leviticus 12-14

tough stuff in Leviticus, but be encouraged, God spoke it as a gift to Israel and as a gift to us.  What did you see in today's readings?  Here are a few meandering thoughts that I had:

While the birth of a baby is a wonderful thing.....a time of great joy and blessing.....God reminds us that despite the blessing of the moment....as wonderful as this new child is, another sinner has been born.  The purefication rites were an acknowledgement that sin was all around us and even as perfect as the new baby is, he/she will grow into the skin of a sinner, just as Adam and Eve became the authors of what we know as original sin.

Note that even the poor are called to offer a thanksgiving offering at the birth of a child.  We remember that in Luke 2, Joseph & Mary offered two turtledoves as their Thanksgiving offering.....a sign that Jesus was born into a poor home.  God's greatest gift to the world (Jesus) came out of the birth of the perfect lamb to a poor peasant woman.

Chapter 13 is about how the Priests often served as a public health officer where infectious disease was concerned and while we know so much more today about infectious disease, these rules were intended to protect the people.  Isn't it interesting to think of leprosy as a parable of sin; it starts with just a small blemish, grows slowly, but will eventually lead to numbness, decay and deformity.  Sin is a serious thing and needs to be put out of the camp until it is eradicated.  Leprosy, measles, smallpox and scarlet fever; along with other diseases that began with a skin rash were treated in this way.....isolation until health returns.  Today, many of these diseases have nearly been eradicated in the US, but there are still 15 million people who suffer from leprosy around the world.

Hyssop is mentioned in the purification ritual.  I am reminded that David said in the Psalms, "purge me with hyssop and I will be whiter than snow."  And that Jesus was offered a drink while on the cross from a branch of hyssop.  Hyssop is often mentioned in the Bible as a useful instrument in worship.

Hope the winter weather is only an inconvenience to you.  We are hoping for a good flight home on Wednesday evening and that we will be able to get up our hill and into the driveway without significant trouble.  See you Sunday.  Don't forget the all-church conference scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sunday during the Sunday school hour.

leviticus 7-9

Leviticus is a difficult book.  don't give up!!  The reward for completing this Bible reading discipline will be greater than you can imagine.  Hang in there.

Today's readings are about God's command to the ancient Israelites regarding sacrifice in the Temple/Tabernacle.  These forms of sacrifice are no longer practiced, but they do remind is that we serve a Holy, Righteous and Jealous God and that we are abundant in our sinful ways.

Among the levitical sacrifices demanded were sacrifices for guilt offerings, fellowship offerings, burnt offerings, ordination offerings, sin offerings (did I leave any out?).

Some are turned off by the bloody nature of some of the sacrifices.  Remember that the covenant agreement between God and Israel began with Abraham and the sacrifice of the heifer, goat, ram, pigeon and dove (Genesis 15).  In the sacrifice of animals, God reserved the blood (representing life) and fat (representing abundance) for himself.  Other parts were allotted to Aaron and the priestly line.  Remember too that this goes back to the division of the promised land when the tribe of Levi received no promise of land, but were to care for the Tabernacle and would be provided for by God.  A share of the offerings to God was God's way of accomplishing this.

The appearance of the Urim and Thummin will occur other times as we read the Old Testament.   We are not exactly sure what these were, but they were used from time to time to determine God's will and to determine guilt or innocence.  We will see them in a few chapters as the High Priest determines which of two goats will be sacrificed and which will be released.

I particularly like Chapter 9 as God appears to the people after all has been done according to his will in preparing the tabernacle, ordination and dressing of the Priests.  I do look forward every Sunday to God's appearance with us as we worship faithfully at Faith.  I do believe that God is palpably present with us and that he is moving, in the power of the Holy Spirit, upon the assembled hearts, when we are worshiping in Spirit and Truth.

The lesson of Nadab and Abihu in chapter 10 is that we are not to take worship or God's commands and ordinances lightly.  To mock God is to walk on extraordinarily thin ice and to invite his wrath upon us.  We should worship God in a right spirit with a contrite heart and while we do not offer blood sacrifices, we should come in an attitude of gratitude for the work that Jesus did for us that frees us from the Levitical sacrificial system and sets us free to worship freely.

Unrelated to our Bible reading, we are told that another heavy winter storm is moving into Kansas City.  Several of you have contacted us and advised us to delay our return.  We are heeding your advice since our friends here in Palm Desert have been kind enough to offer us their hospitality for a few more days.  We currently expect to be home late Wednesday night and back in the office Thursday.  Thanks to all of you who worshipped and welcomed my daughter, Angela, to the pulpit today.  She felt blessed by your presence and your kindness.  God Bless You All!!!

Leviticus 4-6

Another beautiful morning in Palm Desert California!!  Reading the weather for Grain Valley tells me that you are experiencing a warm day as well, but it looks like we will be flying home to another round of winter weather with snow and cold by Tuesday a.m.  I will be driving to Columbia Tuesday morning to do a couple of days work with the Board of Ordained Ministry, interviewing some very bright and capable young people as they prepare for ordination into the ministry of Jesus Christ and the United Methodist Church....praise God for his goodness in providing such gifted and capable young people to our church.

Mike has sent me a great looking bible site for those who would like to read and/or listen to the bible on line: http://bible.is/ 

Leviticus 4-6 is a section of the bible that reminds us how easy it is to sin.  All of these sin offerings are for sins that we commit that we are unaware of.  How easy it is for us to fall to the deceiver without even knowing it.  The world is filled with the failings of Adam and Eve and the encouragement of Satan.  God wants us to be aware that the Devil is like a roaring lion seeking (always) someone who has drifted away from the fold, waiting patiently to see whom he might devour.  Praying for forgiveness of sins of commission (things that we do) and sins of omission (things that we do not do that we should have) are part of this lesson.  Failing to speak up when we see evil or sin or failing to speak the truth (not becoming involved) are all listed as sins.  And sinning against our neighbor (who is our neighbor?) by not doing the right thing calls for us to restore our neighbor and then going to God to ask forgiveness.  When we sin against our neighbor there is two things we must do: make it right with neighbor and with God.

Short post, Patty & I are playing golf again today.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Have a great Sabbath!!!!   Enjoy the good words that my favorite daughter, Angela has for you: "a perfect savior for an imperfect world."

Leviticus 1-3

Two confessions: It is 75 degrees in Palm Desert California, we visited a date farm and a truck farm (strawberries are in season here) and Leviticus is one of my least favorite books, but God gave it to us for a reason, so I'm reading it and I hope you are too.

Our first 3 chapters are about 3 different offerings that God commanded the Israelites to bring.  The first is a burnt offering.  A burnt offering is an offering of substitution.  When the hand was placed upon the head of the animal being sacrificed the sins of the person were being placed upon the innocent animal; it was saying "Dear God, please accept this innocent animal as a substitute for me.  I know that I am a sinner and cannot pay the price for my own sin.  I offer this innocent (lamb, goat, bull, pigeon) in my place.  Also remember that the animals used in this offering where named in Genesis when God entered into covenant with Abraham.  God used a bull, goat, turtledove and pigeon in that sacrament.  The different animal sacrifices recognized that not all people could afford a bull to sacrifice; bring your best but the poor could bring a pigeon or turtledove if they could not afford a lamb, goat or bull.  Remember the story of the widow's mites in the New Testament, God receives and recognizes when you give the best that you have.

In the 2nd chapter we are introduced to a Thank Offering which could be bread or grain, etc.  Notice that it is always offered with salt which was considered to be purifying.  Isn't it interesting to remember that God calls us to be the "salt of the earth" purifying by the power of the love of God which is in us and calls us to love in the name of Jesus.

I forgot, the burnt offering was an all consuming offering (offering every part of the animal).  The prayer was that the aroma of the burnt offering would be a "sweet" smelling aroma to God....acceptable in his sight.

The 3rd offering (chapter 3) is a peace offering; given to reconcile the sinner with God and to make peace again between the Creator and the created.

Talk to you tomorrow.  Hope you have a blessed day.

Exodus 38-40

We come to the end of our reading in the Book of Exodus.  God has delivered Israel from the hands of Pharaoh.  He has delivered them as a nation (not yet mighty) of as many as 2,000,000 souls.  He has shown them miracles the like that has never been seen before.  He has spoken to them from the mountain and made his presence known in the cloud of smoke and the pillar of fire that leads and protects them.  He has given them the law (10 commandments) and now he instructs them in building him a place in which he will reside in their midst and they can worship.

It is estimated by biblical historians that the work on the tabernacle began about 6 months into their wilderness journey and took about 6 months to complete.  This passage is written about the activities that occurred about 1 year into their sojourn.  Building the tabernacle and the altar and the lamp stands and the priestly garments and all of the ornaments would have been a time consuming job, but God was with them and they were eager to do his work and it was accomplished in a remarkably short time.

It is further estimated that the amount of gold used in this production was nearly 1 ton and that nearly 3 3/4 tons of silver was used.  You do the math.....this might have been the most generous offering in the history of the church!!!  And all of it was given them by the nation that had once enslaved them.....don't you think this was an offering given with great joy?  Certainly we should give joyfully that which God has provided for his work and his glory!

The consecration of Aaron as the high Priest reminds us that the priestly line was appointed to the tribe of Levi (one of Jacob's 12 sons).  They would not receive land in the place that they were going.  The Priesthood was their inheritance.  The office of high priest would exist throughout the history of Israel right down to the days of Jesus crucifixion.  For the Christian, Jesus became our High Priest and that office had no purpose once Jesus had made the perfect sacrifice.

The tabernacle was placed near the center of the camp and the 12 tribes camped around it.  When the cloud of God's presence descended upon the tabernacle it was a sign of God's presence and approval.  The Glory of God was with them.  We, too, seek God's presence and approval and long for the times when we will see God's Glory made manifest in us and around us and through us.

Tomorrow we begin Leviticus.  These are some of the more difficult readings.  Stay with us....I am convinced that God will bless you and the church because of you faithfulness.

It is supposed to be 75 degrees here in Palm Desert California today.  I think Patty and I will try to lose a few more golf balls today.  Thank you for the blessing of being with me in this reading and this blog.  See you soon.

Exodus 35-37

First, I must confess that it is 70 degrees and sunny here in Palm Desert California.  Patty and I have been out for a 2 1/2 mile walk this morning and plan to ride the Tram to the top of the nearby mountains later this afternoon.  This weather could be addictive, so I promise to come home to the snow and cold in a few more days.  But, if you could get it to warm up in Missouri to 40 before we return, we would be very grateful.  We do pray that you are experiencing God's presence as we read the scriptures together.

These chapters will seem a little repetitive.  Earlier in our reading we received God's instruction for the building of the tabernacle and all that was within. Now we read as Moses calls on the people to bring their offering in order to do that which God has called them to.

To my knowledge, this is the only time in the Bible when God's people responded in so generous a way that their leader, in this case Moses, had to tell them, "whoa down, we have more than enough to do what God has called us to do."  Perhaps you have heard me pray that prayer after we have taken our Sunday offering, that God would multiply the tithes and gifts that we could do all that God has called us to do as children of Faith.  Isn't it interesting that all of the gold, silver, leather and clothe were given to Israel by Egypt as they left the land.  Isn't it symbolic that we earn a living in the world (Egypt) and then give our gifts earned in the world, asking God to make them holy in order that we might do a work that would affect eternity.  Isn't there some similarity there for us?

There are several numbers that are used repetitively in the Bible.  I do not propose that I understand the numerology involved, but some of the numbers have particular meaning.  One of those numbers is 7.  God called for seven lampstands to be made of pure gold.  In the book of Revelation, later we will read of how the seven churches are referred to as lampstands, symbolically God's light in the world.  These seven lamp stands in the tabernacle are pure gold.....75 pounds, 1200 ounces.  At today's price of $1328 per ounce, those lamp stands were worth almost $1.7 million dollars.  The people gave that and much more out of the grateful knowledge That Jehovah-Jireh was indeed providing them with all that they needed to survive the wilderness that they were in.  My prayer today is that we could also trust as much, that God, who is our provider, will also keep us until we are able to exit this wilderness and enter into his promised land.  Amen

Exodus 32-34

Every time I read the story of Aaron and the Golden Calf I scream in my heart, "don't do it....don't do it", but he always does.  It is like the movie "Ground Hog Dog", it just continues to repeat itself.  How much like that we are.  We see the error in Aaron's ways but we struggle to cure our own sin.....we cling to our own Golden Calves rather than giving ourselves completely to the God who wants to bless us and use us as a sign to the nations of his presence and power.  What is the thing (the golden calf) that you are unwilling to give up from your life in the world, the thing that separates you from God's purpose?


Moses asks God to allow him to see his face and God tells him that he would die, no one can see his face, is an illustration of God's perfection and our imperfection.  Nothing unholy can stand before our Holy God.  We must be perfected to be in his presence.  I am reminded of #178 in the United Methodist Hymnal, a great hymn written by Fannie Crosby titled "A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord".  The refrain is a reference to this passage.  If my memory serves me it goes, "He hideth my soul in the cleft of the Rock and covers me there with his hand."  The Rock for us is Jesus Christ who perfects us in the power of his sacrificial love and allows us to stand and be received by Almighty God.  We do have an awesome intercessor in Jesus!!!



34: 6-7 is a marvelous song of grace and encouragement: "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."  How fortunate were the Israelites; how fortunate are we to serve a God so gracious and so merciful.

There is a lesson in God's continuing instructions to the Israelites regarding the people that they are going to drive out of the promised land.  No compromise with the world, such compromise will pollute that which God has intended.  It will diminish the power of the city on the hill.  It will dim the light unto the nations.  Israel (and the church) is intended to be a blessing to the world and a revelation of the awesomeness of God.   Compromise (intermarriage, worship of false gods (golden calves) will diminish God's presence.  We are to force evil out of the land by the power of God's great love in us.

And then God reminds Moses and the people (again) of the importance of Sabbath.  Could it be that our failure to honor this command diminishes our presence and our power in the land that God has given us?  Is it possible that we have walked away from blessing by walking away from Sabbath keeping?

Certainly, Moses was changed by being in the presence of God (he shone).  Folks were a little frightened by his change.  We, too, are changed when we have been in God's presence and perhaps we are a little scary to the world because they see the difference in us.  No doubt the world (which is fallen) does fear the change.  This world is the dominion of the fallen and to be in the presence of God is to be reminded of our sin.  Won't you hide yourself from us, the world says to the Christian.  Won't you keep your Faith to yourself, it asks.  For us to give in to their demands is to compromise our God and to risk another 40 years in the wilderness.  I don't want to pay that price.....do you?