#278 Your Scale or Mine

10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) 12 They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.

13 Then the Lord said to Moses: 14 “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

17 “‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. 18 Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life.19 Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner:20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. 21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. 22 You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.’”

23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses. Leviticus 24: 10-23 NIV

When we acknowledge that sin leads to death, it is usually with very shallow and loose conviction. Consider the wages for this young man here, and you may start to back peddle, "but God, this isn't fair. Why such a harsh punishment for something that people do so frequently in this dispensation of grace." Ah, twas grace that led you back to here. It's easy to forget that this God of the old Testament is the same and that such grace as you may now consider is not disproportionate to this justice. Remember, all sin is already judged. Was the flood so long ago in our reading or the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah? You will not change men's hearts though, so tell them of God's grace, tell them what He says, and pray for all men to be saved. Show men God's grace in that you are humble before Him, and that you wish no ill of your fellow man. Show them by forgiving all trespasses against yourself. Teach your children soberly, and read the whole of it. It wasn't a matter of knowing vs. not knowing, ignorance did not find such bliss here. 

All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6After all, it is only right for God to repay with afflictionthose who afflict you, 7and to grant relief to you who are oppressed, and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels…2 Thessalonians 1:5-7

because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31

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#277 Shine

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.3 Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening till morning, continually. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 4 The lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord must be tended continually.

5 “Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah[a] for each loaf. 6 Arrange them in two stacks, six in each stack, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. 7 By each stack put some pure incense as a memorial[b] portion to represent the bread and to be a food offering presented to the Lord. 8 This bread is to be set out before the Lord regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. 9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in the sanctuary area, because it is a most holy part of their perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord.” Leviticus 24: 1-9 NIV

This returns to Exodus 27, and some say that this moves it from the discussion and planning period to institution. In other words, it is given to us, but there were some preparations or other things to discuss or take place before the practice, and so now let's review it one more time. Much is repeated, and usually when I repeat something it is because the steps are important, and the sequence must be followed correctly. 

Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doingyou will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1Timothy 4:15-16

For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. 13Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in ChristJesus. 14Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 2Timothy 1:12-14

For those who would insist that doctrine is not important or that they somehow receive a fresh word daily, that does not have to be tested by the Word of God, then they insist upon a gospel foreign to the early church. They infer that it is God, Who must somehow change daily to their whim, rather then they , who need conform to the image of Christ as sound keepers of the light. Aaron tends this light from evening until morning continually, the oil is specific, the charge is true and a "lasting ordinance for the generations to come." 

The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every wordthat comes from the mouth of God.’” 5Then the devil took Him to the holy city and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.…Matthew 4:3-5

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