Set Apart
Psalm 55:16-19
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
Leviticus 21:13-22:16
Leviticus 22
The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord. 3 “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord. 4 “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, 5 or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. 6 The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 7 When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. 8 He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.9 “‘The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.
Mark 7:1-8
The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
Reflections: In Leviticus, the writer reminds the priests that because they are the intermediaries between God and man, they are to be set apart for God’s purposes. Because of their calling, they are called to a higher standard. That doesn’t make them any better or worse than the others, but because of their role of handling the sacred offerings they needed to maintain cleanliness. Again they do not make themselves holy, but the Lord, but they still need to offer themselves to the Lord!
By Jesus’ time the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were in charge of keeping the laws had developed a dualism. While they were good about managing the outside appearances, their hearts were black as coal. The laws of God had become traditions of men, empty rituals. Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. As Jesus lived out His life He was the fulfillment of Law, but He when he left he also sent the Holy Spirit so that we would be transformed from the inside out.
Still today, we can be in danger of observing the basics of the law, but still having untransformed hearts. Things might look good on the outside, but inside we may be empty. Jesus came to transform the whole person. As we believe in Him and are filled with His Holy Spirit it is His Spirit that guides us to understand the true Spirit as well as the letter of the Law.
God still uses leaders today that are set apart to lead God’s purposes, but their power does not come from position, but the call of God and the equipping of the Holy Spirit. Where does what is happening on the outside, not match what is happening on the inside of you? Ask God to transform you and allow the Spirit to guide all of your words and actions.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God." Isaiah 35:4
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again, "I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich!" Revelation 2:8-9 (NIV)
Shepherd Jesus who knows our afflictions and our poverty, we praise you for the richness beyond compare that your life, death and resurrection gives us: a hope and a promise far greater than anything our small minds can imagine. Amen.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.
Leviticus 21:13-22:16
Leviticus 22
The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord. 3 “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord. 4 “‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, 5 or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. 6 The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 7 When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. 8 He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.9 “‘The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.
Mark 7:1-8
The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
Reflections: In Leviticus, the writer reminds the priests that because they are the intermediaries between God and man, they are to be set apart for God’s purposes. Because of their calling, they are called to a higher standard. That doesn’t make them any better or worse than the others, but because of their role of handling the sacred offerings they needed to maintain cleanliness. Again they do not make themselves holy, but the Lord, but they still need to offer themselves to the Lord!
By Jesus’ time the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were in charge of keeping the laws had developed a dualism. While they were good about managing the outside appearances, their hearts were black as coal. The laws of God had become traditions of men, empty rituals. Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. As Jesus lived out His life He was the fulfillment of Law, but He when he left he also sent the Holy Spirit so that we would be transformed from the inside out.
Still today, we can be in danger of observing the basics of the law, but still having untransformed hearts. Things might look good on the outside, but inside we may be empty. Jesus came to transform the whole person. As we believe in Him and are filled with His Holy Spirit it is His Spirit that guides us to understand the true Spirit as well as the letter of the Law.
God still uses leaders today that are set apart to lead God’s purposes, but their power does not come from position, but the call of God and the equipping of the Holy Spirit. Where does what is happening on the outside, not match what is happening on the inside of you? Ask God to transform you and allow the Spirit to guide all of your words and actions.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God." Isaiah 35:4
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again, "I know your afflictions and your poverty - yet you are rich!" Revelation 2:8-9 (NIV)
Shepherd Jesus who knows our afflictions and our poverty, we praise you for the richness beyond compare that your life, death and resurrection gives us: a hope and a promise far greater than anything our small minds can imagine. Amen.
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