Welcome if you are joining us from Encouragement for Today. We are on day 55 of reading the the One Year Chronological Bible. We are in the book of Leviticus and the Lord has just outlined for Moses the 7 festivals He desires the people of Israel to observe.
The LORD mandated some parties didn't He? Sacred assemblies they are called. He used the words "sacred assembly" seven times in our reading. He purposed His people to meet together to confess sin, make sacrifices, bring offerings and worship together corporately. I don't think it can be denied, do you? What can we glean from this?
Sacred assembly is important to our God. Sacred assembly should be important to us as His children. Sacred assembly or a more modern term, corporate worship is imperative to the life of every believer. Meeting together on a regular basis feeds the soul. It strengthens relationships with other Believers. It builds the body of Christ and enables it to work together for the cause of Christ.
What should we do in our sacred assembly, our corporate worship? There is no better example than the one set before us. The festivals outlined in today's reading were meant to be observed so God's children would celebrate and remember God's goodness. They were to confess there sins and bring offerings the Tabernacle.
I love corporate worship. I love my church. I love the body of Christ. One of my favorite places to be is in corporate worship, experiencing the manifest presence of our Holy God with fellow Believers. Can you imagine what the sacred assembly in heaven will be like when we all are raptured to live out our eternity with our Covenant LORD?
Let's start practicing for that sacred assembly now!
17 Comments:
Your post reminds me of Hebrews 10:25, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
"Sacred assembly" is vital. Thanks for this encouragement today. I totally missed this repetition (although the version I'm using does not refer to the gathering as such).
Today my attention was held by Lev. 23:13,18, "...a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD."
May my life be offered as a pleasing aroma to my Lord today,
Joy
Love Hillsong - they really know how to worship. As I read of the resting of the land (the year of Sabbath) again God is calling us to trust in Him to provide.
My nugget for today was Lev 23:18-19 and 23
"If you want to live securely in he land, follow my decrees and obey my regulations. 19 Then the land will yield large crops, and you will eat your fill and live securely in it. - 23 ..... for the land belongs to me, You are only foreigners and tenant farmers, working for me.
A great reminder ... If we would just do what God says - He's got us covered. So many times I/we look for this and that to take care of us and really we just need more of God. :)
Lynn - Oregon
I just LOVED your devotional this morning and it couldn't have come at a better time! I love your rich insight from God's word. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Hugs,
Leah
Hi Ladies,
Yes, today's readings were a refreshing change; a reminder of our responsibility to rest in the provision of God. Because I am studying both the names of God and of Jesus (both books by Anne Spangler) I found myself seeing the names in these passages. To me, Lev. 24:9 is a foreshadow of Jesus as Light of the World. Lev. 24:8-9 represent to me the Bread of Life, and Lev. 25:18-23 represent Yahweh Yira, God who Provides.
Give thanks to Him and bless His Name, for the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:4b-5)
Karen, CA
Hello All~ Love that verse Joy,
"encouraging one another," I can't tell you enough just how much encouragement I get from each and everyone of you sisters! Wendy,
I love the way you always relate the O.T. to today's living! I copied yesterday's list, so I could keep it as a refreshment!
I was listening to a song that said we are here for a "blink of an eye..." just foreigners, nothing is ours really. And, I love that "he's got us covered," [your words, Lynn]...How I want to please God today in all that I do!
The Israelites had many special days to celebrate...but, right at this moment in time, I'm so THANKFUL, that we don't need a special day to celebrate what Jesus has done in our lives. Every day is a day which the Lord has made and we have the privilage to rejoice and be glad in it! -Psalms 118:24.
Let's choose to be joyful today!
Love, Lori - Mesa, AZ
Another thing I noticed:
God talked about Sabbath rest repetitively. How often could we find chores or work that we didn't finish? How easy would that be to just go ahead and do those things? It wouldn't take ALL day. Satan can use something as simple as uncompleted work to tempt us into disobedience. God knows that we need to honor him and that we need the day of rest to focus on him. So let's enjoy the Sabbath and put our efforts of the joy of worship not work!
I was struck by how many days God commanded his people to not work; they were to take the time to worship and praise Him. Look at how busy have we are, we are working so much that we don't give our brains and bodies a break to think about God, let alone worship Him. How sad. I'm sure satan is delighted.
I also like the idea of a trumpet blasting for the Festival of Trumpets. I played trumpet in high school and enjoyed it immensely. I cannot wait to hear that HUGE trumpet blast when Jesus arrives in all His glory once again!!!
Morgen - MN
Dearest Wendy and wonderful women on this blog. How encouraging you all have been to me. Thank You! I am enjoying this bible study and learning so much.
Joyful-You are a wise women. I do appreciate your comments.
Blessings to all
Debra
OK I had was behind a day in reading and caught up today. I have a question and I don't know if anyone has an answer but it was from yesterday's reading and it talked about how if you had a "defect" you could not offer an offering to God. There is so much in the O.T. that is hard to understand but I guess it is hard for me to understand why if you were born with a "deformity" you could not offer food to God. Does anyone have any insight?
Laura,
I second that question. When I read it, I didnt know what to think.
Debra
Let me look it up and do some research.
Hi girls
I did some research on Laura's question/concern.
First it is important to note that the instructions given were from Moses to the priests, not the people of Israel. I found some wonderful insight from Jamison Faussett Brown. Copy this link and pastes it into your address line. Scroll down to the section 16-24 (bottom of the page)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/leviticus/jfb/leviticus21.htm
Laura, Debra and Wendy,
Wendy, I hope you don't mind if I take a stab at shedding some light on this issue. I did notice this passage yesterday and went to this commentary:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=2&contentID=7431&commInfo=31&topic=Leviticus
(David Guzik)
a. No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God:
This obviously shows God's standard for those who would come before Him in service as priests. The prohibition against those with physical defects was meant to point to the even more obvious need to be free from spiritual defect when coming to God.
and Matthew Henry put it this way:
I. The law concerning priests that had blemishes was, 1. That they might live upon the altar (v. 22): He shall eat of the sacrifices with the other priests, even the most holy things, such as the show-bread and the sin-offerings, as well as the holy things, such as the tithes and first-fruits, and the priests’ share of the peace-offerings. The blemishes were such as they could not help, and therefore, though they might not work, they must not starve. Note, None must be abused for their natural infirmities. Even the deformed child in the family must have its child’s part. 2. Yet they must not serve at the altar, at either of the altars, nor be admitted to attend or assist the other priests in offering sacrifice or burning incense, v. 17, 21, 23. Great men choose to have such servants about them as are sightly, and it was fit that the great God should have such in his house then, when he was pleased to manifest his glory in external indications of it. But it was especially requisite that comely men should be chosen to minister about holy things, for the sake of the people, who were apt to judge according to outward appearance, and to think meanly of the service, how honourable soever it was made by the divine institution, of those that performed it looked despicably or went about it awkwardly. This provision God made for the preserving of the reputation of his altar, that it might not at any time fall under contempt. It was for the credit of the sanctuary that none should appear there who were any way disfigured, either by nature or accident.
So in short, the standard to serve in the priesthood was to be pure and free of blemish (like the sacrifices themselves), so the Holy place did not fall under contempt and so that the people who tend to focus on outward appearance would not belittle the Holy place, or those who served in it. I thought it was important to note that the ban did not extend to the person not being able to eat the food of the priesthood, or to acting as an assistant to the other priests. God knows we are not perfect, so He doesn't expect from us more than we can give.
Karen
Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the sacred rest as well as sacred assembly. Wow.
Did anyone else notice in Leviticus 23:40 how God instructed the Israelites "Then worship with JOY before the Lord your God...?"
This really convicted me. How often, because of my lack of sacred rest and because of trying to get too much done before church on Sunday, do I arrive at church in a bad mood rather than with joy! Ouch!
This is one instruction I definitely am going to think through some more.
Well out Karen. You girls and guys feel free to jump in any time. I, too went to Henry. He is the first place I go to for explanation.
I love to research, don't you? Isn't it awesome that we have tools to help us study?
I meant well put not well out. It has been a LONGGGGGGGGGG day.
Thanks everyone for your help in explaining. I am learning so much by doing the daily reading.
Post a Comment
Home