This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Ask God For Understanding", Leviticus 24:10-23, 9/26/2021

 

 

ASK GOD FOR UNDERSTANDING

 

Lev 24:10-23

 

 

PROBLEMS DRAWS US CLOSE TO GOD

V:10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went    

  out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between

   him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed

   The Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother's

    name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) 12 They put

    him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to

    them.

A. The Israelites were a free people with a slave mentality.

    1. They were in the desert looking back at what they had in 

         Egypt.

    2. They had the law but not a full understanding of it.

    3. The leaders waited for an understanding from Moses

    4. You and I have the Word, but we must study and meditate 

       on the Word to get an understanding.

     5. Moses interceded for the Israelites

     6. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word as we study.

B. God did not tell us what the fight was about.

    1. What He does tell us is that the fight was between an Israelite and   

         a mixed-raced Egyptian/ Israelite son.

    2. We have to be careful who we associate with.

    3. Not everyone believes in our Lord and Savior.

    4. Not everyone follows God’s commands.

    5. When a disagreement arises, we must be careful to guard

         our tongue so we don't curse God.

C. In the course of the fight, the mixed-race son used the name of the

     Lord in vain with a curse, in disobedience to His Law.

            

         

    It was a common practice among the Egyptians to curse their idols   

     when disappointed in obtaining the object of their petitions. The

     Egyptian mind of this youth thought the greatest insult to his

     opponent was to blaspheme the object of his religious reverence. He

     spoke disrespectfully of One who sustained the double character of

     the King as well as the God of the Hebrew people; and as the

     offense was a new one, he was put in ward until the mind of the

      Lord was ascertained as to his disposal.

            (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database.

 

          The Law that was violated  is given in Exodus 20:7

 

            You shall not misuse the name of the Lord  your God, for the    

            Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

 

        1. Perhaps to this point, the punishment for this crime had not

            been given.

        2. We should never use our thoughts to judge the sins of others.

            Matthew 7:1    

 

         " Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you    

          judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it   

           will be measured to you.

 

        3. God is the judge, and we are subject to His judgment.

 

WAIT ON A WORD FROM THE LORD

V:13 Then the Lord  said to Moses: 14 "Take the blasphemer outside    

  the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head,

   and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: 'If

   anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who

   blasphemes the name  Whether an alien or native-born, when he

   blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

A.  The Israelites were to be God’s holy people.

       1. Any offender was to be taken outside the camp for 

           judgment.

       2. To keep His nation Holy, God’s judgment was swift to

           place fear and reverence in the minds of the people.

   

 

     B. The placing of hands formed a public and  

          solemn testimony against the crime, and at

          the same time made the punishment legal.

          1.  This impressive act implied something

               more. Those who laid their hands on the

               head of the criminal were devolved of the

               guilt. 

          2. This prevented the consequence of his

               crime from being attached  to  them or

               to the nation.

          3. The guilt was wholly on the offender.

          4. This left the blood of the offender on his   

              own head, and solemnly acknowledged  

              the justice  of the punishment (. Lev  4:24,29; 16:21). 

              (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic  

              Database. )

 

 

GOD’S LAW OF RESTITUTION

V:17 "'If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.

18 Anyone who takes the life of someone's animal must make restitution —

      life for life.

19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the   

     other, so he is to be injured.

 21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man

      must be put to death.

 

A. While God’s Judgment may differ from our current laws, they

      Were necessary to establish His sovereignty on this newly formed nation.

    1. In Egypt, they had no laws to protect them from the evil of the

        Egyptians or from their own people.

    2. In Egypt, they were slaves with no rights

    3. In Egypt, they were treated as the property of the Pharaoh,

        valued only as free labor.

B. Under God’s control they were free people with divine laws of equality

     Among themselves.

    1. They were subject to the righteousness of God expressed in the

         law of the covenant.

     2. They had to learn that freedom came with responsible behavior

          subject to God’s divine laws.

     3. The Israelites had to learn the fear and reverence of God.

     4. They had to learn the consequences of disobedience the hard way.

     5. The law was given because of their disobedience.

 

         Galatians 3:19    

        What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of   

         transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.

        The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20 A    

         mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

6. God has the same expectations for His Church.

 

GOD’S LAW EQUALLY APPLIED

V:22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.

A. God is no respecter of person.

         

Acts 10:34-35

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that        

 God is no respecter of persons:

 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,

 is accepted with him.

 

Under God, all who believe in Jesus are one in the body of Christ.

 

 

GOD DEMANDS UNITY FOR PUNISHMENT

V:23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer   

  outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord  

   commanded Moses.

 

   Matthew Henry wrote this about God’s reason for the execution by

   The entire nation:

          

   

God put this honor upon the institution of magistracy to make use of it    

 for the supporting and vindicating of his glory in the world

1. The place of execution appointed: Bring him forth without the camp.   

    To signify their detestation of the crime, they must thus cast out the     

     criminal as an abominable branch, and separate him from them as an   

     unclean thing and unworthy a place in the camp of Israel.

 2. The executioners: Let all the congregation do it, to show their zeal   

      for the honor of God's name. Every man should have a stone to   

      throw at him that blasphemes God, reckoning himself nearly

       concerned in the reproaches cast on God, Ps 69:9. Thus also the   

       greater terror would be cast upon the congregation; those that once   

       helped to stone a blasphemer would ever after dread everything

       that bordered upon blasphemy, that looked like it or looked

        towards it.

3. The Solemnity of the execution; before the congregation stoned him,   

     the witnesses were to lay their hands upon his head. The Jews say   

     that this was used in the execution of no criminals but blasphemers;

      and that it was done with words to this purport, "Thy blood be upon

      laid on the law, judges, juries, or witnesses; if thou scornest, thou     

       alone shalt bear it."

 

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Order Of Worship", Liviticus 16:1-16, 9.19/2021

 ORDER OF WORSHIP

 

Leviticus 16:1-17

CONSEQUENCES FOR DISOBEDIENCE

V:1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

A.    The death of Aaron’s sons, who were chosen as priests showed God’s uncompromising commitment to His righteousness.

1.     As priests of our homes, we must never compromise the commands of God in favor of our children.

2.     To compromise God’s commands is to belittle the Holiness of the Lord.

3.     Our children watch, listen, and observe how we serve God.

4.     If we are not committed to following God’s commands, neither will our children.

B.     Aaron had a history of serving God during the release of the nation from Egyptian slavery.

But when he carved the golden calf at mount Sanai, he became an example of unrighteousness

Before the eyes of his sons.

1.     By agreeing to carve the golden calf, Aaron participated in the widespread rebellion against

God and the subsequent death of many of his brothers and sisters.

2.     I suggest that since Aaron was disobedient before the giving of the law, two of Aaron's sons became disobedient after the given of the law.

C.     God does not change.

1.     He requires us to worship Him and Him only.

2.     His wrath fell on Israel before the giving of the law because of their worship of the golden calf.

3.     His wrath fell on Aaron’s sons because they worshipped in their way by offering a strange sacrifice, disobeying the command of God.

D.    God gave Aaron another important command.

1.     Do not go into the Holy of Holies unless instructed by God.

2.     To Aaron, God said the punishment of worshipping Me your way is death.

3.     God gave Aaron two vivid examples of the consequences of disobedience.

4.     Thank God for Jesus who has atoned for our sins.

5.     We cannot go before our Holy God without being washed in the blood of Jesus.

GOD’S COMMAND FOR WORSHIP BY THE PRIEST

V:3 "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. 5 From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

V:6 "Aaron is to offer the bull for his sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 8 He is to cast lots for the two goats — one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat.  9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. 10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.

 

THE ORDER OF WORSHIP

A.    It is important to notice that God established a day of Atonement after the death of Aaron’s sons which is called Yom Kippur.

1.     It is important to notice the very rigorous detail God gave Aaron for the atonement of the sins of the nation.

 

2.    Aaron the High Priest is a type of Jesus Christ.                          CHRIST

                                                                                                                     OUR HIGH PRIEST

Aaron’s garments for Yom Kippur

The elaborate High Priest Garment was taken off and a

humble garment prepared

   Linen undergarment                                                                      JESUS CLOTHED IN

   Linen coat or tunic                                                                         RIGHTEOUSNESS

   Linen sash

   Linen turban

 

Ritual cleansing

    Wash himself completely

    After entering the outer court of the tabernacle                WE ARE WASHED

    Wash his hands and feet with water from                            WITH THE WORD

     the holy basin

 

Selection of sacrificial animals

     All animals were without blemish                                       JESUS THE SACRIFICAL

        A ram for a burnt offering, an act of                                LAMB

        consecration

        A bullock for a sin offering for himself

        and his family

        Two male goats for the people’s sin

 

Cast Lots for the two goats at the entry to the

tabernacle

     One to be sacrificed to the Lord for the sins                    JESUS THE SCAPEGOAT                 

     of the people.                                                                          

     One to be the scapegoat; released to the desert,

     to take the sins from the community.

 

The order of the Sacrifices

1.     The Ram may have been first to consecrate the          JESUS DEATH WAS

Priesthood                                                                           THE FINAL SACRIFICE

2.     Sacrifice the bull

a.     Place the blood of the bull in a sacred vessel

b.     Enter the Holy of Holies

c.      Dip fingers in the blood and sprinkle 7 times

on the mercy seat for atonement

 

3.     Aaron came back out to the altar                                   JESUS BLOOD SHED ON

a.     Sacrifice the goat for the sins of the people            THE CROSS ATONED

b.     Took the blood of the goat into the Holy                 FOR ALL SINS

of Holies

c.      Sprinkle the blood on the front of the mercy seat

d.     Sprinkle the blood on all the furnishing of the

tabernacle

 

THE ATONEMENT OF SINS FOR THE PRIEST

V:11 "Aaron shall bring the bull for his sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his sin offering. 12 He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. 13 He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. 14 He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.

 

A.    Aaron had to physically and spiritually be cleansed from all sin before entering the Holy Of Holies

1.      The smoke from the burning incense covered the ark of the covenant to prevent the sight of Aaron from the Lord.

2.     No man has seen God at anytime

3.     The sprinkling of the blood seven times represents completion.

4.     Jesus’s death on the cross completed the sacrifice for our sins.

B.     Aaron, a role model for Christ had to be washed clean and his sins atoned for with the

Sacrificial bull.

1.     This had to be done before any sacrifices for the people were made.

2.     Christ was without sin, therefore His sacrifice was a one-time event.

 

ATONEMENT OF SINS FOR THE PEOPLE

V:15 "He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. 16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them amid their uncleanness.

A.    Aaron a type of Christ, interceded on behalf of the people for the atonement of their sins.

B.     Christ intercedes for us continuously for the atonement of our sins.

1.     When we come into the sanctuary, we should come with a clean heart leaving all

Filth outside.

2.     Each day and many times a day we ought to confess our sins to be clean before the Lord.

3.     The wages of sin is death, but the grace of God is eternal life.

C.     We are nothing more than filthy rags in need of God’s forgiveness.

1.     The sacrificial blood offerings made by the Israelites were a Tudor until Christ came.

Galatians 3:19-20

What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.

 

2.     The sacrifices under the law had to be made continuously at the Tent Of the Meeting,

Because they were onetime atonements.

a.     By the blood of an animal, no person is saved.

b.     Hebrews 10:3-4

       But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it is impossible for the blood   

       of bulls and goats to take away sins.  Therefore, Christ came into the world.

 

3.     The blood Jesus shed on the cross was a onetime sacrifice, for all times and

For all people, past, present, and future.

 

 

THANK GOD FOR TEACHING US HOW TO WORSHIP

 

Rev. M. Mitchell