READING FOR AUGUST 14, 2024: LEVITICUS 6, LUKE 7, PSALM 80:1-13 LEVITICUS 6 The first part of this chapter continues describing offences requiring a guilt offering. In this chapter, it includes offences that cause a loss of value to a neighbor due to theft, deceit, or misuse. The offender is said to have first acted unfaithfully against the Lord even if the direct loss was incurred by a human victim.
This is a universal principle of sin. After David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and later had him killed, he rightly confessed to God: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Of course, David sinned terribly against Uriah, but poetically and theologically speaking his main sin was against God. Both the human victim and God need to be appeased, though. The offender is required to reimburse the victim fully plus 20% and is required to provide a guilt offering of a ram to make atonement before God. Both these acts of restitution must occur on the same day to emphasize their relatedness.
The last part of this chapter provides additional details of the priests’ role in these offerings.
- The priests place burnt offerings on the altar at night to remain burning on the altar until morning,
- The priests must make sure the fire does not go out overnight.
- Then the priest changes his clothes and dumps out the fat ashes. (Do same for all peace offerings.)
- The priest must keep adding wood to the fire each morning to keep the altar always burning.
- A portion of the memorial grain offering may be eaten by Aaron’s sons in the tabernacle courtyard.
- A grain offering is presented whenever a priest is anointed; this is not eaten but offered up entirely.
- Remaining unburnt portions of the sin offerings for leaders and other individuals may be eaten by priests but not the sin offerings for the priests and the entire community. They are offered entirely.
These are God’s instructions for setting up this system. Not to scare anyone off, but much of this detailed information will be repeated verbatim when Israel actually implements it. Do we find these practices tedious, revolting, or revealing? Can we agree that they tell us how serious sin is? Can we agree that they tell us that atonement or reconciliation with a holy God requires payment? Can also we agree that needing to offer sacrifices annually and after each sin is challenging? If so, then we can say amen to this: “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-3). Jesus is coming to the rescue! Some lively Leviticus first.
LUKE 7 The account of the centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant is one of those famous alleged discrepancies in the Gospels. In Matthew 8:5-13 the centurion meets with Jesus while
Luke 7:1-10 has the centurion first sending Jewish elders to ask, then sending friends to tell
READING FOR AUGUST 14, 2024 CONTINUED: LUKE 7, PSALM 80:1-13 Jesus he (the centurion) isn’t worthy to meet Jesus but knows Jesus can heal remotely. Which is it? The answer is likely Qui facit per alium, facit per se (He who acts through another does the act himself). Thus, in this case Luke’s version is the more complete and Matthew’s the more summarized. The main point of this incident is the centurion’s accurate understanding of Jesus’s total authority and his own relative unworthiness. Jesus was impressed.
No matter our views, aren’t we all moved watching war widows holding the bodies of their dead children in Gaza. In Nain, Jesus was also moved by such a scene. Picture Him noticing the grieving widow, stopping the funeral procession, touching the coffin, and telling the dead son to rise. That’s the same Jesus who bore our sins, died in our place, rose from the grave, and offers us new, eternal, and abundant life. We have experienced His compassion.
John the Baptist doublechecks to see if Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus doesn’t give a straight yes or no but simply quotes two passages from Isaiah (written hundreds of years before). That settles the matter. When we or our church have a serious question, do we look to the Bible as our authority, like Jesus, or do we assume it’s out of date, irrelevant for today? Jesus goes on to say there’s been no greater man born of woman than John. Then He says the least in the kingdom of God is greater. How? John died before the cross and the Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost. If we have faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit indwells us (Rom. 8:9). The last vignette shows who will join the kingdom. Simeon the Pharisee looked down on a likely prostitute touching Jesus. But she, according to Jesus, though possessing many sins, demonstrated saving faith; Simeon’s attitude likely prevented entry into the kingdom of God.
PSALM 80:1-13 This is the only Psalm other than the 23rd to call God a shepherd, in this case Israel’s shepherd. This Psalm is a shoutout for some aggressive shepherding. The prayer begins, like the Lord’s prayer, acknowledging God’s authority, power, and saving capacity—a good model for our prayers. A common question in the Bible is, “How long?" This conveys flagging strength. An uncommon concept, though, is God being angry with the prayers of His people. Consider this famous verse about prayers of Israel: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14). Might God’s anger with Israel’s prayers be because they haven’t humbled themselves nor turned from their wicked ways? In fact, Asaph suggests Israel is currently being disciplined by God. Asaph then recounts God’s past faithfulness before asking God for an explanation for their current suffering. Unlike some who think a loving God never causes pain, Asaph knows God is permitting and utilizing this pain for a purpose he does not yet seem to comprehend. What’s God up to?
