Brought Forth

In reading through Leviticus with all its detail of the offerings sacrifices, and feasts, it is certainly clear that God has made himself known to man as to what he expects and how his will is laid out. Much of what is recorded in Leviticus is for man's focus, remembrance and and an unveiling of what is future. For all that God has done, continues to do, and will continue to do, man is to revere the creator.

God brought his people out of bondage, to be holy, not as bondmen but God's own servants. He said over and over that He is the Lord and He was to be their God just as he had said to their forefathers. He gave them a new land to be an example to all. The reminders are all through Leviticus.

45 For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:36-37

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord. 32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am theLord which hallow you, 33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 22:31-33

43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 23:43 

38 I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. Leviticus 25:38

42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. Leviticus 25:42

55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 25:55

13 I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. Leviticus 26:13

45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord. Leviticus 26:45

This is a good lesson for us today. God hasn't changed, except now we can enjoy the privileges of as sons of God. We are not to profane his name by bringing things down to a human level but recognize we are being brought up and out of the weights, burdens and injustice of the world by God. So instead of looking down, we look up and focus on God!

Challenges swirl and mix around at us at an amazing moment to moment rate. I saw this so simply again this past week.  News and current affairs have a profound effect on us even when we may be unaware of its effects. The internet brings us instant access to all sorts of information. A phone call, a magazine, or a conversation can all  effect our thinking.  However, when we are immersed in the Word, prayer and thankfulness, the negatives bounce off of us. The joy and utter peace of a relationship with the Father sterilizes our atmosphere. Light dispels and overcomes darkness.

Security in God Knocks Down Walls of Defensiveness

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone about God and realize that somehow something went awry. As I read Exodus this problem seemed constant just as it is today. People often misinterpret what others say, read into it what others say, throw up walls of defensiveness and sometimes act very offended.

When you really understand the gift of holy spirit and its value to the individual, there is a security and confidence that develops that is not based on arrogance nor pride. Fellowship between two people is absolutely magnified. No one is trying to get the drop on another or outdo someone to build themselves up because God is the true source of adequacy.

God planted His tabernacle smack dab in the middle of the orderly dispersion of the twelve tribes when they camped. All were reminded of Him in their midst. Everything in the set-up reminded them of Him: the offerings, the laver, materials used, the structure of the entire place, the veils and hooks and gate. In the opening of Leviticus, God is recorded to have met with Moses in the tabernacle. He no longer had to make treks up Mt Sinai.

In our world today God is even closer to the individual believer. He is at the center of our hearts.
That doesn't mean we don't need others. We do need to surround ourselves with those who remind us who we are in Christ and who seek his lordship. I love people who remind me of God and contrast the Bible with of the false narrative of the world. Too often even religious people can reflect a false narrative in the name of religion which can be quite confusing. It is great to know that God is nearer than our own breath and when we get together with others that have that understanding, it is amazing!

Rise and Shine!

In 2 Corinthians 3, there is a beautiful section dealing with the glory of God. The word "glory" is used

of something that attracts praise, honor and esteem.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Have you ever felt the invisible veil that seems to drop down around fear, negativity and condemnation. Often I cannot feel that slippery dark intrusion as it falls, but when it starts to permeate the things around, I usually sense a foreboding and ask for God's help. It is then I can see the lifting and change in atmosphere very clearly. Joy!  The people in Exodus could not see spiritual things without the help of Moses. He reflected the glory of God to them in His face. In the New Testament the veil was torn down separating them personally from God's holiest inner workings, but some of them kept the veil over their hearts. They could not experience the joy and freedom of basking in God's glory.

verse 17: Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Our lives reflect the glory of the Lord as we believe and turn our face to God. The New Testament  describes a relationship with God that is open, full-faced and enduring(not fading away). Veils are completely torn down! There is no shame that darkens the joy of living in great freedom with the Father. As we live our lives in that freedom we reflect the love of the Father. In the morning when I get up, the first thing I do is open the curtains and blinds. I love the morning sun. When people see the love of the Father, it opens the blinds to their hearts and lets the glorious sonlight in! You don't have to ever shut them because it is light that never sets.

Energy

Do you think God could have miraculously moved the Exodus pilgrims up and out of bondage and into the land of milk and honey in a split second? He really is the God of the universe. Any being who could bring the universe into existence certainly could do that!  However, man didn't design the true God and we certainly shouldn't try to define Him outside of His Word.

God is His Word and He hasn't changed. We can't see God but we can see His effects. We see Him in the Word and we can see Him wherever an individual manifests His operation in his/her life. Our big example is His son, Jesus Christ. God is spirit and He imparted spirit to Jesus Christ.

So why the trek across the desert? The truth is God didn't whip an abracadabra world into being when He said 'Let there be light'. Light is energy and it transforms energy into a force to make things happen. The force needs to be utilized.  God didn't create a fantasy world. He created a working world. Living things in this world grow, mature, work, produce, function, endure, repair, believe, trust, love, think, and move among many other things that require energy. Even the signs and miracles that occurred when they left Egypt behind required action.

Action is not a way of earning God's grace, it is the way to carry it out. Grace is unearned favor. It is a gift.  If someone gives you $1000 as a gift, it is not earned. If you don't utilize the money, you don't get the benefits of the gift. God is the great giver and He has given us His spirit also.  It is His desire to love and bless people, but people have to act upon His Word and utilize His grace. God's love is active and grace is not just some lovely bauble. It is the power to do!

Judging Others?

It is easy to get into the mind set about those early pioneers of Exodus. They appear grumpy, griping every time when something went wrong. But can I truly see the whole picture of their lives when I read Exodus as I sit in my air-conditioned home with all the modern day conveniences and not in the  desert? Humans are always passing judgement on others. It can be quite cruel at times.  I've been at both ends on this.

It is very important to recognize evil:

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good (kalou) and evil (kakou).

Sometimes we are unaware of evil and sometimes we are too aware of it. We can make such a big deal of something that it mushrooms into fear. That is why it is important to run things by God. The key to judgement is God. He does the judging and He has a better view. Our job is to listen. Fear is noise and it is hard to hear when fear is around.

There are times in my life, I have vacillated on things I knew were right courses. God is patient, but there are specific times where immediate action is absolutely required. Exodus is full of examples of this. The golden calf incident is one such incident. Moses had to expose it for what it was. Idolatry is never right. It is a big "No,No" and never beneficial to man. Evil competes with good, good doesn't have to compete.

Evil involves a system of errors, so it is important to weed out error. We have the Word and we have access to God through Jesus Christ in the form of holy spirit. Anything or anyone who steps into the way of that needs examining honestly. Your walk with God is unique and no one has a right to judge how you serve God. That is between you and God.

Thank God Ananias in Acts 9 understood this! He ministered to Paul. Now there is a situation clearly that judging someone by how he acted would have clearly brought calamity. There is another man named Ananias in Acts 5. His actions were judged and he bought into error.  They had the same name, but they each had two completely different mindsets!

The Ever-present God

People have various perceptions of the book of Leviticus and I have read some interesting commentary about it. Many people question its importance today. Some people label it as legalistic. How many sermons have you heard about Leviticus? It is a very detailed book and centers on worship, atonement and holiness.

As I read through its amazing detail, I am reminded of God's absolute love. He set down these instructions out of love. God is not a megalomaniac. To the contrary, anything He does or prescribes is to be best for His creation. It is obvious that He desired and continues to desire to be present among His people:

Leviticus 26: 11 And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

In the history of these people, there are many times they forgot the miracles God wrought among them.  The tabernacle was to reming them of His presence. There was  a prescribed pattern of encampment centrally around the tabernacle.

The numbers represent the adult male population, so the actual numbers were even larger than written in Numbers. The population of the town I live in is considerably lower that the population of the smallest tribe. Imagine what a huge undertaking this trek through the wilderness would have been! There were no cell phones, restaurants, motels and indoor plumbing! 

God's instructions and set-up reminded them of Him and His desire for them. The set-up for the tabernacle foreshadowed the future appearance of Jesus Christ as the one-time sacrifice for mankind permitting entrance into God's throne room, the Holy of Holys! God wants to be at the center of our lives. Today His presence is not amidst a bunch of tents, but in the middle of our hearts.

The Tent

God has always desired to dwell with His people.

Exodus 29:44-46And I will sanctify the tabernacle (NIV 'tent of meeting') of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. 45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.

This was the place where God could meet with His people in the wilderness. God gave distinct instructions to Moses as to how this tabernacle was to be instructed and used. Most of all it was a reminder that He was with them. They spiritually could not see Him, they could only see His physical acts.

Psalm 103:7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

The tabernacle construction and function foreshadowed, in it's details, God's plan for the New Covenant later on that would come through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle in the Old Testament was a tent that literally housed the presence of God. Later it was the temple. The veil separating the Holy of Holies was torn down so that today we have the gift of holy spirit:

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Acts 7:44Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

The place of rest today is the 'fleshy table of our heart'. 

Holy Spirit Action

The book of Acts in my Bible is titled 'The Acts of The Apostles'. Titles and sub-headings were added by man. There are great records about the apostles in the book of Acts, but there are also records of others who did great things for God like Philip and Stephen, the certain disciple, Ananias, and others. The common denominator of all those that did great things for God was the gift of holy spirit. Instead of Acts of the Apostles, it might be better to title the book: Acts of Holy Spirit, or maybe even Holy Spirit Action.

God is spirit and everyone who truly loves Him worships Him in spirit and in truth. The very essence of what He is, spirit, has been imparted to man, with measure in the Old Testament, without measure in the New Testament. Throughout the New Testament there are references to the 'new man' or the inner godly nature that the spirit of God brings us. The Word of God fans the flames of that spirit. Where God is concerned, 'spirit' and 'truth' go hand in hand.  Spirit can exist without truth and truth without spirit but both may not be godly. Spirit without truth can be quite lively and misleading. Truth without spirit can be verrrrrrrrry dull.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter delivered a great explanation about what had just gone on in Jerusalem after all the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of holy spirit. Peter was a changed man, no longer denying Jesus, he squarely confronted those who had put Jesus to death. Not only was he changed, but those listening were changed also and acted without fear in response as recorded in Acts 2:42-47:

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear (respect) came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

People recognized the wonderful compassion of God.  They rejoiced. People changed in their hearts as the holy spirit worked in them. They continued boldly in the temple and from house to house and were no longer afraid of those who who sought to extinguish their movement. These verses are about the spiritual reaction to the gift energizing them. Love energizes. They were inspired. This section of scripture should be read with that in mind.  Remember the people in Exodus? They didn't exactly see deliverance the way the believers in Acts did. On the day of Pentecost God must have been so blessed with the 3000 people who were praising Him and sharing grace with all the people.

The grace continued as Peter  and John ministered to a lame man and he was healed. People got excited about it. Peter responded to their wonder by telling them exactly where the powerful and faithful love  was from:

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. Acts 3:12-13 

The power or holiness came from the gift. A lot has been written about holy spirit, some of it very confusing and frankly misleading.  Internal genuine power comes from a loving and willing God.
When people truly understand its significance, lives get changed and the glory goes to God. He has given us such a gracious gift and it didn't disappear at the close of Acts.

Slavery

As I was reading through the 10 commandments in Exodus 20 and subsequently the expansion of those laws in chapters succeeding, I am amazed at the justice, non-partiallity and compassion implied by God. How loving it was of God to establish a code of conduct on civil and social relationship issues, worship and personal responsibility.

After the listing of the 10 basic commandments, God expounds on the topic of slavery in chapter 21:1-11.

Exodus 21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Slavery is regarded in our culture negatively and rightfully so, but in the Bible it is different. God spells out some important considerations regarding Hebrew slavery. First of all, servanthood in the Old Testament came about when people fell into poverty and also when people were caught at theft (Exodus 22:3). People went to work for a master when they needed money or to pay restitution. Masters were to treat their servants justly. This falls under the category of indentured servant.

3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. 5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. (Exodus 21:3-6)

There is a difference between a servant and a bond servant. A bond servant chooses to remain with the master forever. Through the master he may have received great blessings so after the 6th year, he could decide to stay on with the master.

Understanding the Importance of Holy Spirit

There are interesting comparisons of the giving of the law at Sinai and the outpouring of the spirit on

the day of Pentecost after Christ's ascension. In the Old Testament God placed spirit upon certain individuals but not on the general population. God talked to Moses and Moses talked to the people. God's Word was literally written in stone for their benefit so they could see it. That is how they understood God. On the day of Pentecost, all who received the gift of holy spirit had access to God in a new and different way, through spiritual eyes. The spirit gives power and strength to the flesh.

Romans 8:3a For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, 

 The gift of holy spirit is a big deal, it is unparalleled access to God. It involves communication through inspiration and revelation, as well as imparting power in life's situations. The Word of God is also revelation of God's will in written form. The written form that we can study and hold in our hand today is at best a version, and there many people who interpret it in many different ways. One thing we have to keep in mind to get clear on all this is to remember that the word of God is not made of stone. The Word of God is a living breathing reality when combined with the spirit that is in the heart of man.

My trek through the Old Testament is teaching me a lot of things. The Israelites in Exodus tried to see their journey as a dry dusty trail.  That was all they could see at times despite the miracles involved with getting away from Pharaoh's clutches, the Red Sea parting, the pillar of the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, manna, water out of a rock, and the brazen serpent. The five senses took front and center when they had something to complain about.

Our lives have been blessed. We can see God and all he does for us. The Word helps us recognize His voice and the spirit draws our attention to Him. God works continually through our lives. The adversary tries to too. The devil wants us to focus on the tangle of the world and problems. In the long run he knows the big picture exposes him, but he certainly tries to blow things out of proportion in our minds like a mushroom cloud. We can bring it back into focus with all the tools God has provided (read all of Romans 8 and see!).

All that He Began

Have you ever had a lyric with a catchy lilt stick in your brain and play over and over? You just can't get it out of your head? Sometimes that happens to me with phrases in the Bible. The most recent one is: 'all that Jesus began both to do and teach'. Actually that phrase has a rather melodious ring to it.  I've read right over it  many times when reading the book of Acts. Last night however, the phrase popped into my head and stuck.  After looking it up and checking the context of those beginning verses of Acts, it really struck me that these are very pregnant words. The word 'began' stands out in big letters.

Acts 1:1- 2 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus BEGAN both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Jesus Christ was a beginning! The book of Acts is a continuing. On the day of Pentecost those people who, by their own free-will choice decided to believe all that God was doing, became a part of that continuing.

It is interesting to note that Jesus Christ had given his parting words through the holy spirit to the apostles. Holy spirit is a communication life-line. God is spirit and they that love him must love him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). In order to do that people need to receive the gift of holy spirit. Jesus Christ had the spirit. The apostles received the spirit in their hearts on the day of Pentecost. You and I can obtain holy spirit by accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ and believing that God brought him back from death to life. Then we become part of the continuation.

Moses made 6 trips up and down the mountain of God to receive instructions during the Exodus stopover at the foot of Mt Sinai. Moses could talk and listen to God because he had spirit upon him. The Israelites couldn't. Things had to be written in stone for them and sometimes they still forgot. Today God doesn't need stone tablets when God can impress the fleshy table of our heart.

2 Corinthians 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.