Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Numbers, Chapters 8-10 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Numbers 9: 1-14: … [The Second Passover]… Use this link to review this passage for my comments below ...
My Journal for Today: Today I was reading through the three chapters in Numbers to which I’ve linked you above; and the segment in Numbers 9: 1-14 drew my attention for meditation and comment; but since that passage is a bit long to copy/paste above for my blog today, I’ve also linked it for you to seek out and read. And if you’re going to read along with me, I’d ask that you please review this passage carefully.
And when you do read through and meditate on this passage, you’ll see that God was giving His people follow-up instructions in the Passover worship and remembrance so that they would be able to properly worship the God Who had delivered them from Egypt. And their Passover celebration needed to have the preparation of purity and the reverence of holiness God had instructed them to carry out a year earlier, … this being the celebration of the second Passover since they had left Egypt (see also Exodus, Chapter 12 and Leviticus 23:5, 6).
And it’s interesting to note from this study that some of the men could not meet God’s ceremonial standards for the Passover feast; and since God’s standards of holiness and worship never change, these men were not allowed to carry out the Passover celebration at the designated time for that worship. But did God shut them out from their heartfelt desire to celebrate Passover? NO! God mercifully established for these men a “PLAN B” for Passover; and they were able to purify themselves and come back a month later and worship Passover in the way God had designed for their worship.
I think now of the instructions we, as Christians, are given to celebrate the Eucharist (i.e., Communion) properly. And the Apostle Paul gave such instructions for God’s Church in the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper in 1st Corinthians 11: 17-34. Let me link you there so that you can review these instructions from God’s word.
God doesn’t want to exclude any serious worshipper from worshipping Himself; but God does have standards for coming into His Holy presence for worship, especially those celebrations of remembrance which God, Himself, has established for His people – whether it be Old Testament or New. Therefore, we should – when we come to worship our Lord – purify our hearts and minds in preparation as we come to the Holy of Holies for remembrance and worship.
I believe many Christians take Communion at the Lord’s Supper without being in the proper state of mind/heart to do so. Sometimes it’s because Communion – in some denominations/traditions – is taken so often and there is no preparation or reminder for the believers to be in the right state of mind/heart to carry out the ritual which God Himself has established for His special times of worship. But all too often it’s simply a matter of the worshipper not being in the humble and pure state of mind which he/she should be to come before the Lord to celebrate and remember what God has done for us.
Therefore, I hope we all rekindle our remembrance of our God from this study … that those specially established ceremonies for worship, … like Passover for the Jews and Communion for Christians (and there are certainly others). Each of these special times of worship should be undertaken with the care and preparation which matches the standards of what God has done to deserve our remembering His glory, His mercy, and His holiness.
As Jesus, Himself, said at the establishment of the first Communion supper, “This [i.e., taking the bread and the cup] … do in remembrance of Me.”
My Prayer Today: … Amen and Amen!!!
Showing posts with label festivals of worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label festivals of worship. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
February 20, 2012 … Purity in Priestly Practices
Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Leviticus, Chapters 22-23 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
Leviticus 22: 1 - 3 : … [Purity of the Priesthood] … 1 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.
My Journal for Today: Here I am today, led to read in Leviticus 22 – 23 in my chronological Bible reading plan; and we have more instructions being chronicled in God’s Book of the Law, concerning the Priesthood and the Festivals of worship which the priests and the people were to carry out on an annual basis. And in these instructions, one cannot help but be impressed with how much detail God, through Moses, was giving the people, and especially His Priesthood, about their practices and principles of worship.
And I’ve singled out another of the instructions to Aaron and his descendents, concerning how serious it was that the priesthood be perfected in their worship practices because the royal Priesthood had to represent God to man and man to God. And the God of His chosen people wanted to insure that HIS people were called out to be separate from all the pagan people with whom His chosen ones would have to confront in their future. Worship of the one, true, living God … YAHWEH – JEHOVAH … was to reflect His holiness; and therefore His Priests had to be appointed and anointed to handle this worship with perfected practices. And the people were to come to the festivals of remembrance and celebration, outlined in Leviticus 23 with great reverence and very strict religious regularity and regulations.
Now I shift gears to remember, as I’m reading through the above passages, as well as the rest of the two chapters I was led to re-study today, that I AM PART OF GOD’S ROYAL PRIESTHOOD [documented for Christians in 1st Peter 2: 9-10, to which I’ll link you here for repeated reflection].
And by now, because I’ve brought it up several times during our read in Leviticus, we – who are gloriously under a NEW COVENANT – the perfect covenant from the perfect Lamb of God – our Lord, Jesus. And we must realize that, though we don’t have to live under the ceremonious religious practices of the Old Covenant, we do have to recognize that we are to be living reflections of God’s royal priesthood because God’s tabernacle is in the heart of Christians; and we are to be living sacrifices, worshipping our God by the way we live our lives. I’ve touted it before this month, dear ones; but have you memorized and/or internalized Paul’s instructions concerning New Covenant worship in Romans 12: 1-2, also linked here for those who don’t have it memorized.
We, my brothers or sisters, are PRIESTS – grafted descendents of Aaron’s Royal Priesthood; and everyday and in every moment of our lives, we are to be reflections of ALL of the festivals of worship described in Lev. 23. And as God’s royal priesthood, we are to take – VERY SERIOUSLY – what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1-2.
SO … self inventory time (as reminded we are to do in 2nd Cor. 13: 5)! And in asking myself, … “Bill, are you being an willing and able priest, representing God to all to whom you witness your faith; and are you leading a life which is a festival of worship to the One, true, and holy God?” … I have to admit that I’m not taking my duties as a PRIEST of God seriously enough. And when I’m honest, I must say that I need to come under the truth of 1st John 1: 9 and cleanse myself for my priestly practices of living worship today.
How about you?
My Prayer Today: … Lord, I come to the Holy of Holies, which You have opened for me as Your priest, wearing the Robes of Righteousness which You, Lord, give freely for me; and I’m an consecrated for worship by Your blood and my confession this day, ready to be Your priest of living worship.
Leviticus 22: 1 - 3 : … [Purity of the Priesthood] … 1 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.
My Journal for Today: Here I am today, led to read in Leviticus 22 – 23 in my chronological Bible reading plan; and we have more instructions being chronicled in God’s Book of the Law, concerning the Priesthood and the Festivals of worship which the priests and the people were to carry out on an annual basis. And in these instructions, one cannot help but be impressed with how much detail God, through Moses, was giving the people, and especially His Priesthood, about their practices and principles of worship.
And I’ve singled out another of the instructions to Aaron and his descendents, concerning how serious it was that the priesthood be perfected in their worship practices because the royal Priesthood had to represent God to man and man to God. And the God of His chosen people wanted to insure that HIS people were called out to be separate from all the pagan people with whom His chosen ones would have to confront in their future. Worship of the one, true, living God … YAHWEH – JEHOVAH … was to reflect His holiness; and therefore His Priests had to be appointed and anointed to handle this worship with perfected practices. And the people were to come to the festivals of remembrance and celebration, outlined in Leviticus 23 with great reverence and very strict religious regularity and regulations.
Now I shift gears to remember, as I’m reading through the above passages, as well as the rest of the two chapters I was led to re-study today, that I AM PART OF GOD’S ROYAL PRIESTHOOD [documented for Christians in 1st Peter 2: 9-10, to which I’ll link you here for repeated reflection].
And by now, because I’ve brought it up several times during our read in Leviticus, we – who are gloriously under a NEW COVENANT – the perfect covenant from the perfect Lamb of God – our Lord, Jesus. And we must realize that, though we don’t have to live under the ceremonious religious practices of the Old Covenant, we do have to recognize that we are to be living reflections of God’s royal priesthood because God’s tabernacle is in the heart of Christians; and we are to be living sacrifices, worshipping our God by the way we live our lives. I’ve touted it before this month, dear ones; but have you memorized and/or internalized Paul’s instructions concerning New Covenant worship in Romans 12: 1-2, also linked here for those who don’t have it memorized.
We, my brothers or sisters, are PRIESTS – grafted descendents of Aaron’s Royal Priesthood; and everyday and in every moment of our lives, we are to be reflections of ALL of the festivals of worship described in Lev. 23. And as God’s royal priesthood, we are to take – VERY SERIOUSLY – what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Romans 12: 1-2.
SO … self inventory time (as reminded we are to do in 2nd Cor. 13: 5)! And in asking myself, … “Bill, are you being an willing and able priest, representing God to all to whom you witness your faith; and are you leading a life which is a festival of worship to the One, true, and holy God?” … I have to admit that I’m not taking my duties as a PRIEST of God seriously enough. And when I’m honest, I must say that I need to come under the truth of 1st John 1: 9 and cleanse myself for my priestly practices of living worship today.
How about you?
My Prayer Today: … Lord, I come to the Holy of Holies, which You have opened for me as Your priest, wearing the Robes of Righteousness which You, Lord, give freely for me; and I’m an consecrated for worship by Your blood and my confession this day, ready to be Your priest of living worship.
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