Lesson#25

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Leviticus

September 21, 2015

Introduction

May 13, 2010

Leviticus Lesson #02

May 13, 2010

RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

LEVITICUS 24
Lesson #25
GUIDANCE, PROVISION, AND BLASPHEMY

• Memory Verse: Joh 6:33
• There are two more feast days on the calendar that we have not discussed. These two feast days are not in Lev 23 because God did not initiate them. They were added over time by the Jews themselves.
  • =1= The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) on the 25th day of Kislev (about November – December of our calendar)
    • Read Joh 10:22-23 Jesus celebrated the Feast of Dedication
    • Originally this feast day was to dedicate the restoration of the temple in 164 BC when Antiochus Epiphanies IV was defeated after defiling the temple. The temple was cleansed and rededicated to Jehovah.
      • The candlestick in the temple was to burn continually but they had only oil enough for one day. God miraculously extended the burning of the candlestick for 8 days until they could make more oil. For this reason they burn 8 candles for 8 days in Jewish homes.
      • Jesus Christ is the light of the world and the living temple that God would raise up in three days.
  • =2= The Feast of Lots or the Feast of Purim in the month of Adar ( about February to March on our calendar)
    • The story of this feast originates in the book of Esther where God preserved His people in spite of a plan of great annihilation of all the Jews.
    • Even though the name of God does not appear in the text of the book of Esther, God’s sovereignty and marvelous hand of protection always sustain His people.
• Read Lev 24:1-4 The light of life
  • In the Holy Place of the tabernacle, the large golden candlestick was supposed to burn continually and never be extinguished. Olive oil for the candlestick had to be made following God’s precise instructions.
    • The olive oil must be from the very best olive leaves.
    • The oil must not be pressed out but beaten out of the leaves.
    • The people were to provide the leaves for the oil.
  • These instructions remind us of the first feast of Hanukkah when the candlestick did not burn because the Syrian enemy had attacked Jerusalem, destroyed the city, stole the gold objects from the tabernacle, and killed many Jews. After the Jews restored all of this, they celebrated the Feast of Hanukkah with light.
  • Read Joh 8:12
    • The light of the candlestick in the tabernacle represents Jesus Christ as the light of life for the world.
      • The candlestick was the only light in the tabernacle just as Jesus Christ is the only true light in the world.
    • Believers in Jesus Christ have the light of guidance needed for life in this dark world. This light comes to the believer from the holiness of Jesus Christ.
      • Oil in scripture is a symbolic object that represents the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
      • The Holy Spirit leads the believer into truth by directing him internally.
• Read Lev 24:5-9 The bread of life
  • Fine wheat flour tells us of the perfection of Jesus Christ without sin that is essential to life.
  • The fragrance of frankincense is reminiscent of the humanity of Christ which was a pleasant odor to God, the Father.
  • The Table of Showbread in the tabernacle:
    • The word, showbread means = bread of presence. In other words, they represented God’s presence with His people.
    • The 12 loaves of bread (one for each tribe) were to remain on the table of showbread for seven days.
    • The priests must replace them with new loaves on the Sabbath.
    • The priests must eat the old loaves on the Sabbath in the Holy Place.
    • The people were to provide the flour.
  • Read Joh 6:51
    • The bread represents Jesus Christ and His presence with us in the flesh and in the Spirit. The believer trusts in (feeds on) Christ for his eternal life.
    • For this reason Jesus said, “Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” (Mat 26:26)
  • Notice that the people were to provide the oil and the flour. In other words, holiness and worship of God are a cooperation between man and God.
• Read Lev 24:10-16 Blasphemy
  • This passage is an example of disrespect for the light of God’s holiness that guides believers and a disrespect of the Holy words of God that feed us.

 

• “…the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian…”

 

(10)
• When the Israelites came out of Egypt under Moses, there was a great multitude of people that came with them.
  • They are called in scripture, “the mixed multitude”.
  • Through the 40 years wandering in the wilderness, these mixed peoples complained and rebelled. They were a constant threat to the unity of the Israelites. (Exo 12:38 Num 11:4)
• We see here in Lev 24 one family from this mixed multitude that had no faith to possess the Promised Land or to give glory to God.
• The son of this mixed marriage got in a fight with another Israelite. (10)
• In the heat of anger he blasphemed the name of God.
  • The name of God was so sacred that the Israelites did not pronounce God’s name because they had the fear of God in their hearts.
    • Every Jew knew the Ten Commandments from Exo 20.
    • Every Jew knew he was not to take the name of the Lord in vain. (Exo 20:7) To disrespect a person’s name meant disrespect in the heart for that person.
  • A stranger or a non-believer like this son had no problem saying the name of God. That was not irreverent enough, for his words went further than just saying God’s name. His words were blasphemy.
    • What exactly is blasphemy?
      • The Bible definition of blasphemy is an indignity offered to God by words or writing; contemptuous irreverent words said against Jehovah.
      • Instead of giving God verbal praise, it is denying praise that is rightfully God’s and attributing to God what is not agreeable to His nature.
  • Because this young man was of mixed blood, Moses was not sure what punishment to give. Therefore, the young man was incarcerated while the leaders asked God for a judgment.
    • The punishment for blasphemy was physical death by stoning for a Jew or for any stranger in the land.
      • Those people that heard the words must put their hands on the head of the offender to identify the boy with the sin.
      • Then the congregation stoned him.
• What did Jesus say about blasphemy?
  • Read Mat 12:31
  • Why did Jesus say, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men…” (Mat 12:31)
    • The difference is the dispensation of time.
    • In the Old Testament under the Law of Moses, it was a time of strict law where obedience was required and punishment for breaking the law was severe.
    • In Mat 12 Jesus was beginning a new dispensation of time where grace is the rule of God’s house and not law.
  • Therefore, under grace blasphemy against God or Jesus can be forgiven like any other sin for which a person repents.
• Why did Jesus say, “but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.” (Mat 12:31)
  • It is the Holy Spirit that convicts the heart of sin. (Joh 16:8)
  • It is the Holy Spirit that lifts up Jesus Christ as the Savior for the forgiveness of sin. (Joh 15:26 Joh 16:13,14)
• The context of Jesus’ words about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
  • Read Mat 12:24-31
  • Jesus spoke to non-believing Pharisees. They attributed the miraculous works of Jesus to Satan. (Mat 12:24)
    • This was blasphemy according to our definition– attributing to God what is not agreeable to His nature.
    • God does not do evil works and God does not work for the Devil.
  • Therefore, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing the works of God to Satan. The Holy Spirit is the means by which miracles are done in the power of God. The Holy Spirit is the means by which a person comes to receive Jesus Christ into his life.
  • Only a non-believer would commit this sin, for the Holy Spirit is inside the believer and works to convict him of any sin. Therefore, a believer would never commit this sin.
  • The reason this sin is unforgivable is because without the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, a non-believer would never be convicted of his sins, and would never seek forgiveness, and would never be saved. If the non-believer is never saved, the sin is never forgiven.
• Read Lev 24:19-20 (Lex Talionis) The law of retaliation
  • Many people have expressed surprise and disdain toward God for this law because they see God as only love and mercy.
    • God is a just God. That means sin requires the payment of a punishment for every crime or sin.
    • In a society where there was no police force, man would have a tendency to exact revenge on an offender. Without some limitation placed on human nature, revenge would result in generational feuds between families and a punishment that did not fit the crime.
    • Therefore, this law of retaliation was a merciful law to equalize justice.
  • The Law of Moses was a strict law requiring equality of persons and equality of punishment.
    • All people were required to keep the law whether the person was an Israelites or whether the person was a stranger in the land.
    • All crimes were to be punished equally whether the criminal was an Israelite or a stranger in the land.
    • All punishments were to fit the crime.
  • This same strictness of the law that we see here in Leviticus will be the law that will govern the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ after His second coming but with an added ingredient of mercy.
    • Read Mat 5:38-39
    • Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for using this law of retaliation for their own benefit and perverting justice.
    • Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount in Mat 5, 6 and 7 will be the form of law for the Millennial Kingdom.

HOMEWORK
Leviticus 25
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Lev 24
  • In what way are you using God’s provision of Jesus Christ as the light in your life?

 

• In what way are you using God’s provision of Jesus Christ as the bread in your life?

 

• Preparation for Lev 25
• Read Lev 25:1-55
  • What would the Israelite need to have spiritually speaking to refrain from planting his land in the seventh year?

 

• In the year of Jubilee, what must the Israelite RETURN to the original owner?

 

• Why is this year called the year of liberty?

 

• Memory Verse: Lev 25:12