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The God Who Can Be Deeply Pleased

Were the Old Testament sacrifices to the Lord more for the peoples’ benefit, or did the Lord really need them? We don’t really know for sure. But to be certain, God has more emotion and feeling than we realize. Perhaps he loves the scent of the love that we offer up to him in our sacrifice as we would enjoy the aroma of a sumptuous meal prepared in a home where love, affection and kindness reign. It is quite likely that God takes greater pleasure in our love for him than we realize. So on this day, remember that you can deeply please him through the love offering of your whole life for his pleasure.

The Journey // Focus: Leviticus 3:16

This sacrifice is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Were the Old Testament sacrifices to the Lord more for the peoples’ benefit, or did the Lord really need them? When food was offered on the altar to the Lord and it was said to be pleasing to him, was it because he was hungry? Why was the aroma of the sacrifice important to God?

We don’t really know for sure. To be certain, the act of sacrifice, done in God’s way from a heart of love and obedience was indeed good for God’s people—a way to remind them of their gracious God and an act of obedience that built faith in their hearts. And for sure, sacrifice was pleasing to God when it represented a loving and obedient act of faith.

But perhaps there is more. Perhaps this God has more emotion and feeling than we realize. Perhaps he loves the scent of the love that we offer up to him as we would enjoy the aroma of a sumptuous meal prepared in a home where love, affection and kindness reign. Who knows, but it is more likely than it isn’t that God takes greater pleasure in us than we realize.

May God give you a heart that gets it—a heart that so desires to please him through the pure offering of your whole life for his pleasure. After all, he truly deserves it!

Going Deeper: Make it the chief aim of your life and the sole prayer you offer today that through your life, what is offered up will be a sweet smelling aroma that is most pleasing to God. In every thought you think, every word you speak, every action you make, every breath you take, ask for the help of the Holy Spirit whether consciously or subconsciously, that you would be a sacrifice that belongs to you and that pleases him. You are my life—enable me to live it to please you. As the sacrifices in the Old Testament belonged to you, may I be that living sacrifice that belongs to you and brings pleasure to your heart.

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Foodie

Why God Took Such Delight In The Food Sacrifices

No irreverence intended, but I think God might be a foodie. It is clear from reading the detailed instructions on how he wanted the food offerings prepared that he took great delight in them. He especially loved the aroma of a well-prepared feast. Speaking of which, throughout the Old Testament, it is also clear that he was the God of the feast. On many different occasions throughout their year, the Israelites were called to enjoy festive feasts in his presence. And those feast were holy to the Lord. God loves a good meal—especially when we include him in it.

The Journey// Focus: Leviticus 2:4, 9, 13

If your offering is a grain offering baked in an oven, it must be made of choice flour, but without any yeast. It may be presented in the form of thin cakes mixed with olive oil or wafers spread with olive oil. … The priest will take a representative portion of the grain offering and burn it on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. …Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.

No irreverence intended, but I think God might be a foodie. It is clear from reading the detailed instructions on how he wanted the food offerings prepared that he took great delight in them. He especially loved the aroma of a well-prepared feast. Speaking of which, throughout the Old Testament, it is also clear that he was the God of the feast. On many different occasions throughout their year, the Israelites were called to enjoy festive feasts in his presence. And those feast were holy to the Lord.

God loves a good meal. That is probably where we get it. Humans do too. Just look at the growing number of cooking shows on TV, the proliferation of cookbooks and cooking classes, the large number of people that are now considered foodies—and that’s just in my family. People love a well-cooked meal, and they come by it naturally, because their Creator is a foodie, too!

Of course, our infatuation with food has gotten out of control. Food has become an idol—which is what we drift into when the sinful self sets devotion to God aside. That is why so many have eating disorders—too much eating, not enough eating, addiction to unhealthy kinds of eating, etc. But even then, our misuse of mealtime is an indication of a far deeper desire that can only be explained by the fact that our Creator hardwired into our DNA a desire for the right use of food.

The point of all of this is that in our modern context, we ought to redeem our enjoyment of food as a way to worship the God who, like us, enjoys a good meal, and receives it as worship when we include him in it. That is why in Leviticus 2:13 he commanded that salt always be used in the meal offering. Why? Salt was a sign of his eternal covenant with his people. It was a memorial offering—that which was to remind the worshipper of something of great importance: that God had initiated an everlasting covenant with his people, binding his immutable character to their ruthless obedience.

So how can we recapture the holiness of a good meal, or any meal for that matter, as a part of our worship before a good and gracious Creator? One simple but profound way is to pray before we eat—to offering thanks. What better way to make the meal a memorial offering? What better way to salt the food—to remember and restate the everlasting covenant that God has made with you?

Even Jesus stopped to give thanks before meals. (John 6:11) Think about that for a moment: Why would Jesus do that? In a sense, wasn’t he really saying grace to himself? What purpose did this serve?

To begin with, I think Jesus was truly grateful to his Father for the food he was about to eat. I think the Second Person of the eternal Trinity was a fundamentally grateful being. It was just who Jesus was; the overflow of his Divine nature.

But not only that, Jesus was modeling for us the appropriateness and power of gratitude. He was reminding us by his actions that it doesn’t hurt to stop and express thanksgiving to God, and one of the simplest and recurring ways to enter into gratitude is to say a simple “thank you” before each meal.

We don’t know exactly what Jesus said in his prayers, but it was likely short and sweet. On several occasions we were simply told that he “gave thanks.” He acknowledged God in that moment, drawing attention to the Heavenly Provider and reminding both himself and those who were within earshot of his dependence on and gratitude to a Creator who was also our providing Father.

And that is something you and I can do too, each time we sit down (or drive through) for a meal. We can give thanks. As redundant and useless and perfunctory as it may seem, there is power in this simple act. It is an offering pleasing to God, an aroma that is worship to him.

Going Deeper: The next time you say grace before your meal, remember the renewal of the everlasting covenant that your simple prayer expresses.

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Why Leviticus?

Holiness, That's Why!

Holiness paves the way to walking in God’s favor. Holiness opens the door to living in harmony with God’s people. Holiness creates the space to celebrate the wonder of God who fashions human beings into his very own people. When we get holiness right, we ourselves become a sacred offering—a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The Journey // Focus: Leviticus 1:3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 17

When you present an animal as an offering to the Lord… It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

For years in my annual journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, coming to the book of Leviticus was like my semiannual trip to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. It was a necessity, but not one I took pleasure in. When it came to Leviticus, I endured it; I didn’t enjoy it—until I began to understand God’s loving intent in laying out in detail the role of the Levites and priests along with the offerings and feast in the national life of his newly formed community, Israel.

This fledgling nation is now camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. They will be here for about two years for teaching and training and learning when, where and how to meet with God. Moses was their leader, their representative before God and God’s spokesman to them. He is the essential author of the first five books of the Bible, including this one, Leviticus. The title is actually derived from a Latin word that simply means, pertaining to the Levites.

Now understand that the book doesn’t specifically pertain to the Levites, although in a general sense, the tribe of Levi was entrusted with the ceremonial worship of God and the physical care of the Tabernacle. But in a particular sense, Leviticus deals with a certain segment of the Levites, the Priests, and how they were to guide the people into communion with God through a system of offerings, and to a lesser extent, through several religious feasts they were to observe throughout the year.

The key verse has to be Leviticus 19:2, a verse that really captures the heart of Leviticus: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”

Obviously, from the verse, we see that holiness is the real theme of Leviticus. In fact, the word holiness appears more in Leviticus than in any other book, to the tune of 152 times. Now holiness may be defined in different ways, depending on who you ask, but from this book, what does holiness really mean, and what is the purpose of a book about holiness?

Here is the answer, as I see it: we were created in God’s image (which includes holiness), and were made for close relationship with him (which requires holiness). When that image was shattered and fellowship broken by sin, we were rendered unholy, left incomplete and in need of restoration. Levitcus is about that restoration to fellowship and spiritual wholeness and relationship through holiness.

How can that happen; how can an unholy people have fellowship and relationship with a holy God? Leviticus shows us the way. There are three interconnected requirements laid out in Leviticus that we need to observe to be restored to holiness:

  1. First, we are restored to God by taking care of the sin that separates a holy God from an unholy people, which is accomplished through a system of sacrificial offerings, described for us in Leviticus 1-10. (Vertical worship) Of course, as New Testament believers, the Old Testament system of sacrifice has been replaced by the once-for-all sacrificial death of Jesus.
  2. Second, we are restored to fellowship by worshipping God with our daily lives. We take care of sin, then we walk with God. Communion with the living God is the essence of worship; worship is the offering of everyday life to God. That’s why we read of purity laws and rules for living in community with one another in Leviticus 11-22. (Horizontal worship)
  3. We are restored to relationship with God through celebration. The last few chapters, Leviticus 23-27, give us instructions for the celebratory feasts these people were to observe. You see, an essential part of relationship with God is partying—celebrating God by remembering what he has done, thanking him for his goodness, and rededicating our lives for his purpose. That is what the feasts were for. (Vertical and horizontal worship)

The bottom line to Leviticus, and to all the Bible’s teaching on holiness, is that it paves the way to walking in God’s favor. Holiness opens the door to living in a way that produces harmony among God’s people. And holiness creates the space to celebrate the wonder of this God who is fashioning human beings into his very own people.

When we get holiness right, we ourselves have become a sacred offering—a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Going Deeper: Think of holiness in terms of your worship—your vertical relationship with God, your horizontal relationship with God’s people, and your vertical/horizontal celebration of God’s goodness in the community of the saints. Now, does one of these areas need some attention?

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And The Glory Of The Lord Filled The House

May God's Presence Define Our Church Gatherings

Do you long for your church to be defined not by the style of music or the powerful preaching or the incredible programs or the cool café in the lobby, but by the presence of Almighty God? What would it take to set the right conditions for such a Divine intersection of our lives with his presence? Certainly, God’s sovereignty is a critical factor—he will show up where he chooses, in the way he chooses, when he wants to. But perhaps a key phrase that appears no less than 18 times in Exodus 39-40 is the secret: “And they did as the Lord had commanded.”

The Journey// Focus: Exodus 40:35-35

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

After all of the detailed construction of the tabernacle was complete—from the structure itself, to the garments of the priest, to the pots and pans used in ritual worship, the glory of the Lord fill the house.

Feast on that phrase for a moment: “And the glory of the Lord filled the house!”

That is the hope and prayer I have for every corporate gathering in the church where I serve—that every time we come into God’s house to worship him, call upon his name, and hear from his Word, that the glory of his presence would fill his house in an undeniable way.

I bet you long for that, too! Whatever church you belong to, wherever you worship, no matter what the style that defines your spiritual community, my sense is that you and others you gather with desperately long for the manifest presence of Almighty God as you come together. If you are like me, deep down, you don’t want the excellent music, or the great preaching or the beautiful architecture of your building to be what attracts people, you want it to be the glorious presence of God himself. After all, that is what we need most: to encounter the living God.

What would it take on our part to set the right conditions for such a Divine intersection of our lives with his presence? Certainly, God’s sovereignty is at play in this matter—he will show up where he chooses, in the way he chooses, when he wants to. And he does: he reveals his presence in gatherings under trees in Africa, in boardroom Bible studies in Hong Kong, in underground house churches in China, in prayer sessions in dormitories on college campuses. But I want that in my church the next time we gather!

But perhaps a key phrase that appears no less than ten times in Exodus 39 and another eight times in Exodus 40 is the secret: “And they did as the Lord had commanded.” I have a feeling that our slip-shod, overly-casual, low-expectations, anything goes, cheap grace approach to the presence of God these days keeps us from experiencing those deeper dimensions with God that we long for.

Perhaps it is time that we rethink how we plan our worship services. In all honesty, don’t we give more thought to how the people will respond to the music and the message than how God will respond? Of course, worship blesses us, since we were created to worship God and to fully enjoy him forever. But worship is first and foremost for God. He designed it and gave careful instructions for how his people were to approach his glorious presence in worship down to the smallest details. Graham Kendrick offered this insight, “Worship is first and foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest and most wholesome experience in life.”

What if we began to list “for the glory of God alone” at the top of our weekly worship planner?

May doing “everything the Lord has commanded” become our first and highest priority! And may the glory of the Lord fill your house of worship this next Lord’s Day!

Going Deeper: Pray this prayer for a visitation of the glory of God in your church: “Father I long for your presence to fill your house where I worship. I pray that you would work in lives of me and my fellow worshippers as you see fit so that the conditions are set for your glory to sweep over us as you did in the Tabernacle of old. God, we long for you, we desire your glory, we need your holy presence. Come among us, I pray, and declare your greatness. We live for you; we are yours, so come and touch your people that we might never be the same.

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God’s Work—Our Work

It Is The Lord Christ You Are Serving

Our work matters to God, because it reflects his DNA. God is a working God and creative God. We ought therefore to work as if we were to be saved by our works; and so rely on Jesus, as if we did no works.

the Journey // Focus: Exodus 39:42-43

So the people of Israel followed all of the Lord’s instructions to Moses. Then Moses inspected all their work. When he found it had been done just as the Lord had commanded him, he blessed them.

Thank God for work!  No—really!

When we first meet God in the Bible, he is a creating, working God. In fact, we first learn of God that he is the Creator. He takes nothing and makes it something, turning the mess into his masterpiece. Often in the creation account, we find that when God has finished a certain aspect of his work, he looked it over and upon examination, exclaimed, “that’s good.”

When God created the human couple, he declared that his work as Creator was done, and that it, too was good. In fact, he declared it to be his most impressive work: “Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” But he didn’t stop either his work or his creativity; he simply assigned it to Adam and Eve. In Genesis 1:28, God says to the couple, “Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” In other words, now you take what I’ve done to the next level. Creatively work it so that it brings honor to me.

All that to say, in our passage today, we find a parallel to the creation account in Genesis: “Moses saw that the people had done, that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded, and his summation was that it was good. How do we know that? We see that in response to their creative work, “Moses blessed them. On God’s behalf, Moses is looking it over, then saying, “it is so good.”

Among the many things that could be said in commentary on the construction of the tabernacle, one of the things we can draw from this is a theology of work. Work is what God does, and being made in his image, being assigned responsibilities of co-rulership with him, work is what he has called us to do. Work is not a necessary evil, it is at the heart of our God-infused DNA. Furthermore, we have his creativity in our DNA as well, so our work is to be done in a way that creates beauty and value, bringing honor and glory to the Creator. That is why, over in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul exhorts the Colossians believers,

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. (Colossians 3:17-24)

So whether it is managing creation on God’s behalf in Genesis, or doing God’s work in constructing a beautiful tabernacle in Exodus, or giving effort in whatever our daily life brings to us, in marriage, our family, or on the job either as an employee or an employer, God has ordained our work. So therefore,

  1. Our work is to do God’s work. In fact whatever we do is God’s work.
  2. In our work we are actually managing God’s creation for him, no matter what it is we have been assigned to do.
  3. When we do our work as God’s work, and we carry out our work in God’s way, we will never lack God’s favor and God’s provision. Like Moses did with the tabernacle workers, God will review it and reward it.

And as we approach our work in that way, whatever we do, big or small, glorious or common, we will find great joy and eternal significance in knowing we have done it as service unto the Lord Christ.

Going Deeper: Reevaluate your work: What you are doing is God-ordained and is an opportunity to be God-honoring. It is an opportunity for you to manage the part of creation assigned to you—at least for the time being—to add value and beauty to it, and to please the true Boss of your work.

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God Cares About the Details of You

For reasons that are important to God, he saw fit to include minute details regarding tabernacle worship in the eternal witness of the Bible. Perhaps in doing that God is reminding us that he cares about the minute details of our lives, too; that we are his holy people—set us apart and sanctified as sacred instruments of God-honoring worship. So much so is God blessed by your holiness that he will even help you on this day to present a holy life before him, even in the details, as Exodus 38:3 describes, even in the pots and pans and utensils of your life.

The Journey // Focus: Exodus 38:21

This is an inventory of the materials [pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, firepans, etc,] used in building the Tabernacle of the Covenant. The Levites compiled the figures, as Moses directed, and Ithamar son of Aaron the priest served as recorder.

The reading in Exodus today isn’t all that exciting to me, frankly. I found my mind wandering to my “to do” list for the day ahead as my eyes passed over the minutiae of the endless list of strange Tabernacle furnishings. Why would I care about “horns overlaid with bronze at the four corners of the altar”? How will details about the “pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans” (Exodus 38:3) provide wisdom for dealing with heady spiritual issues or direction for leading my church toward a glorious future? All this stuff sounds more like a packing list for a camping trip!

But wait…the Lord is in the details!

For reasons that are important to God, he saw fit to include these details in the eternal witness of our Holy Scriptures. Perhaps God is reminding us that he cares about the details of our lives, too, just as he did about the implements of worship for the tabernacle. Maybe he is reminding us through this inventory that we are his holy people; he has set us apart, sanctified us, as sacred instruments of worship.

And, just like the details of tabernacle worship, he cares about the details of our worship. He cares because he is a holy God and he longs for a people who are a holy people who can experience closeness and intimacy with him through the pathway of their worship.

Reading about these ancient artifacts and building plans in Exodus and the archaic sacrificial rituals in Leviticus quickly reminds us that this holy God is very concerned that we, his people, have been selected and set apart for his holy purposes. As we come before God in worship and as we serve God with our daily lives, he doesn’t want our second-rate stuff or sin-tainted lives. He demands, and he deserves, our very best, even in the smallest details.

Given your sin nature and the tendency of your heart to wander, perhaps that sounds to you like you will never be a holy implement of worship. But the good news is that Father God, through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ, has cleansed you from all unrighteous and has purified you in holiness. Through his blood, he has made a way into the Holy of Holies; through is death, he ripped the veil separating you from the unapproachable holiness of God. As a Christian, you stand before God in the righteousness of Christ. Yes, you are holy! And that is not due to your own efforts or inherent worthiness. It is all because of God’s mercy and grace.

Yet the truth is, that while your position before God is holy, your walk before him is not always so pure. That is why, on an ongoing, if not daily basis, you ought to surrender your mind—how you think, your heart—what you desire, your hands—what you do, and all your ways down to the minute details of your being to his cleansing power.

God demands daily holiness from you, because he has set you apart to glorify and represent him with your whole life. What an honor that you have been chosen for that purpose! And the God who chose you deserves holiness as your reasonable act of worship. Because of who God is, and for all that he has done to save you, sanctify you and select you, holiness is the very least that you can offer to him.

I have a feeling that even though God demands and deserves your holiness, deep down, as a redeemed believer, holiness is what you desire to give God. And you should know this: that even though you don’t always achieve holiness in your thoughts, feelings and actions, your desire to be holy pleases your Heavenly Father’s heart. So much so is God blessed by your heart’s desire that he will help you this day to present to a holy life before him, even in the details, even in the pots and pans and utensils of your life.

Going Deeper: When you surrendered your heart to Christ, his holiness was transmitted to you. You are holy. Now learn to walk in it. As difficult as that might be, God has set himself to help you achieve the holy walk, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

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Psalm 2: God Rules

He Is The Ruler Yet

The hymn writer said it perfectly: “This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget; that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.” That must become the settled law of our heart, even though unwanted circumstances, unkind people, and unwise leaders seem to be running the show. They are not – they have been given only a season, but God is the ruler yet!

The Journey: Psalm 2:4

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

In Psalm 14:1, David wrote, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

Of course, David’s idea of a fool was different than ours—and much more serious. We speak of a fool as one who lacks intelligence, direction and sound judgment. But David understood the fool to be one who lived willfully in complete disregard to the laws of God. He ignored God’s rightful rule over his life, and perhaps even went so far as to express an attitude that aggressively denied God’s reality, defied God’s moral code, and went so far as to dare God to execute judgment.

By David’s definition, we are living in a time where there are a lot of fools running around. In fact, many of them seem to be running our country. They are in high places of government, finance, cultural influence, and even spiritual leadership.

But as powerful, popular and prosperous as they are, they are still fools. And David’s psalm reminds us of this sobering truth: God still rules. And while the fools are seated in places of power, God is seated in the only place of power that really counts. And he is scoffing at the unbelievable hubris and overt rebellion of these he has created and gives even their very moment-by-moment breath. He sits in the true real and true throne, patiently waiting for them to repent, but knowing they never will.

Psalm 2 speaks of that time when God’s patience will finally come to its end and he will indeed execute judgment on those who have dared and defied him for so long. And it won’t be a pretty picture then. As you read Psalm 2, you realize that it is not a very happy psalm.

Yet there is hope here in David’s song. This psalm of divine judgment is also a contrasting psalm of hope. Embedded in David’s diatribe is also an invitation to live wisely (v. 10—as opposed to how the fool lives) by serving God gladly (v. 11—contrasted with the defiant rebelliousness of sinful man) and the promise that all who willing do will find “blessed” (happiness, favor and eternal joy) “refuge” (a safe and secure place) in him (v.12).

There is not a whole lot you and I can do about all the fools running around these days, but whenever we get frustrated with all the foolishness we’ve got to put up with, we can be reminded that it is God who rules. And when he finally brings all the foolishness to its deserving end, we will have found blessed refuge in him, because he rules in the most important place—the throne of our hearts.

Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both in works of charity and piety, and neither will excuse us from the other. (Matthew Henry)

A Simple Prayer:

God, develop in me the faith to always see through my circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be, to see your hand at work, setting the stage to reveal your glory. Help me to obey, even when to obey would allow those circumstances to threaten my health or happiness. Help me not to despair when the ungodly prosper. And Lord, open my eyes to see and receive your blessing when it would seem impossible that blessings could happen when I am in unwanted circumstances and being affected by ungodly people.