King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Chapters: Leviticus Chapters 24-25
Message: Free Servant of Christ
Hello My Friend,
In the past three months since I started my job I have been struggling to reach forty hours even though I had been working the hours. Well, Monday I had a conversation with her as she was accusing me of not even going to all the stores I reported even though I had pictures to prove it, and guess what happened yesterday? All of my time was accounted for. I did not credit my conversation with her as the reason why every thing was right I credit God because there was a couple of times that I had gotten turned around, and even those minutes were counted for. I think that when I sincerely went to God yesterday that was when He showed up. It is like Jesus said, [Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.]
Let me tell you, once you start serving God, it does not take long to discover that you are not the one who does the things you do on your own, it is by the power and strength of Christ. As we continue in the reading of Leviticus, God, gives the commands regarding the lamps and bread for inside the tabernacle.
[Leviticus 24:2-3,5-9 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. 3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. 5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. 6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD. 7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. 9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.]
[that it may be on the bread for a memorial,] The bread represented each of the twelve children of Israel, the frankincense, which is actually called frank incense was used to keep the bread burning without consuming it. It was called frank because of its freely giving off its odor and burns for a long time, with a steady flame. Every Sabbath the bread that had been burning would be replaced with fresh bread, then what had been taken off the table would be eaten by the priests in remembrance of how God set them free. We are to never forget or take for granted that Jesus set us free from bondage, [Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.]
[the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.] [Perpetual; Never ceasing; continuing forever in future time; destined to be eternal; as a perpetual covenant] Eating the bread at the table before God was a symbol and guarantee of the eternal covenant that existed between God and His people, and not for the sake of their obedience, but rather the promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is similar to the Lord’s Supper and we are to continually remember the everlasting covenant that Christ has made with those who receive Him as their Saviour, [1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.]
That everlasting covenant that God makes us assures us that we can go to Him at any time, even with our complaints and He will not only hear us, but have respect for us as well. Believe it or not, God, wants us to prove Him just as He proves us, but what He will not tolerate is anyone who deliberately tempts Him or blasphemes His name. One man learned the hard way that God has no mercy on those who blaspheme Him.
[Leviticus 24:10-11,13-15 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11 And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.]
[And the son of an Israelitish woman,] Why did Moses reiterate several times that the man was the son of an Israelitish woman? He wanted to point out that mixed marriages in the sense of religious beliefs will always cause a division. This man did not dwell among the Israelites, he was one of the mixed multitude that went up with the Israelites out of Egypt, he left his tent and that part of the camp appointed for his people and caused quite a stir when he started speaking God’s name in vain. Jesus said this in regards to blasphemy, [Matthew 12:31-32 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.]
The key thing to remember here is not about to each as their own, it is about one law for all mankind, regardless if we are a Jew or stranger (Gentile). God, goes on to state this, [Leviticus 24:17-22 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. 18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. 19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; 20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. 21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. 22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.]
[Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth:] Jesus, actually made some adjustments to this, and no, it is not a contradiction, rather a new way to look at it, [Matthew 5:38-39 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.] Why did Jesus say this? He wants us to think about what we are doing before we do it. The majority of people who retaliate against some one do it out of haste, we need to think about the consequence that retaliation would bring, [Romans 12:19-21 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.]
[Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger,] There is no such thing is one rule for some and another rule for the rest of us, there is one Law, and we all must follow it if we choose God. And regardless of what the world says about God, He does have compassion on all people, and gives them ample opportunities to believe in and accept His Son. In regards to His own, God, does not want to cause unnecessary hurt upon us, but the truth is we often cause it upon ourselves, and who gets the blame, He does. The Sabbath year was a year long rest for God and the people, there would be no cultivating of the land or harvesting.
[Leviticus 25:1-6 And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; 4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. 6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,]
[That which groweth of its own accord] In other words, they were to let it grow naturally without treating it and not to gather it as their source of income, but rather trust that God will provide for them the entire year. Could you imagine an entire year of just trusting God and living off what was in your back yard? Let me tell you, I wish that I could do that sometimes. I know people who have storage containers full of food just in case provisions get scarce, and I do not have to tell you how crazy things get when people fear of a shortage of something. I do not have the room, resources, or time to go back to pioneer days, all I can do is trust that God will supply, [Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.]
[And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you;] I swear that my family must be facing a Sabbath rest right now, but the point of the Sabbath year was to embrace something that Jesus said, [Luke 12:29-31 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.]
Now, every fifty years there would be a special Sabbath year called, the year of jubilee, in which was an entire year of rest, restoration, and redemption. During the jubilee, those who were sold as slaves were set free, and lands were to be restored to the original owner or an heir. If they trusted God, and followed the Law, then God would bless their obedience, with even more than what they would have earned from the harvest.
[Leviticus 25:11-12,17-21 A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. 12 For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God. 18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. 19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. 20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: 21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. 22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.]
[until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.] The land, was on a Sabbath, holy unto God, and allowed to be enjoyed for all, they could just grab what they wanted to feast upon, without paying for it. Can you imagine an entire year without doing any work, having all your debts forgiven, not owing one cent, and all your monthly paid for the year? Well, how about having your entire sin debt paid for eternity? That is exactly what Jesus does, [John 17:2-3 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.]
While many of these laws were given specifically for when they get into the promised land, they must come to understand that they were not only slaves in Egypt, but strangers as well. God was not bringing them to land, although it was preoccupied, where they would be under the same bondage, they would be free, and God Himself will give it to them. Yes, they were going to inherit this land from God. How was this possible? All the land is God’s. God, tells them that this land that they are about to step foot on will be theirs forever.
[Leviticus 25:23-28 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. 25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. 26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; 27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. 28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.]
[for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.] Wow! Does this sound familiar? I recall something like this, with an added twist, not by me of course, [1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.]
Can you see now why some years are more abundant than others? And why these crazy snow storms come to those who rarely get snow, or the rain comes to almost a halt at times? Can you see why warmer climates get colder winters every once in a while? It is not climate change, it is God. This is God’s way of preparing the land to be fruitful after it is all over, it was also a way for restoration, and if anything that was sold in desperation it would be restored. God, also goes on to give them laws concerning helping those who become that desperate.
[Leviticus 25:35-40 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. 36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. 37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. 38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. 39 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: 40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:]
[to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.] God, chose you, so stop worrying about everything. I am preaching to the choir here as God is reminding me of this very thing, [John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.]
[But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner,] In other words, put them to work and let them pay their own way. They were to take them in and care for them, these were strangers in the land. And if they owed debts they could not pay then they would be purchased, but they would be like part of the family.
[Leviticus 25:45-48,54-55 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. 46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour. 47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: 48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: 54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. 55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.]
[they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt:] This may sound weird, but there really is no better freedom than to be a servant of God, [Romans 6:16-18 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Leviticus 25:45-46 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. 46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.]
Today’s Prayer: God, I have not chosen You, You have chosen me, and not because of my own righteousness, but by my faith in Your Son alone. I was bought with a price, and therefore, You expect me to glorify You in whatever state I am in, whether in wealth, or in poverty. You promise to always take care of and provide for Your servant, and I am trusting Your completely for that, for I know just how much You compensate for my serving You. Thank You Lord, for the times of rest, even in my labor to get me to draw closer to You and give You a little rest from having to work harder for me. Give me Your power, wisdom, and guidance to wait for You, and let me not stop praising You even when I do not see any compensation. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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