Lev 17:1-22:33 (24:23)

Lev 17:1-7 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'This is what the Lord has commanded: 3 Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox, a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it 4 instead of bringing it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord — that man shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; he has shed blood and must be cut off from his people. 5 This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. 6 The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 7 They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.'

• There are two issues addressed here, what are they?
  
  • Verse 7: prostituting (spiritually) themselves to goat idols
    
  • Exclusivity of private worship
    
• A lot of people avoid church and say that they prefer to worship in private. Is that right or wrong?
  
  • It is wrong when it becomes exclusive or is used as an excuse to avoid public worship
    
  • This is an OT law, but not OT teaching only …
    
  • Heb 10:19-25 (NIV) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
    
    • What is the context of Hebrews passage?
      
      • Worship -- "let us draw near to God ..."
        
      • Faith -- "let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess ..."
        
      • Service -- "let us consider how we may spur on …"
        
      • Fellowship -- "let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing …"
        
• So instead of private sacrifices of freewill offerings in the field or at home, what is the instruction?
  
  • To bring it to the priest
    
  • To make it into a "fellowship offering." God (symbolically), the priest, and the worshipper all share and partake of the fellowship offering
    
• APPLICATION: God considers fellowship very important. God is not impressed by the excuse of "private worship" to avoid fellowship
  

  An interesting point is that chapters 17-27 concern private worship, or individual holiness, but the very first few verses discuss private worship in a negative manner.
  

  Chapter 18 details the marriage relationship. Incest, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, and the sacrifice of your offspring are specifically described and commanded against.
  

  Lev 18:24-28 (NIV) "'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
  

• First of all, these practices are not new practices
  
• What was the result in the past and what is the promise for Israel in the future if they engage in these sins?
  
  • The people were vomited out of the land (pre-law)
    
  • The Israelites will be vomited out as well, just as the previous owners were
    
  • Rom 8:20-22 (NIV) For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. // 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
    
    • Why is the creation groaning? Sin brought about decay and pain
      
• APPLICATION: While these are OT law commands, they existed previously and from Romans exist today as well. What can we learn from this passage?
  
  • God will hold us accountable for our sexual sins
    

  Lev 19:16-18 (NIV) "'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
  

  "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord.
  

  17 "'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
  

  18 "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
  

• We read these verses, because in context, this is the verse Jesus uses to answer the question of what is the greatest command. The first is to love God with your whole being, but the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Why is this so important to God?
  
  • First, relationships are important to God
    
  • Relationships are part and parcel to life
    
  • Selfishness, narcissism are antithetical to this way of thinking. Sin destroys relationships
    
• Also, loving your neighbor doesn't mean you always say "nice" things to him
  
  • You may have to rebuke your neighbor
    
  • Rebuke is better than holding a grudge
    
• APPLICATION: Finally, there are three things eternal in life -- God, his word, and people. If we are to live for eternal things, we will give ourselves to knowing God, following his word, and serving people
  

  Lev 22:1-3 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.
  

  3 "Say to them: 'For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.
  

• The priests have additional restrictions and rules places on them. Chapter 22 details many of them. Why are the priests and their families singled out?
  
  • Spiritual leaders have the additional responsibility of being an example to those around them
    
• In the new covenant, who are the priests?
  
  • We all are. 1 Peter says that we are a kingdom of priests
    
• The NT does not have many special rules for elders. It does have special qualifications for selection but few rules upon selection. I really only found three rules
  
  • Shepherd the flock willingly (not as a sense of duty or grudgingly)
    
  • Do not be greedy for money, but eager to serve
    
  • Do not lord it over, but be examples to the flock
    

  Lev 24:13-17 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Moses: 14 "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
  

  17 "'If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.
  

• This is an interesting combination of verses. The people want to know what to do with someone who blasphemed God's name. God tells them, he is to put to death. Then God describes what happens to any man who kills another man. What is the distinction?
  
  • Capital punishment is not murder but judgement
    
  • Murder is different than killing someone for a crime (or in war or in self-defense)
    
  • People have a philosophical problem. God sees the events at two distinctly different things. The fact that they are placed back to back highlights that distinction