Leviticus 8

LORD tells Moses to ordain Aaron and his sonsverses 1-3

And the LORD spoke unto Moses

saying

Take Aaron and his sons with him and the garments

anointing oil – a bullock for the sin offering

                        two rams – basket of unleavened bread

And gather you all the congregation together unto the door of the

            tabernacle of the congregation

Moses dresses Aaron in High Priest garmentsverses 4-9

And Moses did as the LORD commanded him

            and the assembly was gathered together to the

door of the tabernacle of the congregation

And Moses said to the congregation

            This is the thing which the LORD

commanded to be done

And Moses brought Aaron and his sons

and WASHED them with water

            and he put on him the coat

and girded him with the girdle

            and clothed him with the robe-

and put the ephod upon him

            and girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod

                        and bound it unto him therewith

            and he put the breastplate upon him

                        also he put in the breastplate the

Urim and the Thummim

            and he put the miter on his head

                        also upon the miter- even upon his forefront

did he put the golden plate

the holy crown

as the LORD commanded Moses

Moses anoints Tabernacle and Aaronverses 10-13

And Moses took the anointing oil

and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein

and SANCTIFIED them

and he sprinkled thereof on the altar SEVEN TIMES

and anointed the altar and all his vessels

both the laver and his foot

            to SANCTIFY them

            and he poured of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head

                        and anointed him – to SANCTIFY them

And Moses brought Aaron’s sons – and put coats on them

and girded them with girdles – and put bonnets on them

as the LORD commanded Moses 

Moses offered: bullverses 14-17

And he brought the bullock for the SIN offering

and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the

head of the bullock for the SIN offering

And he slew it – and Moses took the blood

and put it on the horns of the altar round about

with his finger

            and PURIFIED the altar – and poured he blood at the

bottom of the altar – and SANCTIFIED it

                  to make RECONCILATION on it

And he took all the fat that was on the inwards

and the caul above the liver

and the two kidneys

and their fat

      and Moses burned it on the altar

BUT the bullock – and his hide – flesh – dung

he burnt it with fire without the camp

as he LORD commanded Moses

Moses offered: ramverses 18-21

And he brought the ram for the burnt offering

and Aaron and his sons laid their hands

on the head of the ram

            and he killed it – and Moses sprinkled the blood on

the altar round about

            and he cut the ram into pieces

and Moses burnt the head – pieces – fat

            and he washed the inwards and the legs with water

and Moses burnt the whole ram on the altar

      it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor

                  and an offering made by fire to the LORD

                              as the LORD commanded Moses

Moses offers second ram of consecrationverses 22-24

And he brought the other ram – the ram of CONSECRATION

and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the

head of the ram and he slew it

And Moses took of the blood of it – and put it on the

tip of Aaron’s right ear – thumb of his right hand

      and on the great toe of his right foot

And he brought Aaron’s sons

and Moses put of the blood on the tip of their right ear

      and on the thumbs of their right hand

      and upon the great toe of their right feet

                  and Moses sprinkled the blood on

the altar round about

Moses offers special offering to the LORDverses 25-29

And he took the fat – rump – all the fat that was on the inwards

and the caul above the liver – and the two kidneys

and their fat – and the right shoulder

and out of the basket of unleavened bread

      that was before the LORD

                  he took one unleavened cake

and a cake of oiled bread and one wafer

      and put them on the fat

                  and on the right shoulder

and he put all on Aaron’s hands – and on his sons’ hands

                        and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD

And Moses took them from off their hands

and burnt them on the altar on the burnt offering

they were consecrations for a sweet savor

                                    it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD

And Moses took the breast

and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD

                        for of the ram of CONSECRATION it was Moses’ part

as the LORD commanded Moses

Moses took anointing oil: sanctifiedverse 30

And Moses took of the anointing oil

and of the blood which was on the altar

                        and sprinkled it on Aaron

and on his garments

                        and on his sons – and on his sons’ garments

with him

            and SANCTIFIED Aaron – and his garments – sons’

sons’ garments with him

Moses completed the purification process of priestsverses 31-36

And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons

Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation

      and there eat it with the bread that is in the

basket of CONSECRATIONS

                              as I commanded-  saying

                                          Aaron and his sons shall eat it

And that which remains of the flesh and of the bread shall you

      burn with fire

And you shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the

congregation in SEVEN days – until the days of

your CONSECRATION  be at an end

FOR SEVEN days shall HE CONSECRATE you

As he hath done this day – so the LORD has commanded to do

to make an ATONEMENT for you

            THEREFORE shall you abide at the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation day and night SEVEN days

                                    and keep the charge of the LORD

                                                that you die not

                                                            FOR so I have commanded

So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by

            the hand of Moses

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 12      And he poured of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. (6942 “sanctify” [qadash] means to be holy, removed from common use, subject to special use, consecrated, be sacred, or be dedicated)

DEVOTION:  Can you imagine someone being considered “holy” in this day and age? We know that since Adam and Eve all humans have had a sin nature. It is more natural to sin than to be holy. Yet we find that God allows some individuals to be considered “holy” in HIS sight.

Today those who become followers of Jesus Christ are called a holy people. They are given the ministry of the Holy Spirit to help them live a life that is pleasing to the LORD.

Do “holy” people sin? The answer is yes. Again, every human being has a sin nature give at birth and it doesn’t leave until death. So, there is a battle going on between our two natures.

We have to remember that “holy” doesn’t mean perfect or sinless. Only Jesus Christ was sinless. We are to confess our sin even after we become a believer. Aaron had to offer sacrifices for his sin to the LORD. The rest of the priests had to offer sacrifices for their sins before the LORD regularly.

We are to offer sacrifices before the LORD as we live our life here on this earth. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices regularly. We are to offer sacrifices of praise. There are other sacrifices we can give to the LORD to encourage a life of holiness or separation to the LORD.

CHALLENGE:  We have a HOLY work to do for the LORD.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 23      And he slew it, and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. (1818 “blood” [dam] slaughter, shed by violence, cruel deed, killing, or shedding of blood)

DEVOTION:  Each part of the body of Aaron and his sons had to be consecrated to the LORD. This was a service of dedication and ordination of Aaron and his sons. Moses was obeying the commands of the LORD that were given on the mountain.

So we find Moses taking blood and putting it on the three body parts that represented the whole body.

He touched the right ear of each of the priests to remind them that their ears had to be pure in the eyes of the LORD. They were to listen to only those things that were edifying to them. Their ears were not to be listening to things that were displeasing to the LORD.

He touched their right hand to signify that their hands were to be used for the glory of God. Anything their hands touched should have done things that pleased the LORD. Work was important to the LORD and the hands were used to work not only while they were on duty at the Tabernacle but also when they were in community and in their homes. The priests were not to be lazy.

The third area touched was their feet. Wherever they walked should have been giving glory to the LORD. They were to walk back and forth from the Tabernacle to their home. They were to be part of the travels of the children of Israel. They were to make sure they honored the LORD wherever they walked.

We should be doing the same today. We should not be hearing things that are displeasing to the LORD. We should not be lazy in our service to the LORD. We should not be walking into places that would not please the LORD.

Our whole life should be one that is pleasing to the LORD. So ask the LORD if you should be listening to the things you are listening to.

CHALLENGE:  Ask the LORD if you are honoring HIM with your work. Ask the LORD if you are honoring the LORD in all of the places you walk to.

: 33      And you shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.             (4394 “consecration” [millu] means setting, accomplish, installation, ordination, to be filled, or abundance)

DEVOTION:  Today our ordination process has gotten easier in some denominations. Some are just a rubber stamp of anyone wanting to get into the ministry. Some are very difficult. Some denominations require a Masters of Divinity degree before they will even think of ordaining someone.

Ordination today is something different from what the descendents of Aaron had to go through. Ordination today means that the government recognizes those who the church recognizes for income tax purposes. A denomination makes the guidelines and those who want to be a part of that group have to believe the same way that they do. They have to give their testimony and write a doctrinal statement and answer questions that those who are ordained ask at a special meeting. If the ordination council approves of the answers given to the questions then they recommend a man for ordination. The church has the final approval. They have an ordination service where family and friends are invited. They take an offering to give to the new minister for his library. The man can be called Rev. if he wants but most like the name “pastor.”

In this chapter we have the LORD calling a tribe to be HIS ministers. The tribe is the Levites with the descendants of Aaron selected to be priests.  Aaron, remember is the man who make the golden calf for the children of Israel to worship when Moses stayed so long on the mountain with the LORD. Yet the LORD chose him to be HIS High Priest. God is in the forgiving business.

HE is willing to use those who will serve HIM faithfully. They will never be sinless but in the Old Testament if they did things wrong there was capital punishment enforced by the LORD.

Now we have Moses commanded to gather the children of Israel for this seven day ordination service. The people are gathered. Moses dresses Aaron in the High Priest garments. He dresses Aaron’s sons in their garments. HE kills the sin offering for the priests. A bullock was killed and his blood was put on the altar.

This set the altar apart for service to the LORD. Next he killed a ram and sprinkled its blood on the altar. Then a second ram was killed and Moses took some of the blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, right hand, and right foot. This signified that every part of Aaron’s body was to serve the LORD and be holy.  He did the same thing to Aaron’s son.

Finally, they were to sit down and eat the remainder of the offering for a fellowship meal together. These sacrifices were probably offered each day for seven days as the priests sat down to eat each day for seven days.

The priests had to wait before the LORD seven days for their installation to the priestly office to be complete. If they didn’t complete the LORD’S instruction they could be killed by the LORD for disobedience. They were declared holy, sanctified, and ordained to the LORD. All the activities that the LORD commanded were done properly. HE declared that there was an atonement done for the priests. What happened for those seven days? We are not told. It is thought that they were filled with the LORD.

When we have a job to do for the LORD, it might take seven days of staying in HIS presence before we have the power to do the job. Are we willing to wait on the LORD for his presence? Moses waited forty days and forty nights before the LORD. Waiting is not easy. Going through the ceremony for seven days was not easy but it was required of the LORD.

How patient are we when it comes to preparing to serve the LORD? Does it take us seven days to prepare ourselves properly to worship the LORD each week? How do we prepare ourselves for service to the LORD?

CHALLENGE:  Does God recognize all those who are “ordained” in every church? Is “ordination” necessary to be a minister of the LORD?

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

:35       Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. (3915 “night” [layil] means 1 night. 1a night (as opposed to day). 1b of gloom, protective shadow (fig.).  [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])

DEVOTION:  God’s plan was for the tabernacle to be open day and night so that God’s people could seek Him out.  That would mean that the priests would have to be available 24/7/365.  They would hear out those who came to worship as well as those who were distressed in order to help them draw closer to God, no matter what the hour.

God’s plan is still that we draw near to Him throughout the day and night.  How often have you awakened from sleep at night and wondered why?  This is a common experience, and while it may be due to a number of things, it is true that time spent in prayer during the night is one of the most precious things that we can do.  One of the things that we need to learn to do is memorize the prayers in the Bible (especially in the New Testament) so that we can pray them back to God during the night watches.

Night time is also a time when we can meditate on God’s Word.  We can think about what God has taught us in His Word and how it applies to our lives.  How many times have we left our Sunday morning services, only to forget what God has taught us through our pastor on Sunday morning?  We need to make it a priority to meditate on what He has taught us, especially at night when our minds are not cluttered with other things.  This is another way we can use night hours to draw closer to God.

The other thing that we can do in the night is to simply praise God.  How many times have we actually tried to sing hymns of praise to God when we awaken at night?  God delights in hearing our praises to Him, and this increases our faith.

CHALLENGE:  Start memorizing Scripture so that you can quote it back to God at night.  Do the same with your favorite hymn or song.

: 36      So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses. (6680 “commanded” [tsavah] means charge, appoint, bade, give orders, commission, ordain, or to constitute)

DEVOTION:  Throughout this chapter we will read that Moses did as the LORD ordained him to do. Moses was listening to the LORD regarding the importance of ordaining the priests for service to HIM.

This chapter was a ceremony of ordination of the Tabernacle and the priests of the Tabernacle. These individuals from the tribe of Levite had a an awesome responsibility to serve the creator of the universe.

Every detail was important to God and Moses made sure that it was done right the first time. He did everything the LORD appointed him to do with the priests.

Today we have the same thing happening when we set aside men for service to the LORD in the office of pastor and deacon. These two offices were defined by the LORD with special instructions.

The church has the responsibility to make sure that they ask the LORD regarding who their leader is to be. It should be done with much prayer and fasting.

Once someone is chosen it is the responsibility of the church to help him in his time of service to the LORD. The children of Israel had to bring their tithes and offering to support the priests. It was necessary for the priests to support their families. It is necessary for the pastor to support his family.

Moses did all the LORD told him to do to consecrate the priests in a proper manner. We need to do all the LORD tells us to do for our church leaders, so that, they can function in their respective offices.

CHALLENGE: The office of pastor needs to be a Biblical office with individuals who honor the Word of God as inerrant is all that it teaches.

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Sin offeringverses 2, 14

            Bullock

Tabernacle of the congregationverses 3, 4, 33, 35

            Washed Aaron and sons with water

            Put on him the clothes

                        Coat

                        Girded him with a girdle

                        Robe

                        Ephod

                        Breastplate

                                    Urim  and Thummim

                        Mitre on head

                                    Golden plate

                        Holy crown

            Anointing oil

                        Sanctified them

Sanctified allverses 13-36

            Put on Aaron’s sons

                        Coats

                        Girdles

                        Bonnets

Burnt sacrificeverse 21

Ram of consecrationverses 22, 23-36

            Blood on Aaron’s

                        Right ear

                        Thumb

                        Great toe of right foot

            Blood on Aaron’s sons

                        Right ear

                        Thumb

                        Great toe

Wave offeringverse 29

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 4, 5, 13, 17, 21, 26-29, 34-36

Commanded of the LORDverses 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 29, 34-36

Charge of the LORDverse 35

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Sinverses 2, 14

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Sanctifiedverses 10-12, 15, 30

Anointedverse 12

Reconciliationverse 15

Consecrationverses 22, 29, 31, 33

Atonementverse 34

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Mosesverses 1-36

Aaronverses 2, 6, 18, 30-35

Consecration

Sanctified

Seven days in tabernacle

Aaron’s sonsverses 2, 6, 13, 14, 18, 28, 31-35

Put on coats

Hands on head of bullock

Consecration

Sanctified

Seven days in tabernacle

Congregationverses 3, 4

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

6) Seven-Day Ordination (8:31–36)

³¹ Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ ³² Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. ³³ Do not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. ³⁴ What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.” ³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

8:31–36 In the final instruction of the ordination ceremony Aaron and his sons were ordered to partake of the meat and bread and burn what was left over (8:31–32). Moses then told the priests to remain at the entrance of the tabernacle for seven days to complete the ordination (8:33–35). Although not explicitly stated, it should be assumed that the ordination sacrifice was repeated on each of the seven days to provide for the priests during this seven-day period (see Exod 29:33). Meat and bread, as part of the ordination sacrifice, was prepared with the sacrifice on each of the seven days. The seven-day period of separation added to the solemnity of the occasion as it marked the beginning of the priest’s consecrated life of service to the Lord.

One of the purposes of the ordination ceremony was that atonement would be provided for the priests (8:34). At the very commencement of the priestly activity there was to be a reminder of the status of the priests as sinners in need of atonement to carry out their sacred responsibilities. God must use imperfect people to serve as leaders of his people. He does not demand perfection from those who are willing to serve him.

God’s grace is particularly evident in Aaron’s appointment to the high priesthood, for the very one who had been the chief sinner (Exod 32) now became the chief mediator for the people of God. Servants of God in all ages are in desperate need of the cleansing provided by God to be available and useful in his service. Believer-priests can still serve God today provided they be cleansed by means of the Holy Spirit and the Word (John 13:10; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5; Heb 10:22). The contrast between the sinful lives of the high priests and the life and work of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, to which these priests pointed, was not lost to the writer of the Hebrews (Heb 9:7–14).

The final verse of chap. 8 returns to the historical narrative genre and records the fact that the priests, like Moses, responded with complete obedience to the Lord’s command in the execution of the inauguration ceremony (8:36). (Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, pp. 148–149). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)

31–36 The ram of ordination was then eaten at the door of the tabernacle in a new communion with God (vv.31–32). So for seven days Aaron and his sons stayed at the tabernacle in contrition, worship, consecration, and fellowship (vv.33–35). Curiously, we know nothing of the prayers that were offered during that time. The whole OT ritual is given without any prescribed prayers except the Aaronic benediction of Numbers 6:24–26. It would seem that in those days also God wished his people to pray spontaneously from the heart. (Harris, R. L. (1990). Leviticus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, p. 561). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Moses, having done his part of the ceremony, now leaves Aaron and his sons to do theirs.

I. They must boil the flesh of their peace-offering, and eat it in the court of the tabernacle, and what remained they must burn with fire, v. 31, 32. This signified their thankful consent to the consecration: when God gave Ezekiel his commission, he told him to eat the roll, Eze. 3:1, 2.

II. They must not stir out of the court of the tabernacle for seven days, v. 33. The priesthood being a good warfare, they must thus learn to endure hardness, and to disentangle themselves from the affairs of this life, 2 Tim. 2:3, 4. Being consecrated to their service, they must give themselves wholly to it, and attend continually to this very thing. Thus Christ’s apostles were appointed to wait for the promise of the Father, Acts 1:4. During this time appointed for their consecration, they were daily to repeat the same sacrifices which were offered the first day, v. 34. This shows the imperfection of the legal sacrifices, which, because they could not take away sin, were often repeated (Heb. 10:1, 2), but were here repeated seven times (a number of perfection), because they typified that one offering, which perfected for ever those that were sanctified. The work lasted seven days; for it was a kind of creation: and this time was appointed in honour of the sabbath, which, probably, was the last day of the seven, for which they were to prepare during the six days. Thus the time of our life, like the six days, must be our preparation for the perfection of our consecration to God in the everlasting sabbath: they attended day and night (v. 35), and so constant should we be in our meditation on God’s law, Ps. 1:2. They attended to keep the charge of the Lord: we have every one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve; and it must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is at our utmost peril if we neglect it. Keep it that you die not; it is death, eternal death, to betray the trust we are charged with; by the consideration of this we must be kept in awe. Lastly, We are told (v. 36) that Aaron and his sons did all that was commanded. Thus their consecration was completed; and thus they set an example before the people of an exact obedience to the laws of sacrifices now newly given, and then they could with the better grace teach them. Thus the covenant of peace (Num. 25:12), of life and peace (Mal. 2:5), was made with Aaron and his sons; but after all the ceremonies that were used in their consecration there was one point of ratification which was reserved to be the honour and establishment of Christ’s priesthood, which was this, that they were made priests without an oath, but Christ with an oath (Heb. 7:21), for neither such priests nor their priesthood could continue, but Christ’s is a perpetual and unchangeable priesthood.

Gospel ministers are compared to those who served at the altar, for they minister about holy things (1 Co. 9:13), they are God’s mouth to the people and the people’s to God, the pastors and teachers Christ has appointed to continue in the church to the end of the world: they seem to be meant in that promise which points at gospel times (Isa. 66:21), I will take of them for priests and for Levites. No man may take this honour to himself, but he who upon trial is found to be clothed and anointed by the Spirit of God with gifts and graces to qualify him for it, and who with purpose of heart devotes himself entirely to the service, and is then by the word and prayer (for so every thing is sanctified), and the imposition of the hands of those that give themselves to the word and prayer, set apart to the office, and recommended to Christ as a servant and to the church as a steward and guide. And those that are thus solemnly dedicated to God ought not to depart from his service, but faithfully to abide in it all their days; and those that do so, and continue labouring in the word and doctrine, are to be accounted worthy of double honour, double to that of the Old-Testament priests. (Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 159). Peabody: Hendrickson.)

8:31–36 The ordination. The whole procedure of ordination took seven days, during which time Aaron and his sons were not to leave the sanctuary. The chapter ends with a final emphasis on obedience, so you will not die (35–36), another grim warning of the shock to come at 10:2. (Wright, C. J. H. (1994). Leviticus. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 134). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)

The priests anointed (v. 30). Aaron had already had the holy oil poured upon him (Lev. 8:12), but now both he and his sons were sprinkled with both the oil and the blood of the sacrifices, taken from the altar. This meant that both they and their garments were “sanctified,” set apart by God for His exclusive use. Neither the priests nor what they wore could be used for any “common” purposes. They belonged wholly to God.

The ordination ram eaten (vv. 31–36). For the next week, Aaron and his sons had to remain in the tabernacle court, and each day, Moses offered sacrifices like those he had offered on “ordination day” (Ex. 29:35–36). The priests then ate the meat of the “ram of ordination” as well as the bread for the meal offering, just as they would have eaten the fellowship offerings. However, there was a difference; they were not permitted to eat the meat the next day (Lev. 7:15–16). Whatever was left over had to be burned that same day. Their seven days in the tabernacle precincts indicated the completion of their dedication to the Lord. Had they disobeyed and left the tabernacle, they would have died. It was a serious thing to be one of God’s priests. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Holy (pp. 35–36). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)

Ver. 36. So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.] They submitted to have them done to them, and for them, what was done on the first day of their consecration, all the rest of the days; and they kept within the tabernacle all that time as was enjoined them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 573). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

33–36. The rites of Consecration were to last a whole week, and thus, like the longer of the annual festivals, were connected in an emphatic manner with the sabbatical number of the Covenant. During this period the priests were not to leave the Holy precinct for the sake of any worldly business; and the whole series of

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FROM MY READING:

33. Rather, ye shall not go away from the entrance of the Tent. With this agree Cranmer, the Geneva Bible, &c. The meaning is evidently that they were not to go out of the court, as is more clearly expressed in v. 35.

35. that ye die not] See Ex. 28:35 note, (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: Exodus to Ruth. (F. C. Cook & J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (p. 130). London: John Murray)

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Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

Acts 27

Paul exercises his right as a Roman citizen to take his case before Caesar.

INSIGHT

One of the secrets of peace is believing the promises of God. There are many things that we think we believe, but our anxiety level reveals that we do not. The Lord promises to meet all our needs, but our labor and worry reveal that we are not so sure. Paul receives a word from God that he will not perish. In relating this to the sailors, Paul says: “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (v. 25).

If we believe, we can be at peace; if we do not believe, we will fret. Review the promises of Scripture when you are troubled. What among them are you not believing? If you are trying to believe but still struggle, you may pray the prayer of the father regarding his son who had an evil spirit: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

                  (Quiet Walk)

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HOW TO KNOW THE JOY

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.  1 John 1:4

The first thing that is essential before we can ever have and hold this joy is the absolute centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ. John starts with Him in 1 John 1:1-3: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

You will never know any joy until you know Christ. He is the source of joy; He is the fount of all blessings; everything comes through Him. So before John begins to discuss anything else, he talks about Him.

Here we come to the great watershed that divides Christian preaching and teaching from every other teaching; it is based solely on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian church has nothing to say to the world until it believes on Him. Indeed, the Church’ message to the world is one of condemnation until it believes on Christ. Christ is central, He is essential, He is the beginning and the end, and John has nothing to say to these people by way of encouragement unless they are absolutely clear about Him. It is through Him that we have access to God; and it is through Him that we have fellowship with God.

A Thought to Ponder: You will never know any joy until you know Christ.

      (From Fellowship with God, pp. 32-33, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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His Spirit Answers to the Blood

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11)

The fourth verse of “Arise, My Soul, Arise” speaks of God the Father answering the request of God the Son and granting salvation to a repentant sinner, adopting him into His family.

The Father hears Him pray, His dear Anointed One;

He cannot turn away the presence of His Son.

His Spirit answers to the blood,

And tells me I am born of God.

As Christ the Messiah hung on Calvary’s tree, God the Father turned away, unable in His holiness to look upon Christ as He bore “the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) He cried in His agony. But once God’s righteous justice was satisfied, the Father turned back and answered Christ’s prayer, even from the horns of the altar, as it were (Psalm 22:21). “I and my Father are one,” Christ had said (John 10:30), and once sin’s penalty was paid, there would be no more separation.

And when a sinner comes to God, claiming the blood of Christ as a full payment for his sins, and Christ Himself prays for the sinner’s full forgiveness and acceptance, the Father cannot turn away, for “he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). In our text, the same Spirit that raised up Christ grants the spiritually dead sinner new life and declares him to be born of God. “Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again [literally, ‘born from above’]” (John 3:7). “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1).

                   (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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An Arkansas Kroger store violated federal anti-discrimination law when it reportedly fired two employees who refused to wear LGBT-themed aprons due to their religious beliefs, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to the Miami Herald, a dress code by the Conway, Ark., grocery store required employees to wear a rainbow-colored heart emblem on the bib of the apron. The women “believed the emblem endorsed LGBTQ values and that wearing it would violate their religious beliefs,” the EEOC said in a news release summarizing the suit.

Kroger disciplined the two women and eventually fired them, an action that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. The EEOC charges Kroger with religious discrimination.

Both women are Christian.

The two women “offered to wear the apron with the emblem covered and the other offered to wear a different apron without the emblem, but the company made no attempt to accommodate their requests,” the EEOC said.

“Companies have an obligation under Title VII to consider requests for religious accommodations, and it is illegal to terminate employees for requesting an accommodation for their religious beliefs,” said Delner-Franklin Thomas, district director of the EEOC’s Memphis District Office. “The EEOC protects the rights of the LGBTQ community, but it also protects the rights of religious people.”

The EEOC tried but failed to reach a pre-litigation settlement, the news release said. The lawsuit seeks “monetary relief in the form of back pay and compensatory damages, as well as an injunction against future discrimination,” the EEOC said.

The Kroger Company operates 2,758 grocery stores in 35 states under a variety of names, including Kroger and Harris Teeter.

PRAYER REQUESTS: 

Rena asks for her Grandson: Please pray for my son Nicolas’s son baby Maverick as he is in the Hospital.

Also pray for Rena’s niece: Debbie for kidney and heart problems. Thank you

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Please continue to pray for the giving to this ministry. Thank you!

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