Today we are reading Numbers 1. In this chapter we read about a census that was taken in Israel. “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.” Numbers 1:1-3, 45-46 ESV This numbering of men who were 20 years old and up is impressive. God was forming them into a nation. Why would it be important to know how many warriors Israel had? How many men in your family are of this age? How often did Israel have to defend themselves? In those times, God led Israel in battle and the leaders always consulted God before going into battle. May God grant our leaders wisdom to consult God before every conflict. Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 27. In this chapter we read the conclusion of Leviticus. Most of the chapter describes laws of Jubilee, devoted things and redemption. The overarching theme is that everything belongs to God. “These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.” Leviticus 27:34 ESV How do you acknowledge that everything belongs to God? If God owns everything, what is your job? How can you give glory to God for everything He has entrusted to your possession? May God increase your blessings in proportion to your obedience. Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 26. In this chapter we read about blessings for obedience. ““You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.” Leviticus 26:1-6 ESV The blessings of obedience to God are amazing! They were 3500 years ago and they still are today. When we walk according to God’s ways He blesses us and those around us. Also God’s ways work best. So, why do people disobey God? Why do they rebel against God. Why do they choose a life of self-destruction? May God give you wisdom to teach those around you. Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 25. In this chapter we are reading about redemption laws in Israel. ““If a stranger or sojourner with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner with you or to a member of the stranger’s clan, then after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle or his cousin may redeem him, or a close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he grows rich he may redeem himself. He shall calculate with his buyer from the year when he sold himself to him until the year of jubilee, and the price of his sale shall vary with the number of years. The time he was with his owner shall be rated as the time of a hired worker. If there are still many years left, he shall pay proportionately for his redemption some of his sale price. If there remain but a few years until the year of jubilee, he shall calculate and pay for his redemption in proportion to his years of service. He shall treat him as a worker hired year by year. He shall not rule ruthlessly over him in your sight. And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 25:47-55 ESV This whole idea of redemption is so amazing. In our society today there are many broken families. There is little for people to fall back on when things get tough. So, what do we do? We redeem them. We catch them. We, with God’s help, walk with them through the valley. Who is God calling you to redeem? Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 24. In this chapter we read about rules against using God’s name inappropriately. “Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” Leviticus 24:10-16 This seems rather harsh. In the heat of a fight the young man swore—misusing God’s name. The penalty is death. What is the point here? God is Holy. God’s name is Holy. To misuse God’s name is serious. If we lived by this standard today, who would be put to death? Do you think God has lightened up a little in this area? How should your speech honor God? Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 23. In this chapter we read about the feasts commanded by God. “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the Lord food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, besides the Lord’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.”
Leviticus 23:1-2, 37-38 ESV These appointed feasts were extremely important to the people of Israel. Imagine if our nation paused everything to observe feasts to the One True God! What days to you pause to thank God? How does your family gather at these times? What could you do to increase the spirituality of your holidays? Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 22. In this chapter we read about acceptable offerings to the Lord. ““So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord. And you shall not profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the Lord.”” Leviticus 22:31-33 ESV How does this whole conversation about acceptable offerings speak into your faith life? Do you ever give God your left-overs? How do you make sure you are offering God your best? May you always give God the praise and worship of which He is worthy! Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 21. In this chapter we read about the Holiness expected from the priests. “And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people, except for his closest relatives, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister (who is near to him because she has had no husband; for her he may make himself unclean). He shall not make himself unclean as a husband among his people and so profane himself.” Leviticus 21:1-4 ESV God calls His people to holiness. Sometimes we hold a high expectation for pastors and other church professionals—and so we should! This expectation applies for all God’s people. You included! Nobody gets a pass on holiness. Nobody gets a license to sin. What comes to mind when you think of your own holiness? May God give you the strength and desire to resist sin and give Him your heart. Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 20. In this chapter we read about the punishment for child sacrifice and other sins. ““Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.”
Leviticus 20:2-5 ESV For us it may seem unimaginable that someone would sacrifice their child. Why did they do it? Usually it had to do with trying to get the false god to give them material blessings. On the other hand, why do people have abortions? Sometimes it is all about not wanting to sacrifice their lifestyle to become a parent. Other times it has to do with the relationship between the two adults. What would you sacrifice a child for? What would you sacrifice for a child. May God guide you in all your ways. Pastor Tim
Today we are reading Leviticus 19. In this chapter we read about the commandments God gives us for daily living. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:1-4 ESV This chapter basically goes through the Ten Commandments in a little more detail than Exodus 20. The echo that we see throughout this chapter is that God is our God and He is Holy. God is Holy—an emphasis that we see also in the Book of Revelation. How would you describe God’s holiness? How does His holiness inform your faith and life? Pastor Tim