Category: God: The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, & the Holy Ghost

A Holy Nation #9

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

When JEHOVAH God first proposed the Mosaic Covenant, Israel declared, “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8). After that Covenant of Law was delivered and before it was ratified, Israel again affirmed, “All the words which the LORD hath said will we do,” and “All the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient” (Exodus 24:3,7). After the 40-year wilderness wanderings (due to Israel’s disobedience), the new generation of Israelites echoed, “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us” (Deuteronomy 6:25).

The Israelites, like any descendants of Adam (sinners), wrongly believed they could actually do everything that God commanded them, that they could actually be separate from the pagan Gentiles around them. They believed they could be righteous—that they could have a right standing before God—by keeping hundreds upon hundreds of divine laws. Even today, millions of souls in “Christian” churches and groups have “revived” this legalistic system—a system that God has already deemed a failure because man is naturally unrighteous. Religion (even the Mosaic Law) merely reforms the outward activity (behavior), not the inward nature (the root of the behavior). Man’s nature must change if he is to keep God’s laws.

As the centuries passed, Israel’s corrupt religious leaders polluted God’s pure Law system first given through Moses, by inserting their (manmade) rules and regulations. Eventually, it did not involve honoring JEHOVAH and having faith in Him (His original intention): it became a monotonous system of religious busyness that made people appear godly (and yet, God was not in their hearts). This was the vain system that Jesus condemned in His day (Matthew 23:1-36, Mark 7:1-23, et cetera). Israel used the Law, not as a means for proving God’s righteousness, but for demonstrating their self-righteousness (the Pharisees, for example).

Let us learn the lesson that Israel will one day learn….

A Holy Nation #8

Monday, January 27, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

When Jesus’ corpse was removed from Calvary’s cruel cross and entombed, Satan had never been happier. Israel, God’s people, had not only broken God’s Covenant of Law, but now they had murdered God’s Messiah, and with King Jesus dead, Israel was still his. The devil had executed his “wise” plan—he had trapped God yet again (or so he thought!). Thankfully, “[God] taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (Job 5:13; 1 Corinthians 3:19). God had His own plans—the triune Godhead had pre-planned Jesus’ death (Acts 2:23; Acts 3:18)!

Colossians 1:20 explains, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” Through Jesus’ shed blood, the governments of heaven and earth that Satan polluted, will one day be “reconciled” to God. Christ’s death was not God’s defeat, but rather Satan’s (Colossians 2:14,15). Satan was horrified to learn from Paul’s ministry that he had participated in his own downfall!

Israel broke the Old Covenant, but JEHOVAH made provisions (Calvary’s finished crosswork facilitates Israel’s deliverance from Satan). Firstly, Christ’s shed blood will pay off the sin debt of the Old Covenant (1 Peter 1:18,19; 1 Peter 2:24). Secondly, it will allow JEHOVAH to ratify a whole new contract with Israel—one predicated upon His faithfulness, not hers!!

Indeed, Israel will become God’s earthly people forever, but not today. Our Dispensation of Grace must first run its course. God must first complete the Church the Body of Christ. Paul reminds us, “…That blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved… for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Romans 11:25-27).

Rather than sinful Israel struggling to fulfill God’s laws (today’s Scripture), He will fulfill them in and through her, and He Himself will make her a “holy nation….”

A Holy Nation #7

Sunday, January 26, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

When Messiah (Jesus) finally came to the nation Israel, the fifth course of judgment was still operating: Israel was still scattered worldwide and under Gentile domination (here, the Roman Empire). JEHOVAH knew that He had to keep His covenant—Israel was to be punished for breaking it. The devil had one goal: continue to work in and through Israel’s religious and political leaders to prevent Jesus Christ from assuming David’s throne, and stop Him from delivering Israel (and earth) from his captivity. Satan had Israel exactly where he wanted her, and he was not about to give up the nation without a fight—and fight he did!

King Herod attempts—but fails—to kill young Jesus by murdering Jewish babies age two and under (Matthew 2:1-20). Once Jesus begins His three-year earthly ministry 30 years later, Israel’s religious leaders denigrate and persecute Him and His followers. Satan is still doing everything he can to hinder Jesus from converting Israel. The battle intensifies and culminates: Israel’s religious leaders finally conspire with the Roman government to have Jesus killed. When Roman governor Pontius Pilate asks Israel, “Shall I crucify your King?,” Israel’s chief priests (leaders) reply, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15)!

Messiah Jesus (knowing something no one else does) does not fight the muscular soldiers who grab Him, punch Him repeatedly, spit in His face, force a crown of thorns on His head, curse at Him, mercilessly scourge Him with whips, drive long spikes into His hands and feet, and display Him on a cross for everyone to see and mock. Satan beholds and delights in the spectacle; he can keep ruling over Israel because her rightful King is slowly dying. Just before Jesus Christ allows Himself to die, He remembers that Israel will become holy as He intended, that His death will literally become the “deathblow” to Satan.

Satan will certainly be surprised to discover God’s wisdom….

A Holy Nation #6

Saturday, January 25, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

As per the Old Covenant, increasingly sinful Israel would endure five rounds of escalating chastisement from God, many divine attempts to reform the wayward nation (see Leviticus 26:14-39). The last course of judgment (verses 27-39) involved Gentile armies (Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Medes, Persians, and Romans) overrunning and defeating Israel, killing her people, taking off to foreign lands most of the rest of the Jews as prisoners of war. The Promised Land would be desolate of Jews. Israel would lose her Davidic kingdom, and the pagan Gentiles would rule over her instead. God was bound by His Word to weaken and curse His beloved nation!

Just before, during, and after that fifth course of judgment began, God sent His prophets to speak and write to Israel. The “Major Prophets” (Isaiah through Daniel) and the “Minor Prophets” (Hosea through Malachi) concentrate on two general themes: God’s judgment and Israel’s deliverance. These prophets clearly warned that, due to her disobedience, Israel would have many terrible days ahead (and the worst are yet to come!). Yet, these prophets surely comforted that, due to JEHOVAH’S faithfulness, Israel would have many wonderful days ahead (and the best are yet to come!).

Israel had forsaken JEHOVAH and His covenant, worshipped pagan idols, and legally, God declared her as sinful, worthy of His wrath and unworthy of His blessings—she had become Satan’s people. She was everything but the “holy nation” God wanted her to be (see today’s Scripture). The devil surely thought he had JEHOVAH defeated: “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children” (Isaiah 49:24,25).

There was hope: JEHOVAH promised that Messiah would come and deliver Israel from Satan….

A Holy Nation #5

Friday, January 24, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

Indeed, Israel had a motivation to keep the Mosaic Law. Essentially, Moses told them, “Obey God’s laws or experience His wrath!” Nevertheless, history testifies that Israel spent more time experiencing JEHOVAH’S judgments—outside of her Promised Land, scattered amongst the Gentiles, et cetera—than she did enjoying His blessings.

Today’s Scripture is an excerpt from that strict system of Law-keeping (here, kosher food laws are being dispensed). Israel was to obey JEHOVAH, to act differently from her Gentiles neighbors (in the context of today’s Scripture, to maintain a unique diet). “I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean” (Leviticus 20:24b,25).

Read Leviticus 20:26: “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” And Leviticus 22:31-33: “Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow [sanctify] you, That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.” Israel was JEHOVAH’S people, and all the Gentiles should have seen that difference in their lifestyles.

Absolutely, the Mosaic Law was an extremely strict system (many Jews died for breaking it!). Yes, God foreknew that Israel could never keep it, that they would never measure up to His righteousness. So, if He knew they could not keep it, then why did He give Israel the Mosaic Law in the first place? The Bible explains….

A Holy Nation #4

Thursday, January 23, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

JEHOVAH proposes a covenant to Israel: “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19:5,6). Verse 8 continues: “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.” Israel accepts the agreement and promises to obey JEHOVAH.

As Moses prepares to ascend Mount Sinai to receive God’s laws, Israel, near the mountain’s base, hears thunders and the exceeding loud voice of a trumpet, feels the mountain quake, and sees lightnings and smoke (verses 16-20). Israel is scared to death, for she is now facing a righteous God!

For 40 days in the mountaintop, Moses receives direct revelation from God, including the Ten Commandments (Exodus chapter 20) and various other laws, commandments, ordinances, and instructions (listed in chapters 21 through 31). Exodus 24:3 affirms, “…and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.” That Mosaic Covenant (Law) was then ratified with the sprinkling of animals’ blood (verses 6-8). Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and (repeated in) Deuteronomy, we read the 600-plus laws God demanded Israel to obey.

Essentially, God’s agreement with Israel through Moses—also known as the “Mosaic Covenant,” the “Old Covenant,” and the “Covenant of Law”—was a contract. Remember, like with any contract, it had conditions. If Israel kept the Law, God would pour out His abounding blessings (Leviticus 26:3-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14), but if she broke the Law, there were severe penalties/curses (Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 28:15-68). God repeatedly warned them not to disobey Him, but traveling up through the centuries of Old Testament history, we learn how Israel failed over and over and over. She could never measure up to become the holy nation God called her to be….

A Holy Nation #3

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

After JEHOVAH had delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, He led them to Mount Sinai. En route, He conducted a series of three tests to evaluate Israel’s obedience (see Exodus chapters 15-17). Israel failed all three tests! They thrice-demonstrated that they, as sons and daughters of Adam, could not obey Him.

Later, in Exodus 19:5,6, God instructed Moses to tell Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Notice this statement is conditional—“if… then.” This is legalism, the roots of the only religion God ever gave. Israel can only be God’s people if she follows His rules—ALL of His rules.

When God offered to make Israel’s blessings from Him dependent upon their performance (Exodus 19:5,6), verse 8 says: “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.” Israel sealed her terrible fate by agreeing to become God’s people based on her efforts (a failure right from the start!!). (They should have replied, “Lord, Thou knowest we cannot do it. We have already proven three times we cannot obey Thou. Thou hast promised to make us Thy people based on Thy work, not our performance.”)

Nearly 500 years earlier, God had promised to make Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s descendants His people, His special nation in the earth (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 17:1-8,19; Genesis 28:13-15; et cetera). Israel’s establishment and prosperity would be completely reliant upon God’s work and efforts. Israel simply had to let Him make them the people He had created them to be. Alas, the Jews lapsed into believing the deceitful, sinful heart of man.

So, Israel chose religion, and her performance-based acceptance system before God was now in effect….

A Holy Nation #2

Tuesday, January 21, 2013

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

Atheists, Bible skeptics, and agnostics frequently ridicule the Bible because of the “cruel” God of its Old Testament, His strict laws and merciless chastisements. (Evidently, they seem to miss Old Testament passages such as Exodus 34:6,7: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin….”)

Once JEHOVAH delivered Israel from Egypt, He immediately gave the Jews a series of three tests. The Bible says, “He proved [tested, evaluated] them” (Exodus 15:25)—the bitter water He made potable for them. Again, “…That I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no” (Exodus 16:4)—the manna He gave them to eat. In chapter 17, He miraculously gave them water to drink. Still, they complained constantly, and Moses became increasingly irritated with them. Within those three chapters, the Bible makes reference to ungrateful Israel’s “murmuring” some ten times. And God heard every complaint those two million Jews made… and provided for them anyway!

Sinful Israel demonstrated that she could not follow God’s directions. The Jews doubted God’s provisions (they said they preferred returning to Egyptian bondage, according to Exodus 16:3!), and when He did provide for them, they disobeyed His instructions when collecting the manna (Exodus 16:16-20, but especially 25-28). They “tempted” (or, irreverently challenged) Him to see what He would do when they lacked potable water in Exodus 17:1-4.

After all this, about two or three months after deliverance from Egypt, in Exodus 19:5,6, God instructed Moses to tell Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” God is now offering to make Israel’s blessings contingent upon her performance.

Let us see what Israel will decide….

A Holy Nation #1

Monday, January 20, 2014

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).

Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.

An individual with whom I recently spoke had difficulty fathoming the necessity of the “strange” Old Testament kosher food laws (Leviticus chapter 11). In fact, the entire book of Leviticus (27 chapters) contains what many call “nit-picky” rules and regulations.

Leviticus—whose name is derived from Levi, the tribe of Israel’s priests, the main people of the book—abounds with JEHOVAH’S highly detailed instructions to Israel regarding blood sacrifices and food offerings, sexuality, clothing, health laws for lepers (those who contracted various skin diseases), a complex calendar of yearly feasts, farming practices, servitude and real estate, tithing, clean and unclean foods, an elaborate system of divine judgment in response to their disobedience, et cetera. The average Bible reader stumbles over this book. Why was God so strict and demanding? Did He just enjoy bullying Israel and controlling her every move?

Moses advised Israel in Deuteronomy 4:6-8: “Keep therefore and do [God’s statutes and judgments]; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statues, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

As today’s Scripture indicates, JEHOVAH is “holy,” and He wanted Israel to be “holy.” “Holy” in this sense means, “set apart [sanctified],” not sinless. Just as JEHOVAH was separate from the false idols of the heathen (Psalm 96:4,5, for example), so He wanted Israel to be separate from the nations of the world. He had redeemed them from Egypt (a type of the world), and now they were to live like His people!

Now, we begin to see why God was so “demanding” in the Mosaic Law….

Bible Study 101 #15

Sunday, January 19, 2014

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

The only verse that tells you to study the Bible also tells you how to study the Bible!

Taking even a brief survey at the overwhelming doctrinal confusion in Christendom, one can be quite startled. What is more unfathomable is that all of it could have been avoided by applying a single verse (today’s Scripture). Alas, sin greatly complicates God’s creation. The human mind that thought it acceptable to disobey God that first time and usher in this current period of suffering, despair, and confusion, is the same mind that approached God’s Word without regarding His instructions on how to use it, and brought in yet another wave of suffering, despair, and confusion!

As it is said, the Bible is truly the world’s most marvelous Book. After all, God has “magnified [it] above all [his] name” (Psalm 138:2). God’s name is above all, and He set His Word even above that! As it is said, “A man is only as good as his word.” Unless we approach the Bible dispensationally, bearing in mind the distinctions God has made in it, we magnify it not, we stumble over the “contradictions,” and then we become vulnerable to such apostasy and heresy because we begin to wonder if God ever told the truth in it!

For the troubled Christian soul who struggles with discerning God’s will, and for the lost soul who struggles with what Gospel in the Bible to believe, turn not to religious tradition! Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, have the answers you seek. Start reading your Bible in Romans to learn God’s will for your eternal salvation and daily sanctification.

May we trust Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, that His death, burial, and resurrection are sufficient payment for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4; cf. Romans 4:24,25). May we find a King James Bible and trust it alone. May we study that Holy Bible rightly divided, as God instructs us. Finally, may we believe it, and thereby have joy and peace (Romans 15:13)! 🙂

Note: At least four more 15-day devotionals arcs—“Bible Study 102,” “Bible Study 103,” and “Bible Study 104”—are in development, and will be posted in the near future. Stay tuned for these increasingly advanced studies.