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Day 43 – A Year in the Bible – Numbers 13-15

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NUMBERS 13 – WORDS

Words
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. – Number 13:30-31

Moses sent twelve leaders (one man for every tribe) to spy out the land as God had commanded him to do. When they returned and were to give their report about the land, Caleb said, “We are well able.” Other men, though, said, “We be not able.” Knowing the story and seeing these words in this passage – how important are our words? How important are the words of our leaders? Your words, if you are a leader? Aren’t we all are leaders of someone?

Had the leaders given a different report, wouldn’t their people have followed willingly?

My words come from what is in my heart. What is in my heart comes from what I ponder most in my mind. What is in my mind comes from what I have allowed in or who I have listened to. My words, attitudes, and what I allow in (even from leaders) matter!!!  

A Good Report
If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. – Number 14:8-10

Joshua and Caleb gave good reports, and the Lord was pleased. But the people were not pleased. They wanted to stone them for speaking that good report.

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NUMBERS 14 – CONSEQUENCES

I Have Pardoned According to Thy Word, But…
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: but my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it. – Numbers 14:20-24 

As Ye Have Spoken in Mine Ears, So Will I Do to You
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. – Numbers 14:26-32 

An Evil Report
And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD. – Numbers 14:36-37

God was not pleased with the men that gave an evil report, and He sent a plague that killed them. God was also not please with the complaining congregation. He forgave them but they were stripped of the privilege of entering into the promised land.

Just because most of the congregation or a majority of the leaders believe something, that doesn’t make it acceptable in God’s eyes. A good lesson and reminder to always seek the Lord regarding how and with whom we align ourselves.

The Worst Consequence
…because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you. – Numbers 14:43b

The children of Israel had sinned against God, and they knew it. God told them, because of their sin, they would not be going into the Promised Land. The people mourned. Some of the congregation woke up the next morning and went up the mountain. They had decided to go on into the Promised Land anyway. Moses warned them not to go against what God commanded, and if they didn’t God wouldn’t be with them. They went, and the Amalekites and Canaanites that lived on that mountain killed them.

For the Lord to not go with you and not be by your side is the worst consequence. Turn back to Jesus today before it is too late. If you don’t, it means inevitable and eternal death.

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NUMBERS 15 – WHEN YE COME INTO THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS

Offerings and Sacrifices
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you, and will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock: then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil. And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb. Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil. And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD: then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil. And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid. According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number. – Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭

One Law for All
All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do. One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you. – Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭

Unintentional vs. Defiant Sin
And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. – Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭27-‭31‬ ‭

The Sabbath Breaker
And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses. – Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭32‬-‭36‬ ‭

Tassels on Garments
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: that ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. – Numbers‬ ‭15‬:‭37‬-‭41‬ ‭

Day 42 – A Year in the Bible – Numbers 10-12

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NUMBERS 10 – TRUMPETS SOUND AND THEY MOVE TOWARD THE PROMISED LAND

When the Trumpets Sound
Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. 3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers 10:2-3

One trumpet was to call the leaders together. Two trumpets were used to call all of the people together. In the book of Revelation, seven trumpets were sounded by seven angels after the breaking of the seventh seal. One day, we will hear the last trumpet sound, and we will know the King is coming.

1 Corinthians 15:52 – In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Matthew 24:31 – And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelation 11:15 – And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

For Worship and For War
And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God. – Numbers‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭

The Cloud was Taken Up from Off the Tabernacle
And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. – Numbers‬ ‭10‬:‭11‬-‭13‬

Moses Asks His Father-in-Law Not to Leave Them
And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel. And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred. And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes. And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee. – Numbers 10:29-32

The Ark of the Covenant of the LORD Went Before Them
And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel. – Numbers‬ ‭10‬:‭33‬-‭36‬ ‭

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NUMBERS 11 – THE PEOPLE COMPLAIN

The Consequences of Complaining
And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. – Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

The Burden of Leadership
And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. – Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬-‭17‬ ‭

God’s Power to Provide
And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not. – Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬ ‭

Would God that All the LORD’s People Were Prophets
And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! – Numbers 11:27-29 

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NUMBERS 12 – MIRIAM AND AARON SPAKE AGAINST MOSES

Miriam and Aaron Spake Against Moses
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? – Numbers 12:1-2

And the LORD Heard It
And the LORD heard it. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? – Numbers 12:5-8

The Anger of the LORD was Kindled Against Them
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. – Numbers 12:9-10

Moses Cried Unto the LORD
And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. – Numbers 12:13-14 

Day 41 – A Year in the Bible – Numbers 7-9

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NUMBERS 7 – THE OFFERINGS FOR THE LEVITES

And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; – Numbers‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬ ‭

Five acts of Moses:
1. Set up the tabernacle
2. Anointed the tabernacle
3. Sanctified the tabernacle
4. Anointed all the instruments
5. Sanctified the instruments

Instruments – All the furnishings of the tabernacle–the ark and the mercy seat, the golden and brazen altars and all their vessels, the table of showbread and all its vessels, the candlestick and all its vessels, and the laver and its foot.

Offerings for the Levites
that the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered: and they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service. And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites. Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service: and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. – Numbers‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬-‭8‬ ‭

Their Service was that They Should Bear Upon Their Shoulders
But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders. – Numbers 7:9 

The Kohathites carried the furniture upon their shoulders, not being allowed to haul it in wagons or put it upon pack animals.

Each Prince, on His Day, Offered Their Offering
And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar. – Numbers 7:10

Each Tribe Offered the Following (Numbers 7:11-88):
1 silver charger, 1 silver bowl, 1 gold spoon (full of incense), 3 young bullocks, 6 rams, 6 lambs, 6 kids, 16.5 gallons of flour, 39 quarts of oil, 39 quarts of wine.

The Voice of One Speaking Unto Him from Off the Mercy Seat
And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. – Numbers 7:89

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NUMBERS 8 – THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES

Aaron Shall Offer the Levites Before the LORD for an Offering
And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: and thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. – Numbers 8:9-13 

I Have Given the Levites as a Gift to Aaron and to His Sons
And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. – Numbers 8:18-19 

The Levites Went In to Do Their Service
And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. – Numbers 8:21-22 

From the Age of Fifty Years They Shall Serve No More But Shall Minister 
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: but shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. – Numbers 8:24-26

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NUMBERS 9 – AT THE LORD’S COMMAND THEY JOURNEYED AND AT THE LORD’S COMMAND THEY RESTED

At the Commandment of the LORD They Rested in the Tents
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. – Numbers 9:21-23

Day 40 – A Year in the Bible – Numbers 4-6

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NUMBERS 4 – THE CHARGE OF THEIR BURDEN

Their Burden According to Their Service in the Tabernacle
As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. – Numbers 4:29-32 

There are no menial tasks when it comes to God’s work. In the reading in Numbers today, it is evident that how they took care of and moved the Tabernacle was important to God. He cared about who did a task because He assigned them, and they were Holy tasks. When I read this, I think about everyone having a job, and it took everyone doing their part. Of course, we know that caring for the Tabernacle was given to the Levites regarding the Tabernacle. Still, it took every tribe to do their assignments and not jump ship or cross into another’s assignment.

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NUMBERS 5 – WHOSOEVER IS DEFILED

Whosoever is Defiled Without the Camp Shall Ye Put Them
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel. – Numbers‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭

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NUMBERS 6 – THE NAZARITE VOW

A Nazarite
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD: he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD. – Numbers 6:1-8

Bless the Children of Israel
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. – Numbers 6:22-27

Day 39 – A Year in the Bible – Numbers 1-3

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NUMBERS 1 – THOU SHALT NOT NUMBER THE TRIBE OF LEVI

Keep the Charge
But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying, Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel: but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they. – Numbers 1:47-54

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CHAPTER 2 – THE LEVITES WERE NOT NUMBERED

The Levites Were Not Numbered
But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. – Numbers 2:33 

Eleazar and Ithamar Ministered in the Sight of Aaron Their Father
And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father. – Numbers 3:2-4 

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NUMBERS 3 – THE LEVITES SHALL BE MINE

Thou Shalt Give the Levites Unto Aaron’s and to His Sons
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. – Numbers 3:5-10 

I Have Taken the Levites Instead of All the Firstborn
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD. – Numbers 3:11-13

Thou Shalt Take the Levites For Me Instead of the Firstborn
And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. – Numbers 3:41

The Levites Shall Be Mine: I am the LORD
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. – Numbers 3:44-45

The Levites had no inheritance among the Children of Israel. They were not counted among them because they were the Lord’s portion. God was their inheritance, and they were His. He chose the Levites instead of the firstborn of each tribe. (Interesting that the firstborn – first fruits – are always His anyway. 

Day 38 – A Year in the Bible – Leviticus 25-27

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LEVITICUS 25 – JUBILEE

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land
Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. – Leviticus 25:9-10

His Servants
For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. –  Leviticus 25:55

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LEVITICUS 26 – IF …

If Ye Walk In My Statutes and Keep My Commandments
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. – Leviticus 26:3-4

But If Ye Will Not Hearken Unto Me
But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. – Leviticus 26:14-17

In the Land of Their Enemies I Will Not Cast Them Away
And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 26:44-45 

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LEVITICUS 27 – VOWS, OFFERINGS, TITHES

Every Devoted Thing is Most Holy Unto the LORD
Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD. – Leviticus 27:28

All the Tithe of the Land is the LORD’s
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s: it is holy unto the LORD. – Leviticus 27:30  

Day 37 – A Year in the Bible – Leviticus 21-24
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LEVITICUS 21 – RULES FOR PRIEST

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother, And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God. Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy. And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire. – Leviticus 21:1-9

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LEVITICUS 22 – PROFANE

That They Profane Not My Holy Name
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 22:1-2  

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LEVITICUS 23 – MY FEASTS

These are My Feasts
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. – Leviticus 23:1-2 

The Sabbath
Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. – Leviticus 23:3 

The Passover
These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’s passover. – Leviticus 23:4-5 

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. – Leviticus 23:6 

The Feast of the First Fruits
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. = Leviticus 23:10-11

The Feast of Weeks
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. – Leviticus 23:15-16 

FOR THE POOR AND STRANGER
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. – Leviticus 23:22 

The Feast of Trumpets
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. – Leviticus 23:24 

The Day of Atonement
Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. – Leviticus 23:27 

The Feast of Booths
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. – Leviticus 23:34 

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LEVITICUS 24 – HOLY THINGS

Cause the Lamps to Burn Continually
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually. – Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭

That the Mind of the LORD Might Be Shewed Them
And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; and the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) and they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. – Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭

The Mind of the LORD Revealed
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. – Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭

Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God. And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. – Leviticus‬ ‭24‬:‭17-23‬

Day 36 – A Year in the Bible – Leviticus 19-20

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LEVITICUS 19 – THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES

Leviticus 19:1 says – And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying… Then He gives some commands

Nine Commands–Civil and Religious Laws (Leviticus 19:2-8)
1. Say to Israel: You shall be holy. (Lev. 19:2)
2. Fear father and mother (Lev. 19:3).
3. Keep My sabbaths.
4. Do not turn to idols (Lev. 19:4).
5. Do not make molten gods.
6. Offer peace offerings at your own will and not as a forced act (Lev. 19:5).
7. Eat of the sacrifice the day that it is offered and on the day following, but not on the third day (Lev. 19:6-7).
8. Burn whatever remains on the third day in the fire (Lev. 19:6).
9. Whoever eats any of it on the third day shall be cut off (Lev. 19:7-8).

Idols – In the Hebrew the word “idols” means “nothings.” Nothings – this is what an idol is called!

At your own will – God’s program of salvation and redemption is all and always on a freewill basis.

[if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire] Anything beginning to decay was not to be used because the sacrifice was to be pure. The sacrifice was a type of the pure, uncorrupt, sinless Son of God. Such food was to be burned instead. To disobey in this was serious enough for death. Why? Because it would honor corruption while offering a sacrifice to God (while being in communion with God).

God’s Plan for the Poor
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God. – Leviticus 19:9-10

Five commands–law of gleanings (Leviticus 19:9-10):
1. Do not reap your fields clean.
2. Do not gather the gleanings of the harvest.
3. Do not glean your vineyard (Lev. 19:10).
4. Do not gather all the grapes.
5. Leave the gleanings of all your fields and vineyards for the poor.

This was God’s plan to help care for the poor. The generous left plenty for them and created a spirit of love between neighbors.

Twenty-six Social and Religious Laws (Leviticus 19:11-19)
1. Do not steal (Lev. 19:11).
2. Do not deal falsely (Lev. 19:11).
3. Do not lie (Lev. 19:11).
4. Do not swear falsely by My name (Lev. 19:12).
5. Do not profane My name.
6. Do not defraud your neighbor (Lev. 19:13).
7. Do not rob your neighbor.
8. Pay wages at end of every day.
9. Do not curse the deaf (Lev. 19:14).
10. Do not cause the blind to stumble.
11. You shall fear God.
12. Do no unrighteousness in judgment (Lev. 19:15).
13. Do not dishonor a man because he is poor.
14. Do not honor a man because he is mighty.
15. Judge your neighbor righteously.
16. Do not be a talebearer (Lev. 19:16).
17. Do not endanger the life of your neighbor or interfere with justice if he is guilty.
18. Do not hate your brother in your heart (Lev. 19:17).
19. Do not suffer your neighbor to sin if a rebuke will keep him from it.
20. Do not seek revenge (Lev. 19:18).
21. Do not bear a grudge against your people.
22. Love your neighbor as yourself.
23. Keep My statutes (Lev. 19:19).
24. Do not crossbreed your stock.
25. Do not sow fields with mingled seed.
26. Do not wear garments of mixed fabric.

Five Commands–Sexual Sin with Slaves (Leviticus 19:21-22)
1. A man who has sexual relations with a slave who is betrothed but not yet redeemed, shall be scourged. The Septuagint reads: “They shall be visited with punishment.”
2. The slave shall also be scourged.
3. They shall not be put to death (as in other cases, Dt. 22:23-24), because she was not free.
4. The man shall bring a ram ($125) to the tabernacle for a trespass offering (Lev. 19:21).
5. The priest shall make atonement for his sin with the ram and it shall be forgiven him (Lev. 19:22).

Four commands–Fruit Trees (Leviticus 19:23-25)
1. Count all fruit of new trees as uncircumcised for three years.
2. Do not eat the fruit of these years.
3. The fruit of the fourth year shall be given to the priest as holy (Lev. 19:24).
4. The fruit from the fifth year on shall be yours to enjoy (Lev. 19:25).

uncircumcised – Regarding the fruit as being uncircumcised probably referred to plucking the blossoms (Lev. 19:23-25). The law was wise, because it is said that if the blossoms are plucked in the early years, the trees will bear more abundantly afterward.

Twenty Social and Religious Laws (Leviticus 19:26-36)
1. Do not eat anything with the blood.
2. Do not use enchantments.
3. Do not observe times.
4. Do not round corners of the hair or your head (Lev. 19:27).
5. Do not round the corners of your beard.
6. Do not make cuttings in your flesh in honor of the dead (Lev. 19:28).
7. Do not print any marks on you.
8. Do not prostitute your daughter (Lev. 19:29).
9. Keep My sabbaths (Lev. 19:30).
10. Reverence My sanctuary.
11. Do not regard those with familiar spirits (Lev. 19:31).
12. Do not seek after wizards.
13. Rise up before the hoary head (Lev. 19:32).
14. Honor the face of the old man.
15. Fear your God.
16. Do not vex a stranger (Lev. 19:33).
17. Consider the stranger living in your midst as one of you (Lev. 19:34).
18. Love him as yourself.
19. Be righteous in judgment (Lev. 19:35).
20. Be honest in your dealings having just weights, balances, measures (Lev. 19:35-36).

Observe All My Statutes and Judgements
Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 19:37

MY Sabbath and MY Sanctuary
Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord. – Leviticus 19:30

One little (huge) Word in this verse struck me this morning. MY. God doesn’t say THE sabbath or THE sanctuary. He says MY sabbath and MY sanctuary!

It is sad how few of us keep His sabbath and give reverence to His Sanctuary. Preaching to myself here!!! Some say it is just a building, and that is in some ways right, but most church sanctuaries were set apart for the Lord when they were initially built. Over time they have changed. But even if it were true that it is just a building or part of the building,  the way we treat God’s house (the building) is very representative of how we keep God’s house (our heart). You say, well, His Sabbath is actually on Saturday. It is just a day. But then Saturday or Sunday, if we keep His Sabbath day by treating it as just another day, it very likely an indication of how little time is given to God every day.

This passage hits home for me and brings me conviction. I am more apt to revere His sanctuary (the building) than my heart, His Sanctuary.  Do we treat our hearts and what goes in our hearts with reverence? Do we regularly clean out anything that is not in line with His Word and His Way? In the same line, keeping His Sabbath, as  He created His Sabbath to be, has become less and less a day of rest and worship and more like just an hour or two at church before we go out to lunch and then head off to other things of this world. If we keep on the path of slowly eliminating one thing and then another that we think doesn’t matter, eventually there will be only shells of the church but no real church. It is not just a building. If we aren’t gathering together, we are scattered abroad. When I see old churches that are closed down, I often wonder where the people are now.

Keep – To hold to; retain in one’s possession; not to lose or part with; to preserve; to retain; to tend to.

Reverence – Fear mingled with respect; to regard with respect and affection. We reverence superiors for their age, their authority, and their virtues. We should reverence God, His Word, and His ordinances; an act of respect such as a bow or a curtsy.

God help me to keep your instructions, even as You told us in our Proverb today, that I might be on the correct path – the Way of LIFE. Help Your church, Father!!!

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LEVITICUS 20 – SEPARATED FROM OTHER PEOPLE

Eighteen Death-Penalty Sins
1. Sacrificing children to Molech (Lev. 20:2-3)
2. Sympathy with idolaters (Lev. 20:4-5)
3. Turning to those in witchcraft (Lev. 20:6; Lev. 20:27)
4. Cursing one’s parents (Lev. 20:9)
5. Adultery with one’s neighbor’s wife (Lev. 20:10)
6. Adultery with one’s father’s wife (Lev. 20:11)
7. Adultery with one’s son’s wife (Lev. 20:12)
8. Homosexuality (Lev. 20:13)
9. Marrying a daughter and her mother (Lev. 20:14)
10. Bestiality by a man (Lev. 20:15)
11. Bestiality by a woman (Lev. 20:16)
12. Adultery with one’s sister (Lev. 20:17)
13. Sexual relations during menstruation (Lev. 20:18)
14. Adultery with one’s mother’s sister (Lev. 20:19)
15. Adultery with one’s father’s sister (Lev. 20:19)
16. Adultery with one’s aunt (Lev. 20:20)
17. Adultery with one’s sister-in-law (Lev. 20:21)
18. Witchcraft (Lev. 20:27)

Sanctify Yourselves
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you. – Leviticus 20:7-8

Separation
Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out. And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: 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 20:22-25 

These last years, I have lost some close friends to other friendships and new callings. I don’t take offense at it, but there are days I look back, and on those days, I sometimes ask why. Then the Holy Ghost brings to remembrance that I asked the Lord to be my closest friend. I asked Him to show me the truth of “deep calling unto deep.”

This passage touches me because I know there is a promised land. I know the Father is answering prayer. And though it has required a cost I never counted, the Holy Ghost is taking me to deep places that I likely would have ignored if life were busy with a larger circle of friends. The Lord, my God, has separated me from other people (as the scripture says of the Israelites in today’s passage) for His Glory and my good. It is the Lord that does this…

I know if He has separated me, He has separated others.

Severed that Ye Should Be Mine
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. – Leviticus 20:26

(All lists come from Dake Bible Notes)

Day 35 – A Year in the Bible – Leviticus 16-18
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LEVITICUS 16 – SIN OFFERING, ATONEMENT, SCAPTEGOAT

Speak Unto Aaron that He Come Not into the Holy Place
And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. – Leviticus 16:1-2 

Aaron Offered the Sin Offering and Made an Atonement for Himself and His House
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house. – Leviticus 16:3-6 

The Goat on Which the Lot Fell Will be the Scapegoat
And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. – Leviticus 16:7-10 

“cast lots” – This was done by the Urim and Thummim. The Septuagint reads: “Aaron shall cast lots on the goats, one lot, For the Lord, and one lot, For escape.” The priest, standing before the two goats, would put his hands into the pocket and take a lot in each one. The lot in his right hand was for the goat before him, on the right, and the one in his left hand was for the goat on the left.

“two goats” – According to tradition, the two goats were to be the same in size, color, and value, and as nearly alike as possible. Both were presented to the Lord by the high priest and then the lots were cast to determine which one should die and which should live (Lev. 16:8-10,15-22).

“scapegoat” – Hebrew: aza'zel (H5799), fromez (H5795), goat, and ‘azal (H235), “to go away,” meaning the goat of departure. Used in Lev. 16:8,10,26. We must depend on this simple meaning for a true understanding of this chapter.

One Goat Shall Bear the Iniquities; One Goat Shall be Let Go in the Wilderness
and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. – Leviticus 16:21-22

The two goats represented and completed one atonement for sin. The goat which died typified the death of Christ and the one which lived typified His resurrection. They represented the same idea as the two birds, one of which was killed and the other turned loose in the open fields. When the goat was led into the wilderness atonement was complete; the sins transferred figuratively on the goat were already atoned for, and the blood was sprinkled before the Lord. No other sacrifice could be allowed for sin after this on the day of atonement, signifying that when Christ died and entered into heaven there was no more sacrifice for sin.

The scapegoat did not die to atone for sins; he completed the atonement in that he took sins away, typifying the removal of them by the resurrection of Christ.

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LEVITICUS 17 – COMMANDS AND WORSHIP

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying, What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. – Leviticus‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭

And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice, And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people. – Leviticus 17:8-9

Seven Commands–One Place of Worship
1, Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all Israel saying: This is what God commands (Lev. 17:1).
2. Whoever kills an animal in sacrifice outside the camp and does not bring it to the tabernacle to offer it to Jehovah, shall die (Lev. 17:2-4).
3. Israel shall bring all sacrifices to the priests at the tabernacle and offer them for peace offerings to Jehovah (Lev. 17:5).
4. The priest shall sprinkle the blood on the brazen altar and burn the fat on it as a sweet savor to the Lord (Lev. 17:6).
5. Israel shall no longer offer sacrifices to devils (Lev. 17:7).
6. This shall be a statute to them forever.
7. Any Israelite or Gentile in Israel who offers a sacrifice and does not bring it to the tabernacle and offer it to the Lord, shall die (Lev. 17:8-9).

The Blood
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. – Leviticus 17:11

Life is in the Blood. Thank You for Your blood, Jesus. Your Blood is LIFE to me. Your Blood made atonement for me. Your Blood heals, delivers, cleanses, saves.

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LEVITICUS 18 – PRACTICAL HOLINESS

Do Not Practice the Customs and Ways of the Land
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. – Leviticus 18:1-5

Five commands–obedience to God’s laws:
1. Say to Israel: I am the Lord your God.
2. Do not practice the customs and ways of the land of Egypt (Lev. 18:3).
3. Do not follow the customs and ways of the peoples of Canaan.
4. Do not obey the laws of the Canaanites.
5. Keep My ordinances, statutes and judgments which, “if a man do, he shall live in them,” that is, live again in the resurrection by obeying them (Lev. 18:4-5).

Do Not Approach Your Kin to Uncover their Nakedness
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. – Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭6‬

Twenty Commands about Incest
Do Not Lie with:
1. any near kin (Lev. 18:6)
2. father (Lev. 18:7; cp. Gen. 19:31-38)
3. mother (Lev. 18:7)
4. father’s wife (Lev. 18:8; 20:11; Dt. 27:20; cp. Gen. 35:22; 2Sam. 16:20-23; 1Ki. 2:17; 2Cor. 5:1-5)
5. sister (Lev. 18:9)
6. father’s daughter (Lev. 18:9; cp. Gen. 20:12; 2Sam. 13:12,16,20; Ezek. 22:11)
7. mother’s daughter (Lev. 18:9)
8. son’s daughter (Lev. 18:10)
9. daughter’s daughter (Lev. 18:10)
10. father’s wife’s daughter (Lev. 18:11)
11. father’s sister (Lev. 18:12; Ex. 6:20)
12. mother’s sister (Lev. 18:13)
13. father’s brother (Lev. 18:14)
14. father’s brother’s wife (Lev. 18:14)
15. daughter-in-law (Lev. 18:15)
16. brother’s wife (Lev. 18:16). Such relationship was unlawful unless the brother had no children at death. It was then COMMANDED that a brother bring up seed to his brother’s name (Dt. 25:5; Mt. 22:24-30)
17. a woman and her daughter (Lev. 18:17)
18. her son’s daughter (Lev. 18:17)
19. her daughter’s daughter (Lev. 18:17)
20. wife and her sister (Lev. 18:18). This was to avoid such trouble as that which Jacob had with Rachel and Leah ((Gen. 29:15–Gen 30:24)
(Lists from Dake Bible Notes)

Day 34 – A Year in the Bible – Leviticus 13-15
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LEVITICUS 13 – UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN

Defiled
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.– Leviticus 13:45-46

Today’s reading in Leviticus would be easy to bypass. It is a lot of instructions about leprosy and skin diseases. God had to instruct the Israelites because they had never lived outside of captivity or in a wilderness. They didn’t have modern medicines, antibiotics, emergency rooms like we do. They couldn’t look up their symptoms on WebMD. If they caught a disease and someone didn’t deal with it and them aggressively, it could be tragic for the whole nation. God had to set up their government, and He also had to teach them many things, including cleanliness.

We know that God put these instructions in the Bible, which means they are eternal, so also for us today. To find the spiritual application, we must look below the surface as the priests had to look below the surface to see if a disease had defiled the body. That being said, we don’t have to look too far.

If something is on the surface, it can be dealt with quickly—a little quarantine. Serious problems can cause deeper issues if left unattended. The problem is we can’t always see that it is happening.  Uncleanliness (sin) on the surface of our lives – whether in body, mind, or spirit – shouldn’t be left to grow and fester. Sin not dealt with will threaten our eternal lives and touch everything and everyone around us, much like the effects of leprosy.  What kinds of things? Well, to name a few – jealousy, competition, gossip, bitterness, anger, lust. The list goes on and on, but these types of sins are not easily seen in their beginnings.

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LEVITICUS 14 – ATONEMENT

Atonement
And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord.

And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the Lord.

Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the Lord.

But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean. – Leviticus 14:18, 20, 29, 31, 53

We are still reading all about cleansing, purifying, skin diseases (leprosy), and mildew! JESUS can take care of all of these and has taken care of all of these. JESUS made our atonement on the Cross of Calvary. He did it all. He said, It is finished. We have the tremendous privilege and ability to be made right by Jesus by believing in Him and confessing Him and following Him. His blood cleanses us, heals us, and makes us whole. From what? Sickness and disease, oppression and possession, things like insecurities, doubts, fears, regret, shame, and an eternal death and life in hell. Jesus paid it all.

To Teach When it is Unclean and When it is Clean
This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall, and for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot: to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy. – Leviticus 14:54-57

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LEVITICUS 15 – SEPARATION

A Running Issue
And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness. – Leviticus‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭

An Issue of Blood
And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean. Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation. And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. – Leviticus 15:25-28

This passage makes me think about the woman with the issue of blood (found in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, and Luke 8:43-48).  She had 12 years of continuous bleeding and so 12 years of separation and uncleanness. Imagine what she was going through and her desperation as she went through the crowd to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. She had to have touched others because, according to scripture, there were many pressing in. She couldn’t have been proclaiming “unclean,” as was the law. She went for it. Had she not been healed, perhaps she would have been killed by those she “defiled” that day. This woman took a great risk. Her risk shows us how strong her desperation was but even more how strong her faith was. She was poor and needy, yet Jesus met her there!

Why Separate them?
Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. – Leviticus 15:31

The children of Israel had to be separated when they were unclean because God dwelt in the tabernacle that was among them. Sin cannot be in the presence of the Almighty God. If a person is in sin in His Presence, they die as Aaron’s sons died. Moses and the Israelites took so much care when they went before the Lord. Have we become too flippant about that? If we carry the Spirit of God within us everywhere we go, if we are the Temple and God resides in us, should we not consider the state of our hearts?  Can God live where unholiness and sin abides? Teach me, Holy Ghost!!!

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Reveal the hidden sins in my life today, Father, that I might deal with them now and live a clean and holy life. Help me, Holy Ghost, to yield to all You are doing in and through me. In the precious Name of Jesus! Amen!