Opening up God’s Word: Genesis 12:1-3

Our concern is not so much with Abraham. Our chief focus of attention is on “the God of Abraham.” The story of Abraham is both the story of Abraham and the story of God’s grace and power. We see the grace of God, revealed in the promises of God. We see the power of God, revealed in the fulfilment of His promises: “God can do anything; God can do anything; God can do anything but fail; He can save. He can keep. He can cleanse, and He will. God can do anything but fail.”

God’s promise to Abraham has three parts: (a) personal – “I will bless you; (b) national – “I will make of you a great nation”; (c) universal – “by you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” As the fulfilment of God’s promise moves forward from Abraham to Israel to Christ, we hear God’s Word speaking to us: “I will bless you” – saved, kept, cleansed.

As we receive the blessing of God’s salvation, we discover how faithful God is, in His love towards us. “God can do anything but fail” – God cannot fail, because He is the everlasting God. He is Lord. He is carrying out His purpose, the purpose of His unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable love. This purpose of love is expressed in His promises. His promises has been fulfilled in Christ. His promises are offered to us today. These promises are summed up in the simple yet rich words, “I will bless you.” His promises express “the unchangeable character of His purpose” (Hebrews 6:17). We know that God will not fail us. He will not let us down. He will not forsake us. He will not leave us. We know this not only because of the promise given to Abraham. We know that God is faithful, in His love, because of the Cross of Christ – “the sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19).

As we learn about the faithfulness of God, we discover that the God of Abraham is our  God, and the God of Jesus Christ is our God. We find ourselves drawn to Him. This isn’t a superficial and shallow attraction. It’s a deep devotion. It’s a heartfelt, loving loyalty. As we think about God’s faithfulness, our hearts are filled with hope for the future. This hope is summed up for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. we think of Him, and we say, “Hallelujah! What a Saviour!”

Opening Up God’s Word: Genesis 3

“Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought many devices” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).

* Following the glory and majesty of the Creator and His creation in Genesis 1 & 2, the third chapter of Genesis begins with the enemy of God, the enemy of our souls, the devil, Satan (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). He is “subtle” – sly, cunning, crafty. He is evil.He sows seeds of doubt: “Did God say?” (Genesis 3:1). From his very first words, it is clear that he is the enemy of God. “Did God say? Did God really say?” One can almost hear the wicked, unbelieving tone of voice with which Satan spoke.

* When the woman heard the voice of Satan, she ought to have turned away from him. She ought to have said, “Get behind me, Satan. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She ought to have said this, but she didn’t. She discussed the matter with the enemy. She had no right to do this. There was one answer she ought to have given to the devil: God has spoken, God has stated His will, God has given His Word.  This is what she ought to have said to Satan, but she didn’t.

* As Satan spoke to Eve and she listened to him, he made her doubt God’s Word and question His command. Eve started to talk things over with Satan. This is where she made her big mistake. She should have told Satan that God’s command is for our good. She should have told him that God’s law is good and pure and holy. She should have said this to the devil, but she didn’t. The more Eve spoke with Satan and listened to him, the less she delighted in God’s holy Word; She was seduced by the devil’s subtlety. She was led astray by the deceiver. By this time, Satan had moved beyond questioning God’s Word. He was contradicting it. He was saying the exact opposite of what God had said. He was saying “You will not die” (Genesis 3:4). By this time, Eve was taken in by the tempter. When she looked at the tree, she saw only what Satan wanted her to see (Genesis 3:6). She had cast aside the Word of God and listened, instead, to the voice of the devil. She no longer allowed God’s Word to be the last word on the matter. Now, she thought that she had the right to decide whether or not God’s way was the best way. She made herself the judge of what was good and evil, right and wrong. She had stopped listening to the Word of God. She was no longer committed to obeying the Word of God. The story of Genesis 3:6  continues down to the present day – Adam’s sons are still “rushing helter skelter to destruction with their fingers in their ears” (Don Francisco).

* The immediate effect of sin was shame. Note the contrast between Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:7. Sin and shame go together. Sin is not something of which should be proud. Sin is something of which we should be ashamed. Refusing to listen to god’s word is a matter of great shame. Refusing to do god’s will is a shameful thing. The shamefulness of sin is bound up with the undeniable fact that sin makes us guilty – utterly and completely guilty before God. The innocence of Genesis 1 & 2 was lost. Like, Adam and Eve, we are guilty – unquestionably guilty before the God of perfect holiness. The judgment of God is upon us. Like Adam and Eve, we may resort to finger-pointing. Adam blamed the woman (Genesis 3:12). Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13). There can be no passing the buck. We must acknowledge our sin before God. We must confess our sin to Him. as we come to God, seeking His forgiveness, we will discover the wonder of His love for us.

When we come, acknowledging the holiness of God and our own sin and guilt – “God made man upright, but they have sought many devices”, we discover that the God of great holiness is also the God of great love. The God, who pronounces His judgment upon sin, is also the God who demonstrates His love for sinners.

When God says, “What is this that you have done?” (Genesis 3:13), this is not only a Word of judgment on sin. It’s also the Word that speaks of God’s love for sinners. God is declaring His love for sinners. He is saying, ‘I have loved you so much. There is absolutely no reason why you should have done this.’ God is declaring His love for us. In love, He’s appealing to us not to turn our backs on Him and lose out on the blessing that He wants so much to give to us. He’s saying to us, ‘I love you. Why are you turning away from Me? Will you not return to Me, and discover how much I love you?’

When God says, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9), this is not only a Word of God’s holiness, from which we have been separated by our sin. It’s also a Word of His love, This is God’s seeking love. This is the God of love, seeking the lost sinner. He is saying, ‘I love you, and I am seeking to save you.’

The God of love, the God who seeks to save sinners, gives the first promise of a Saviour, as early as Genesis 3:15. These words, spoken to the enemy. promise that there will be One who will triumph over the enemy: “I will put enmity between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Jesus, our Saviour, fulfils this promise of love. He was “bruised” for our sins, and, through His death, He has triumphed over Satan for us. So, even here in Genesis 3, with its message of sin and guilt, there is, for us, a message of hope – triumphant hope, glorious hope, eternal hope.

Some More Notes On Leviticus

Leviticus 1:1-3:17

We may note the frequent recurrence of the phrase, ‘a soothing aroma to the Lord’ (1:9, 13, 17: 2:2, 9, 12; 3:5, 16). The presence of the Lord is ‘like a fragrance that fills the air.’ Not all people welcome the presence of the Lord. To some, it is ‘the aroma of Christ’, ‘a life-giving fragrance.’ To others, it is ‘a deadly fragrance’ (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). We are to pray that our life – in every part – will be pleasing to the Lord. We are to pray that our life will bring glory to Him. This will involve our worship in the holy place. It will also involve our living for the Lord in the many and varied situations of everyday life.

Leviticus 4:1-35

The word, ‘blood’, appears often here. We may note, in particular, the phrase – in verse 25 – ‘the blood of the offering for sin.’ In the final verse, we see why ‘the blood of the offering for sin’ was shed – ‘forgiveness’ and ‘peace with the Lord.’ Reading about this, our thoughts turn towards Jesus Christ, our Saviour, who died that we might be forgiven. Out of love for us, He gave Himself for our sins so that we might have peace with God (Romans 5:8, 1).

Leviticus 5:1-7:38

In the description of different offerings, we catch a glimpse of our need and Christ’s salvation. There is ‘the offering for sin’ (5:6), ‘the guilt offering’ (6:6), ‘the fellowship offering’ (6:12), ‘the fellowship offering’ (6:12), ‘the fellowship offering of thanksgiving’ (7:15), ‘the contribution offering’ (7:34) and ‘the ordination offering’ (7:37). There is teaching here which helps us to understand our Christian experience. Christ died for our sins to remove our guilt and bring us into fellowship with God. Grateful to Him, we give ourselves to Him, confident that He has ordained that we should bear fruit for Him (1 Peter 1:3:18; John 15:16). All of this arises from the Old Testament details – the burnt offering, the grain offering’ (7:37). We must always look beyond these Old Testament sacrifices to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 8:1-9:24
Aaron was anointed with ‘the anointing oil’, set apart or ‘dedicated’ to the Lord for ‘holy duties’ (8:12, 30). Anointed by the Lord and dedicated to the Lord, ‘Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses’ (8:36). Concerning the Lord’s commands, Moses said, ‘the Lord has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see the Lord’s glory’ (9:6). Together with Moses, Aaron was obedient to God, bringing the blessing of God to the people – ‘Then the Lord’s glory appeared to all the people’ (9:23). The principles of God’s blessing are still the same. We need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. He calls us to obedience. This is the way of receiving God’s blessing. This is the way in which the glory of God comes down upon the people of God. We receive God’s blessing when the Holy Spirit comes down upon us in His mighty power.

Leviticus 10:1-11:47

It is vital that we know ‘the difference between what is holy and what is unholy’ (10:10). God calls us to ‘be holy’. He calls us to ‘live holy lives’ (11:44). This is the central point we must see in all the unfamiliar details of ancient Jewish worship. This is the ‘permanent law’ (10:9, 15). This is the teaching which must be passed on to ‘generations to come.’

Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Again and again, we read the word, ‘clean’. Looking beyond the teaching regarding health, we may recall that ‘the blood of Jesus Christ – God’s Son – cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). This is the cleansing everyone needs. No matter how healthy we may be, in our bodies, we are spiritually diseased, because of sin, and we need Christ’s cleansing.

Leviticus 14:1-57

We read here of our need of cleansing and of the sacrifice of a lamb as a way of removing our guilt and bringing us into peace with God (v. 21). Spiritually, we are ‘poor.’ What we have to bring to God is not ‘that much.’ It is not enough to provide for our cleansing. What we need has been provided for us – ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29). He has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. ‘There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in.’ ‘To God be the glory! Great things He has done.’

Leviticus 15:1-16:34

Each of us is unclean before God. Each of us needs Christ who gives Himself as ‘a sin offering’ to ‘make atonement’ for us (16:16). Christ is the perfect Saviour who ‘bears all our iniquities’ (16:22). Concerning His great Sacrifice for us, the Word of God says, ‘On this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord’ (16:30).

Leviticus 17:1-18:30

Through the shed blood of Christ, we have peace with God and eternal life (17:11; Romans 5:1-2, 8-10). Having received life through Christ, we are to live a new life. We are not to live in the way of the world. We are to live as those who belong to the Lord (18:1-5: Romans 6:12:14; 12:1-21).

Leviticus 19:1-37

Again and again, we read the words, ‘I am the Lord your God’, or more simply, ‘I am the Lord’ (vs. 3, 4, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37). The whole point of this is that our moral practice is grounded in our spiritual worship (Romans 12:1).

Leviticus 20:1-23:44

Our careful obedience to God’s Word is not to be a purely legalistic thing. We must never forget that God is the God of redemption. Our holiness is grounded in Him. He is holy, and He sets us apart as holy (22:31-33). Holy living involves both worship and service. We are to worship God (23:1-4). We must not forget the ‘poor people’ (23:22).

Leviticus 24:1-23

If our light is to be kept burning continually, we need pure oil (24:2). The emphasis here is on keeping close to God. It is only through closeness to God that our light will be kept burning. In verse 15, we read, ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.’ This is followed, in verse 16, by some words of explanation of what bearing his sin meant: ‘He who blasphemes the Name shall be put to death.’ As we read these words, our thoughts move to Another who was put to death – the sinless Saviour who bore the sins of many. ‘He died that we might be forgiven. He died to make us good, that we might go at last to heaven, saved by His precious blood.’ Through Him, we are brought close to God. Through Him, we are brought out of darkness and into light.

Leviticus 25:1-55

This chapter is full of the Lord’s instructions concerning the Jubilee to be celebrated by Israel. Why was it so important for Israel to hear and obey the Word of the Lord? – ‘The Israelites belong to Me as servants. They are My servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God’ (v. 55). This is still the foundation of our call to obedience. The Lord, who calls us to obedience, has first called us to belong to Him through redemption. He has redeemed us. We belong to Him. We will serve Him.

Leviticus 26:1-46

There is blessing for those who learn to obey the Lord (vs. 3-13). There is judgment for those who persist in sinning against the Lord (vs. 14-33). The opportunity of blessing remains even

for those who are in despair and are wasting away because of sin (vs. 36, 39). God says, ‘I will remember My promise’ (v. 42).

Those who have sinned against the Lord ‘must accept their

guilt.’ This is the first step towards coming to know the

blessing of the Lord their God who says, ‘I will not reject them

or look at them with disgust’ (v. 43).

Leviticus 27:1-34

The underlying theme in this final chapter is giving ourselves to the Lord. We are to belong to Him. We are to be dedicated to Him. We are to be set apart for Him. We are to be holy. Such dedication to the Lord is to affect the whole of our life. We

learn this from the variety of details in this chapter. There can be no turning back from following the Lord. Those who turn back do themselves much harm. Through their disobedience to the Lord, they become spiritually dead. Keep up your dedication to the Lord.

Leviticus: A Call To Worship

On reading the book of Leviticus, we are struck by the strangeness of it all. It all seems so different from anything we have ever known. Are we, then, to conclude that we have nothing in common with those who worshipped the God of Israel in these far-off Old Testament times? Are we to abandon the Old Testament, especially the most difficult parts, as a waste of time?

Many people have done exactly that. They hardly ever read the Bible. When they do read the Bible, they restrict themselves to a few favourite passages. The treasures of art, architecture, music and literature are not discovered by the casual observer. It is precisely the same with the treasures of God’s Word. We must not settle for the passing glance. If we are to find treasure, we must dig for it. We must dig deep.

When we dig deep in the book of Leviticus, we will discover spiritual principles for today’s Church. There are things, in Leviticus, which are very different from life in the Christian Church today. Nevertheless, there are spiritual principles which remain constant. The underlying message of Leviticus is still relevant to us.

If we want to learn about worshipping God, we can learn a great deal from the book of Leviticus. Here are four key features of true worship:

(i) glory – ‘the glory of the Lord will appear to you’ (9:6);

(ii) cleansing – ‘he shall be clean (14:20);

(iii) thanksgiving – ‘a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord’ (22:29);

(iv) holiness – ‘you shall hold a holy convocation’ (23:36).

(i) ‘The glory of the Lord will appear to you.’ Can there be anything more wonderful than this? The glory of the Lord has appeared among men and women. In our sinful world, the glory of the Lord has appeared. This is not merely an event from many centuries ago. It is an event which continues to happen. Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. The glory of God has been revealed in Christ. The Old Testament revelation of God’s glory cannot compare with the fullness of glory revealed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of sinners. The glory of God continues to shine brightly wherever Jesus Christ is worshipped as the Son of God and the Saviour of sinners. May the glory of the Lord appear to us. May the glory of Jesus Christ shine brightly as we gather together to worship Him. May His glory fill our lives.

(ii) ‘He shall be clean.’ Why did the Old Testament priests bring blood offerings to God? They brought these offerings so that there might be cleansing for guilty sinners. Is this not what we need today? – Cleansing from sin. Our lives have been stained by sin. We are guilty before God. What can we do? We can come to the Lord and seek His cleansing? In the Old Testament period, there was an elaborate system of sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin and the removal of guilt. Now that Christ has come and died for our sins, this complicated system of sacrifices is no longer required. We are now able to come to God the Father through Christ who died for us – ‘The blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7). ‘Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?’ – This is the question that God puts to each one of us.

(iv) ‘A sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord’. When we have been cleansed by the Lord, we are to give thanks to Him. In Luke 17:11-19, we read of ten lepers who were cleansed by Jesus. Only ‘one of them … praised God and gave thanks’ (vs. 15-16). Jesus said, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?’ (v. 17). Jesus Christ has died for us so that our sins might be forgiven. Why do we, so often, take Him for granted? Why are we so slow to offer to Him our praise and thanksgiving? He calls us to remember Him, yet we, so easily, forget Him.

* ‘O happy day that fixed my choice’ – Is your choice fixed on Jesus?

* ‘When Jesus washed my sins away, He taught me how to watch and pray.’ – Do you want to learn to pray? ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’

* ‘High heaven that heard the solemn vow, that vow renewed shall daily hear’ – ‘All the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord’ (9:5). Will you stand before Him and renew your vows to Him? This is ‘the sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord.’

(iv) ‘You shall hold a holy convocation.’ We are to ‘worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’ The holiness for which God is looking for is holiness of life which is rooted in holiness of heart. What a difference there is between the false ‘holiness’ of the Pharisees and true Christ-centred holiness of heart and life. God is calling us to seek holiness. There can be no true happiness without holiness.

A Promise Of Blessing And A Warning Against Disobedience

God wants “to heal Israel” (Hosea 7:1). Sadly, there is so much “sin” in the hearts of Israel - “I trained them and made them strong. Yet, they plan evil against Me” (Hosea 7:15). God wants to send His blessing. Sadly, “they don’t return to the Most High” (Hosea 7:16). This is Israel’s story. It’s also our story. God is calling us to return to Him, to be trained by Him, to live in His presence, to enjoy His blessing, to give praise and glory to Him.

In Hosea 8, we read about God’s judgment on the sinful nation of Israel. His standard is perfect holiness. Every one of us falls short. None of us can stand before God’s righteous judgment. There is, one Man who has not fallen short. God’s Son, Jesus, our Saviour, has taken our sin upon Himself so that we might receive His salvation. This is the Gospel. It is Good News for sinners.

“The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim” (Hosea 9:8). Being a watchman will involve speaking strong words of warning. It’s not easy to speak God’s Word. It’s not easy to hear His Word. His Word calls for change. It calls us to come out of our sin and into His holiness. The watchman must speak of “days of punishment” and “days of reckoning.” He must speak about “sins” and “hostility” (Hosea 9:7). Why must he speak of such things? Before people can turn to the Lord, they must be shown that they need the Lord. The watchman does not do this work on His own. It is “the prophet, along with my God” who “is the watchman.” We must never forget the Lord our God. Without Him, we can never be real and true watchman. With Him by our side, we will listen to what men will say, “The prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac” (Hosea 9:7). We still say, “Being a fool for God is very different from being a fool.” “The fool says in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). A fool for God is only a fool in the eyes of men. He’s not a fool in the eyes of the One who really matters - the Lord.

God speaks to His people with a promise of blessing and a warning against disobedience. The blessing is there, waiting for us. We lose out on the blessing when we continue to walk on the pathway of disobedience. God says to us, “Plough new ground for yourselves, plant righteousness, and reap the blessings that your devotion to Me will produce.” This is the promise of blessing, with its call to return to the Lord. Alongside this promise of blessing, with its call to turn to the Lord - “It is time for you will come and pour out blessings upon you” (Hosea 10:12), there is God’s warning against following a way of life upon which His judgment rests: “But instead you planted evil and reaped its harvest. You have eaten the fruit produced by your lies” (Hosea 10:13).

The New Birth

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew (from above), he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

(1) The absolute need of the new birth – because of sin (Romans 3:23);

(2) The Gospel basis for the new birth is the death of Christ for us (Titus 3:3-7).

(3) The indispensable condition for the new birth is personal faith in Christ (John 1:12-13).

(4) The spiritual character of the new birth – by the Spirit through the Word (1 Peter 1:23-25);

(5) The spiritual benefits of the new birth:

     (a) a child of God (Galatians 4:4-6);

     (b) a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17);

     (c) partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1;3-4);

     (d) sharing in Christ’s victory (1 John 5:4-5);

     (e) eternal life (1 John 5:11-12).

The “Rock of our salvation”

Isaiah speaks words of prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the “Rock of our salvation”, the “precious Cornerstone”, the “solid Foundation” (Isaiah 28:16). Jesus Christ gives us the blessings of God’s salvation – “the deaf will hear the words, written in the book. The blind will see out of their gloom and darkness. Humble people again will find joy in the Lord” (Isaiah 29:18-19). With the Gospel proclamation – in Christ, there is full salvation – comes an appeal to come to Him and receive the blessings, promised to us by the God of love: “This is what the Almighty Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, You can be saved by returning to Me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting Me” (Isaiah 30:15). The Lord is looking for our response. He longs to pour out His blessing on those who put their trust in Him: “The Lord is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18). To those who put their trust in Him,the Lord gives His promise. He will lead them in the pathway of obedience, which is the highway of holiness – “You will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way. Follow it” (Isaiah 30:21).