Partakers Christian Podcasts

Bible Reading - Psalm 51

Psalm 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

51:1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions.
51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
Cleanse me from my sin.
51:3 For I know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly before me.
51:4 Against you, and you only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight;
that you may be proved right when you speak,
and justified when you judge.

51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity.
In sin my mother conceived me.
51:6 Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
51:8 Let me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

51:9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.
51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a right spirit within me.
51:11 Don’t throw me from your presence,
and don’t take your holy Spirit from me.

51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
Uphold me with a willing spirit.
51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways.
Sinners shall be converted to you.
51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God, the God of my salvation.
My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

51:15 Lord, open my lips.
My mouth shall declare your praise.
51:16 For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it.
You have no pleasure in burnt offering.
51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
51:18 Do well in your good pleasure to Zion.
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
51:19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness,
in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings.
Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

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Bible Thought - Leviticus 18 & 19 Joy Get Its Hands Dirty

 

Joy Gets Its Hands Dirty

Leviticus 18 & 19 & Mark 12:28-34

Introduction

Leviticus 18 & 19 is where the rubber hits the road. Leviticus moves on to the matter of wholeness of life and personal holiness. God gives to His people, Israel, some laws of how they were to live. Laws for such things as: food & diet, foreign nationals, justice, the poor, sex, social etiquette and tattoos. Sounds very relevant for us today in Boscombe, doesn’t it?

 

Let’s briefly take 2 examples. Firstly, concerning the laws regarding sexual activity. The other nations engaged in all these sexual activities as given in Leviticus 18, often as part of their religious devotion and worship but also as an abusive power. But Israel was not to be like that! Sexual activity was to be between one man and one woman within marriage. Tattoos. Look in Leviticus 19:28. Why are tattoos mentioned? Primarily because the other nations tattooed and cut themselves as signs of their devotion, worship and allegiance to their gods. That was their manner of “outward holiness” as it were. Hence their prohibition for Israel who were to be very different from the surrounding nations.

 

Israel were not to be like these other nations in any way, shape or form. Other cultures were not to be allowed to infiltrate them. Israel was to stand out as God’s light to the other nations. These laws were for Israel and also for all immigrants, foreign nationals and aliens who lived among them (Leviticus 18:26). In our second reading from Mark 12, we see that Jesus said that the whole of the Law, including these in our 2 chapters in Leviticus today, is summarised as “Love God and love all other people”.

From Mark 12, we see that Jesus said that the whole of the Law, including these verses from Leviticus 18-19, is summarised as “Love God and love all other people”.

The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “I am the Lord your God. 3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. 4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.(Leviticus 18:1-5)

 

1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 ‘Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
3 ‘“Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the Lord your God.
4 ‘“Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
5 ‘“When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. 8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the Lord; they must be cut off from their people.
9 ‘“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:1-10)

 

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’
29 ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 31 The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’
32 ‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)

 

Repeatedly in this book, God has said “Be holy, for I am holy”. But what is holiness? As we have glimpsed in the last 2 weeks, holiness is what separates God from all His creation. For God alone is holy and full of glory. Remember what Aaron had to do when entering the holy of holies on the day of Atonement? He had to create a wall of smoky incense, so that he wouldn’t glimpse God’s glory and holiness and be struck down dead, like his sons Nadab and Abihu. Holiness is in fact the sum of all God’s attributes. God is holiness and holiness is God.

Holiness is also a moral attribute of God, of His purity, and His freedom from the stain of ALL sin. There is an innate moral goodness about God – an absolute perfection which always seeks creation’s welfare. The goodness of God has several key aspects within His moral attributes. These include the following but they are not an exhaustive listing: Grace, holiness, patience, love, mercy, righteousness and truth. They are part of our God’s moral framework. Have you seen evidence of these in your own life?

 

Let’s keep having a look at our God. God says, for example, in Leviticus 19:2 “I…” That indicates that God is personal. This God is personal and there is an intimacy to be had with a personal God like this. No god of rock or wood like the surrounding polytheistic nations for Israel! Their God is one! God is a God who is personal, and must therefore be capable of having and sustaining relationships. A God who sustains relationships will also want to be known! We know that God is spirit, yet also a personal and infinite being (John 4:24). He is one in substance or nature and incapable of being divided. Even more, as we saw last week, God is love. Love is one of His key attributes. If God was only a single person, then how could love possibly be shown? Love requires more than one Person for Love to be active. If it is not active, then it cannot be love. How can we answer this seeming paradox?

 

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Bible Thought - Leviticus 16 A God of Joy and His people

 

A God of Joy and His people

Introduction

Book of Leviticus

We look again in the book of Leviticus 16. Some of the words and phrases we commonly use come straight from the book of Leviticus. Words such as jubilee and scapegoat are commonly used today. And what husband hasn't offered a form of guilt offering to his wife!Leviticus does have important things to tell us about sin, obedience and holiness. Perhaps most importantly it tells of God dwelling with His people. So today we delve into Leviticus 16, which is the centre and pinnacle of the book.  

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Bible Thought - Leviticus 9-10 Obedient Service of God

 

Obedient Service of God

Introduction

How to read Leviticus today? What is the best way for us in the 21^st century to read these ancient laws of Leviticus? Is it just to simply ignore them or are we to slavishly follow them? Perhaps the best way is to simply let Scripture interpret Scripture and see what the New Testament says about the Leviticus laws.

Take for instance the food laws. We know in the New Testament that all food is now permissible, whereas under the Old Testament, certain foods were not permitted to be eaten. In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter had a dream in which all food was declared clean!It is also wise, not to see them as merely a list of "not do" statements, but also as "do statements".

Rather, we should see them as a love letter from a God who wants to save His people from distress and anxiety in order to give them a life of peace, unity, health and a joyful life in all its fullness.All these laws were to lead ancient Israel to be a holy nation. Holiness was about being set apart for a purpose and making wise, conscious decisions about what was right or wrong. It involved being obedient to God and keeping His decrees and regulations.

Being holy, involved having a lifestyle, which was contrary to the cultures surrounding them. To be holy was a lifestyle choice of worship, to reflect their holy God.They were called to be loyal! Called to be distinct! Called to worship! What has all this got to do with us? Where does the Day of Atonement and these laws fit into the life of a Christian in the 21^st century? We will take a look in the third part in al little while!

Outline:

Introduction

1. Great joy Leviticus 9:22-24
2. Great tragedy Leviticus 10:1-11
3. A God of Judgement
4. A God of Wrath
5. So what’s all this got to do with us today?
6. New Covenant?
7. Called to service
8. Judged for our service

Conclusion

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Bible Reading - Psalm 118

Psalm 118

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
² Let all Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
³ Let Aaron's descendants, the priests, repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."
⁴ Let all who fear the Lord repeat: "His faithful love endures forever."

⁵ In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free.
⁶ The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?
⁷ Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

¹⁰ Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
¹¹ Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a crackling fire. But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
¹³ My enemies did their best to kill me, but the Lord rescued me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.

¹⁵ Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
¹⁶ The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
¹⁷ I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.
¹⁸ The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not let me die.

¹⁹ Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord.
²⁰ These gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.
²¹ I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!
²² The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
²³ This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see.
²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.
²⁶ Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ The Lord is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you!
²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

 

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Jesus the I AM of God - Part 8 All Together Now

8. Jesus the I AM of God – All Together Now

So there we have it – Jesus the I AM of history. We saw together how Jesus loudly proclaiming he was the the living bread; the light of the world; the good shepherd and the gate; the resurrection and the life; the way, the truth, and the life; and finally declaring He and He alone was the true vine! Jesus as the long waited for Messiah or Saviour, was the reality , whereas Israel was the symbol. All the things the nation of Israel was to be but failed to do so, is embodied in Jesus Christ. All the I AM statements reflect this.

All through this, Jesus knew what his mission on earth was. Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” He knew that the cross and his being raised from the dead was his ultimate mission to defeat sin and death. If it were to be any other way, do you not think God would have done it another way? The cross and the resurrection show that Jesus’ exclusive proclamations are true, because Jesus life and actions support Jesus’ claims. No other religion, apart from Christianity, offers a guarantee of salvation and everlasting life based on faith and grace alone. This is because the offer is all down to God’s salvation work on the cross and not due to the efforts of humans to appease a God or gods.

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Jesus the I AM of God - Part 7 The True Vine

7. Jesus the I AM of God – True Vine

"I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (John 15:1)

All the things the nation of Israel was to be but failed to do so, is embodied in Jesus Christ. All the I AM statements reflect this. Isaiah 5 starts out as a love song between God and His chosen people, Israel. Israel was to be a vineyard, and despite all the love God had given tending to her, Israel had only produced bitter and sour fruit. This bitterly sour fruit is described in Isaiah 5:8-25. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was to be a vine or vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7, Ezekiel 15:1-6). Therefore, God will abandon her.

So if this vineyard is abandoned, will God raise a new vineyard? Juxtaposed against Israel’s failure to be a vine, Jesus states that he is the true vine. Jesus was the reality, whereas Israel was the symbol. The fruit of Jesus Christ’ life was and is abundant, fresh and sweet to the taste! We as Christians some 2000 years later are the result of Jesus being the true vine!

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Jesus the I AM of God - Part 6 The Way, Truth and Life

6. Jesus the I AM of God – Way, Truth and Life

Jesus said to him, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

When Jesus issued this statement, the stress of the sentence automatically falls on the words “the way”. This is because Jesus is answering a question posed by Thomas (John 14:5). Jesus Christ has exposed the barrier of sin and death, which prevents a person from entering God’s presence. He explodes this same barrier when a person entrusts in Him for their eternal salvation. He is as he claims in Matthew 7:14 “the road that leads to life”. Not only is He the way, but He is also the truth and the life. All of God’s truth is embodied in Jesus Christ who as both fully God and fully human was also the ever-living God.

Listen or download the mp3 to hear more about these Bible Verses and how Jesus is the I AM of God – the Way, the Truth and the Life!

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Jesus the I AM of God - Part 5 The Resurrection and the Life

5. Jesus the I AM the Resurrection and the Life

Jesus said to her, "I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ (John 11:26)

This exclamation by Jesus is highlight of this passage of Scripture. Lazarus has died (John 11v15) and will be raised back to life again (John 11v43-44).

Why does Jesus say that He is the Resurrection and the Life? 

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Jesus the I AM of God - Part 4 The Good Shepherd & Gate

4. Jesus the I AM of God – Good Shepherd & Gate

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:7-11, 14-15)

 

Throughout the Old Testament, God is seen as a shepherd and His people are the sheep of is keeping. The sheep are always God’s even though He temporarily entrusted them to people such as Moses to care and tender them. Therefore Moses and others like him such as the true prophets, were forerunners to Jesus. Here Jesus proclaims that He is the Good Shepherd and the Gate.

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