Pastor Billington's Blog

Leviticus 3

The peace offering is also called the “fellowship” or “covenant” offering. The sacrifice could be offered for anything from petition to praise, with the emphasis being the fellowship of the worshipper with God. Only a portion of this offering was given to the priests or burned on the altar, and the worshiper and his family consumed the rest. The fat was burned up instead of being eaten, and it represented giving your best to God. No blood was consumed in any of the offerings, because the blood brings atonement.

Leviticus 17:11 (WEB) “For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.”

The peace offering is also a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:1 (WEB) “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thought for the day: The peace that we have with God should also be manifested in our day-to-day lives.

Galatians 5:22-23 (WEB) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.”

Leviticus 2

Grain offerings consisted of fine flour, oil, frankincense, and salt. They could be cooked or uncooked. The priest would only burn a handful as a memorial portion, and the rest would be his. Most of the offerings had some element that would provide for the priesthood. Although not mentioned in chapter one, the skin from the burnt offering would also go to the priest. Typically, the grain offering would be offered with a burnt or peace offering. If offered as a “firstfruit” offering (i.e. as thanksgiving for the harvest), it was a little different.

The ingredients (or lack of ingredients) tell us more about the offering. The fine flour and frankincense symbolize bringing the best. Salt, as a preservative, was a sign of the everlasting covenant. Oil, since it was used for anointing, is often seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Leaven (yeast) and honey cause fermentation, which is a type of corruption. Leaven is often seen as a representation of sin, so it makes sense that it would be excluded from the offering.

Just like the burnt offering, the grain offering also foreshadows the ministry of Jesus.

John 6:35 (WEB) “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will not be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’ “

Thought for the day: Since the grain offering is usually coupled with another, many think that its meaning mirrors the one it accompanies. Why offer it then? I believe that it represents an additional level of devotion and thanksgiving that we should emulate in our lives.

Psalm 111:1 (WEB) “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation.”

Leviticus 1

The burnt offering was for atonement (“appeasement”). It was a freewill offering. Different animals were allowed because of varying incomes. The laying on of hands was presumably a way of identifying the worshipper with the sacrifice. The animal had to be a perfect specimen, giving its perfect life for the sins of the sacrificer. The shedding of blood and the burning of the sacrifice were to appease God’s wrath. The burning is described as a “pleasant aroma” to God.

The burnt offering is a wonderful foreshadowing of Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:9 (WEB) “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.”

1 Peter 1:18-19 (WEB) “knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ”

Ephesians 5:2 (WEB) “Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.”

Hebrews 9:14 (WEB) “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without defect to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Thought for the day: “Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.”

Philippians 4:20 (WEB) “Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen.”

Proverbs 7

Here is our warning: sin comes out to meet us! It doesn’t ever leave us alone. Our culture and even our own minds attempt to lure us into sin. How do we prepare for such an onslaught? By filling our minds with wisdom! Which means we need to fill it ahead of time so that we are ready when temptation strikes. But just learning Scripture isn’t enough. We also have to be willing to yield to the influence of the Word and the Spirit in our lives when we are in the midst of temptation.

Sin is insidious and destructive, and the consequences can continue to impact us long after the event. A man in his late 80’s once asked me to come and visit him because he needed some counseling. I had some ideas about what it might be based on my experience, but I was completely wrong. When this man was a teenager being shipped off to war, he looked at what were considered pornographic images for that day and time. His problem was that, 70 years later, he still remembered those images and couldn’t get them out of his mind. It was taking away his peace and his joy. Unfortunately, that’s a perfect illustration of what sin, and particularly sexual sin, does to us. Guilt, shame, and pain can still affect us years later. In one way or another, it can cost us our lives.

Here are three additional ideas that this passage should cause us to consider. First, it’s very easy to find bad examples in the world. Why should we need to personally experience trouble and distress when all we have to do is look out our windows (so to speak) and we can see the trouble that sin brings? I took a quick peak at the two most prominent news sites on the web and saw stories about human trafficking, abuse, shootings, war, and theft. And, on top of that, we can see what’s happening within our communities and to our family and friends when bad choices are made. You would think that seeing the consequences of certain actions would deter us. Unfortunately, that’s not usually what happens. Second, it’s implied that if you are older then you are more mature and you know better than to do dumb things. However, sometimes physical maturity doesn’t equate to spiritual maturity. Hopefully it does in our own lives. And finally, if you are trying to hide your actions (“in the middle of the night and in the darkness”), should you be doing what you are doing?

Thought for the day: In addition to everything we just discussed, other people also help us to keep from sin and its consequences.

Hebrews 3:13 (WEB) “but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called ‘today,’ lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Proverbs 6

Proverbs 6:1-5: Is being a cosigner for someone else on a loan always bad? Probably not, but you have to consider the situation, the personalities of the people involved, and what will happen if the person defaults on the loan. Remember that Proverbs often deals with probabilities (things that are usually true). In general, it’s not a good idea to guarantee someone else’s debt. Being generous is something different. Being generous involves giving something directly to the person without expecting to be paid back. Becoming a pledge for someone else means that you could be paying back their debts for a considerable amount of time, which could have serious consequences for your family. This theme of not guaranteeing another’s loan is something that is repeated in Proverbs.

Proverbs 6:6-11: Some may look at this passage of Scripture and say, “Gotcha!” Ants have a queen. The Bible is wrong! First of all, you’re missing the point. Second, there may be more truth to what we read here than you realize. Yes, when ants colonize, they have a queen. However, she has one job to do: lay eggs. She doesn’t actually direct anything. The ants just know their roles in the community, and they work together.

Regardless, the purpose of this passage is to provide observational truth. You look down. You see ants scurrying around. You never know how many there are because they disappear into the ground, but they never seem to stop moving. They work hard! And that’s the point here. Don’t be lazy, be industrious. Being lazy leads to poverty. And this is just the beginning. Laziness vs. industry is another theme throughout Proverbs!

Proverbs 6:12-19: Verses 12-15 are almost like an introduction to the seven things the Lord hates. We’re told not to be wicked people, because bad things will happen to us. Some of those bad things could be because the Lord wants to discipline us, but much of the bad will come because we’re being stupid! A wicked person lies. A wicked person wants to cause conflict. A wicked person makes accusations and spreads innuendo, sometimes without even speaking! Have you ever seen the consequences of those actions come back against the ones doing them? Don’t be a wicked person!

And that brings us to the seven things that the Lord literally abhors:

• Causing conflict in the midst of God’s people (for us, the church).
• Being proud instead of humble.
• Lying, instead of telling the truth.
• Violence against the innocent (like the unborn?).
• Meditating on evil, instead of on good (specifically on God’s Word, as we read elsewhere).
• Acting out those evil thoughts.
• Lying again, but this time specifically about others (with reference to the courtroom).

Proverbs 6:20-26: “But I’ve heard all of this before!” I know, I know. But in truth, it’s repetition that helps us to learn and to realize the importance of what we’re learning. I believe it’s one reason we have four gospels. While each conveys the life of Jesus in a slightly different way, many of the events are repeated. That helps us to remember them, and it helps us to realize that what we’re learning is important. Repetition in Proverbs should serve as a warning and a guide to us. This is important stuff. We need to pay attention.

So, what do we find in our passage today?

• We’re reminded of the importance of family in conveying truth.
• We’re reminded of our need to pay attention to the truth.
• We’re reminded of the need to mediate on the truth, particularly the truth of Scripture.
• We’re reminded that the truth is our guide and our lamp, and that it keeps out of trouble.
• And one way it keeps us from trouble is by warning us about the dangers of sexual immorality. What a poetic warning: “the adulteress preys on your precious life.“
• And we’re again reminded that sin begins on the inside. Although we see with the eyes, lust starts in the heart and the mind.

Proverbs 6:26-35: When we think of the heartache that sexual immorality, pornography, and adultery cause in our culture today, it shouldn’t surprise us when we read about it so frequently in Proverbs. The emphasis here is on the danger and the consequences that come from engaging in immoral behavior, with a special warning to watch out for a spouse’s revenge!

Don’t be confused about verses concerning a thief. The issue isn’t to compare adultery and theft, but to compare the end results of both when you are caught. In fact, we seem to have a very interesting contrast here. You may end up with sympathy for a thief, because he needs food to live. However, that’s not going to help him if he’s caught! If a thief is punished sevenfold, how much more will someone be punished who is caught in adultery?

Thought for the day: “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” – Zig Ziglar

Joshua 1:8 (WEB) “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Psalm 7, 8, 9

Psalm 7: Cush was probably one of Saul’s kinsmen who, like Doeg and the Ziphites, supported Saul and tried to do away with David. Here David basically says to God, “Hey, if I’ve done anything to be worthy of this hatred and pursuit, I’ll accept my death!” But David believes that he is righteous, and that God will ultimately vindicate him because God is a righteous judge. And God will not only vindicate him, but God will judge the wicked as well.

In one sense we are righteous, because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. This is positional righteousness:

Romans 8:10 (WEB) “ If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

However, while we live this life, we aren’t perfect. So, we strive to be better. We strive to have practical righteousness:

1 Peter 1:15-16 (WEB) “but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ “

David warns the evildoers who are after him: if you don’t repent of your sins, God is preparing for war, and He is coming for you. If you continue to lie and deceive, you’ll fall into the pit you’ve dug for me. Your own violence is going to rebound against you. Turn back before it’s too late!

God protects us as well. When we know Jesus, we are His for eternity!

John 6:40 (WEB) “This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

But there is another way that David’s warning should ring in our heads. When we rebel against God, we set ourselves up for failure. When we discover our own sin, we need to repent. Repentance is more than just feeling sorrow. Repentance is a turning away from sin and turning to God. There are both eternal and temporal aspects to repentance. There is a once and for all turning to Jesus as Savior, and there is the daily confession to make sure our ongoing relationship is where it needs to be.

Psalm 8: God is to be praised! When we consider not only creation, but the dominion that mankind has over it, we rejoice in God’s majesty. Even babies praise His name and put His enemies to shame! He is both sovereign (Lord = Adonai), and personal (LORD = YHWH, Israel’s covenant name for God). He is to be feared and loved.

This passage also points to Jesus in a special way. The author of Hebrews sees the son of man not just as mankind, but as pointing to the special Son of Man who is the coming Messiah!

Hebrews 2:5-9 (WEB) “For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. But one has somewhere testified, saying, ‘What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t yet see all things subjected to him. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.”

Psalm 9: David sees how God has worked on his behalf, and he is moved to praise. He also reminds us of God’s faithfulness and righteousness. It’s why we can put our trust in Him. He is our place of refuge, and He promises that he’ll never leave us or forsake us.

Thought for the day: Do you have a problem in your life? Even if it’s not someone persecuting or hating you, you can cry out to God for help because He is merciful. And when He helps, however He does, we should rejoice and tell others about His faithfulness.

Hebrews 13:5 (WEB) “he has said, ‘I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.’ “

Matthew 28

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week” explains why we choose to worship on Sunday when possible. It’s not a command, it’s a choice! It’s a way to commemorate the resurrection and provide even more meaning to our worship.

Isn’t it interesting that nobody expected Jesus to be raised, even with all the miracles He did in his lifetime, and even though He continually told them it was going to happen!?!?!? It was apparently well known, since the authorities expected his disciples to steal the body to make it look like He had (Matthew 27:62-66). The authorities took precautions against a natural event, but not a supernatural event, and they are the ones who end up lying about it!

The disciples are good examples for us. They followed Jesus’ instructions precisely: “Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee”. In fact, they apparently got more information than is initially written down for us: “to the mountain where Jesus had sent them.” That’s an important reminder to us since it’s by comparing Scripture with Scripture that we get a better understanding, which is one of the reasons we have four gospels.

“Go and make disciples” is literally “while going, make disciples.” There are some Greek scholars who defend the imperative aspect of the participle (making it a command), but I think the literal translation is more meaningful. “While going.” “While living your life.” “While doing your everyday activities.” This makes it a natural extension of Christian life and experience. While we are following Christ we make disciples. It’s not something that is outside the ordinary. It’s something that should be a natural extension of who we are, and how we live.

Thought for the day: Are you living your life in such a way to make disciples?

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (WEB) “Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.”

Matthew 27

With Judas we see what happens when someone gives themselves over to sin. The sin, for one reason or another, ultimately destroys them.

James 1:15 (WEB) “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews because insurrection is one of the crimes that demands crucifixion, and the Jewish leadership want Jesus to be crucified. Jesus submits to the trial, the accusations, the humiliation, and the abuse because He is fulfilling Scripture:

Isaiah 53:7 (WEB) “He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.”

And Peter uses Jesus’ example to teach us how we are to behave when unjustly accused:

1 Peter 2:21-23 (WEB) “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, who didn’t sin, ‘neither was deceit found in his mouth.’ When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.”

Pilate, while not a righteous man, doesn’t want to put Jesus to death, but he ultimately gives into the Jewish leadership and the crowds. Incidentally, it’s the leadership that incites the crowd to call for Barabbas, a murderer, to be released! How often do we go with the crowd, when we should be standing up for our principles?

Consider this statement: “May His blood be on us and on our children.” Is there anything more chilling than that? The irony is that Jesus shed His blood so that they and their children could have a relationship with God! In truth, just as the blood was put on the doorposts during the first Passover (Exodus 12:12-13), if His blood is really “on us” (because of our belief in Him) then we will be forgiven!

1 Peter 1:18-19 (WEB) “knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ”

The Holy Place in the temple was separated into two parts by the temple curtain. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain except the high priest, once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement he brought blood from the sacrifice to provide atonement for the sins of the people:

Leviticus 16:34 (WEB) “This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.”

The fact that the temple curtain was torn in two signifies that Jesus Christ is the final sacrifice and it is only through Him that we can have a relationship with God.

Hebrews 9:11-12 (WEB) “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Thought for the day: We can’t be too thankful for what Jesus has done for us!

Hebrews 13:15 (WEB) “Through him, then, let’s offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.”

Matthew 26

There are a lot a failures in this passage:

• The failure of the priests to recognize their Messiah
• The failure of Judas to follow and support his teacher and Lord
• The failure of the disciples to stand up for Jesus (predicted)
• The failure of Peter to live up to his commitment (predicted)
• The failure of mankind to live for God

The last one is the reason for the foreshadowing during the Passover meal. Jesus uses the bread and the wine as metaphors for His upcoming death on the cross for our sins. Of course it’s not automatic; we must confess our sins and believe in Jesus to be forgiven!

There are warnings here for disciples too. We will all face difficulties in life. After all, Jesus did! And He faced them with grace when He prayed, “not what I desire, but what you desire.” Can we face our own difficulties with that kind of grace? With the understanding that God does allow bad things to happen for a purpose? Are we willing to stand up for God even when bad things happen? Or will we find ourselves denying our Lord and Savior? We would do well to remember that Jesus was willing to endure the worst thing ever so that we could be saved.

Judas betrayed his Lord willingly, with a kiss. He deliberately betrayed Jesus, while pretending to be His disciple. Do we do that? In a way, I think that we can and do. When we call ourselves disciples and yet willingly and willfully do something that we know is sinful, aren’t we betraying Jesus with a kiss? Or perhaps we’re like Peter. Do we hide whose we are because of fear? Fear that we might lose a relationship, a profit, a promotion, or stature?

The call is to be faithful. To stand firm. To be bold. To remain committed. It’s insightful that here Jesus fully reveals Himself to the religious authorities, through both their words and His own. He is the Christ! He is the Son of God! He is the Son of Man who will come on the clouds! Which means He is the Savior, the one who has the power to judge and the power to forgive, and He will be the one that we have to answer to at the end of the age. How can we be so sure? Because the temple of His body was destroyed, but it was raised again after three days!

Though for the day: With all that He has done, with all that He has fulfilled, with all that He is, how can we betray Him?

1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB) “Here, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”