Leviticus 13; Psalm 15-16; Proverbs 27; 2 Thessalonians 1
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 68: WHAT ARE THE REASONS ATTACHED TO THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT?
Answer: The reasons attached to the fourth commandment are, God’s creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh and his blessing the Sabbath day.
Scripture: Exodus 20:9-11; 31:16, 17; Genesis 2:2, 3.
Leviticus 13
This chapter is devoted to describing leprosy and the process of determining someone ceremonially unclean. The priest essentially served as a public health agent here and there was a separation made between the unclean and the clean and the unclean were put far from the tabernacle to ensure they would not come in contact with anything holy and incur judgement. There are allusions in the NT that uncleanness is, in one sense, a metaphor for sin but forgiveness and cleansing is given to us in Christ (Matt 23:37; Rev 21:22-27).
Thinking more on the use of this chapter this morning I am hit with the contrast of the priest here who can merely observe and judge as to the presence or absence of uncleanliness to the great High Priest who is the source and cause and accomplisher of our cleansing. The rich young man in Mark chapter 10 wanted Jesus to observe for cleanliness. The blind beggar in Mark chapter 10 knew he needed Jesus to create cleanliness. Am I trying to display my cleanliness to Jesus as if he were a mere human priest or am I coming to him broken and seeking his righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit? May we receive a washing and not merely a judgement! See that Jesus heals the leper in Matthew chapter 8 and tells him to go to the priest to be judged clean according to the law. The great High Priest accomplishes the cleansing and then sends him to the human priest to see that it is so. Let us not look to ourselves or to other men to do what only the living God can do in us.
Psalm 15
This Psalm begins with a very familiar question and the answer is given direct to the fruits and not to the cause. The blameless person that does what is right is no more than Jesus. The only way for me to fit this description is by substitution and then the in working sanctification of the Spirit brining change to my soul. It would seem that the one who dwells with the Lord is the one who trusts Jesus and who walks in surrender to the Spirit of God…thus they are seeing the fruit of the Spirit and the sanctification of their soul. I should not suppose that if I am unrepentant and walk knowingly in sin that I should have a place at the communion table with the Lord. One who communes with God also does not take advantage of his fellow man. The Psalm closes with reference to usury and the extortion of money from the poor and helpless. See Lev 25:35-36 regarding caring for a poor brother and 1 Tim 5:8 regarding relatives. This can bring up some issues to wrestle with regarding caring for aging relatives or family members in tough spots.
Spurgeon on verse 1- "Members of the visible church, which is God’s tabernacle of worship, and hill of eminence, should diligently see to it, that they have the preparation of heart which fits them to be inmates of the house of God. Without the wedding-dress of righteousness in Christ Jesus, we have no right to sit at the banquet of communion. Without uprightness of walk we are not fit for the imperfect church on earth, and certainly we must not hope to enter the perfect church above."
Psalm 16
This Psalm contains a very well known closing verse that is precious to many. This Psalm helps establish that a self denial of the crap I used to call pleasure or fulfillment is not an ultimate self denial of rejecting happiness or joy in my life, but rather it is a refining and an acceptance of true happiness and joy. In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy and nowhere else! Our great God desires that we enjoy him and that we experience great joy and fulfillment and this is not a legalistic dutiful following of God but a joyful and free chasing of him in devotion and surrender. The Lord is not only our refuge from trouble but he is the very source of joy. It is no wonder why the Psalmist would declare that The LORD is his chosen portion!
Proverbs 27
No reason to boast about what I may accomplish tomorrow when it may never come. I ought to do today what is important and living for the future (in this life) is a loser. I ought to live for my eternal future and I ought to plan for tomorrow, but not have unquestioned expectation or sense of entitlement that it will arrive. I should be eagerly awaiting the bridegroom! Praise is a difficult thing (Prov 27:21). Verse 2 and verse 21 speak of this and I see the first step in not being your own source of praise and then the next step being the right handling of the praise of others, should it come. How do we rightly receive such praise? Do we reject it? Do we ignore it? Do we kindly accept and then secretly pray to the Lord that we will discard it? Do we adequately guard our heart against relishing it and taking it as a reward? What does my heart do when someone praises me? My heart reflects me and so how do I observe my heart? Do my words expose my heart? Do my desires and drives speak of my heart? There is some direction in the proverb about friendship and the way we are honest and faithful friends. The true friend wounds when it is needed (Prov 27:6) and gives good counsel and in these ways, and others, he is a source of sharpening to another (Prov 27:17). Rebuke can be loving (Prov 27:5). There is also instruction about remaining in the home and caring for the family and not running off leaving the family vulnerable (Prov 27:8).
2 Thessalonians 1
Paul gives thanks to God for the fact that their faith is growing and their love for one another is growing. God is at work in them! How is my faith and how is my love for the church of God? Paul even boasts about the way the believers there are holding up under the pains of persecutions and afflictions. He is rejoicing that he Lord is strengthening them and making them resolute and solid in their trust. They are not fickle and fair whether Christians but they are followers of Jesus. It seems that they had developed a misunderstanding, however, about the 2nd coming of Christ. It seems maybe that they were wondering if he had indeed already returned (mostly clarified in the next chapter). Here Paul lets them know that when Christ returns there will be no missing it and that he will come with flaming vengeance upon the unbelievers. There will be great destruction and those who do not know God (presently) will never know God’s presence in eternity. This reminds me of a quote by John Owen in The Glory of Christ- “No man shall ever behold the glory of Christ by sight hereafter, who does not in some measure behold it by faith here in this world.”...“Nay, persons not disposed hereby to it cannot desire it, whatever they pretend; they only deceive their own souls in supposing that so they do”. So the question arises, am I enjoying the presence of the Lord and the glory of his might? Am I finding my joy on his holy hill or am I finding my satisfaction in the world? Am I desiring of his glory now or do I just think I will want that later? Do I seek him? How do I do that? Paul speaks of living worthy of the calling and fulfilling every good work of faith. This is all to the end that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified in us. By the grace of God, we can glorify our savior in the way that we live and in the way that we seek him and in the way that we find joy and satisfaction in him rather than in the world. Does my faith grow? Does my love for the church (all believers) grow? Do I live for the glory of God or my own? And how does this relate to putting the kids to bed or making the bed or doing the dishes or leading the family in a devotion or in rushing home from work or in making time for someone in need or...
Soli Deo Gloria!
