1 – “ Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:12, ESV)
RAF: It is not enough that our children are “our” children in that we know the Lord. It is not enough that they be the children of priests, or even priests themselves. Do they know the Lord? This is the critical thing. This is what we need to raise them to, to know God for themselves.
1 – ” And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.” (Judges 13:1, ESV)
RAF: It is amazing in this book to see how long the People of God can walk in obstinance before they feel the pain of their fall and cry for recovery. Over and over. – Heavenly Father, give me a heart that repents at the drop of a dime. Do not let me grow so hard and cold that long times pass before I feel the woeful state of my soul and fly back to you.
1 – “ Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today.” (Deuteronomy 27:1, ESV)
RAF: The whole of God’s words to them is seen as a unity. It is spoken of here as the “whole commandment” in the singular. While the New Covenant believer is not “under the Law”, nevertheless, every word God speaks is precious, and to be considered. By it, we know His heart and mind in a vast variety of situations and circumstances.
1 – “Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him.)” (Deuteronomy 10:9, ESV)
RAF: Now, as we are a “royal priesthood” 1 Peter 2:9, and we receive the “earnest of our inheritance” Ephesians 1:14 in the Holy Spirit – we see that the Levitical priesthood was a type of the Christian. As their inheritance is God and not earthly plots of ground – so ours. Imagine, we inherit the fullness of God.
1 – ““But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.” (Numbers 35:16-21, ESV)
RAF: Murder is distinguished from manslaughter by these 3 things. To be “murder” it must bear at least one of these elements:
a. Use of a weapon. b. Predisposition of hatred or enmity. c. Premeditation by lying in wait.
1 – “”Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”” (Numbers 27:16-17, ESV)
RAF: What a beautiful prefiguring of Christ. Even though he is about to face death, his heart is concerned for the people – that they might not be Shepherdless. Though it was on their account that he would not be crossing over, nevertheless, he loves them – as they are God’s people. And one cannot truly love God, and not love those upon whom He puts His name and calls His own. Moses could only consign them to the care of another like himself – Joshua. But Jesus consigned us to another like HIMSELF, the Holy Spirit. John 14:18 / 1 John 2:7-11
1 – ““This is the law when someone dies in a tent: everyone who comes into the tent and everyone who is in the tent shall be unclean seven days. And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean. Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel. Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.” (Numbers 19:14-19, ESV)
RAF: This ministry of cleansing one another from this defilement was not carried out by the Priests, but by anyone who was clean in the congregation. It was ministry one to another.
1 – “ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. “And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from his people.” (Leviticus 17:1-9, ESV)
RAF: There could be no such thing as private sacrifice. Perhaps the equivalent of modern home churches. Sacrifice was commanded worship and it was not allowed to be conducted outside the context of the Tabernacle. Why? Because it leads to idolatry, and a service to God which is detached from the rest of His people. One cannot have a right relationship with God, and not also be connected to His people. One ought to want connection to His people in the larger context and not want to privatize his service to God.
1 – “He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” (Leviticus 1:4, ESV)
RAF: Perfection has always been God’s standard. That is why we need a Savior.
1 – ” The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you:” (Exodus 31:1-6, ESV)
RAF: Note how even these natural giftings come from God and are the work of His Spirit within us. This is why even our “secular” work is to be done as unto Him. He gives the talents and abilities and they are to be utilized in light of His working in us.
ResponsiveReiding 