“Back to the Future”

April 9, 2024

April 9, 2024

Read Numbers 29, Psalm 110-112

Growing up, one of my favorite movie trilogies was the Back to the Future series with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. An action/comedy movie with a plot about how the past can change the future and vice versa. In Psalm 110, a psalm of David, we have a messianic prophecy that points to Jesus in the future and wording in verse one has a little of the same back to the future vibe.

Psalm 110 opens with, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Jesus discusses this verse with the pharisees in the Synoptic Gospels asking about the identity of the Messiah. How could the son of David also be David’s Lord? The only answer that makes sense is that the Messiah is of godly origins and not just another human descendant of David.

Psalm 110 also holds a rare name of someone only mentioned twice in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. “The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek” v. 4. Melchizedek was King of Salem and a priest. Abram paid him a tenth when they rescued his nephew Lot from the other kings in Genesis. He is a mysterious king with no origin or family line known about him. He is not mentioned again until the New Testament book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews expounds into detail about Melchizedek and compares him to that of Jesus. Many will say that Melchizedek is a preincarnate Jesus that Abram gave the tithe to.

Aside from this lesson in prophecy and history, we can know for sure that Jesus is our priest, the one who represents us before the Father. Jesus acts as the priest who makes intercession for us by his death on the cross for our sins.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Skin Rashes, Sores, and White Hairs”

February 26, 2024

February 26, 2024

Read Leviticus 13, Psalm 57, Hebrews 13

Warning: You better not ready Leviticus 13 after you just ate! Skin rashes, sores with white hairs, and raw flesh with swelling are just some of the things you will read about in that important chapter. One of the takeaways from this chapter is that God had a plan to control and treat infectious diseases. The Israelites were to quarantine for a period of time and then have a “checkup” with the priest before they were declared clean again. You might be wondering why did God tell them to see a priest and not a doctor? “When anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to the priest” v. 6. At this time in history there were no doctors like we have today. Most of the educated people were the priests and their general knowledge was good for examining the needs of the people.

Hebrews 13 is the conclusion of the book of Hebrews. Even though we do not know who wrote the book, we do know that the author had some kind of connection with Timothy because he is mentioned at the end. “I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all God’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. 25 Grace be with you all” vv. 23-25. The final remarks are aimed at the church and how they should live out their faith. Verse 2 discusses the important topic of hospitality. The author seems to imply that the angel may “test us” from time to time to see how we treat others. “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” v. 2.

The author encourages the readers to remain sexually pure, keep the marriage bed sacred, and to not be carried away by strange teachings. Before the author closes the letter out, he circles back once more to Jesus as the High Priest who has paved the way for us all.  The comparison of the burned offering being taken outside the city is compared Jesus who was crucified also outside the city of Jerusalem. He adds, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” v. 15.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“By Faith”

February 24, 2024

February 24, 2024

Read Leviticus 11, Psalm 55, Hebrews 11

We all exercise faith every day. Most of the time we don’t even bat an eyelash thinking about the ways that we put our faith into practice. Think about it, when you pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, get in your car and drive 70 mph down the road, or some other mundane tasks that we repeat repeatedly. Think about it, the reason we don’t even give it much thought is because often we repeat these tasks over and over. By faith we expect the medications we get from a pharmacist to be correct and by faith we expect our vehicles to run correctly and that others will abide by safe driving rules.

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Hall of Faith.” It begins with a concise definition of faith. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” v. 1. Next, we learn without faith, “it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” v. 6. Faith is the requirement that God desires from all of us.  Then the author highlights the Old Testament people who exercised faith and trusted God. From Abel to Rahab each of these people trusted God in faith and took Him at his word.

The last part of Hebrews 11 shifts from the giants of the faith that everyone recognizes from the pages of the Old Testament to a list of unknown and unrewarded faithful people. “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.” vv.35-39. Often when we read the narratives in the Bible we tend to focus on the military victories, the miraculous rescues, and other good things that we want for ourselves. We can easily overlook those who didn’t have the happy ending or those who were killed even for their faith. The author of Hebrews treats them all the same. Win or lose, they all win by exercising the faith in the Lord they had. The author reminds us, “God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect” v. 40.

How can you exercise faith today? How can you trust the Lord and know that win or lose He has a plan for you just like He did each of these people in Hebrews 11.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stick out to you most?
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Posted by John Weldon

“Doubletake”

February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024

Read Leviticus 9, Psalm 53, Hebrews 9

Have you ever done a “doubletake” before? A doubletake is when you must take a second look at something. Maybe you thought you saw something or someone that you recognized. Maybe it was something unbelievable that you had to take a second look to make sure you weren’t crazy. Doubletake is all about taking a more careful and calculated look at something to see if you can confirm your suspicions. These chapters today remind me in several ways of a double take.

First, Leviticus 9 is a chapter describing when God instructed Moses to present Aaron and the other priests before the Lord and the people. God told them to offer a sacrifice as they began their ministry in the tabernacle as high priest before the Lord. Again, we read about the blood of the bull calf that had to be sprinkled on all four sides of the altar. The process is very similar to how God instructed Moses to ordain Arron and his sons in the previous chapter. At the end of the chapter, we read this majestic scene of God sending down fire and consuming the offering that was made. “Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell face down.” vv. 23-24.

As you read Psalm 53 you might be thinking, “This sounds familiar. Haven’t I read this before?” Many will quickly say that Psalm 53 and Psalm 14 are the exact same psalm. For some reason this has caused people to question the Word of God. Keep in mind, that these chapters in Psalms are songs, poems, and writings from people for all types of occasions and purposes. Think about how some songs today are rewritten and sung again by different artists and returned to a different flavor. But if we take a double take at these two psalms you will see that they are not exactly alike after all. Psalm 14 uses the divine name “Yahweh” and Psalm 53 uses the generic name for God “Elohim.” They share the exact same message, and one was apparently rewritten latter to emphasize the Lord in a different way. The later verses vary just slightly as well. The same theme of evildoers that will not prevail and will be brought to justice is present in both psalms.

The author of Hebrews is again comparing Jesus with another part of the Old Testament. In Hebrews 9 the author tells us that Jesus is better than the priest of the Old Testament. The high priest would enter the Most Holy place once a year and offer a sacrifice, but Jesus offered a sacrifice of his own blood. The priest would enter into the most Holy place in the presence of God, but Jesus entered into Heaven, not just a inner room in the Tabernacle. “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption” v. 12. The blood sprinkled on the altar in the Old Testament was part of the covenant that God made with Israel. This is the way they would atone for sin and keep God’s covenant. The author of Hebrews states, “In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle, and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” vv. 21-22.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you? Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Blood”

February 21, 2024

February 21, 2024

Read Leviticus 8, Psalm 52, Hebrews 8

Are you squeamish at the sight of blood or are you the type of person that can handle those war movies, medical shows, or other movies that show a lot of blood? Maybe reading this right now puts an uneasy thought in your mind.  Reading through the various instructions for offering sacrifices in the book of Leviticus has reminded me that living in ancient Israel would have been a very bloody ordeal. In Leviticus 8 we read, “Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar” v. 15. You may wonder, what’s up with all the blood? Why does God demand a sacrifice such as this? When we back up we are reminded of the tenth plague in Exodus, the plague of the first born that would die unless any Israelite or Egypt put the blood of the lamb over the doorpost of their home. If we go back even further to Genesis 9 we read that God demanded an accounting for someone who took the life of another. “And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.” vv. 5-6. We see already here that the “lifeblood” is used as a system of justice by God.

Fast-forward to the New Testament and of course we god straight to the cross that Jesus shed his blood for us. Jesus blood was shed not just for one person or for one sin, but for the sins of the whole world, once and for all. As you read through the chapters in Leviticus and in Hebrews we are reminded that Jesus is our great high priest and that God brought a new covenant to us through His Son Jesus. “But God found fault with the people and said: ‘The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them,’” vv. 8-9. The blood may be difficult to think about, but without it we would be without hope and doomed to continue the sacrificial system from the Old Testament.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, and themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“The Sin of Silence”

February 18, 2024

February 18, 2024

Read Leviticus 5, Psalm 49, Hebrews 5

Years ago, a show aired called “What Would You Do?” Using hidden cameras, host John Quiñones observed and commented on how ordinary people behaved when they were confronted with dilemmas that require them either to take action or to walk by and mind their own business. The show had a variety of dilemmas that were setup from acts of racism to coworkers cheating and stealing their companies. John Quiñones would question the bystanders after the setup was over and ask them why or why not they got involved.

Here in Leviticus 5 we see a biblical mandate to do what this show put to the test in our culture. “If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible” v. 1. We see the law called it a sin to know something and yet sit in silence and do nothing. When Cain was confronted by God after killing his brother Abel, Cain responds, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” I think there is some responsibility that Leviticus teaches us to own.

A few verses later we see that we must also carefully consider the promises that we make and keep them to our highest level of intent. “Or if a person thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil—in any matter one might carelessly swear about—even though he is unaware of it, in any case when he learns of it he will be guilty” v. 4. The world makes so little of lying compared to other sins they commit, but God says it is a big deal. All these verses tell us we must carefully think through the big and little decisions we make in life. We must own up to our responsibility as children of God and as His representatives.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Nothing in all Creation is Hidden From God’s Sight”

February 17, 2024

February 17, 2024

Read Leviticus 4, Psalm 48, Hebrews 4

What are some things that you wonder about? Today I have wonder what the intentions of an advertisement was. I wonder if people really understand Jesus’ message and mission. Do you wonder what a person might really think about you? Do you wonder about some specific detail in the Bible? Do you wonder about your future? There is so much that we do not know.

Leviticus 4 describes how an Israelite is to atone for a sin that they commit unintentionally or unknowingly. We cannot know someone else’s intentions unless they tell us or write them down. That is something that is locked up in their minds and is between themselves and the Lord. The question arises, “If I do something accidentally is it still wrong?” This chapter teaches us that it is. “If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, he is guilty” v. 27. The good news is that we can be forgiven just as with a sin we intentionally commit. “In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven” v. 31. God’s Law will show us when we are off the path.

The author of Hebrews tells us that nothing is hidden from God. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” v. 13. God knows everything that takes place in the secret places, behind the closed doors. He even knows our hearts and what we are thinking. That should bring both a little fear and comfort to us. He knows when we are wronged and deceived by others and He knows when we are the ones doing the deceiving.

This is also a benefit to us. When we walk in a relationship with God, we can have limited access to the knowledge that He choose to share with us. God revealed himself to us though His word and in the person of Jesus. Verse 12 tells us the benefit of His word in our lives. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” v. 12. We are judged by God’s Word. It acts like a mirror in which it shows us where we should be and where we are not. His Word is here to guide us …if we will follow it.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add Your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon

“Superior”

February 14, 2024

February 14, 2024

Read Leviticus 1, Psalm 45, Hebrews 1

How many words or companies do you know that have the word superior connected to them? There’s Lake Superior, Superior HVAC, Superior Tire, Superior Credit Union, and we could go on forever. Superior as an adjective means greater in quality, quantity, etc. of high or extraordinary worth, merit, etc. The Bible teaches that God is superior. Jesus as God is equally superior to anything else in the world.

As you read Leviticus 1 you will read about the instructions from God to Moses on how to bring a proper offering to God and offer it as a sacrifice. It must be “without defect” v. 3 and meet other specifications. Why? Because God is superior and worthy of our praise and worship. Following the guidelines and doing it as God described makes it into “an aroma pleasing to the Lord” v. 17. The temptation in our times is to minimize God’s character and authority for something else, either ourselves or something created rather than the creator. How do you view God? Is He superior in every way or just some cosmic creator we must “deal” with?

Psalm 45 is a psalm credited to the Sons of Korah. The description calls it a wedding psalm which was sung during royal weddings. It praises the King who is to be married and paints him in a good light. The psalm starts by praising this king of the Jews. The psalm hints at a Jewish king who is more than just an ordinary person. “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy” v. 7. There were 40 kings of Israel and Judah between the northern kingdom and southern. All the kings in the northern kingdom were wicked and described as doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. Only eight of the 20 kings in the southern kingdom of Judah were described as good and that they followed the ways of David and the Lord. This psalm may point to a future king of Israel that loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

The book of Hebrews is a book that compares Jesus to the Old Covenant and how that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, the priests, and many other Old Testament things. We do not know who the author of Hebrews is. Hebrews 1 tells us that Jesus is superior to the angels because He is the Son of God. Jesus “the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” v. 4. Jesus as the Son is superior because the angels are just servants of God, and they worship Jesus. There is also a quote from Psalm 45 in Hebrews 1. This is confirmation that the psalmist indeed was referring to Jesus as a future righteous king. “But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy’” vv. 8-9.

Take a moment to recognize the superiority of Jesus in your life. Do you view and worship the Lord as you should? Have you slipped away from your view of how superior the Lord is to you and how his greatness affects your life and how you live it for the Lord.

What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.

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Posted by John Weldon