Showing posts with label unleavened bread. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unleavened bread. Show all posts

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Day 51-11

V From the Exodus to the Crossing into Canaan - 1462-1422 B.C. ~ cont.
(1462 - 982 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1)
B. Time spent at Sinai (sometimes called Horeb) ~ cont.
26. Moral instructions
a. Nakedness and immorality- Leviticus 18:1-30
b. Familiar spirits - Leviticus 20:1-6, 27
27. National feast day instructions - Leviticus 23:1-3
a. Passover - Leviticus 23:4-5
b. Unleavened bread - Leviticus 23:6-8
c. First-fruits - Leviticus 23:9-14
d. Wave-loaves (Pentecost) - Leviticus 23:15-22
e. Trumpets - Leviticus 23:23-25
f.  Day of Atonement - Leviticus 23:26-32
g. Tabernacles - Leviticus 23:33-44
{pages 225-229}

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul and will cut him off from among his people.  (Leviticus 20:6)

familiar spirits - H178 - From the same as H1 (apparently through the idea of prattling a father’s name); properly a mumble, that is, a water skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar).

Used 17x in 16 verses - first used in Leviticus 19:31, most often translated as familiar spirits, but in Job 32:19:

Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

wizards - H3049 - From H3045; properly a knowing one; specifically a conjurer; (by implication) a ghost.
  • H3049 - A primitive root; to know (properly to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively instruction, designation, punishment, etc.).
Used 11x in 11 verses - also used first in Leviticus 19:31, always translated as wizard.

turneth - H6437 - A primitive root; to turn; by implication to face, that is, appear, look, etc.

Father is pretty adamant about turning away His face and cutting off the offender.  I got stuck here, trying to figure out how to say what I wanted without coming across with a holier than thou attitude, nor one that seems as if I am a Negative Nan.  :-D

The gist of my impression, after reading this day's passage and the next couple of days, and how Father expects obedience and to not give Him the full measure results in discipline, has to do with reverential fear, respect, honor.

He has a standard and I, as well as the church, fall woefully short.  Offering a minuscule amount of time to 'worship' or reading through some 5 minute devotion does not properly prepare our hearts and minds to reverence and honor the Master.  We, as the church, do not take our relationship with Him as seriously as we ought.  There is far too many 'programs' and 'ministries' and a lack of true study of the Word.  I say this not just to the Bride, but to myself as well.

Lord, forgive us for the times we 'play' church, or give the appearance of worship, when our hearts and minds are far from You.  Forgive us, Your people, Lord for not being diligent to study to show ourselves approved.  Lord, cleanse Your Bride, reveal those who are ear ticklers, and false prophets and teachers.  Quicken the mind and the discernment of Your people for such charlatans.  Help us, Your people, Lord NOT to have ears that are desirous of being tickled, but truly and honestly desire a deeper and more intimate relationship with You.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.  Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein; it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.  (Leviticus 23:1-3)

Our pastor/teacher just covered this passage recently and brought to our attention that the Lord starts out detailing the feasts of Israel by emphasizing the 7th day.  I find that to be an interesting thought.  He further went on to add that Father had a significance to this day of rest, which would have been alien to the Israelites who had just come out of Egypt.  I can not even image working and working and working with no time off at all.  Everybody needs a down day.

I have been wrestling with this topic of a Sabbath for quite some time and whether it is applicable to the church.  There are numerous people posturing pro and con.  I found this article, The Sabbath Day, Moral Law or Ceremonial Law to be thought provoking and informative.

Passover:  I have, for quite some time, not been a participant in Easter, believing it to have no Scriptural warrant.

I was browsing for information regarding Passover vs Easter vs Resurrection, and came across two articles which also piqued my curiosity.  I had to re-read the paragraph below at least 3 times to make sure I had understood what was being stated.  From the article, Holidays or Holy Days, Does It Matter What Days We Observe?

"Although Christ's resurrection is an important basis of our hope that we, too, can be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:17; Romans 5:10), and it was critical for God's plan of salvation to continue, neither God the Father, Christ nor Scripture has ever explicitly directed us to celebrate this event."

Many churches do not participate in Passover, and some have (thankfully) left off the practice of "Easter celebrations" and donned the practice of "Resurrection Sunday."

The question now, in my mind, is there any Biblical substantiation for having a day to remember the resurrection? To which did the early church give credence to the remembrance of? The resurrection or the death of our Savior? The resurrection, just as Jesus' birth, did not propitiate the wrath of God, only the sacrifice of a sinless Lamb could suffice. The birth and resurrection substantiated the divine nature of Christ and the acceptance of the sacrifice.

This article, The Resurrection-Appearances and the Origin of Sunday Observance had information on both the Resurrection and the Sabbath that I found thought provoking.  I am still fence sitting on the issue of the Sabbath, but will continue to seek the Lord in understanding what HE wants.  May each of you be blessed abundantly as you press into HIM, seeking and desiring to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Day 335

P. Paul's trip home completing his third journey (winter) - Acts 20:4-38; 21:1-26
Q. Arrest and Trials of Paul
1. Paul before the Jews at Jerusalem - Acts 21:27-40; 22:1-30; 23:1-22

My attention was caught on 20:4 where the writer notates the companions:

Berea ~ Sopater (of a safe father);
Thessalonica ~ Aristarchus (best ruling) and Secundus (second);
Derbe ~ Gaius (lord, an earthly man);
Asia ~ Tychicus (fortuitous or fortunate) and Trophimus (nutritive); and...

...Timotheus (dear to God).

Most of these definitions were pulled from E-Sword, however I did use the site Bible Study Tools, Hitchcocks Bible Names Dictionary as well.

And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we above seven days.  (Acts 20:6)

I made a notation:  Marking time by feasts?  The Jews and Gentile converts would have been aware and instructed in the feasts.  They would have readily been able to determine the month and day that this event occurred.  If they were not still keeping the feasts, why mention them?  They knew that Jesus was the fulfillment for the 3 spring and 1 summer feast.  Is it possible that they continued to keep the feasts as a remembrance?

For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible to be at Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost.  (Acts 20:16)

Another reference to time by the feasts.  And Paul's desire to be in Jerusalem for the day of...in essence keeping the feast?  Gill, Henry and Poole all state that Paul's intention (?) was to avail himself of the opportunity to witness to a great number of people (Jews and Gentile converts) which would have been in Jerusalem for the feast.

I would like to note that if this was Paul's intention to preach to a greater number of people and/or a combination of that and a desire to keep a feast which Jesus had fulfilled, in no way sets a precedent for Christians to take a pagan holiday, white wash it and try to use it to evangelize the lost.

Note, the feasts were a foretelling of what the Messiah would do, did and will do (the fall feasts do not appear to have been fulfilled).  Not borrowing from the pagan nations around them, which was strictly prohibited and caused Israel to suffer much because they continued to incorporate pagan practices into the worship of the holy God.

I put a question mark by their interpretation of Paul's intentions.  If there theory is correct then we are under no obligation to explore further.  However, if Paul and/or the other apostles were continuing to keep the feasts as remembrance that opens up a whole new area of consideration.

I am, at this juncture, not for or against keeping the feasts.  I can see both sides and am thus fence sitting.  :-)  I can see where people could get caught up in 'doing' the feasts and become legalistic about it, especially since Jesus fulfilled 4 of them.  I can also see how if one did participate it would be an awesome opportunity to explain their purpose and how Jesus fulfilled them.  Which brings these verses to mind:

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Pro 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.