Life With A Holy God, Part 2
This sermon on part 2 of Life With A Holy God from The Drama of Redemption was preached by Robert Greene at Redemption Hill Church on Sunday, December 9th, 2012. His text was Leviticus 1:1-27:34.
Sermon Reflection Guide:
God Calls and Ordains the Priests
Exodus 28:1 and Leviticus 8
Cleaning
Clothing
– Robe
– Ephod
– Breastpiece
– Turban
Anointing
Consecrating
– Sin offering (need for atonement)
– Burnt offering (total dedication)
– Ordination offering
Wave offering
Sin is pervasive (deep) and universal (everywhere).
Do you think after doing this for 7 days Aaron, his sons, and the people got the picture?
Before they could offer 1 sacrifice to God on behalf of the people, before they could ever be mediators, they had to be reminded that their identity was that of a sinner set apart and sanctified by God’s grace.
Cornelius Plantinga, in Not the Way it’s Supposed to Be, writes:
“The awareness of sin, a deep awareness of disobedience and painful confession of sin used to be our shadow. Christians hated sin. They feared it. They fled from it. They grieved over it. Some of our forefathers agonized over their sins. A man who lost his temper might wonder if he could still go to holy communion. A woman who for years envied her more attractive and intelligent sister might wonder if this sin threatened her very salvation.” He continued, “That shadow has dimmed. Nowadays the accusation you have sinned is often said with a grin and with a tone that signals an inside joke. At one time, this accusation still had the power to jolt the people of God.”
Exodus 29:42 – It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.
The heart of the daily worship at the tabernacle was perpetual blood sacrifice. Imagine growing up seeing the daily activity of the priests, the daily slitting of the throats of animals would have impressed upon you that sin has consequence, and the consequence is death. You couldn’t miss the message that the sacrifice of an innocent substitute was necessary for atonement and approach to God.
Application
- What in our lives would indicate we have forgotten the pervasiveness and universality of sin?
- How does Leviticus 8 remind us?
- What are the personal and dangerous consequences of Plantinga’s statement?
The First Worship Service
Leviticus 9
After 7 days of consecration and purification, the first thing he must do is sacrifice more animals for atonement for his own sin.
Why a bull calf? Did that mean anything to Aaron?
Leviticus 9:22-24 – Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
God has come amongst His people and there were shouts of joy with holy fear. These two things go together. It is the sheer holiness that makes His grace so incredible! God is dwelling with us and there’s no reason for Him to have mercy on us! It’s who He is that makes where He is so amazing!
Application
- Does the glory of God, the presence of God cause us to “shout” with joy? Ever?
- Has it ever caused us to fall on our face?
- What personally or as a community would indicate we take God’s presence casually?
- Why do you think that is?
- What are the personal and dangerous consequences for doing so?
- What can we meditate on to have the right fear, reverence, and joy?
We Still Needed a Greater hight Priest
Leviticus 10
It was clear to God’s people that a better priest was needed. They needed one who would love God’s Word, Do God’s Will, walk in God’s ways and teach God’s people.
1 Samuel 2:35 – I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind.
The shadow will give way to the reality.
Jesus: Our Great Hight Priest
Hebrews 8:4b-5 – Jesus Christ, God’s Son, has not just come to fit into the earthly system of priestly ministry as the best and final human priest, but he has come to fulfill and put an end to that system and to orient all our attention on himself ministering for us in heaven.
Hebrews 7:18-8:2, 23-25 His sacrifice was “once for all”. This makes Jesus the center of the history of Grace. Everything before this looks to Jesus as it’s foundation. Everything since looks back to this as its foundation. There is no Grace apart from Jesus.
We have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who came into the world as the Son of God, lived a sinless life, offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of his people, rose to everlasting life at the right hand of the majesty of God, and there loves us and prays for us and bids us draw near to God through him.
To be a Christian is not merely to have Jesus as your example to follow. To be a Christian is to have Jesus as your priest to intercede for you before a holy God, your mediator to intervene in what would otherwise be a hopeless situation, your advocate who asks the Father to treat you not as you deserve but as he deserves.
Jesus who is clothed in holiness, glory, and beauty will represent you before God so that when God looks at you, he will see only absolute holiness, radiant glory, and rapturous beauty.
Hebrews 4:14-16 When Jesus is your priest, you can enter in the very throne room of God with great confidence—confidence that you will find just what you need when you need it—mercy for your past failures and grace for your present and future needs. You will be accepted and loved and provided for.
Application
- Have you or do you continually confess your need for a high-priest such as this?
- Have you slipped into behaving like Jesus is just your example?
- Does your assurance of your acceptance with God fluctuate like your behavior?
- How does your soul react when you think of Jesus presently interceding for you before the Father?
- In the gospel, what is our acceptance really based on?