May 4

Numbers 11; Psalm 48; Isaiah 1; Hebrews 9

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 89: WHAT THEN IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW SINCE THE FALL?
Answer: The purpose of the law, since the fall, is to reveal the perfect righteousness of God, that his people may know the path of faith that leads to life, and that the ungodly may be convicted of their sin, restrained from evil, and brought to Christ for salvation.
Scripture: Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 3:20, 31; 7:7; 8:13; 9:32; 12:2; Titus 2:12-14; Galatians 3:22, 24; 1 Timothy 1:8; Luke 10:25-28.

Numbers 11

This chapter is an amazing depiction of desire and lust.  The people were blinded by their desires and they lost their gratitude and their trust in God and they were even blind to his warning to them that they would in fact choke on this meat that they so desired.  There was something that this people wanted from God that they wanted more than him.  God was now not a bountiful provider but a genie.  They demanded something more than what God offered.  He made clear here that he has the ability to give them anything whatsoever he chooses and so they hold learn to be perfectly content with his wise choice opt provision and they should wait upon him.  The sin of gluttony and ingratitude and lustful desire was here punished by God with an unclear plague that killed many.  In Psalm 78 the psalmist recounts many lessons handed down in the nation of Israel and one if the lesson of this day.  Ps 78:25-31 presents the plague in the quail.  Let 1 Cor 10:6 be a reminder that we should learn from episodes like this and not make the same error.  We serve the same God as they and our sin will incur the same wrath…the difference is that this wrath, against his children, has been completely satisfied upon the brow of our king.  Jesus has absorbed all of this wrath but may we resolve to adore our king and our savior and to serve our God in gladness and not to heap wrath upon our brother and our redeemer.  May we weep over the Son and his sacrifice and may we eat manna with joy and gratitude in our hearts, knowing that he has delivered us from wrath forevermore.

Psalm 48

Some will panic and take flight at a sight of the City of God.  Some will rejoice and be glad in it.  Let us consider our God and his glory and let us be a people who long for the coming kingdom and who rejoice in the wise judgements of God.  Remember that he serves justice when he forgives the sins of those who put their faith in his Son.  This is amazing justice…mercy has become justice thanks to our Lord and King.  Nothing is impossible with God!

Isaiah 1

This opening chapter pretty much goes right into judgement upon Israel for disobedience and verse 90 indicates that if it had to been for the remnant of surviving offspring (elect) that they would have been completely depraved and destroyed.  The idea of being given up to the lusts of their hearts…Romans 1:24-32.  In verse 11 he shows that sacrifice without contrition and true worship is empty and useless and he hates it.  This must put fear into us and let us know that we can not offer him vain and empty ceremonies but that he wants our hearts.  We cannot simply try to appease this God as if he is a bother to us and we need to get back to our lives.  No- this is our creator and he deserves the highest honor because he is the highest being and he loves us and he gave his Son for us!  We are to worship for our joy and for his glory.  We cannot have a cheap grace the offers us salvation without surrender.  For when we do this verse 15 tells me that he will not hear our prayers and he will not listen to our petitions since we remain guilty.  He is faithful and just to forgive when we acknowledge our sin and repent and lay it at the feet of Jesus…not when we still own it and carry it off with us to enjoy again.  This is empty religion.  Verses 18-19 bring hope and speak of the remission of sins and cleansing…but it is for those that are described as willing and obedient only and specifically not for those that are refusing and rebellious. 

Hebrews 9

     v1-5.  He begins a description of the first covenant’s place or worship and holiness (maybe speaking of purification).
     v6.  The holy place was for all priests to perform their duties and to help prepare the high priest
     v7.  The most holy place with the mercy seat and the ark and the tablets was only for the high priest once a year for atonement.  He entered only with blood having sacrificed outside for his own sins and he enters with blood for the people’s “unintentional” sin.  Unsure here since Calvin claims this is not merely for what we might call unintentional or ignorant sin.  He says all sin is thus since none would headlong into God’s judgment.  Perhaps this is helpful as a dividing line of believer and unbeliever.  Or is it that willing sin even for a believer was not forgiven in this atonement?  I am inclined to think that even my worst decidedly rebellious sin is put upon Jesus and that God is faithful and just to forgive whence I indeed acknowledge, confess, and repent.
     v8.  The new way not yet open as long as first section still stands.  Maybe the idea of anyone but a high priest making contribution to the process of atonement?  The idea is plain that for the first section to go away it would need be combined with the most holy.  Thus the tearing of the curtain effectively consumes the first area into the second.
     v9-10.  The first area represents the present age and this age goes away with the cross.  This verse could be a great argument for the dispensationalist!  Under this old arrangement, however, the rituals did not have the power to truly clear the conscience of the worshiper.  Perhaps this is a concept of ritualistic things happening outside of me can never clear my knowing conscience of my inward sin of the heart and my knowledge of my rebellion to God.  How could it!  But the implication is that the new arrangement could!  There would come a time when I can have a clear conscience…1 Tim 1:5 pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith.  The power of the Spirit is to purify my heart not just cover my sin.
     v11. Christ appeared as high priest of “the good things that have come” is interesting.  Perhaps the good things that have come are the work of Christ in his life, death, and resurrection?  Then through the greater and more perfect tent he entered…following the resurrection is the ascension and this fits the sequence of the sentence and the concept well to support the "good things” as I described.
     v12.  He entered thus by his own blood that is far greater than any created beings blood…this is eternal.  He was begotten in the womb of Mary and this is different than created.
     v13.  If the shadow of things can sanctify (so we understood and expected)…
     v14.  How much more will the blood of the Son of God!  He offered himself without blemish.  The improvement is here mentioned as it compares to verse 9 regarding the conscience.  Here with the eternal sacrifice the conscience of the worshiper is perfected!  This perfection is not a covering of a still dead heart that runs from God.  This perfected conscience is one that now oversees a heart that longs for God…it no longer performs dead works or selfishness and moral efforts or worse (unrestrained sin).  It now serves the living God!  This sacrifice purifies me and makes me to walk with God from the inside out.
     v15. Jesus alone is the mediator.  The covenant is new and is bound in his blood.  As mediator, in this blood covenant his death has secured the redemption of those who are called.  They receive eternal life because they have been redeemed from their transgressions that were committed under the first covenant.  Thus there is no neutrality of my existence but as a guilty party I stand under judgement of the Christ who stood to display the fulfillment of the first covenant to which I failed miserably and am due to die.  The called receive eternal inheritance…but who is called?  All?
     v16-17.  A will is a document that dictates who will receive what in a family estate and it takes effect once the subject person dies.
     v18-20.  Even the first covenant was made with blood through Moses’ actions.  He sprinkled both the book as well as the people.
     v21.  He also sprinkled the place where the people meet their God.
     v22.  Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.  There must be sacrifice offered.  There must be death for there to be life.  The death of self.  The death of the flesh, of sin.  God does not simply forgive sin with no satisfaction of justice and respect of holiness.
     v23.  So the copies on earth were thus purified by ritual representative of the true sacrifice by Christ.  It says “but the heavenly things with better sacrifices than these”.  Hmmm.  I think it speaks of the living sacrifice of our bodies as Romans 12:1 speaks.  Sacrifice of something other than myself is lesser and a sacrifice of myself is better than these.  Christ offered himself once so that I might be empowered to offer myself daily. For he does not truly desire sacrifice as we knew it (sacrifice of something outside of us) but he desires the sacrifice of our rights and our hearts and our very lives unto him as a loving sacrifice that he might be God of the dead and the living.  Rom 14:9, Heb 10:5 & 8, Hos 6:6.  He wants our steadfast love, not our apology.
     v24.  But the real act has now come as Christ entered not into a tent but into the very presence of God on our behalf after making offering for our sins.  The tearing of the vail signifies his entering in.
     v25.  This sacrifice he makes only once because it is perfect and there is no dominion of sin any longer over his sheep.  The sheep must only now come to understand and believe and walk in this truth.
     v26.  A glimpse here into Rom 3:25-26 as the writer references the potential need to suffer over and over since the creation of the world.  But Jesus did not suffer until he walked the earth and the sins for many years prior were “passed over” based upon God’s view of the cross.  This sacrifice would come “at the end of the ages” or “in the fullness of time” or “at the right time”.
     v27-28.  Christ dies once and then comes for his sheep that eagerly await him.  Men die once and then stand before God as one eager and delivered by the King or as one ashamed and condemned.  Titus 2:11-15 describes how the grace of God trains us in holiness and causes us to wait eagerly for the coming of our redeemer.  He dealt with sin the first time he came as the Son of Man.  Rom 8:3-4.  Now he comes as the King of Kings and only those who belong to this King will be excited at his home coming.

Soli Deo Gloria!