1 – ““If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,” (Leviticus 4:13, ESV)

RAF: We must realize that there are times when God’s people as a whole will slip into sin over time. The condition of the Church in a city, a region, even a nation can slid into sin in a general way. The law here regarding the sacrifice for such an occasion bring to mind the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation. In all but two of the 7, the group as a group had taken on a particular sinful bent. Thus the need even now to avoid movements and trends and fads within the Church. Sectarianism can lead us to such places as well. Once we have broken off into our “purer” group, the group atmosphere becomes the test of orthodoxy more than the ongoing vitality of intimacy with the Lord, and fidelity to His Word.

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1 – “You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.” (Exodus 31:14, ESV)

RAF: This seems strange doesn’t it? first, because REST has to be commanded. And secondly, that failure to use this rest should be punished by death. But Scripture elsewhere affirms the necessity of both. First, that in refusing to rest, man makes himself to be his own god. He is above God, not recognizing that all came from Him and that He ultimately is to be relied upon and seen as the provider of all things. To fail to rest is to refuse to acknowledge God as God, and that He has made all things, and that we are to look to Him, trust Him and not imagine everything in life depends upon us and our own efforts. Nor are we to be so greedy, that we are not satisfied with what can be obtained in the normal appointed course of work. But secondly, this weekly rest is shown to be a type or shadow of the “rest” to come, which is the heaven obtained not by works, but by resting in the finished work of Christ. And this is what cuts a man off from the household of faith – not to rest in the finished work of Christ. To try and obtain justification before God by effort, rather than by faith alone. It speaks to the very heart of the Gospel.

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1 – Gen. 35:² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.

RAF: It appears the presence of foreign gods here would be related to verse 29 of the previous chapter where the Shechemite women and children were taken captive.

2 – “While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:” (Genesis 35:22, NIV)

RAF: As Jacob did nothing upon the news of the rape of Dinah, so he did nothing here either. The unresponsiveness of fathers to the sins of their children is a recurring theme throughout Bible. This pattern will be repeated in Eli, Samuel and David – each time with disastrous results. We must learn that no response is in fact a response, and does not clear us of responsibility. Doing nothing in the face of evil, whether at home, or in society, is to give tacit approval.

Note sons: For this sin, though Jacob took no action here, Reuben lost the position of the firstborn among his brethren. Sin unaddressed by human hands, will still be addressed by God. Non “gets away with it”. God is a God of justice.

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I’m off to get in touch with my inner Pig.

Hope to be back on line Thursday – July 10th.

See ya!

1 – “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:4, ESV)

RAF: We are not called to a “blind faith” as is assumed by some. We believe in a God who is as obvious as the physical universe He created to reveal Himself. And one who inserted Himself into the affairs of men. One who walked among us, and whose history is as documentable as our own, since it is bound up with our own. It is THIS Jesus we are asked to believe in. That we might have certainty.

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1 – “ And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.” (Mark 10:13-16, ESV)

RAF: Children have their part in the Kingdom as well. They are not to be treated as though they have no spiritual life or cannot enter in. We are to bring them up in the things of the Lord. To teach them to see the world through Biblical eyes. To know god made them, in His image, for Himself. That He is their creator and God. That there are spiritual realities. That they were born in sin alienated from the life of God and that they need reconciled to Him. Hoe good He is. How He has provided for them and cared for them. We do not wait until they are older, we begin right away to steep them in the truth of Christ.

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1 – “ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”” (Mark 1:1-3, ESV)

RAF: The Gospel must begin with an announcement. All must prepare themselves, because the Lord is to visit us. How then shall we be ready? How then, shall we live. We ever preach, and ever live in the light of His second coming now, even as they did in the light of His incarnation.

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1 – “ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 10:1, ESV)

RAF: It is important to see that what they were given was authority, not innate power. We often seek for ability that is bestowed upon us to use as we see fit. Instead, He gives permission to act on His behalf – in His name. How careful then we must be. For what is done under such circumstances must be done so as to say we are acting as He would under the same circumstances. To act as His agents accomplishing His will, and not as free agents to accomplish ours.

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1 – ” Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals—” (Amos 2:6, ESV)

RAF: Israel is judged for: a. Perverting justice in favor of the rich; b. Ignoring the poor; c. Rampant sexual immorality; d. Idolatry; e. Profaning true worship.

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