Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.   

Louie    

 

UPDATE YOUR TESTIMONY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP

UPDATE YOUR TESTIMONY 

(Jer 16:14-15) “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’  15 but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers. 

Have you ever met a fellow believer who was stuck in the past?  You start talking about the Lord and what God is doing in your life and they get excited about all the days of old and what God did back then.  After a while you catch on and you begin to discover that every time they talk about the Lord it’s about something long ago and nothing current.  For Christians like this we need to encourage them and say it’s time to UPDATE YOUR TESTIMONY! 

For a long time the Jews would refer to their past deliverance from Egypt as the reference point in their relationship with the Lord.  But after many years they fell away from the Lord and were taken into captivity to Babylon for seventy years where they were purged from their idolatry.  Jeremiah encouraged them that they would no more refer to Egypt as the place where God had delivered them from.  They would now have a new story to tell of how God brought them back from Babylon.  Jeremiah was essentially telling them to UPDATE YOUR TESTIMONY.   

Many believers need to come current in their relationship with the Lord.  They speak about and glory in the past.  (Psa 42:4…For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.  Notice how the psalmist says I used to and I went.  That is language of bygone days.     

What happens to Christians that make them freeze in the past?   It could be many things.  They got hit by the hard blows of life.  They got depressed.  They stopped growing.  They didn’t read their Bibles.  Eventually they fell out of church.  They still seem to love the Lord but every reference to their experience with Him is of long ago.   

Are you one of those Christians that has enjoyed a relationship with God in the past but has no glow for the present?  It’s time to forget the past and move on. (Phil 3:13-14)…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Don’t be a yesterday Christian!  (Heb 13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Rededicate your life to the Lord and start having a today relationship with Him.      

God wants to do a new thing in your life so you can give fresh praise for Him.  (Isa 43:19) Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth…  It’s time to UPDATE YOUR TESTIMONY!

Louie    

I WILL NOT HURRY

SHEPHERD TO SHEEP 

I WILL NOT HURRY

(Isa 52:12) For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Okay, so twice today I almost got hit by a car in a parking lot.  The people were so eager to go that they pulled out in front of me.  I was thankful I was not distracted so I could brake in time.  I said a prayer for the drivers in both incidents and also prayed for myself that I would learn to slow down and take it easy.  You say what?  Is it possible to go against the grain of our society as well as our own impatient spirit?  What are we doing to ourselves?  Why do we allow all this pressure to affect us?  Doesn’t God have a better way for us to live and operate?  

I think it all comes down to unrealistic expectations.  Every day we bite off more than we can chew and we end up with mental and emotional indigestion.  America has a great work ethic and we have a lot to show for ourselves but isn’t there a balance somewhere?  What are some things we can do to be more peaceful as we progress throughout the day? 

- PRAY OVER THE DAY – (2 Chr 27:6) So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.  In the morning give the Lord the day and all of the details.   Ask the Lord to go before you and make your paths smooth (Pro 3:6).  You will be surprised at how your day will prosper.   

- PLAN YOUR DAY – (Pro 16:9) A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.  It is good to have a general plan for the day.  Write everything out as far as your To Do list goes.  Then prioritize your list with the most important items on the top.  Then work from the top down and check off as you go.  You’ll be surprised how this simple method works and gets things accomplished.   

- HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS – (Mat 6:10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done…  Avoid over planning your day.  Don’t try to cram in your objectives and making something work that shouldn’t be.  That is striving in the flesh and God will not bless that.  If it works out great but don’t overly push for it.  Let God’s peace rule in your heart (Col 3:15).  The minute it doesn’t it might be an indication of overload and overkill.  It might be more realistic to plan 80% of your day and leave room for the unexpected. 

- BE FLEXIBLE – (Jms 3:17)  But the wisdom that is from above is…willing to yield…  Life is organic but what we try to do is treat it like steel.  If you do that you will be one frustrated puppy and a candidate for chronic anxiety.  God doesn’t always work on our timeline but He does make everything beautiful in its time (Eccl 3:11).  Remember, God’s work done in God’s way will accomplish amazing results for His glory and the peace of His children!     

Louie