Finding the Path Home

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Essay By Dan

It has been my observation from Genesis 3 that we have been rebellious since the beginning. The rebellion started with Adam and expanded to all of us. Then Elohim (God) pushed the reset button on civilization (Noah and the flood) and started fresh with one family. Gradually, after the flood, Elohim introduced rules to live by (Leviticus) – a process of self-regulation that required our attention.

When I read Leviticus, I am struck by the sheer volume and range of trouble we can get ourselves into. Human sin is very destructive. It disfigures our soul, pollutes our mind, and taints our heart with darkness. God’s work in us is impaired, distracted, weakened. Our relationships are fractured, we struggle for power, we become aggressive in our heart, and eventually we become comfortable with evil. Rebellion and self-aggrandizement become our highway to mediocracy. Our sin is invasive; it spreads from our heart to our family – then the rebellion quickly infects the community and creeps into God’s house. The Holy of Holies becomes unclean. How does God feel? I suspect a combination of exasperation and compassion for us. We vandalize his house with our sin, leaving our tags everywhere. His tears form. We leave our trash in heaps at his feet (as we unburden ourselves) and then head straight back into the cesspool. He sighs. He is holy, we are mired in rebellion. Yes, I too am guilty of creating trash heaps.

The ancient story of Israel and Egypt is a story of sorrow when God’s people choose to take ownership of God’s plan and redefine morality to suit their desires. As a result, they became slaves in Egypt. Enter Moses, the Red Sea, the Tabernacle, and the book of Leviticus. Tabernacle operations (defined in Leviticus) was the method where God opened the door to dwell amongst the people with a new leadership plan (sin payments). The tabernacle walls protected our eyes from Elohim’s shekinah light.

You know that sin is infectious. It is easier to continue than stop. The Israelites needed a path that pulled them away from sin, cleared the debt of sin, and opened the door to sustainable operations in God’s presence. This leads us to the reason for animal sacrifice. The sacrifice was first seen in the skins provided by God to Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness (self-awareness of sin); then, as time progressed, sin became much more deplorable. Rampant sin illustrated the need for a new covenant.

I would not find it easy to cut an animal’s throat and watch it die, even if it were necessary to rectify my personal foolishness. Please understand, I am a carnivorous person, killing animals is part of that lifestyle. But this sacrifice thing is different. Watching life (blood) drain into a bowl, a visceral image of the outcome of sin, would be an overwhelming event for me. We (through our sin) accelerate the darkness that tries to crush the world. The impact cannot be overstated; it may not seem like much to yell at your neighbor. Who gets injured? Yet, looking at sin on the global scale, the multiplication factor drives the number of sins towards infinity every moment of every day. The aggregate of our sin grieves God. The old covenant law exposes Lucifer and our weakness. The new covenant is built on grace.

The symbolism of the sacrifice is a physical expression of God’s demand for justice and desire to offer grace. Elohim is justified when he wants people to face the consequences (owning the sacrifice). But, at the same time, he feels compassion for us. So, he accepts the animal’s life as a temporary payment. Consider the impact of the Yom Kippur’s blood offering and the scapegoat (sin removal). This is a precursor for the ransom of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to write Elohim’s precepts on our hearts.

John wrote — God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that HE LOVED US and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10). His love and sacrifice for us defines our path home.

I choose Jesus.

The Freedom to Give

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Essay By Dan

It was my observation while making a survey of Leviticus that Elohim set up a series of rules for the application of sacrifice to address the commission of sin. What I found interesting was the list of problems that require a sacrifice served as a roadmap for Lucifer’s sphere of operations. God chose to define the areas Lucifer uses to draw us into a state of rebellion. God then conveniently provides a path back from each operational area used by Lucifer. The more we understand about Lucifer’s sphere of operation the less effective Lucifer is trying to dismantle our relationship with the one true living God.

Consider the implication of the sacrificial guidelines (see Leviticus 16). The animal being offered had to be perfect. There needed to be a connection between the animal and the person offering the animal for sacrifice. The person offering the animal had to be part of the death process (direct kill or a sanctioned kill by a priest). The person offering the animal knows the sacrifice is only a temporary cover for sin. I think this lays the framework for the death, burial, and resurrection of our perfect ransom — Jesus.

Once per year, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) provides full forgiveness and sin removal at the national level for the Israelites. The high priest presented two male goats; one for a sin offering and the other was released into the wilderness as a scapegoat. The sin offering incurred God’s forgiveness; the released goat provided removal of sin. Humm… Sound a bit familiar?

Jesus functioned as the sin offering (similar to the Yom Kippur). The Yom Kippur scapegoat carried the sins of the people into the desert to be lost for all time. The impact? Our sin is forgotten. I think it is reasonable to view the sacrifice of Jesus as a perfect version of the Yom Kippur. Peter tells us that Jesus carried our sin in his body (implied in 1 Peter 2:24); the author of Hebrews tells us the sacrifice of Jesus caused the permanent removal of our sin (implied in Hebrews 9:8-14).

Let us dig a little more. When I read Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers; I note a plethora of verses on sacrificial operations. We cannot help but notice the group of people selected to be priests (Hebrew term — Kohanim) during the exodus from Egypt. They were the only ones who were allowed to accomplish the sacrifices and bring the nation closer to God. Aaron was the first priest (Hebrew term — Kohen), gradually his male children became the group of priests (Kohanim) who managed the temple. The Kohanim (priests) were required to clear their own sin first, then they were able to address the sin of individuals, or even the entire nation (Yom Kippur).

The sacrifices offered by the Kohanim (priests) were called Korban (Hebrew term for sacrifice). The Korban was presented in the temple at least three times a day. The Korban (often translated sacrifice) means ‘draws close.’ There were three types of korbans – animal sacrifice, grain offering, and money donations. The desired effect of the Korban was to prepare a path for God to dwell amongst us on a daily basis (Exodus 25:8). The Korban was a constant reminder to us of the areas where Lucifer would attack — his modus operandi. If we want to know how he will move against us (sphere of operation) then we should get familiar with the law. Lucifer’s battle plan is very clearly presented in the law.

The deeper truth – the Korban, in its purest form, brings us closer to God. Jesus chose to offer himself for us as the ultimate Korban. Unlike the animals who do not have a say in their role as the Korban, Jesus offered himself with no pressure from Elohim. Jesus said — Just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father— I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP (John 10:15 paraphrased). He chose to be the sacrifice. Jesus freely gave his life for us. His offering was far better than the Old Testament Korban. His ransom payment was a permanent response for our sin.

I choose Jesus.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty 

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“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy
health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near;
Sing now in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all
things so wondrously reigneth,
Who, as on wings of an eagle,
uplifteth, sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen
How thy desires all have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully,
wondrously, made thee!
Health hath vouchsafed and, when
heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief
Ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper
thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of
His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that
is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come
now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.”

Joachim Neander (1650 – 31 May 1680) was a  teacher, theologian and hymnwriter whose most famous hymn, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation  has been described by John Julian in his A Dictionary of Hymnology as “a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest creation of its author, and of the first rank in its class.

Jesus Teaches About Salt and Light

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Many, many people wanted to hear Jesus speak. He went to the side of a hill and sat down so that everyone could gather around and listen. Then he began to tell them how they could follow God. He told them about heaven. He told them they should be kind to other people even if other people were not kind to them. He told them that they should help poor people and that they should not judge others.

To help people understand something very important, Jesus told them a parable.

Jesus looked at the people and said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”

What do you think Jesus meant? Do you think he was saying that we are not human, but we are salt instead? Of course not. Jesus was saying something very important, but he was trying to make it simple to understand. He was using the example of salt.

Do you like salt? What does food taste like when there is no salt in it?  When salt is added to some foods they taste much better. God put Christians in this world so that we can make the world better. Are you salt? Do you make this world better?

After Jesus told the people the parable about the salt he told them another parable.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

What do you think Jesus meant when he said: “You are the light of the world”? Did he mean we are not human but that we are light bulbs? Of course not. He was saying a parable to tell the people something very important.

Many people in this world do not know about God. Jesus said that it is like they are in a very dark place. They need someone to give them some light so that they can see. When Christians obey God then it is like a light is shining. People see Christians doing good things and it makes them want to follow God.

If we do good things, it is like our light is shining. If people never see us do or say good things, then it is like we are putting a big bowl over our light. No one can see a light under a bowl.

Sometimes we get embarrassed or shamed and we don’t want people to know that we are Christians. Has that ever happened to you? If we are ashamed to do good things, then it is like putting our light under a bowl.

How many of you are going to let your light shine this week?

Scripture Reference: Matthew 5:13-16

Ecclesiastes 9:10

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The Message

7-10 Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.