READING FOR SEPTEMBER 4, 2024: LEVITICUS 21, LUKE 22, PSALM 90:12-17                   LEVITICUS 21 God told Moses to address a very select group in this chapter: the sons of Aaron, the priests. They were called not only to represent the people to God, but also to live according to higher standards of holiness, with the high priest called to the highest standard. 

We may wonder why Leviticus forbids the disabled from offering sacrifices, the high priest from being near dead family members, or any priest from shaving his head. The only reasons apparent are found in these verses: “They shall be holy to their God” (vs.6). “He is holy to his God” (vs. 7). “He shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy” (vs. 8). “I am the Lord” (vs.12). “I am the Lord who sanctifies him” (vs. 15). “I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (vs. 23). God needs no other reasons beyond His Lordship and holiness. We, like Eve in the Garden, are often too curious, independent, and untrusting. But God longs for our obedience and holiness. 

Today, Jesus, who lived the only perfect life, is our high priest: “We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God” (Heb. 4:14). Now, through Him, we have direct access to the holiest place all the time—not just once a year. On the other hand, we ourselves also have priestly responsibilities to serve and intercede in prayer for our fellow believers: “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood. (1 Pet. 2:5). To be a Christ follower is not to go off in isolation, but to be part of a spiritual house. 

There is perhaps another current application we can make of this call for priestly holiness. We see in in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 those in church leadership are also called to higher standards of private and public holiness: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,  namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not,  overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined, holding firmly the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it” (Titus 1: 5-9). 

The need to exhort and refute mentioned above and the very next verse speak to possible pressing reasons for these leaders to have high standards of integrity and doctrine: “For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach” (Titus 1:10). Let’s pray for our church leaders to exhort and refute in godly ways. 

READING FOR SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 CONTINUED: LUKE 22, PSALM 90:12-17                           LUKE 22 In verses 1-13, we see three strands of the drama occurring simultaneously:

In verses 14-23, the focus shifts to the upper room where Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. As opposed to His hesitation to die on the cross, Jesus says He is eager to eat this meal with His disciples. At communion each month, do we ever consider that Jesus, the creator and sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:17-18), eagerly desires to experience this meal with us? He invites us to reenact the cross with Him, to internalize it, and to never forget it. Why? Because, as we learned in Leviticus 21, God is so completely holy that He must be approached on His terms and, as we learned in Leviticus 17, it is only the shedding of unblemished blood that atones or reconciles us to Him. Communion looks back to what all the Levitical sacrifices pointed towards: the cross of Jesus, our only hope of eternal relationship with God.                  Summary thoughts about the rest of the chapter:

• The Olympics recently took place in Paris and political campaigns are still ongoing. People seek the top prize by defeating others. Jesus says, “That’s not for us.” Our focus should be 100% on serving others. 
• It’s interesting that an angel was dispatched to strengthen Jesus while He prayed. Never was there a prayer upon which so much depended. Yet, more might be dependent on our prayers than we know. 
• One can seem to be showing love toward Jesus, while betraying Him. It’s possible to even deceive oneself (Matt. 7:21-23). How do we love Jesus? “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 15:10).
• Jesus sealed the verdict against Himself when He said He was the Son of Man. Why did this anger the council so much? Because of Daniel 7:13-14: “And behold with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” 

PSALM 90:12-17 What does it mean for us to number our days? We rightly assume it means to make each day count because life is not endless. How do we follow this advice? Consider Luke 16 from this past August 27. If we invest in kingdom priorities, we are using our vanishing time to maximum effect. Moses asks for God’s return, seemingly pleading for God’s blessings and presence that apparently had been withheld in some way. Today, as followers of Jesus, we don’t need to worry about losing contact with the Lord: “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). Also consider this powerful promise: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).  Moses concludes by twice asking God to confirm the works of their hands. Jesus, however, confirms His ministry to us: John the Baptist, the Bible, His miracles, and the Father (John 5:33-47).