Daily Bible Portion (Wednesday)
Daily Bible Portion – 4 of 7
"AND HE CALLED"
(Weekly Reading>>Leviticus 1:1-6:7, Isaiah 43:21-44:23, Hebrews 10: 1-18, Romans 8:1-13)
We also know that our walk as believers is more than a good-feely emotion. Love, if applied the way Yeshua taught us, is the grace of God that causes a life changing behavior in people’s lives. What we lack in the body of believers is not a belief system but how to walk in our redemption.
In Luke 19 Yeshua had dinner with Zacchaeus and his friends. They were sinners and stayed in their sin because others had not cared enough to explain to them what sin/lawlessness was. No different than today when we baptise for repentence of sin yet nobody explains what biblical repentence or sin is. Even the Pharisees stayed away. Yeshua took the time to sit among them to describe dishonor in such a way that did not make them feel uncomfortable or guilty but encouraged them to take responsibility for their own sin/lawlessness. Yeshua would have given the people principles behind what sin/lawlessness was and the grace to learn how to cleanse themselves of their sin/lawlessness. This made all the difference and created miracles that changed people’s lives.
The principles taught by Yeshua were from the Mosaic Covenant listed in the book of Leviticus. Not one person at Zacchaeus’ dinner had heard of this before. Yeshua shared the spiritual food for the salvation of their souls and then shared how to have eternal life by choosing to sin [continue in lawless behaviour] no longer (circumcising sin from their hearts).
Redemption is not about leaving people at forgiveness. It is about washing the body of guilt and sin (Ephesians 25:26). Without the redemptive application, grace and forgiveness have no power and fall flat. After Yeshua healed the people, time and time again he said, “go and sin no more.” When the proper understanding of sin [1 John 3:4] is applied to the statement what Yeshua said is go and be instructionless/lawlessness no more. He could only say this if they had been taught what sin was and had the understanding and self discipline through the power of the Holy Spirit to walk away from it and not touch it again. If the explanation of what sin is and how one is to take responsibility to cleanse ones self is missing , then there is no Gospel message (no grace). That is called being religious - a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Yeshua taught us to cleanse the people of their sin, not leave them in it. Yeshua was teaching from Moses (Leviticus) from where we learn the importance of the Gospel/redemption message that leads to eternal life. This is the goal of our faith/salvation (Micah 6:8). No one can come into the presence of The Lord in a sinful state. Try as we might, it just does not work that way.
“What is sin and how is sanctification applied,” is what we need to ask. We need to move past the cross and give the sinner something to work with so they can grasp how to cleanse themselves. This is why the book of Leviticus is so crucial for believers today. When Yeshua met that one time with Zacchaeus and his friends, sin was the first message. He was very clear, teaching them in love and giving them the right tools to help make restitution. A distinct explanation of the sin is imperative to understand how to begin the walk of redemption. This is what the Gospel message is all about; otherwise we practice greasy grace (a form of religion/godliness but denying its power 2 Timothy 3:2-5). Yeshua, at the dinner with sinners, not only gave the principle of the sin of dishonor but He added direction that if followed would bring about the change in people’s lives called eternal life . Eternal life is the goal of a redeemed people walking out a redeemed lifestyle.
The idea that one could be responsible for their sin was revolutionary in Yeshua day. No one had taught like this before. Yeshua literally placed the opportunity to choose life or choose death right into the hands of the people. Since the foundation of the world, Yeshua has made the way for us by the shedding of His blood, the offering for our sin. He then imbued us with the power of His Spirit to overcome temptation (Revelation 13:8). After the cross it is now up to the people to be responsible for their sin/lawlessness, as they have been given the power and authority to actively resist temptation and sin by obeying His word. To obey the instruction (directions) would bring about their freedom from the entanglement of sin and enter them into eternal life.
Knowing this caused Zacchaeus and the people with him to delight in repenting as we see by his reaction. Here he was, a dishonest tax collector. When he understood the principles of life spoken at Mount Sinai through Moses and that he had sinned against God and against his fellow man, and that he could do something about it, he gladly repented . He joyfully took responsibility for his sins and made restitution by paying back four times the amount plus one fifth for what he had robbed by his dishonest gain. Zacchaeus had a heart transformation and through the grace he had been shown his world changed (Luke 19:8).
Sadly today we do not see many people weeping over their sin or repenting, as many do not know what sin is. We get the impression today that many hope the church would embrace and support them in their lifestyle of sin, which is now named tolerance, diversity, open-mindedness, progressiveness, socially correct and sameness. How far is grace extended before sin is called sin?
People are looking for answers. What is sin and how do we take responsibility for it to make it right before God ? This is the whole Gospel message of grace, love and forgiveness that is written in the Torah that leads to eternal life (Matthew 23:23). Have we forgotten or have we watered down the Gospel message like Yeshua noted to the seven churches of believers in the Book of Revelation? Where is our courage to converse with people the way Yeshua communicate about sin so that people will want to react the way Zacchaeus did? Too often we are worried about our image or offending the sinner. Often times believers use an inordinate amount of grace, which seems to be what holds the sinner back from repenting and taking responsibility for their sin. My hope and prayer is that we would not use carnal love, but really “love” people as Yeshua loved them. This is what Yeshua said about his love,
The Book of Leviticus
Yeshua revealed to us His kingdom principles and how to have eternal life through the use of prophetic pictures. One of these pictures is the tabernacle. The tabernacle announces the embodiment of the Living Torah and reveals Yeshua’s life and love to His people. It is also where we find Spirit Life. With this picture we enter the study of the book of Leviticus.
Leviticus opens with the five offerings called korban in Hebrew, which means to come near to Yahweh. The offerings are: the elevation/burnt offering, the meal/grain offering, fellowship/ peace offering, sin offering and guilt offering.
The Five Offerings - Korban
(Leviticus 1)
Who brought these offerings? The Sages say, “The offerings effectiveness depended upon the high moral and spiritual character of those who live by the discipline of His Word - Torah.” The purpose of the offerings was to bring an unclean status of the soul into a clean status and to bring a redeemed people into a holy lifestyle. If we examine the reasons behind each type of sacrifice we cannot fail to note that the sacrificial service was clearly meant to serve Yahweh beyond the outer court of the tabernacle/mishkan . The offerings are to prepare a people to meet with Him in the Holy Place.
continues tomorrow...
"AND HE CALLED"
(Weekly Reading>>Leviticus 1:1-6:7, Isaiah 43:21-44:23, Hebrews 10: 1-18, Romans 8:1-13)
We also know that our walk as believers is more than a good-feely emotion. Love, if applied the way Yeshua taught us, is the grace of God that causes a life changing behavior in people’s lives. What we lack in the body of believers is not a belief system but how to walk in our redemption.
In Luke 19 Yeshua had dinner with Zacchaeus and his friends. They were sinners and stayed in their sin because others had not cared enough to explain to them what sin/lawlessness was. No different than today when we baptise for repentence of sin yet nobody explains what biblical repentence or sin is. Even the Pharisees stayed away. Yeshua took the time to sit among them to describe dishonor in such a way that did not make them feel uncomfortable or guilty but encouraged them to take responsibility for their own sin/lawlessness. Yeshua would have given the people principles behind what sin/lawlessness was and the grace to learn how to cleanse themselves of their sin/lawlessness. This made all the difference and created miracles that changed people’s lives.
The principles taught by Yeshua were from the Mosaic Covenant listed in the book of Leviticus. Not one person at Zacchaeus’ dinner had heard of this before. Yeshua shared the spiritual food for the salvation of their souls and then shared how to have eternal life by choosing to sin [continue in lawless behaviour] no longer (circumcising sin from their hearts).
Redemption is not about leaving people at forgiveness. It is about washing the body of guilt and sin (Ephesians 25:26). Without the redemptive application, grace and forgiveness have no power and fall flat. After Yeshua healed the people, time and time again he said, “go and sin no more.” When the proper understanding of sin [1 John 3:4] is applied to the statement what Yeshua said is go and be instructionless/lawlessness no more. He could only say this if they had been taught what sin was and had the understanding and self discipline through the power of the Holy Spirit to walk away from it and not touch it again. If the explanation of what sin is and how one is to take responsibility to cleanse ones self is missing , then there is no Gospel message (no grace). That is called being religious - a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:2-5). Yeshua taught us to cleanse the people of their sin, not leave them in it. Yeshua was teaching from Moses (Leviticus) from where we learn the importance of the Gospel/redemption message that leads to eternal life. This is the goal of our faith/salvation (Micah 6:8). No one can come into the presence of The Lord in a sinful state. Try as we might, it just does not work that way.
“What is sin and how is sanctification applied,” is what we need to ask. We need to move past the cross and give the sinner something to work with so they can grasp how to cleanse themselves. This is why the book of Leviticus is so crucial for believers today. When Yeshua met that one time with Zacchaeus and his friends, sin was the first message. He was very clear, teaching them in love and giving them the right tools to help make restitution. A distinct explanation of the sin is imperative to understand how to begin the walk of redemption. This is what the Gospel message is all about; otherwise we practice greasy grace (a form of religion/godliness but denying its power 2 Timothy 3:2-5). Yeshua, at the dinner with sinners, not only gave the principle of the sin of dishonor but He added direction that if followed would bring about the change in people’s lives called eternal life . Eternal life is the goal of a redeemed people walking out a redeemed lifestyle.
The idea that one could be responsible for their sin was revolutionary in Yeshua day. No one had taught like this before. Yeshua literally placed the opportunity to choose life or choose death right into the hands of the people. Since the foundation of the world, Yeshua has made the way for us by the shedding of His blood, the offering for our sin. He then imbued us with the power of His Spirit to overcome temptation (Revelation 13:8). After the cross it is now up to the people to be responsible for their sin/lawlessness, as they have been given the power and authority to actively resist temptation and sin by obeying His word. To obey the instruction (directions) would bring about their freedom from the entanglement of sin and enter them into eternal life.
Knowing this caused Zacchaeus and the people with him to delight in repenting as we see by his reaction. Here he was, a dishonest tax collector. When he understood the principles of life spoken at Mount Sinai through Moses and that he had sinned against God and against his fellow man, and that he could do something about it, he gladly repented . He joyfully took responsibility for his sins and made restitution by paying back four times the amount plus one fifth for what he had robbed by his dishonest gain. Zacchaeus had a heart transformation and through the grace he had been shown his world changed (Luke 19:8).
Sadly today we do not see many people weeping over their sin or repenting, as many do not know what sin is. We get the impression today that many hope the church would embrace and support them in their lifestyle of sin, which is now named tolerance, diversity, open-mindedness, progressiveness, socially correct and sameness. How far is grace extended before sin is called sin?
People are looking for answers. What is sin and how do we take responsibility for it to make it right before God ? This is the whole Gospel message of grace, love and forgiveness that is written in the Torah that leads to eternal life (Matthew 23:23). Have we forgotten or have we watered down the Gospel message like Yeshua noted to the seven churches of believers in the Book of Revelation? Where is our courage to converse with people the way Yeshua communicate about sin so that people will want to react the way Zacchaeus did? Too often we are worried about our image or offending the sinner. Often times believers use an inordinate amount of grace, which seems to be what holds the sinner back from repenting and taking responsibility for their sin. My hope and prayer is that we would not use carnal love, but really “love” people as Yeshua loved them. This is what Yeshua said about his love,
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them , it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
The Book of Leviticus
Yeshua revealed to us His kingdom principles and how to have eternal life through the use of prophetic pictures. One of these pictures is the tabernacle. The tabernacle announces the embodiment of the Living Torah and reveals Yeshua’s life and love to His people. It is also where we find Spirit Life. With this picture we enter the study of the book of Leviticus.
Leviticus opens with the five offerings called korban in Hebrew, which means to come near to Yahweh. The offerings are: the elevation/burnt offering, the meal/grain offering, fellowship/ peace offering, sin offering and guilt offering.
The Five Offerings - Korban
(Leviticus 1)
Who brought these offerings? The Sages say, “The offerings effectiveness depended upon the high moral and spiritual character of those who live by the discipline of His Word - Torah.” The purpose of the offerings was to bring an unclean status of the soul into a clean status and to bring a redeemed people into a holy lifestyle. If we examine the reasons behind each type of sacrifice we cannot fail to note that the sacrificial service was clearly meant to serve Yahweh beyond the outer court of the tabernacle/mishkan . The offerings are to prepare a people to meet with Him in the Holy Place.
continues tomorrow...
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