Matthew 4:12 says, Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; When Jesus heard of the arrest of John the Baptist, He went to Galilee. Verse thirteen adds, And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: Jesus went to live in Capernaum. Verse thirteen continues, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Verse fifteen continues on, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; Then verse sixteen concludes, The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. Jesus going to live in Capermaum fulfilled a prophesy by Isaiah, but once again I don't believe that Jesus went there simply to fulfill a prophesy. Likewise, I dont believe that we can sit with a checklist today and check off the events leading up to the second coming of Christ and determine the precise time that it will happen. God did not cause Jesus to go to Capernaum simply to ensure that the prophesy would come true. Verse seventeen declares, From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus began to preach calling for people to repent for the kingdom of God was at hand. We today need to call for people to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, because the kingdom of God is at hand. Verse eighteen says, And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee when He called His first disciples, Peter and his brother Andrew, who were fishermen. Jesus did not go to the religious leaders or even the temple to find disciples, but He called two ordinary fishermen. God calls people where they are today to follow Christ, and He calls ordinary people to be preachers and teachers. Verse nineteen adds, And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus told them that He would make them fishers of men. He did not promise them great wealth or even security, but He simply asked them to follow Him. Today, God does not promise us great wealth and security if we follow Jesus, but He simply asks us to follow, or put our faith in Him. Verse twenty declares, And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. Peter and Andrew did not wait but immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus. Fishing was their way to make a living, but they left it to follow Jesus. What are we willing to give up to become a follower of Jesus today ? Verse twenty-one says, And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. Jesus then saw two more brothers, James and John, mending nets with their father and he called them to follow Him. Verse twenty-two adds, And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. James and John not only immediately left their work, but they left their father as well. We cannot allow other people to come between Jesus and us, no matter how close they may be to us. Verse twenty-three states, And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Jesus began to preach, teach and heal in Galilee. Verse twenty-four adds, And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. As Jesus' fame grew, people brought the sick to Him. Though Jesus may have healed them, this was not His main reason for coming. Jesus came to bring spiritual healing to people, and physical healing will never be the main reason for putting our faith in Him. Verse twenty-five concludes, And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan. People came from all around to see Jesus. We need to reach out to all those around us today with the gospel, since as a general rule not too many people are coming to Jesus on their own.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Matthew 4:1
Matthew 4:1 says, Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. After Jesus was baptized and God had declared Him to be His beloved Son, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we can be certain that we will be tempted, and when we are, we also need to be certain that we are being led by the Holy Spirit when we respond to that temptation. Verse two adds, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. While in the wilderness, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights and afterward He was hungry. If we fast, I believe that we should not publicize it to the world, but it should be a personal act of worship, but everyone may not agree. Verse three declares, And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. Satan, the tempter came to Jesus and first attempted to raise the question of whether or not Jesus was the Son of God, and the appealed to Jesus' physical need. Satan will always attempt to get us to question our relationship with God, and he will appeal to us where we are weakest. Though Jesus could have turned the stones to bread, this was not what the heavenly Father had called Him to do. Verse four proclaims, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Jesus answered Satan by quoting scripture, and this is always our best defense. This means that we must first know the scripture, God's word, and not just the words them self, but the meaning as well. Jesus said that people were not to live by bread alone, the meeting physical needs, but by the word of God, which meets spiritual needs, which must come first. Verse five declares, Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, Then verse six adds, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. The Devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and then quoted scripture to Jesus. Again, it is not enough to know scripture, but we must know its meaning and never use it to justify what we desire to do. It was not a question of whether Jesus could do this, but whether or not it was the heavenly Father's will that He do so. Verse seven proclaims, Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Jesus again answered by quoting scripture, saying that we are not to tempt God. I don't believe that God will ever lead us to take an action simply to prove that He can protect us. Verse eight declares, Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; Verse nine adds, And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Satan next appealed to Jesus' greed, and this is where many people are led astray today. God never promised us all the material blessings that we might desire, and sometimes they may even lead us away from Him. Verse ten proclaims, Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Jesus told Satan to go away, and again He quoted scripture. We are to serve God alone. Verse eleven adds, Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Satan had no choice but to depart when Jesus told him to do so. When we stand firm in our belief in God, Satan has no power over us. The angels came to minister to the needs of Jesus. Whether by angels or otherwise, God will always minister to our needs if we remain faithful to Him.
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Matthew 3:13
Matthew 3:13 says, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. Jesus came to John one day to be baptized by him. This, among other things, would show the legitimacy of John's ministry. and would also show the validity of baptism. John was not just acting on his own, but was following the leadership of God. We need to make sure that God endorses our actions today when we say we are doing anything in His name. Verse fourteen declares, But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? John was not going to baptize Jesus, saying he needed to be baptized by Jesus instead. John questioned why Jesus came to him instead. I don't believe that it is wrong to question whether or not what we believe God is calling on us to do is the right thing or not, but only for clarification and not claim that we know more than God does. Verse fifteen states, And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Jesus told John that it was the right thing to do for the sake of righteousness. Then, John baptized Jesus. Jesus set the example for us to follow. Baptism did not save a person then and it doesn't now. Baptism then and now identified a person as a follower of Christ. Though Jesus could not follow Himself, he could identify Himself as the Messiah Whose actions were to be followed. We need to follow the example of Jesus, but we also must listen to Him to know what we need to do in life. Verse sixteen declares, And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: When Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending on Him. Jesus' baptism was a little more dramatic than any other before or since. God showed His approval of what Jesus had done. Though we will not have that dramatic sign of approval when we are baptized, we still have God's approval when we are baptized after we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord because it identifies us as followers of Christ. Verse seventeen adds, And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. God gave His endorsement of Jesus as the long awaited Messiah and His own Son. Jesus alone is the only begotten Son of God, but we can become the adopted sons and daughters of God by putting our faith in Him.
Friday, August 28, 2020
Matthew 3:1
Matthew 3:1 says, In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, In those days would be when Jesus was grown. John the Baptist was Jesus' first cousin by earthly standards, and he was preaching in the wilderness. Verse two adds, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. John's message was simple. He called for the people to repent because the kingdom of God was at hand. John was referring to the kingdom of God that would come when the Messiah came. Today, we have the same message, but we should call for people to repent because the kingdom of God is at hand because Jesus Christ, the Messiah Who came in John's day will one day return. Since in this lifetime alone can we repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, His kingdom is always at hand for every individual. Verse three states, For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The coming of John the Baptist had been foretold by Isaiah. Again, John was not just acting out a role, but by his actions God's people could see the fulfillment of the prophesy. Verse four declares, And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. John did not dress and act like everyone else. Today, with his actions and his words we might just write him off as an oddball instead of listening to him, and many people write off anyone who does proclaim Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation as an oddball or a mentally ill person. Verse five says, Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, People came from all around the area to hear John preach. I believe they may have come more out of curiosity than out of believing what he preached, but they came and they heard. It does not matter today why people come to hear the gospel preached as much as it matters that they come. Verse six adds, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Some believed and were baptized in confession of their sins. They were putting their faith in the coming Messiah just we who are Christians today put our faith in the Messiah Who has come. Verse seven declares, But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? When John saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming, he called them a generation of vipers and asked who had warned them to flee. These were the religious leaders, and some religious leaders today might be asked the same question. Verse eight adds, Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: John called on the religious leaders to truly repent. Verse nine declares, And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees to not rely on their earthly status as descendants of Abraham, since God could create descendants of Abraham out of stones. Once more, the people of Israel were not special because of who they were but because of Who their God was. We today as Christians are not special because of who are in the world, but because of Who our God is. Verse ten adds, And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. John said that the people would be judged by their actions and not just by who they were in the eyes of the world. A tree was a tree, but not all bore fruit and and those that didn't were therefore useless. A Jew was a Jew, but not all bore fruit for the kingdom of God and were about to be cut down by the coming Messiah. We as followers of Christ today are called on to bear fruit for the kingdom of God, and we need to ask ourselves if we are being productive. Verse eleven adds, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: John knew that he was not the promised Messiah, Who would baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire instead of just with water. We today, as followers of Christ. once we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit to lead us through the fires that will come. Verse twelve concludes, Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. John said that Jesus would separate the true believers, the wheat, from those who didn't believe, the chaff. The believers He would gather unto Himself. but the nonbelievers would be cast aside into the unquenchable fire. These are the only two choices that there are.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Matthew 2:13
Matthew 2:13 says, And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph once again, telling him to take the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Joseph was told to stay there until he received word that it was safe to return, because Herod would seek the young Child, Jesus, to kill Him. Herod was not as powerful as he thought he was, just as many people today who attempt to destroy God and His people are not as powerful as they think they are. Verse fourteen declares, When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: Joseph arose and left for Egypt that night. When we know what God wants us to do, we don't need to hesitate, but need to simply do what He tells us to do as soon as possible. Verse fifteen adds, And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Joseph and his family remained in Egypt until Herod was dead, and this also fulfilled a prophesy about Jesus, the Messiah. Verse sixteen declares, Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. At the time of the visit of the wise men, when they didn't return to tell Herod where Jesus was, he had all the children in Bethlehem and the coastal area around it, two year old and younger, killed. This was probably based on the length of time that the wise men had been following the star, and also on Herod's determination to make sure that the One that the wise men called the King of the Jews did not survive. Verse seventeen adds, Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, Then verse eighteen continues, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. Herod's action also fulfilled a prophesy of Jeremiah that there would be weeping in Rama and that Rachael would not be comforted because her children were dead. The women of Bethlehem and the area would not have been comforted, because their children were dead at the hand of Herod. Verse nineteen declares, But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, After Herod died, the angel once again appeared to Joseph, in a dream again this time. Verse twenty adds, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. Joseph was told by the angel that it was safe and he was to take Mary and Jesus and return to Israel. Verse twenty-one states, And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. Joseph once again obeyed the angel, God's messenger, just as we must obey the leadership of the Holy Spirit as followers of Christ today. When we know what God wants us to do, we should do it as quickly as possible. Verse twenty-two declares, But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: When Joseph heard that Herod's son was in power, he was afraid and went into Galilee. He was also warned by God in a dream to go into Galilee. This time, we are not told that an angel warned Joseph, but that God Himself warned Joseph in a dream. Verse twenty-three adds, And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. This also resulted in the fulfillment of a prophesy. Once more, I do not believe that God was forcing events to happen to fulfill prophesies, but that events were unfolding that fulfilled the prophesies of God. God's prophesies will always be fulfilled, but they will be fulfilled in His time frame.
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Matthew 2:1
Matthew 2:1 says, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, After the birth of Jesus, which occurred during the reign of Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem seeking Jesus. They came to the rulers seeking Jesus, but Jesus was not born to be an earthly ruler. I sometimes read the names of the wise men, but have yet to find their names recorded in the Bible. Verse two adds, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. The wise men asked where they could find the One born to be King of the Jews so that they could worship Him. They said that they came because they had seen His star. This was probably quite a shock to Herod. When we seek Jesus, we should not go to leaders of the world to find Him, but should simply look to God to reveal Him to us. Verse three declares, When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Herod was troubled by this revelation of a new King of the Jews, and we are told all of Jerusalem was troubled with him. These were the people who were supposed to be God's people, and they were troubled by the wise men from another country announcing the birth of One Who was to be the King of the Jews. We as followers of Christ should make sure that we are following God and not just the leaders of the world. Verse four adds, And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. Herod gathered all the chief priests and scribes together and demanded to know where Christ, the awaited Messiah was to be born. At least Herod looked to the religious leaders, but Jesus' birth was not announced to the religious leaders, which says something about them I believe. We as Christians today have the responsibility of proclaiming Jesus Christ to the world, but if we fail, God will still reveal Him. Verse five says, And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, Then verse six adds, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. The chief priests and scribes at least knew what the scripture said, and told Herod that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. Of course, knowing scripture does not mean that a person has a relationship with God. Verse seven declares, Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. Herod called the wise men privately to ask when the star appeared. We are not told a specific time frame here, but know that Herod was not asking in order to worship Christ, which is why he called the wise men privately. Verse eight continues, And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. Herod gave the wise men a mission, and that was to go to Bethlehem, find the young Child, and come back and tell him where He was so that he could go and worship Him. Like Herod, not everyone who professes to seek Jesus to worship Him really want to do so. Verse nine declares, When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. After the wise men left Herod, the star guided them to where Jesus, the young Child, was. This was probably not the day Jesus was born, but possibly up to two years later. I don't believe that we can say that for certain, but based on the time the wise men were following the star, we now usually say that it was when Jesus was about two years old. I personally do not believe that His age at that time is important, but the fact that God led the wise men to Him is. It is not important how long it takes a person to come to Jesus today, but is only important that he or she comes to Jesus in faith to accept Him as Savior and Lord. Verse ten adds, When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. When the wise men saw the star again, the rejoiced, since it was leading them to Jesus. However we are lead to Jesus today, we should rejoice that God has led us there. Verse eleven states, And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. When they found Jesus and His mother Mary, they fell down and worshipped Jesus, but not Mary. Some people basically worship Mary today, but this was never God's intention. The wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and because there are three gifts listed, we usually say that there were three wise men, but we are not really told this in the Bible. When we come to Jesus, accepting Him as our personal Savior and Lord, then we should bring to Him all that we are and have. We should live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. and worship God in all that we do. Verse twelve declares, And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. God warned the wise men to not return to Herod, so they went back to their country another way. They obeyed God and not Herod, just as we today must obey God above all earthly rulers if we are followers of Christ and the earthly rulers are doing anything that is against God.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Matthew 1:18
Matthew 1:18 says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Matthew tells us about the miracle of the birth of Jesus. Mary was with child while she was still a virgin by the Holy Ghost. This was while she was espoused to Joseph, but before they had sexual relations. Verse nineteen states, Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. We are told that Joseph was a just man and was going to quietly divorce Mary. He did not want to cause Mary any public humiliation, so he still cared about her. Today, the world would ask what the big deal was, but Mary would likely have been an outcast then. Verse twenty declares, But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. While Joseph thought about what to do with Mary, an angel appeared to him in a dream, telling him to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because she had not been unfaithful to him but had conceived by the Holy Ghost. Now, Joseph could have just written this off as a strange dream or wishful thinking, but he recognized it as a message from an angel of God. Verse twenty-one adds, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. The angel told Joseph that Mary was to have a son and His name was to be JESUS, and He would save the people from their sins. This was not just the people in that day, but all the people who had put their faith in the coming Messiah and all the people who have put their faith in Him since His coming. It may now be common for a couple to know the sex of their child and even name the child before he or she is born, but it certainly wasn't in that day. Verse twenty-two says, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Then verse twenty-three adds, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matthew tells us that this was done to fulfill a prophesy that a child would be born to a virgin and His name would be Emmanuel, which means God with us. This was to be the fulfillment of a prophesy made to Isaiah, which he never lived to see happen. We have the prophesy of the second coming of Christ, which we may not live to see, but it is just as certain as the birth of Christ was. Verse twenty-four declares, Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: Joseph had to have a lot of faith to believe in the message that came to him in a dream. The angel did not even appear when he was awake, but only in a dream, but Joseph did what God through the angel had told him to do. As followers of Christ today, we need to be open to hearing the message that God has for us in life today, no matter how He delivers it. Verse twenty-five adds, And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Joseph married Mary and did not have a sexual relationship with her until after the birth of the baby Boy, whom he named Jesus. Joseph obeyed the message of God, just as we must today when God speaks to us.
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Matthew 1:1
Matthew 1:1 says. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The first several verses of Matthew are the genealogy of Jesus, beginning with Abraham. Verse two states, Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the ones that God made the promise to that He would make them a great nation if they obeyed Him. Verse three says, And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; Verse four states, And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; Verse five says, And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; Some of the names are spelled differently, such a Booz instead of Boaz, but they are the same person. Verse six states, And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; David, the first king chosen by God for Israel, was in the lineage of Jesus, just as God had said he would be. God always fulfills His promises. Verse seven says, And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; Verse eight adds, And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; Verse nine states, And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; Verse ten says, And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; Verse eleven adds, And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: The good and the bad times of Israel did not change the promise of God, and the good and bad times in our lives today will not change the promise of God that we are His forevermore if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Verse twelve states, And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; Verse thirteen says, And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; Verse fourteen states, And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; Verse fifteen adds, And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; Verse sixteen adds, And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. We have the lineage of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph and Jesus Himself. Verse seventeen concludes, So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. It had been forty-to generations since the promise of God to Abraham to the coming of Jesus, the promised Messiah, and this may seem a long time to us, but God's promise was in effect the whole time. No matter how many years may pass before the return of Christ, God's promise is still in effect. Jesus Christ will return one day to claim those who are His.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
Summery
We will review some things learned from the book of Leviticus. First, we need to realize that God gave Moses many laws on Mt. Sinai, and not just the Ten Commandments. God gave Moses many specific laws concerning worship, both the nature of the worship and the role of the priests in the worship service. Today, God expects us to worship Him in accordance with His guidance and under His authority. Moses did not just make up the rules for worship, but God gave them to Him. Moses did not just make up the rules for the priests, but God gave them to Him. God also had Moses to continually remind the people of Israel of their covenant relationship with God. We must never forget that we are in a covenant relationship with God as followers of Christ. God reminded the people of Israel that He was the One Who had delivered them from Egypt and that He had the right to have authority over them. As Christians, God has forever delivered us from the power of sin in our lives and from the penalty of sin as well, so He has every right to expect us to be obedient to Him. God also gave Moses the blueprint we might say for the tabernacle, and how it was to be set up after it was constructed. As followers of Christ, our bodies are the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit and should be kept under the guidance of God. God also gave Moses laws concerning sacrifices, both what was an acceptable sacrifice and how and when it was to be sacrificed. We do not have to be concerned with these laws of sacrifice today, because Jesus Christ is the only acceptable sacrifice. God gave Moses laws concerning holy days and years, which included laws concerning the sabbath day, the sabbath years, and the jubilee years. All were to be kept holy to God, with limited work being done. We today set aside the Lord's Day to worship God, but we often do not keep it holy unto Him for even the whole day. God gave Moses laws concerning the redemption of property that was sold by one of the people of Israel. God gave Moses many rules concerning the relationships between people and their redemption if they had been sold into servitude. We today have only one way to redemption, and that is through putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Of course, this was really true for the people of Israel in that day as well as they looked ahead to the Messiah that was to come. God also told Moses that the priests were to be treated differently than the rest of the nation, and as Christians today we are a priesthood of believers and we are to be different than the rest of the world.. These are but some of the things learned from the book of Leviticus.
Friday, August 21, 2020
Leviticus 26:40
(Somehow I got this out of order.) Leviticus 26:40 says, If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; God told Moses that there was a way to restoration and that it began by the people confessing their sins. In order for us to be restored to God today, we must confess our sins and ask His forgiveness by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. Verse forty-one adds, And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: God said that when the people of Israel failed to live up to their part of the covenant relationship that He established with them, then He no longer walked with them. God then added that a part of the restoration required the people of Israel to humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept punishment for their iniquities. If we today as followers of Christ allow sin back into our lives, we must humble our hearts and confess them to God and accept responsibility for them. Verse forty-two declares, Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. I don't believe that this means that God ever forgot these covenants, but instead that He would again fulfill His part of the covenants. The covenants always were conditional, based on the people being obedient to their part of the covenant, since God was always faithful to His when they were. Verse forty-three adds, The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. God said that the land would enjoy her sabbaths until the people confessed and returned to Him. There was quite an indictment against the people of Israel, God's chosen people. They had despised God's judgments and abhorred His statutes. As God's people today, we cannot just ignore His laws and then expect everything in life to be good. Verse forty-four continues, And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. God said that even when He removed His protective hand and the people of Israel were carried away into the land of their enemies that He would not cast them away, because He is God and He had made a covenant with them. I believe that once we enter into a covenant relationship with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ that the covenant is an everlasting covenant. We may suffer problems if we allow sin back in our lives, but we will never lose our salvation, because it is secured by God. Verse forty-five declares, 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. God said that He would never forget the covenant that He made with the people of Israel when He brought them out of the land of Egypt, and He will never forget the covenant that He makes with us when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. Verse forty-six concludes, These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. These were the statutes and judgments and laws made by the LORD between Him and the people of Israel as given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. We today can have a relationship with God only through accepting the way of salvation given by God when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and arose victorious over all sin, which was and is the only way to salvation.
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Leviticus 27:26
Leviticus 27:26 says, Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD’s firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the LORD’s. People could not sanctify the first born or even the first of their crops to God because it already belonged to Him. I believe that today our tithes already belong to God, and we cannot claim that we are giving some special gift to God if we use our tithes to do so. Verse twenty-seven states, And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation. Unclean animals could be sanctified to God, and if they were redeemed, they were to be redeemed by adding twenty-cent to their estimated value. If they weren't redeemed, they were to be sold for the estimated value. Verse twenty-eight declares, Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD. God told Moses that northing devoted to God could be redeemed or sold. As followers of Christ we are devoted to Him and nothing will ever ever be able to separate us from Him. Verse twenty-nine adds, None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death. Matthew Henry basically says this means that foreigners who had been defeated and were therefore devoted to God were to be killed so that they would no longer be a problem to the people of Israel. Whatever the case, anyone devoted to God, which went beyond just sanctifying his or her self, could not be redeemed so would therefore die still devoted to God. As Christians today, we may not be put to death, but we will die still devoted to, or belonging to, God. Verse thirty says, And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD. The tithe belonged to God, just as it does today. We may not give it to God, but it is still His. We really have done nothing but what God had already told us to do when we tithe, so there is no reason to feel proud of our self for doing so. Verse thirty-one declares, And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. If a person wanted to redeem something that was a art of his or her tithe, then he was to add twenty percent to it. We must remember that the tithe included not just the money that people might make but the first of all crops and animals that they owned. I believe that God expects us to tithe on everything that He blesses us with, and even then this is only the minimum that we should be doing. Verse thirty-two adds, And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. This is just a further statement that a tenth of everything the people of Israel had belonged to God. Verse thirty-three continues, He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. If a person attempted to exchange something for the tithe, then both the original tithe and the exchange were to be considered holy and could not be redeemed. Things of God belong to God and we should not attempt to reclaim them as our own, even by exchanging something else for them. Verse thirty-four concludes, These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai. We are then told that these are the commandments given to Moses by God on Mt. Sinai. We sometimes see Moses as having gone up on Mt. Sanai and receiving the Ten Commandments, but he received much more than that. He received the laws of God as well. Today, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we accept the law of God as well. It does not save us, but it does tell us how to live in a right relationship with the world and God.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Leviticus 27:14 says, And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand. A man could sanctify his house to the LORD. This was the house itself and not the people, and the priest would estimate the value for the man to pay to redeem it. Verse fifteen adds, And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his. To redeem the house, the man who sanctified it had to add twenty percent to the estimated value. Of course, everything is really God's to start with, but when we sanctify, or set aside, something that is ours in the view of the world for God's use, if we later decide to use it for our own purpose, we should expect it to cost us more than what it is valued at. Verse sixteen states, And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD some part of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. Matthew Henry says this is land that was inherited. This had to do with set a value on a part of a field sanctified to God. The value would be based on the yield of the field. Verse seventeen adds, If he sanctify his field from the year of jubile, according to thy estimation it shall stand. Then verse eighteen continues, But if he sanctify his field after the jubile, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubile, and it shall be abated from thy estimation. Once more, the year of the jubilee would come onto play. If the land was dedicated in the year of jubilee, it would be redeemed for the price, but if after the year of jubilee, it would be reduced by a percentage based on the years left to the next jubilee. Verse nineteen says, And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him. Again, the redemption price was a fifth more than the valuation price. Verse twenty adds, And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more. If the man would not redeem the land or had sold it to another then it could no longer be redeemed. Verse twenty-one declares, But the field, when it goeth out in the jubile, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest’s. A field unredeemed at jubilee would be God's forever, just as when we are redeemed by Christ we are God's forever. There is no reduction in the value of our redemption, no matter how long we may have lived, but the redemption of any individual cost the same, and that is the death of Christ on the cross. Verse twenty-two states, And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession; This had to do with land the man had purchased and not with inherited land. Verse twenty-three adds, Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubile: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD. The man giving the land would pay the estimated value of the land to the priest and it would be considered a holy thing. Verse twenty-four continues, In the year of the jubile the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong. In the year of jubilee the land would be returned to the one who had originally owned it. This I believe would prevent the one who purchased the land from simply claiming to give the land to God knowing that revert to the original owner in jubilee. The one donating it would still be out the cost of the estimation. We should be wary of trying to claim to give something to God because we figure that it is going to be lost to us anyway. Verse twenty-five concludes, And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel. This once again was just assigning a monetary value to the land.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Leviticus 27:1 says. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation. God was addressing people who made vows to Him, and letting them know that God would set the value of their vow. These were vows where a person dedicated themselves to service in the tabernacle according to Matthew Henry, and were not something required by God but were voluntary vows. It is good to do what God asks of us, but it is even better when we willingly go above and beyond what He asks. Verse three states, And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. Matthew Henry says that this was the value to redeem the person from their vow, so that the priests would have money to fund the tabernacle. The amount of the redemption depended on the age and gender of the person making it. Through Christ, all people are valued the same regardless of age or gender, and He paid the price to redeem each individual. Verse four says, And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. The price to redeem a female was less than the price to redeem a male in his prime. Verse five adds, And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. Then there was the amount set to redeem a child between five and twenty, with the different amounts for the male nd female. These amounts were set based on the amount of work it was believed that the person could do, and once again these were voluntary vows made to God. Verse six continues, And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. Since children of this age would not be able to make a vow, it would have to be assumed that their parents were the ones making the vow. When the children were dedicated to God, they could be redeemed for a price. The price of redemption today so that we can be dedicated to God is the same for all individuals, and that is accepting Jesus Christ as one's Savior and Lord. Verse seven says, And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. The redemption value between a man and a woman over sixty were still different, but the woman was considered to be of a closer value to the man. Verse eight declares, But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him. If a person was poor, then the priest was to set the value of their redemption if they made a vow to God. Matthew Henry says this was to teach the people to not make rash vows, because a vow made to God had value. We today likewise should not make rash vows to God. Verse nine states, And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy. If a person vowed an animal to the Lord, then it was to be considered holy, or set aside for God. Verse ten adds, He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy. Once an animal was vowed, it could not be exchanged, but if a person attempted to exchange another animal for the one vowed, then both would be considered holy, or set apart for God. Once we come to Christ vowing our faith to Him, we are forever His. Verse eleven states, And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest: Unclean animals that were vowed to God, that could not be sacrificed, were to have a redemption value for them set by the priest. Verse twelve adds, And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be. Verse thirteen concludes, But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation. The animal, if unclean, was to be for the use of the priest, and if the man vowing it wanted to redeem it, he would have to pay an additional twenty percent over the value. God expects us to take our vows seriously.
Monday, August 17, 2020
Leviticus 26:30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. This is a continuation of what God said He would do to the people of Israel if they did not obey Him and chased after idols. God would tear down their idols and cast their dead bodies on the idols. If we do not accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and follow after false gods instead, we will one day have our spiritually dead bodies cast away into hell. Verse thirty-one state, And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. God said that He would destroy their cities and sanctuaries and not accept their sacrifices. Just because we say that we are sacrificing something to God does not mean that He has to accept it. Verse thirty-two adds, And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. God told the people of Israel that He would bring their land to desolation and that their enemies that lived in the land would be astonished by it. We should not be surprised that the enemies of God live in our midst, even if we call our self a Christian nation. Verse thirty-three continues, And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. God said if the people of Israel did not obey His laws that He would once again scatter them among the heathen and leave their land desolate. God had called them to be His people and had gathered them together in the promised land, and He could remove His protection and allow them to once again be a scattered and defeated people. We are God's people today because of His calling us to salvation and providing it for us, and we must follow His guidance if we are to be spiritually powerful in the world. Verse thirty-four declares, Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. God said that if the people of Israel did not give the land its sabbaths that He would. This should be a warning to us to keep the Lord's Day, our sabbath, devoted to God. Verse thirty-five adds, As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. Again, God told them that when He allowed them to be defeated that the land would have its sabbaths, which the people would have not observed. Verse thirty-six declares, And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. God said that when He removed His protection from them instead one man of Israel chasing many that they would become so weak that they would flee when their wasn't even anyone chasing them. Verse thirty-seven adds, And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. Without God, the people of Israel would be powerless before their enemies. Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are also powerless before the enemies that we face. We must rely on God's guidance and empowerment if we are to be spiritually successful in the world today. Verse thirty-eight continues, And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. Then verse thirty-nine concludes, And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. Those of the people of Israel who remained would live in the lands of heir enemies and pine away in the iniquities of the land. Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will be enemies of heaven and will never be content in life but will always pine away wanting something more.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Leviticus 26:14 says, But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; Now, God issued the warning. Obedience or disobedience were both possible, because God gives us free will, but disobedience has a penalty. Verse fifteen adds, And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: God's warning continues to be spelled out. When we defy God's law, we in effect show that we despise Him. Verse sixteen declares, I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. Again. I believe that when God removed His protective hand that these things happened more than that He caused them to happen, but the result is the same. Without God's power behind them, the people of Israel were not really a powerful nation at all, just as we are spiritually powerless without the Holy Spirit guiding us. Verse seventeen adds, And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. When God set His face against them, the people of Israel would realize how powerless they were, fleeing from even non-existent enemies. How often today do we flee from imagined enemies because we are not looking to God for guidance and strength? Verse eighteen continues, And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. God said that as long as the people continued to rebel against Him that they would continue to be punished. As long as we refuse to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will be under the judgment of God, and we will stand guilty. Verse nineteen states, And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: God said that He would break the pride that they had in their power. Until we admit that we are helpless to save our self, we never accept God's salvation made available through faith in Jesus Christ, which is the only way to salvation. Verse twenty adds, And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. God had given them a land flowing with milk and honey, but He said that even that would cease to exist if they did not obey His laws. As followers of Christ, we know that we have a home in heaven, but if we disobey God's law after we accept Christ, then life here may become less than blessed. Verse twenty-one declares, And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. Then verse twenty-two adds, I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. God had freed them from Egypt by sending plagues on the people there, ending with the death of their children, and God said that He could allow the same thing to happen to the people of Israel if the would not obey Him. They were not a special people because of who they were but because of who God is, and the same is true of Christians today. Verse twenty-three continues, And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; God said that there was a way to avoid this, and that was to be reformed by Him. We must always come to God on His terms. The next few verses continue to pronounce God's warning. Verse twenty-four declares, Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. If the people of Israel turned away from God then He would turn away from them. Verse twenty-five adds, And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. God said that He would allow other nations to defeat Israel. Verse twenty-six says, And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. The people would not be able to satisfy their physical needs. Verse twenty-seven continues, And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. If we do not accept God's salvation and obey His laws, then we can expect His judgment. Verse twenty-nine concludes. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. I don't believe that this means that they would literally eat the flesh of their children, but when we fail to obey God then we may cause our children to face eternity without accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, which is a greater punishment.
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Leviticus 26:1 says, Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. This is about as clear of a warning against idolatry as there could be. There were to be no graven images, no standing imagine, nor any stone set up as an idol. This has not changed. Verse two states, Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. The people of Israel were to keep the Sabbath and reverence God's sanctuary. Since as followers of Christ our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we should live with reverence to God. Verse three declares, If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then verse four adds, Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. God offered a conditional promise, stating if the people of Israel would obey Him, then He would bless them. This would happen in due season. If we obey God's laws, then He will bless us in due season. We cannot demand a blessing any time we want one, but must put everything in God's hands. Verse five continues, And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. God promised that their crops would be abundant when they obeyed Him. Verse six declares, And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. God promised the people of Israel peace, and if we are faithful in our relationship with God today, He will give us everlasting peace even in the chaos of the world. Verse seven adds, And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. God promised them victory over their enemies, not because of their abilities in, but because of their God. If we are looking for victory today as Christians, we must look to God for guidance and strength. Verse eight continues, And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. Again, this ability to fight successfully was based on their faith in God and not their own ability, just as we must rely on God to be successful today. Verse nine declares, For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. God told the people of Israel that He would respect them if they were faithful to Him, just as He will those who put their faith in Jesus Christ today. Verse ten adds, And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. Verse eleven continues, And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. God would provide for their needs and set His tabernacle before them and His soul would not abhor them as would be the case if they were not faithful to Him. Verse twelve declares, and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. Such a great promise and it is still true for Christians today. By the Holy Spirit, God walks among us and we are His people. Verse thirteen adds, 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. Just as God delivered the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt all those years ago, He delivers us from the bondage of sin today.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Leviticus 25:38 says, 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. God simply reminded the people of Israel Who He was, and He is still the same God today. Verse thirty-nine states, And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: Verse forty adds, But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: If a man's brother became so poor that he sold himself to another, then he was to be treated as a hired hand and not a bond servant until the year of jubilee. Verse forty-one continues, And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. At the year of jubilee, the man and his family were to be freed to return to his own family and to the possession of his father. Our year of jubilee will be when Christ returns and we go to our heavenly home, the land of our Father. Verse forty-two declares, For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. The people of Israel were God's servants who He had freed from bondage in Egypt and they were not to be bondservants in Israel. We are freed from sin when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and we should never again allow ourselves to come under the bondage of sin. Verse forty-three adds, Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God. The one in power was not to mistreat the one who had sold himself, but was to treat him fairly because they were all under God's power. Verse forty-four states, Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Those people from other countries who were in Israel could be bought as bondsmen and handmaids. There was a difference between God's chosen people and the rest of the world, as there should be between Christians and the rest of the world today. Verse forty five declares, Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. Verse forty-six adds, And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour. Foreigners bought into slavery would remain the bondsmen forever, even to be inherited by the children of the man who bought them, but the men of Israel were not to be treated the same. Verse forty-seven says, And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: Then verse forty-eight adds, After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: If a stranger in the land of Israel became rich and a man of Israel sold himself to that man, he could be redeemed by one of his brethren. If we today find our self once again under the bondage of sin as followers of Christ, we simply have to turn to Him once again for restoration. Of course, we don't have to be redeemed again. Verse forty-nine says, Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. The man could be redeemed by a close relative or could even redeem himself. We can only be redeemed by Jesus Christ and we must accept Him personally in order to be redeemed. Verse fifty states, And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. The amount paid to redeem the man was going to be determined by the years left until the jubilee; The price paid for our redemption is always the same, and that is the death of Christ on the cross. Verse fifty-one adds, If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. Verse fifty-two adds, And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. This just restates that the price of redemption was to be based on the years left to jubilee. Verse fifty-three states, And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. Again, the man of Israel who sold himself into bondage was not to be treated badly. Verse fifty-four adds, And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. If the man was not redeemed before, then at the year of jubilee he and his family were to be freed. Verse forty-five concludes. 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. The people of Israel were to be God's servants since he was the one who brought them out of Egypt. We today are God's servants if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and we are bought with the price of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Leviticus 25:29 says, And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. If a man sold a dwelling house in a walled city, he had a whole year to redeem it. Verse thirty adds, And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile. If the man did not redeem the house within a year, it could not be redeemed, even in the year of jubilee. Today, if we do not accept Christ as our Savior and Lord during our life time, we can never become a part of the family of God. Verse thirty-one states, But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile. Houses in cities with out walls were to be considered the same as houses in the country and could be redeemed during the jubilee. Verse thirty-two declares, Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. These rules did not apply to the cities of the Levites, which could have houses redeemed at any time. There was a difference for the priests, just as their is a difference for the priesthood of believers today. Verse thirty-three adds, And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. Any house sold by the priests, wherever it was located, would be returned to him during the jubilee. Verse thirty-four continues, But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession. The Levites could not sell their fields, since they were a perpetual possession given to them by God. For believers today, salvation is a perpetual gift from God and cannot be bought or sold. Verse thirty-five says, And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. The people of Israel were expected to help the poor, even to the point of having them live with them and even if they were a stranger. Verse thirty-six adds, Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. They were not to charge the one that they had taken in because they respected God and would need to bring honor to Him. I am not sure how well this would be received today by the Christians of the world, especially those living in their big mansions. Verse thirty-seven continues, Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. If the host were to be repaid, it would only be for what had been given, with no interest on the money or increase in the amount returned for anything given.