📖 God provided the sacrifice

I. In the book of Leviticus, we read about a number of sacrifices and offerings the Israelites were to make to atone for various sins and to maintain ritual cleanliness as they came near to the presence of God.

Modern readers can read this book with disdain, finding it hard to believe God required all of this from Israel.

And yet, to do so is to completely miss the point of what is going on. God did not have to dwell within the camp of Israel. He did not have to make a way for them to be able to draw near to him. He did not have to do any of it.

What’s more, Jesus later came to be the perfect and final sacrifice, fulfilling all of the offerings and sacrifices in himself so that we can draw near and participate in God’s kingdom today.

So not only does God make a way for sinful people to dwell with him, but he then himself provides the atoning sacrifice to make it happen!

What a God, who in his grace and mercy toward us has made a way for us to be reconciled to him. Not because he had to or needed to, but simply because he loves us.

———————-

II. In Jeremiah 6, we see the prophet Jeremiah describing the evil being done by the people of Israel and their rejection of God. He then goes on to say in verse 10:

“See, the word of the LORD has become contemptible to them—they find no pleasure in it.”

It’s not that the people were confused and didn’t know how God called them to live, or that they realized their errors and were willing to repent. They find God’s Word and his ways contemptible.

This can be the temptation of any one of us when we are living in ways we know to be contrary to the way of the Lord.

Instead of facing our sin, we can simply ignore God’s commands or view them with contempt and justify how they don’t really mean what they say or how our situation is “different” and therefore we are the exception.

May we not do that! Those who know the Lord demonstrate that by submitting to his Word and allowing him to correct us.

To seek pleasure in the ways of God is infinitely better than rejecting what is true in order to live for what is false.

John Stott on what God has done:

“The Christian good news is not simply a declaration that God has said something. It also affirms that God has done something. God has taken the initiative in both these ways because this is what we need.

It isn’t just that we are ignorant but also that we are sinful. This is why it isn’t enough for God simply to reveal himself to us and dispel our ignorance. He must also take action to save us from our sins.”

Jesus died for the Church.

The Church is the bride of Christ.

Not participating in a church and with a local gathering of believers makes no sense based on what we see in Scripture.

Christ died not merely to save individuals, but to redeem a people for himself.

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever

A book about nine principles that lead to healthy churches.

Perhaps most impressive is that this is the book's fourth edition. Most books never get two editions, let alone four! And yet, it seems wise and well worth it. The book was originally written in 1994, but outside of a couple of sentences here and there, it reads as quite evergreen and relevant. I also appreciated the fact that the book is not bloated with extra and unneeded added sections, which can sometimes happen with multiple-edition books.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is a little dry at times, but it's also a rather niche book that isn't trying to be a page-turner. I

t's an encouraging and faithful read. It's not necessarily all that pragmatic, though it is in spots, but it does help you think through how to apply its "marks" in your context.

If you're in vocational ministry or just love the local church, this is a beneficial resource.

8.5/10

This week on Thinking Biblically, I discuss 3 Types of People Christians Are Called to Judge. Will we do what the Scripture commands?

APPLE PODCASTS // SPOTIFY // AMAZON

P.S. No one cuts off the king…