Ok, just a little time to write. 18 - This makes it clear on the laws on sexuality are intended to protect the family by affirming the scaredness of marriage. This would be one of the scriptures to teach our children. To give special attention to the approach of the topic premarital sex, abortion, and homosexuality. Remember that we can't take the children out of this world, but we can make sure they are exposed to the Christian perspective on sexuality. It is a special gift of God that takes on meaning only when exercised in a loving monogamous marriage.
Leviticus 16: verse 1-2... I thought it was very compassionate of God to go over the rules for sacrifice again, since Aaron was probably really shaken over the death of his sons and may have been fearful of whether he knew all he had to do. verse 6, and 11-14... interesting, but makes sense, that Aaron needed to make atonement for himself first before he could make atonement for others... if makes me think about when God tells us to take the plank out of our own eye first (see Matthew 7:3-5) verse 8-10, and 20-22...I thought that I had read that Jesus was like our scapegoat, or that He was compared or parallelled to that somewhere, but I cannot find the passage... anyone know?... anyway, Jesus did take all our sins away, like the scapegoat did (see Colossians 2:13-14)... one other side note... in my search for the scapegoat thing I found that other translations (other than NIV) talk about the goat (the scapegoat one)going for/to Azazel... the Amplified bible adds "or removal", like maybe Azazel was a term that means removal... however other translations say "for Azazel" (like it is a person or something), and still others say "to Azazel" (like it is a place)... when I did a google search to clarify Azazel in hopes of finding the verse about Jesus being our scapegoat, I found the following explanation of Azazel (and the scapegoat thing) on both Wikipedia and JewishEncyclopedia.com: "Azazel (Hebrew: עזאזל, Azazel, Aramaic: רמשנאל,[citation needed] Arabic: عزازل Azazil) is an enigmatic name from the Hebrew scriptures and Apocrypha. The word's first appearance is in Leviticus 16, where a goat is designated "for Azazel" and outcast in the desert as part of Yom Kippur.
He is considered by many to be a supernatural being mentioned in connection with the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xvi.). After Satan, for whom he was in some degree a preparation, Azazel enjoys the distinction of being the most mysterious extrahuman character in Jewish sacred literature." I found other sites that mentioned Azazel might have been a demon, or maybe even a chief demon... possibly one who lived in the desert... or maybe it was just the name of a place... I suppose it doesn't matter, unless you are trying to make a connection between Jesus and the scapegoat and tie it all together correctly, but I did wonder if anyone knew for sure what Azazel meant, although it seems there is much debate... it doesn't take anything away from the awesomeness of Jesus's triumph over evil and His sacrifice for our sins so we can now be with God for eternity, though. verse 16... "whatever their sins have been", makes me think about how all sins are detestable in the sight of God... even "little white lies" are still a big deal and require a sacrifice... I think about all the ways I've sinned and all the ways my sin required Jesus's death... how it was because of even my "little white lies" or "whatever sins may have been" that was the reason for Jesus's need to be whipped, mocked, and killed (see Luke 22:63-65, and Luke 23)... I could have been, and in a very real way was, the person giving Jesus the beating or nailing His hands, and yet, even then, Jesus forgave me (see Luke 23:33-34)... while I was still a sinner, He died for me, "whatever my sins have been" (see Romans 5:8)... wow verse 29-31... interesting. verse 34b... I like that, "and it was done as the Lord commanded"... I hope I can say this, too.
Chapter 17: verse 3-5... interesting, but now we, thanks to Jesus, we can go to the Lord directly (through Jesus who is our High Priest) and worship Him and pray to Him and repent to Him whenever and wherever we want (since God's Spirit lives in us and we do not have to go to a place because God's temple is our body, and we are "priests" in Him) (see 1 John 4:13-17, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Hebrews 3:27-28, 1 Peter 2:4-5 and 9-10, Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:9-10) verse 7... the "goat idols" footnote says "demons", so this could be where some of the confusion over the meaning of "scapegoat" comes from (see comments in Chapter 16), so the "scapegoat" may not have anything to do with demons at all... just trying to get it all straight... verse 10... what does it mean when God says "I will set my face against that person"? Does it mean God will punish Him, or something else? verse 11... interesting, so that is why all the details about what to do with the blood... hmmmm...
Again I find myself wondering in general about the health reasons involved in many of God's commands... they didn't know all we know about germs and such back then, so I wonder if many of these laws have to do with keeping them people healthy... I also wonder if many of the laws are to help obviously separate the worship and living practices of the Israelites from those of the surrounding pagan cultures.
Chapter 18: verse 1-5...as Christians we cannot take on the ways of the world in which we live (see 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2, and Hebrews 12:1) Many of the laws given here are things not adhered to by past people (example: Adam and Eve's kids and Abraham's grandkids [making an assumption here], Jacob [verse 18-marrying sisters], Lot's daughters, etc)... makes me wonder why God is giving these now... probably because the Israelites are already numberous and so do not need to do these things to multiply... maybe the genetics pool is too narrowed at this point and God wants to keep his people from genetic defects (my wording is not good here, sorry)... plus, I remember hearing somewhere that laws are made because people don't have common sense to abstain from something on there own... probably applies here, as well... just some thoughts. verse 22... so here is the verse against homosexuality verse 24... important point... God gives us laws to keep us from destruction (personal, emotional, spiritual, relational, etc)... for our own good. verse 28... yuck
Chapter 19: verse 3-4, 11-13, 16-18... like a reiteration of some of the "10 Commandments" verse 5... good reminder that God is concerned with our heart... we should not offer anything to God half-heartedly or whatever because this is not pleasing to God... it would be better we did not offer it at all, I think. (see 2 Corinthians 9:7) verse 8... God really cares about how we affect others for Him (see Luke 17:1-3, Mark 9:42-45) verse 9-10... we are to care for those around us (reiterated in many places in the New Testament, but see Matthew 25:31-46 for one reference) verse 14... I like this verse alot... it has the literal meaning, but also the "deeper" meaning which we can all struggle with at times, and I hope to try to refrain from at all costs.... how often do we forget that just because the person or others don't know, that God still does? verse 17... I can struggle with this one... even listening to gossip is a way to sin... I also think about the verse "get rid of all bitterness", etc (see Ephesians 4:31... verse 18, see Ephesians 4:32) verse 23-25... I wonder what horicultural/agricultural value there is to these rules... also important to note that we are to give to God first before we take a "blessing" for ourselves. verse 27... interesting hair cuts verse 28... ok, so here's a verse against tattoos (but isn't there a verse about God tattoing our names on His hand, or something?Just being fussy here because I like tattoos... not that what we like is always holy... ok, just sort of pouting and venting now, sorry) verse 30... that is straightforward... do we give enough reverence to the sactuary building (church building) of God? How about His temple (our bodies)? Something to think about verse 31... not from God then from the devil... why seek advice from the father of lies? verse 32... I like this and wish we did this better nowadays. verse 33-34... I like this because it can be a reminder to us to love those who do not yet know God, because we were once in their place... also, the "love your neighbor" theme here (see Matthew 22:38)... I can see why Jesus says that all the laws are summed up with love God and love others (in addition to Matthew 22, see also Romans 13:9-10, and Galatians 5:14) verse 35-36... some friends of ours found that they were able to witness in a closed country by doing this, because by following God's laws (out of love for Christ), they were able to be distinguishable from all the others around them and then point to Christ... God is blessing their glory and honor of Him by increasing the demand for their business dealings... in this way, God is allowing them to touch more lives for Him... it is cool to see how many are blessed when we choose to follow God's commands! :)
The IDEA: Romans 1:12-That we may be mutually strengthened, encouraged, and comforted by each others faith. Have you ever read the whole Bible before? We have never done it. We want to share God’s Word, but how can we if we do not know it.
The PLAN: Ecclesiastes 4:12-One person is easily overcome, but two can stand together and conquer. Three is even better, though, as a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. With each others help we can succeed-So, let us team up and read the Bible in a year.
The DATE: We will start Dec 26, 2009 - Dec 26, 2010.
The FYI: We will read 3-4 chapters each day, starting in Genesis, and post thoughts daily. If you do not have a Bible, you can access many translations at www.biblegateway.com. You can also download an audio for each chapter at: http://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
Ok, just a little time to write.
ReplyDelete18 - This makes it clear on the laws on sexuality are intended to protect the family by affirming the scaredness of marriage. This would be one of the scriptures to teach our children. To give special attention to the approach of the topic premarital sex, abortion, and homosexuality.
Remember that we can't take the children out of this world, but we can make sure they are exposed to the Christian perspective on sexuality. It is a special gift of God that takes on meaning only when exercised in a loving monogamous marriage.
Good night,
Sandj
Leviticus 16: verse 1-2... I thought it was very compassionate of God to go over the rules for sacrifice again, since Aaron was probably really shaken over the death of his sons and may have been fearful of whether he knew all he had to do.
ReplyDeleteverse 6, and 11-14... interesting, but makes sense, that Aaron needed to make atonement for himself first before he could make atonement for others... if makes me think about when God tells us to take the plank out of our own eye first (see Matthew 7:3-5)
verse 8-10, and 20-22...I thought that I had read that Jesus was like our scapegoat, or that He was compared or parallelled to that somewhere, but I cannot find the passage... anyone know?... anyway, Jesus did take all our sins away, like the scapegoat did (see Colossians 2:13-14)... one other side note... in my search for the scapegoat thing I found that other translations (other than NIV) talk about the goat (the scapegoat one)going for/to Azazel... the Amplified bible adds "or removal", like maybe Azazel was a term that means removal... however other translations say "for Azazel" (like it is a person or something), and still others say "to Azazel" (like it is a place)... when I did a google search to clarify Azazel in hopes of finding the verse about Jesus being our scapegoat, I found the following explanation of Azazel (and the scapegoat thing) on both Wikipedia and JewishEncyclopedia.com: "Azazel (Hebrew: עזאזל, Azazel, Aramaic: רמשנאל,[citation needed] Arabic: عزازل Azazil) is an enigmatic name from the Hebrew scriptures and Apocrypha. The word's first appearance is in Leviticus 16, where a goat is designated "for Azazel" and outcast in the desert as part of Yom Kippur.
He is considered by many to be a supernatural being mentioned in connection with the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Lev. xvi.). After Satan, for whom he was in some degree a preparation, Azazel enjoys the distinction of being the most mysterious extrahuman character in Jewish sacred literature." I found other sites that mentioned Azazel might have been a demon, or maybe even a chief demon... possibly one who lived in the desert... or maybe it was just the name of a place... I suppose it doesn't matter, unless you are trying to make a connection between Jesus and the scapegoat and tie it all together correctly, but I did wonder if anyone knew for sure what Azazel meant, although it seems there is much debate... it doesn't take anything away from the awesomeness of Jesus's triumph over evil and His sacrifice for our sins so we can now be with God for eternity, though.
verse 16... "whatever their sins have been", makes me think about how all sins are detestable in the sight of God... even "little white lies" are still a big deal and require a sacrifice... I think about all the ways I've sinned and all the ways my sin required Jesus's death... how it was because of even my "little white lies" or "whatever sins may have been" that was the reason for Jesus's need to be whipped, mocked, and killed (see Luke 22:63-65, and Luke 23)... I could have been, and in a very real way was, the person giving Jesus the beating or nailing His hands, and yet, even then, Jesus forgave me (see Luke 23:33-34)... while I was still a sinner, He died for me, "whatever my sins have been" (see Romans 5:8)... wow
verse 29-31... interesting.
verse 34b... I like that, "and it was done as the Lord commanded"... I hope I can say this, too.
Chapter 17: verse 3-5... interesting, but now we, thanks to Jesus, we can go to the Lord directly (through Jesus who is our High Priest) and worship Him and pray to Him and repent to Him whenever and wherever we want (since God's Spirit lives in us and we do not have to go to a place because God's temple is our body, and we are "priests" in Him) (see 1 John 4:13-17, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Hebrews 3:27-28, 1 Peter 2:4-5 and 9-10, Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:9-10)
ReplyDeleteverse 7... the "goat idols" footnote says "demons", so this could be where some of the confusion over the meaning of "scapegoat" comes from (see comments in Chapter 16), so the "scapegoat" may not have anything to do with demons at all... just trying to get it all straight...
verse 10... what does it mean when God says "I will set my face against that person"? Does it mean God will punish Him, or something else?
verse 11... interesting, so that is why all the details about what to do with the blood... hmmmm...
Again I find myself wondering in general about the health reasons involved in many of God's commands... they didn't know all we know about germs and such back then, so I wonder if many of these laws have to do with keeping them people healthy... I also wonder if many of the laws are to help obviously separate the worship and living practices of the Israelites from those of the surrounding pagan cultures.
Chapter 18: verse 1-5...as Christians we cannot take on the ways of the world in which we live (see 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2, and Hebrews 12:1)
ReplyDeleteMany of the laws given here are things not adhered to by past people (example: Adam and Eve's kids and Abraham's grandkids [making an assumption here], Jacob [verse 18-marrying sisters], Lot's daughters, etc)... makes me wonder why God is giving these now... probably because the Israelites are already numberous and so do not need to do these things to multiply... maybe the genetics pool is too narrowed at this point and God wants to keep his people from genetic defects (my wording is not good here, sorry)... plus, I remember hearing somewhere that laws are made because people don't have common sense to abstain from something on there own... probably applies here, as well... just some thoughts.
verse 22... so here is the verse against homosexuality
verse 24... important point... God gives us laws to keep us from destruction (personal, emotional, spiritual, relational, etc)... for our own good.
verse 28... yuck
Great comments on this chapter, S! :)
Chapter 19: verse 3-4, 11-13, 16-18... like a reiteration of some of the "10 Commandments"
ReplyDeleteverse 5... good reminder that God is concerned with our heart... we should not offer anything to God half-heartedly or whatever because this is not pleasing to God... it would be better we did not offer it at all, I think. (see 2 Corinthians 9:7)
verse 8... God really cares about how we affect others for Him (see Luke 17:1-3, Mark 9:42-45)
verse 9-10... we are to care for those around us (reiterated in many places in the New Testament, but see Matthew 25:31-46 for one reference)
verse 14... I like this verse alot... it has the literal meaning, but also the "deeper" meaning which we can all struggle with at times, and I hope to try to refrain from at all costs.... how often do we forget that just because the person or others don't know, that God still does?
verse 17... I can struggle with this one... even listening to gossip is a way to sin... I also think about the verse "get rid of all bitterness", etc (see Ephesians 4:31... verse 18, see Ephesians 4:32)
verse 23-25... I wonder what horicultural/agricultural value there is to these rules... also important to note that we are to give to God first before we take a "blessing" for ourselves.
verse 27... interesting hair cuts
verse 28... ok, so here's a verse against tattoos (but isn't there a verse about God tattoing our names on His hand, or something?Just being fussy here because I like tattoos... not that what we like is always holy... ok, just sort of pouting and venting now, sorry)
verse 30... that is straightforward... do we give enough reverence to the sactuary building (church building) of God? How about His temple (our bodies)? Something to think about
verse 31... not from God then from the devil... why seek advice from the father of lies?
verse 32... I like this and wish we did this better nowadays.
verse 33-34... I like this because it can be a reminder to us to love those who do not yet know God, because we were once in their place... also, the "love your neighbor" theme here (see Matthew 22:38)... I can see why Jesus says that all the laws are summed up with love God and love others (in addition to Matthew 22, see also Romans 13:9-10, and Galatians 5:14)
verse 35-36... some friends of ours found that they were able to witness in a closed country by doing this, because by following God's laws (out of love for Christ), they were able to be distinguishable from all the others around them and then point to Christ... God is blessing their glory and honor of Him by increasing the demand for their business dealings... in this way, God is allowing them to touch more lives for Him... it is cool to see how many are blessed when we choose to follow God's commands! :)
Much Love,
sandJ