YEAR 2, WEEK 7, Day 6, Saturday, 15 February 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Saturday, 15 February 2025:

Leviticus 3:1 – If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering….

The peace offering was an offering of reconciliation, demonstrating gratitude for the fellowship between God, the Priests, and the people. This is a great symbol of the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17. (see also 1 John 1:3) Remember, your mission in life is reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19)

“The peace offering was not an offering to make peace with God (this was the purpose of the sin offering of Leviticus 4), but an offering to enjoy peace with God. The whole reason Jesus made peace between the Father and the believer is so that the peace could be enjoyed. The greatest animal peace offering ever made happened when Solomon dedicated the temple, offering 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63). That must have been history’s greatest barbecue. Later, Hezekiah gave a festival where 2,000 bulls and 17,000 sheep were given for peace offerings (2 Chronicles 30:24). The greatest peace offering ever made happened when Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice on the cross. His sacrifice not only paid the penalty of our sin, but He also made peace between the believer and God that can now be enjoyed: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Ephesians 2:14-16 notes that Jesus Christ Himself has become our peace and has broken down the wall of separation.

Notably, either a male or female animal could be used. When it comes to peace with God and fellowship with God, there is no male or female (Galatians 3:28), all are welcome before God. Leviticus 7:11-14 further explains that the peace offering made for thanksgiving was to be presented with an offering of unleavened cakes or wafers and leavened bread. These two were presented as a wave offering and may be considered a prophetic announcement of God bringing Jew and Gentile together in the peace of Jesus the Messiah (Ephesians 2:11-18).” (David Guzik)

Leviticus 3:17 – It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, in all your dwelling places, that you eat neither fat nor blood.

The fat and the blood was dedicated to the Lord. God’s people do not take what belongs to God. All glory belongs to God. Never try to share glory with God by giving yourself credit before others, by being an ambassador for yourself rather than an ambassador for Christ. You have been commissioned for one message, the Gospel; to proclaim one name, Jesus. Do not be a distraction for others by drawing attention to yourself rather than Jesus. Don’t be a substitute for Salvation (through the blood of the sacrifice) by presenting yourself as a remedy. Don’t try to receive the fragrant offering of praise from others. All praise must go to Him.

Also, ritualistic consumption of blood was a common practice of pagan peoples, and God want His people to remain distinct from the pagans and to remember the strong connection between life and blood (Genesis 9:3-4, Leviticus 17:11-14; Acts 15:29; Acts 21:25). “This was forbidden, partly, to maintain reverence to God and his worship; partly, out of opposition to idolaters, who used to drink the blood of their sacrifices; partly, with respect unto Christ’s blood, thereby manifestly signified; and partly, for moral admonition about avoiding cruelty.” (Poole) This prohibition is “forever throughout your generations.” Even in the New Testament, for the same reasons mentioned above, the Bible says, “that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.” God wanted His people to stand apart from the ways of the world then, and He still does now. Note that two of the ways God’s people are to stand out are their dietary practices and their sexual practices. Do you demonstrate the sovereignty, holiness, purity, and worthiness of God by how you eat and by how you handle your sexuality?

• Acts 21:25 — But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.
• Leviticus 17:10 — If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 15 February 2025: Today, focus on abiding in the LORD, and not in the world. Celebrate your fellowship with God and have no fellowship with worldly ungodliness.

• 1 John 3:24 — Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
• James 4:4 — You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
• 1 John 2:17 — And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12 — For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.
• Ephesians 5:3-21 — But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.