Lev.24-27  Putting things in order

 

Intro: Tonight we are going to finish the book of Leviticus / Obviously not going to cover every verse – Much is self explanatory

A)Approach tonight – theme of each Chapt. And Highlight some main points before moving on

 

B) We pick up in Ch. 24 – Theme Holy Oil / Holy Bread / and Holy name of God .

 

C) V.1-4 Give instruction about the Burning of the lamp stand in the Holy Place and the oil used to fill the lamps

1)   We looked at this previously in the book of Exodus / 25 in depth

 

D) Lamp stand speaks of Jesus as the light of the world-

1)   But Jesus also said that we are lights of the world

 

The Key Phrase is in v.2 told – they were to burn continually –

A)Oil – representative of the H.S. – We need that Continual filling if we are going to burn continually – Eph. 5:18

 

B) Not once / twice / not get it ALL when saved- but constantly need to be asking the Lord to fill us a fresh w/ His spirit

 

C) Interesting to note that the lamp stand – lit up the Holy Place / cast light upon the Altar of incense & the Table of Showbread

1)   I believe that the defining marks of a person who is walking in the spirit  who is dependent upon the spirit – The Word & Prayer

 

D) The Altar of Incense speaks of prayer –

 

The showbread – speaks to us of Jesus the Bread of life

A)The Living Word – who has given us His written word that nourishes are hearts Key v. 8 – Word was to be continually before the Lord

 

B) The Lamps burning continually and the Word being Present continually speaks of our need – Constantly in the word /

1)   AND CONTINUALLY FILLED W/ THE SPIRIT

 

C) Awesome Combo – Col. 3:16 / Eph. 5:18

 

V. 10-16 Holy name of God – Sin of Blasphemy

A)Cursing God results in death – Job –Curse God & die

 

B) Blasphemy is something that many people worry about today – Blasphemy of the H.S. – UNPARDONABLE SIN

 

C) Understand that part of the purpose of the O.T. is to teach us about the Holiness of God !!!!

1)    God is Holy and He takes sin seriously – Given certain regulations to be followed as well as things to avoid – Penalty breaking is death !!!!

 

D) But Part of the Purpose of the N.T. is to teach us about God’s Grace

1)   That God bestows favor upon those who don’t deserve it !!!

 

 

Now it is important to understand that God’s Holiness hasn’t been lessoned in anyway when you get to the N.T.

A)He still hates sin and the penalty for Blasphemy – cursing God / telling God you hate Him – is still death

 

B) The Only Difference is this : In the N.T. Jesus has paid the price for that sin – Jesus took your punishment / died in your place

1)   So one some one says – I was mad at God and told Him I hated Him – I cursed God – did I commit the sin of Blasphemy – Answer is Yes

 

C) Then they ask – Does that mean I am going to die and go to Hell ? Well that depends – on what do w/ Jesus – Saved & be forgiven

     1) He took Your place -   Reject Him You are lost & doomed /

       Explain Blasphemy of the H.S. – Continual rejection

Ch. 25 – Theme The Instructions concerning the Sabbath yr. and the year of Jubilee – v.3,4

A)The basic premise was this – the Lord instructed the People to sow and plant & Harvest for 6 yrs / after the 6th yr. / take 7th off

 

B) Now Why would the Lord want them to do this – 2 reasons

1)    1st Because God Knew all along what man has discovered that it is good agriculturally to give the land a rest

 

C) It is helpful to the soil – farmers today will allow sections of their fields to rest while they plant in the others – They Rotate sections

 

D) 2nd Because God wanted the people to trust Him – He promised to Provide triple fold  in that 6th yr.  read v. 18-21  

1)   So it was an issue of Trust

 

 

The Lord calls on us to do the same – To put Him First / to take a day one out of 7 given to the Lord – trust He will provide –

A)Trust He will help you get done what needs to be done

 

There is a story about a man who was lost in the desert outside of Barstow

He was dying of thirst in the middle of the desert when he came upon a deserted shack There outside of the shack was a water pump but  It didn't work

 

But there was a note attached to it that said: Dig down beneath the pump and you will find a jug of water Take that water and prime the pump with it Do NOT drink a drop

 

He did what the note said and FOUND the jug/ but now He had a decision to make

He had a SMALL amount of water in his hand Exactly enough to prime the pump

BUT - What if the pump was dry

 

Then he would have poured out enough water to last him at least a day

 

What Should He do? How many Drink the water ? How many Prime the Pump ?

He poured the jug into the pump and cranked the handle a few times and as he did water gushed out

A)THAT is exactly they way it was with the Sabbath year/Jubilee...

     The choice was theirs

 

B) THAT is exactly the way it is with the things of God NOT just with financial things but with all things

1)   Pour it into God's pump and let Him GUSH forth His provision for every

    area of your life

 

C)Israel had a hard time –trusting the Lord to keep the Sabbath yrs and so do we !!!

 

So they were to work 6 yrs / one off / 6 yrs one off / after doing that seven times – 49 yrs would pass – 50th yr. was the yr. of Jubilee

A)To celebrate the yr. of Jubilee the people were to take off not only the 49th yr. the Sabbath yr. but also the 50th yr.

 

B) The Lord promised if they would keep this He would provide in the 48th yr. to cover all the time off

 

C) Problem is the people decided that they were not going to keep the Sabbath yrs –

1)   The Lord allowed them to ignore it for 490 yrs

 

D)But then he declared – You owe me 70 yrs – for that reason He allowed them to be taken captive into Babylon for 70 yrs / 70 Sabbaths

2Chr. 36:21   1to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

 

QUOTE: "The wheels of God's judgment TURN SLOWLY but they GRIND THOROUGHLY"

 

E) He waited 490 years... But then He said: Time to pay up/ Babylon

Now the rest of Ch. 21 deals w/ some of the Privileges that accompanied that Yr. of Jubilee

A)If you purchased or leased property – you could do so until the yr. of Jubilee – after that it went back to it’s original owner

 

B) Keep things even amongst the tribes – Keep one tribe from Monopolizing all the land

 

C) Now there was a way to get it sooner / than waiting until the yr. of Jubilee if there was a next of Kin who could buy it back for you v. 25-28

1)   Kinsman redeemer – Ruth

 

D) Another Privilege  - slaves become free / normally 6 yrs – but shortened if became a slave a few yrs before the yr. of Jubilee

1)   The rest of the Ch. Deals w/ different variations & scenarios of this law of redemption

 

Ch. 26 – Theme Promise of Blessing for Obedience

Pronouncement of Judgment on the Disobedient   - Read v. 1-13

A)The Lord calls followers of Jesus  today to follow two simple commands – Love the Lord w/ all their heart soul mind & strength

 

B) The 2nd is the result of the By product of the first – Love our neighbor as ourselves –

1)   Following Jesus we will Love like Jesus – Jesus said all of the commandments are summed up in those two

 

C) The Result of that : Fruitfulness – Jn. 15 told God is gloried when we bear much fruit – Purpose of our existence

1)   We exist for Him – We exist to bring Him pleasure

 

It results in Provision –Our needs our met

A)Results in Peace / heart is right w/ God – His peace in trying situations

   Results in Security going to heaven

 

B) Results in victory – More than Conquerors through ……us

1)   Victory over our trials

2)    Victory in Spiritual Battle

 

C) Results in an abundance of Grace – when falter

1)   results in Growth in our lives

 

D) Best of all – The Abiding of God’s presence

 

Well, Pastor, I'll tell you about that chair. Many years ago I found it quite difficult to pray, so one day I shared this problem with my pastor. He told me not to worry about kneeling or about placing myself in some pious posture. Instead, he said, 'Just sit down, put a chair opposite you, and imagine Jesus sitting in it, then talk with Him as you would a friend." "I've been doing that ever since."

   A short time later the daughter of the man called the pastor. When he answered, she informed him that her father had died very suddenly and she was quite shaken for she had no idea death was so near. Then she continued, "I had just gone to lie down for an hour or two, for he seemed to be sleeping so comfortably. When I went back he was dead." Then she added I found him w/ his head resting in that Chair sitting next to his bed !!! 

 

E) He said I will never leave You nor forsake you !!!!

 

Now in v. 14-39 Pronouncement of Judgment on those who disobey

Read & Comment

A)Now we can draw the same parallel – the person who chooses not to Love God w/ all their heart / loves other things

 

B) That essentially is what an idol is – you love something else more than the Lord—Could be a thing ie car / house / another person

1)   Your Job / Alcohol – whatever

 

C) What you love is often seen by what you spend the majority of your free time involved in

The Person who neglects His walk w/ the Lord / neglects the word / neglects fellowship – coming to Church – life marked by

A)Distress – absence of peace – there is a restlessness in their hearts

 

B) Bondage – Bond by some vice –

 

C) Drought – Lack of Fulfillment – feeling that all is Vain

 

D) Feeling of Isolation – Me against the World – the beast

1)   And Desolation – overwhelming sense of Loneliness in their hearts

 Friends Galore – but Lonely as can be

 

E) Disease : Not satisfied – hunger for more & more

 

F) Famine they will sacrifice their kids to achieve their pursuits / to satisfy their disease for more

 

Finally Dispersion – all of their Distress / drought – Frustration – leads them to wandering aimlessly from one pursuit to the next –

A)Some people are  so busy seeking these things that they don’t have time to seek after God

 

B)And the tragedy is that this BACKWARDS pursuit ALWAYS            leaves man EMPTY and LIFELESS

 1) You are left EMPTY because the pursuit of these things                 take you away from God who is your life

 

CH. 27 – Vows to the Lord /

A)If a person made a vow to the Lord

          "God, I'm going to give you my life"

 

B)BUT - Then you say: "Lord, I want my life back"

O.K. - But you have to BUY yourself back with 50 shekels of silver if you were a man and 30 shekels of silver if you were a woman

 

C) THAT is what the whole chapter is about ANYTHING promised to God and taken back would cost you

  1) You made a VOW.... a COMMITMENT

         God takes you seriously

 

 

Everything in these chapters hinged upon the keeping of the Law

Man failed to live up to that covenant

A)God offers to us life and that in abundance

 

B)This NEW covenant does NOT hinge on mans performance

      It hinges upon what God has done for us in Jesus

 

C) If you do NOT want Jesus Christ, then the only way you can relate      to Jesus is under the OLD covenant

  1) NO ONE was able to successfully relate to God on the basis of merit      or

        works

 

D) Now - Promise believers vs Promise Keepers