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Embedding the Bible is about learning to live in the will of God. Embedding is the act of placing God’s will in the center of my life. Not just in the center of my religious activity, but in the center of everything that I do and say. Living in the will of God means that God’s heart sets the standard for how I parent, watch television, surf the web, read books, talk to my friends, and act on my job. God’s heart defines my work ethic, parenting decisions, friendships, and relaxation. As God calls us deeper and deeper into His presence, we experience transformation, a change in how we think and act and feel. This change is based on the character of God.

Embedding the character of God in our lives leads us to look for truth. God establishes His truth through His character. In John 14:6 we learn that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Truth is not simply an objective standard. It is not the ability to agree with or conform to a principle. Truth is not simply about mental assent. Truth is a person, the person of Jesus. Following truth means following Jesus. There is no other way to live in the presence of God but to live in the truth of Jesus.

Sometimes in reading through the Old Testament, we forget that we are reading through the story of Jesus. We often look at the Israelites and the call to follow the law and miss the point that God is preparing the world for the coming of the Christ. Each law, each feast day, each command is meant to shape the hearts of men to accept the truth that is found in the character and life of Jesus.

This week, we open our reading with Deuteronomy 12:29 and a warning against idolatry. Idolatry is the worship of anything that is not God. Idolatry takes something other than God and puts it into God’s rightful place in our lives. Idolatry can be an image made of wood or stone or metal that we bow before. It can also be a belief or a tenet that the world holds up as more important. Remember that idolatry does not always mean that we completely forget about God. The Israelites continued, in their history, to worship in the temple at Jerusalem. They offered the appropriate sacrifices and observed the feast days established by God. But they also worshiped idols under trees, sought to be like the world around them, and accepted standards and “truths” that could no be found in the will of God. They mixed the standards of the world with the truth of God and so divided their hearts. This is so easy to do in our world today.

We have many voices which call for our attention. Voices that tell us how to be successful. Voices that seek to define beauty and truth. Voices that call us to believe what the world believes. Too often, we want to accept the voices of the world and then try to figure out how they can exist alongside the truth of God. We try to mix what the world says with what God says. We try to give both an equal voice in our lives. But God does not call us to see him through the lens of the world. He calls us to see the world through the lens of His character. Following truth puts God in the center of our lives so that we everything through the eyes of God.

Embedding eh Bible is about becoming so intimate with God that we cannot see the world through any lens but the lens of His heart. Like the Israelites, we need to learn to look at everything the world throws our way and ask if it conforms to the image of God, the person of Jesus, our standard of truth.

Moses warns the people that there will be those who call God’s people to follow after other gods. People who present a standard to follow that is not from God. The warning is that this kind of thinking leads to death and separation from the will of God.

Where is your thinking leading you? Are you walking in truth? Or are you listening to too many voices? Embedding the Bible helps us recognize the voice of God and live in truth.

Embedding the Bible is about listening to God. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Moses calls the people of Israel to hear God. The phrase is distinct. “Hear O Israel.” The Hebrew word for hear that is used in this passage is the word “shema.” This passage has become known in Judaism as “The Shema.” It is a call to hear what God is saying. It is an invitation to tune our ears to hear the words that God speaks and be changed. In the Shema, there are some very specific instructions about what it means to listen to God and be changed.

It starts with a description of God. God is One God. We can talk about monotheism, the worship of one God as opposed to the worship of many gods (polytheism), but I think that more important is the understanding that God is unique. God is unlike any other being that we know or come into contact with. God alone is supreme. He is the Creator of life and the shaper of the world. God has spoken the creation into existence with His words alone. God alone is worthy to be praised. Moses calls the Israelites to see God as the One true God that is faithful to care for His people.

This reminder speaks to our hearts today. In a world that call loudly in many voices, it is important to tune our ears to hear the voice of God. The one voice that can change us from the inside out. The one God who can heal our hurts and cure our sin sickness. God alone has the answers that we need. God alone is the authority for mankind.

Moses then goes on to tell the Israelites that they must love God with all their hearts, souls, and minds. It is a picture of surrender. God calls for us to give our whole selves to Him. Both then, and now. Walking with God is not simply going to church on Sundays. It is a lifestyle that touches every part of who we are. When we love God, we love with all our heart. The heart is the seat of how we feel. Loving God means we surrender our emotions to Him. His joys become our joys. His desires become our desires. God instructs us on how to be joyful and how to be angry. His heart shapes our hearts.

When we love God with all our minds we turn over control of our decisions to Him. God gets to decide what happens in my life and when it happens. God gets control over my schedule. He gets to decide what I watch on television or the movies I go to see. Giving God my mind means God gets a say in the websites I visit and the tweets that I post. God gets to be in charge of what I think and how I think. I am not guided by my heart or my gut. I am guided by the heart of God.

To love God with all my soul means that God gets the very core of who I am. God gets to lead my eternity. My spiritual thinking and acting become reflections of Gods nature and character. I am trusting God to lead me in a way that allows me to live with Him today and forever.

Moses goes on to show us how to give ourselves entirely to God. Moses describes talking about God with our children. Thinking about God when we walk along the roads or streets or when we lie in our beds to rest or sleep. When I am at home, I am God’s. When I travel, I belong to God. Giving myself to God, loving God, means allowing Him to have control of my eyes and my hands. There is nothing in my life that is outside of His control.

Hearing God is important. As I listen to God, I take to heart what His plans for me are. I surrender my life to following where He leads. It means embedding His word deep in my life.

I think every school aged child longs for the summer break. In the summer there is a relaxed bedtime, no homework, days at play and at the pool. In summer there is a sense of freedom. When I was in school, it did not take me long to figure out the markers that proclaimed that summer was coming. Less homework, more movies and play in school, and review days. It seems that every year in school, we reached a point where we stopped to review what we learned through the school year. In high school, these days were followed by final exams. But then summer came! Glorious summer!

The Book of Deuteronomy is like the review days in school. All the promises of a land, freedom, and a home that God had prepared for His people are just across the Jordan River. The people have come out of forty years of wandering in the wilderness. They stand ready to enter the Promised Land. But before they do, Moses stands before them and calls them to remember. This generation that he speaks to has grown up in the wilderness. They don’t remember the experiences of Egyptian bondage. They were not old enough, indeed most of them were probably not even alive at the time of the Exodus. The Red Sea parting, the fire, smoke, lightning, and shaking at Mt. Sinai are stories told by their now dead parents and grand-parents. Moses looks out on the Israelites and knows that they need to review the hand of God and His promises to His people before they can enter Canaan. So we have the Book of Deuteronomy. The review days before one time in their lives ends and another begins.

The Book of Deuteronomy encompasses the events of about forty days. Its contents are defined by a series of speeches that Moses gives to the people. In these speeches we have a call to obedience and faithfulness. We have warnings against unbelief and rebellion. And it all starts with a reminder and a review of how the people got here.

As the Israelites stand on the Plains of Moab, Moses begins by recounting their history from Egypt to now. Chapters 1-3 tell the story of how the people came to Sinai and then wandered in the wilderness. It is a story of God’s leadership and a reminder that God has moved with purpose and power in the lives of His people. It is a warning against the rebellion that a generation of people participated in when they lost faith and gave into fear at conquering the land God had promised. It is a call to follow where God leads and trust what God says.

Chapters 4-5 are a recap of the Law. Moses repeats the 10 Commandments, reminding the people that God has set a standard for His people to live by. The 10 Commandments are a covenant between God and the children of Israel. They define a way of living and interacting with God and the people around them. The 10 Commandments give the people an identity and a purpose in life. They offer a relationship with God and define what it means to be His.

Moses knows that in order to walk into the promise of God, His people must have faith. Faith is defined as knowing, trusting, and moving with God. Moses reminds the people about knowing God in His movement among them. The way He has freed them from bondage and called them into relationship. Moses wants them to trust God so he reminds them that God is their provider. Manna in the wilderness, daily guidance, overcoming hunger, and the defeat of Israel’s enemies all point to the power of God at work in His people. Moses knows that eh people need to trust God as they prepare to conquer Canaan. As the people prepare to move into the Promised Land, they are called to know and trust God. So Moses reviews.

Reviewing was important for Israel, and it is important for us. You and I walk in a land that is often hostile to Christians. But we must remember that we walk in and into the promise of God every day. Embedding the Bible is about knowing God. Becoming intimate with His character and love for us. Learning to love Him and rest in the relationship that He offers. Embedding the Bible builds trust in God. Seeing Him move in history and the daily lives of His people help us see how He moves in our lives. Stories of redemption and salvation are not only about others, they are markers which show us how God is redeeming and saving His people today. How He is working in my life in this moment. Embedding the Bible teaches me how to move with God. How to surrender my heart to His heart, my will to His will. Embedding grows faith as it reviews the story of God.

This week look for the reminders of what God is doing. We stand in the review days. The days that call us to see a future that is glorious with freedom. The days that raise hope. Don’t forget that God is moving now. We are not simply waiting for the end. We are watching and moving with God today. Hold that in balance with a longing for tomorrow. God’s people are a blessed people because God is present in every moment.

In Numbers 33 Moses tells the story of Israel’s travels from Egypt to the Plains of Moab. Though it reads as a list of places and movements, those familiar with Israel’s history are reminded that this journey has shaped the people of God. It is a journey from slavery to freedom. It is the story of how man can move from despair to promise. The list reminds us of the obstacles that have been overcome and torn down as God has walked with His people. It is the story of victory. It is a story of sin and punishment and redemption. Israel’s journey highlights the faithfulness of God. It warns us of complaining and complacency. It is the story of a journey that centers around following the leadership and guidance of God.

As Israel thinks back over the journey they have taken, they are reminded that the journey was made in stages. Moses records the journey “stage by stage” (Numbers 33:2) by the command of God. They are reminded that the transformation of their thinking, their actions, and their will is not a journey that takes a few moments or a few weeks. The transformation has been ongoing, stage by stage, across generations. God has faithfully and persistently guided His people over a long period of time.

Reading Numbers 33 reminds me that I too am part of a journey with God. Like the Israelites, it is a journey from slavery to freedom. A journey of transformation. Now Numbers 33 becomes a reminder to remember. A call to walk through my own journey, marking the moments of revelation and the movement of God. Starting with the bleak reality that at one time I was a slave to sin. Remembering that there was a stage in my life when all was hopeless and lost. But also remembering that this stage was one of many. The next stage is a story of victory. It holds a cross, a Savior who willingly sacrificed Himself for me, and a surrender to follow God. The next stages hold the entire range of human experience. Like the Israelites we experience doubt, struggle with self, complain about life, and lose focus. We all experience the struggle with sin and the distraction from purpose. But in every stage of the journey, there has been the overwhelming presence of the hand of God.

God moves in our lives in incredible ways. I think of all the stages that I have been through and I marvel at how God has worked. Each place I have lived and worked. The parents that I have been blessed with. Teachers, friends, mentors, and even those who have not always had my best interests at heart. There have been struggles and victories. There have been questions and doubts. There have been assurances and guidance. I think of the stages of the spiritual journey and I can see God’s movement. Numbers 33 reminds me to look at what God has done…in the past. But it calls me to see the past so that I can be aware in the now. Aware that God still moves. He still saves, still forgives, still calls to account, still transforms. Numbers 33 is a call to live in the now. Seeing God shapes me to see tomorrow. Numbers 33 then becomes a reminder to have eyes for tomorrow. To prepare for amazing things that God will do. Numbers 33 shapes my heart for hope.

The spiritual journey we take is like Numbers 33. It helps me see God in my past and count the blessings I have experienced. It calls me to be aware of the now. This moment when God is moving. It calls me to prepare for tomorrow. It shapes my heart and my hope.

As you embed the Bible this week, keep in mind that you are on a spiritual journey. See the past, present, and future as places where God works. Remember that there is something to celebrate in this stage of life. The presence of God.

There is an old “preacher’s story” that has floated around for years. I can’t remember where I first heard it or who I heard it from. I have read several variations through the years and you can probably find it online if you search for it. The way I remember it is…

One day a local preacher was in the last five or six minutes of his sermon when the church doors flew open. In ran Old Jake, a member of the church who hadn’t been in worship for a number of years. Jake came into the auditorium and right down to the front row. Obviously agitated, Jake could barely keep his seat. When the invitation was offered, Jake practically flew into the preacher’s arms. “Preacher, I need the prayers of the church! I done got bit by a big ol’ rattlesnake. The doctor patched me up, but he says I’m still in danger. I done promised the Lord that if He would heal me, I would get back into church regular!” The preacher put his arm around Jake and assured him that the congregation would pray. Stepping before the congregation, the preacher shared Jake’s predicament and then began to pray. “Father, we come before you this morning to ask for healing for our brother Jake. We ask that you bring strength and cleanse the poison form his body. We are grateful for Jake’s commitment to be back in worship and in fellowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ. Father, we are also grateful for the snake that bit Jake. We pray that you would send some little rattlesnakes to Jake’s family in order to help them make the same commitment and experience the same transformation. Father, we pray for two great big old rattlesnakes for Jakes pa and grandpa. We ask that those men could come back into the family of God. Thank you God for the rattlesnakes!”

While it is a humorous story, there is a lot of truth and few lessons to be learned. They are the same lessons that the Israelites had to learn in Numbers 21.

The Israelites were complaining again. This time the Bible is very specific. It tells us that “the people spoke against God and against Moses.” (vs. 5) Their complaint had to do with the food and water they were given. They were tired of it and wanted something else. They forgot the provision of God and complained about His blessing and about the leadership of Moses. Their complaint angered God. Their sin was taking root in heir hearts. God needed to move. He needed to call His people out of sin and back into a trusting relationship with Him. So God sent “fiery serpents” among them. A fiery serpent is a poisonous snake. The people began to experience snake bites. They were reminded again that sin leads to death. Sin is painful and deadly. Sin destroys the body, relationships, and trust. The sin of Israel had taken them down a path of disobedience and sin. They no longer looked to the provision of God. They experienced the consequences that come with sin.

You and I deal with snake bites all the time. We live in a fallen world. A world marked by sin. We deal with a culture that promotes sin as entertainment, self-fulfillment, or simply natural behavior. We experience desire and temptation. We walk in a world full of snakes and we deal with snake bites. We need a remedy, a cure, a healing from God. And that is exactly what He provides.

In Numbers 21, God provided healing for His people. He commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Whenever someone had experienced a snake bite, all they had to do was look at the bronze serpent and live.

In John 3:14-15, Jesus tells Nicodemus that He is like the bronze serpent. Jesus came to be lifted up so that man could look at Him and live. Jesus came to die for our sin. He came to offer a path of healing and hope for all men who live in our fallen world.

The lesson is clear. We are all snake bitten. We all need a cure. Jesus calls us to see Him and follow Him and be healed. Embedding the Bible is about learning to look to Jesus for the answer to our greatest needs. It is about learning the power of healing that Jesus gives us when we are snake bit.

One of the best sounds in the world is the sound of children singing. I love those videos of kids singing in the backseat of the car. I love to hear it in church. I love the children’s songs we sing at Vacation Bible School. There is a sense of unrestrained joy in the song of a child. A happiness and a freedom to enjoy this moment to the full. But my favorite songs are the songs that children sing about the Bible, Jesus, God, or church when those songs teach and embed important theology in the hearts of little learners. As I read through Numbers this week, I am reminded of one of those songs. The “12 Spies” song.

It’s a great song! Learning the song embed the basics of the Bible story. It gives me information about what has happened. How God has moved. How people have responded. And how God reacts to our response. In this story, there are a couple of pieces of information that stand out. One is the fact that God provided a land for His people, a land of promise. Canaan is the image of God’s promise for a land. So we see that God fulfills His promises. But there is more information here for us to glean. We can respond positively to what God is doing, or we can rebel against what God is doing. There were two kinds of spies, bad spies and good spies. What made the bad spies bad? The fact that when they saw the land, they could only see the physical reality standing in front of them. What made the good spies good? The fact that they saw the spiritual reality of the presence of God.

The information that we embed leads to transformation. We learn how to walk with God and be His people when we can see what God has done and what He promises to do. The bad spies show us that we can concentrate on the physical in this world. We can focus on the trouble. We can live in fear of the giants. We can see the abundance, but we live in fear of taking hold of the promise and abundance of God. This kind of life is a life that rejects transformation. It says that the world is more powerful, more real, more influential than God. I’m afraid that I live here at times. That I can see all the obstacles in my path. I can see all the negatives going on around me. I look at the world and at the culture I live in ad I see problems and pitfalls. I concentrate on what cannot happen. On what will never be.

But there is a second kind of spy. A good spy. These two show us the transformation that God wants to work in our lives. The good spies saw that God was in it all. Numbers 14:1-11 shows us the report of Joshua and Caleb, the good spies. It shows that when they saw the abundance, the grapes and the produce, they saw the blessing and provision of God. They saw God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises. The giants? They were bread for the people of Israel. They stood alone in the world, unable to defeat the God of Israel. They looked at the fear of the people and saw that God could change their fear into victory. They begged to people to trust God and take the land.

I want eyes like the good spies. I want to look at this world and see God’s imprint in every place. I want to see His provision and protection. I want to see Him defeating the giants in my life. I want to know His promises and live in His presence. I know that God is faithful. I know that God is moving and working. I know that I can see Him, if I take the time to look.

Numbers 9:15-23 holds one of the most fascinating pictures in all the Bible for me. It comes at the time when the Tabernacle was completed. Remember that the Tabernacle was a portable worship center designed by God as a place where His people could meet Him. A forerunner to the Temple in Jerusalem, the Tabernacle served as the place where the Israelites came to sacrifice, praise, receive forgiveness, and encounter the presence of God. The Tabernacle was a “tent” where the people of God would meet with God Himself.

Before the construction of the Tabernacle, Moses would meet with God in a “tent of meeting” that was set-up outside the camp of the Israelites. Exodus 33:7-11 shows us that when Moses would go into this temporary tent of meeting, God, in the form of the pillar of cloud, would come to the tent and talk with Moses face to face, as friends talk together. When the Tabernacle was completed, this temporary tent of meeting was no longer needed. This is the picture in Numbers 9. The picture of God’s presence moving to rest over the Tabernacle.

The fascinating thing about Numbers 9 for me is the physical presence of God in a pillar of cloud and fire. This pillar of cloud was a constant reminder to the people of Israel that God was present. But more than that, this pillar of cloud directed the steps of Israel.

Imagine for a moment that you live at the time of the wilderness wandering. Your home is a tent. Your community is Israel. Each morning you wake up and get ready for the day. You brush your teeth and put on your clothes. Hmmm….which shoes should I wear today? My “around the house slippers” or my good walking shoes? Just take a look outside. Is the pillar of cloud moving? If so, the decision is made for me. Today will be a day of packing up the tent and walking where God leads. If the cloud is remaining over the Tabernacle, today is a day to work around the house and take care of things here because here is where we are staying today.

I know, all this talk of walking shoes and around the house work is kind of ridiculous. But don’t miss the point. Every day the Israelites woke up and looked to see what God was doing. God’s movement dictated the movement of His people. Every decision, each action, the direction of the day, and the movement of the Israelites depended on seeing what God was doing and where God was going first. The people only moved with God.

I want that in my life. I want to live in a way that the first thing I do in the morning is look for God. I want to walk and live in the presence of God. I want to lay down at night, sure that God is near. And the really fascinating part of the whole thing is that God wants the same thing for me. So He promises to be near and guide my days. He promises to walk with me and lead me. So in order to experience this kind of relationship, I need to keep my eyes on what God is doing.

This is part of embedding the Bible. Learning to see the movement of God in my life. Learning to surrender my days and my decisions to Him. Learning how to go where He goes. Not running ahead and not lagging behind.

Each time I come to the pages of the Bible there is an opportunity to learn more about who God is and how He moves. The Bible is like a tent of meeting. It is a place where God promises to meet us and talk to us. As Lord, as God, as the Creator of all the universe, and as friends. Embedding the Bible means getting to know God more and more.

As we come to know God, we learn how He moves in the world and the lives and hearts of people. More importantly we see how God wants to move in our hearts. In the pages of the Bible we learn what to watch on television, what to say to friends, what to laugh over and what to mourn. In the pages of the Bible, God confronts our sin and promises grace. We learn to walk and talk and act and think at the direction of God.

Remember this week that as you read and pray and study, God is near. He is guiding your path and teaching you to make good decisions. God is moving and calling you to follow Him. Will you move with God this week?

The Book of Exodus gives us a picture of an incredible year in the lives of God’s people. It tells us the story of God’s amazing grace and the lengths He will go to save His people.

The Book of Leviticus gives us an insight into God’s character and holiness. It covers about a month of events while Israel camped at Mt. Sinai. It tells us that God is making a path for us to walk closely with Him.

The Book of Numbers covers about 40 years. It is the story of God’s people in the wilderness. The Hebrew title for the Book of Numbers is actually, “In the Wilderness.” It is the story of a people who wander.

As we begin the Book of Numbers we are introduced to a census. God calls His people to count their numbers. He directs a census that notes the size of the armies of Israel and the family structures that exist within the nation. Both are important. The size of the army helps the people of Israel see the mighty working of God in their lives. God has called His people out of slavery and given them a strength and power that they did not know existed. The family units show how God has connected His people together in community. He displays the strength of walking together, loving one another, and building the next generation on a solid foundation.

The picture of the census is a fitting picture to begin the Book of Numbers. It is a reminder of the movement of God in the lives of His people. It is a way to count blessings and see the hand of God. But the Book of Numbers is also a Book that will come with strong warnings and the reality that God’s people do not always honor God’s purpose. There will be sin and rebellion that lead to wandering.

So what do we look for? Read Numbers 2:17. “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.” As God ordered His people’s living arrangements, purpose, and direction, He put Himself in their “midsts.” God placed the Levites, the ones who stood among Israel and led them in worship and His own Tabernacle, in the very center of the people. This is the picture to hold in your mind and in your heart as you read Numbers. God wants to be in the center of our lives.

This world and this life hold a lot of opportunities for wandering. There are voices that cry out for us to pay attention to the culture, to bow to human wisdom, or to give ourselves over to idolatry. We struggle with fear, intimidation, the need to be in control, or the desire to be the most important. But Numbers warns us that sin leads to destruction. That rebellion sidetracks us from God’s purpose. That when we walk away from God we walk away from the promises that He has made, the power He offers, and the purpose He provides. God does not change, but sin causes us to miss His hand in our lives.

The answer is to keep God in the midsts. To keep God central. To develop an awareness and focus of God in our everyday moments. Like the Israelites, we need to rise in the morning and see where God is moving before we take our first steps. We need to look around and see the blessing and provision of God that lies at our doorsteps, just like manna laid on the ground. We need to learn to talk to and spend time in the presence of God every day. God is there.

Numbers will teach us how to walk with God. How to keep God central in our lives. So as you read this week, don’t get bogged down in names or frustrated by numbers. Look for the movement of God in the pages of His word. Embed deeply the truth that God has chosen your heart as His home.

As Leviticus comes to a close we are introduced to another aspect of holiness. Celebration. We often think of celebration in terms of a party. Friends gather together to celebrate a special occasion. A birthday, an anniversary, or a graduation. We share food, laugh together and enjoy the company of people we love. Families often have special traditions that they celebrate, special food, or special places that they go on a special day.

Walking with God is a celebration. Our relationship with God celebrates the transformation that we receive. As God makes us holy, we have something special to remember. Something that helps us experience joy.

As God sets out the Law in Leviticus, He takes time to help the people celebrate the relationship that they share. The Law is about bringing people into the presence of God and transforming them to walk with Him. This special relationship calls for celebration. So the Lord tells Moses to proclaim a series of “holy convocations” (Leviticus 23:1), times when the people can remember and celebrate God’s presence and power in their lives.

The Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3)
The Sabbath day, the seventh day, called God’s people to look back on creation and see that God had worked in power, but that He also took time to stop. God rested. Each week, God has set aside a day to rest. A day to remember all that the Lord has done for us. For Christians, our Lord’s Day happens at the first of the week. It is a day of worship when we gather with the church to celebrate God’s work in our lives. A day to remember that follow in God’s footsteps.

The Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8)
The Passover called God’s people to remember God’s redemptive work in Egypt. The Passover celebrates life and God’s protection. The people remember that God made a way for His people to escape death. Blood on the doorposts and a lamb to eat marked a time to remember God’s saving power. For the Christian, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, calls us to remember that God has worked salvation in our lives. A Lamb has been slain and blood covers our sin. We celebrate the cross of Jesus and His love for us.

The Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14)
The Feast of Firstfruits celebrates God’s provision. The people walk into fields full of barley and see the gift of God. They reach out to touch what God provides. They set aside a part to give back to God. If the Passover calls Christians to celebrate the cross, the Feast of Firstfruits calls us to celebrate an empty tomb and the power of resurrection. Jesus is called the “firstfruits” in 1 Corinthians 15:23. Here Paul tells us that we will share in the resurrection of Jesus. We will experience the provision of God throughout eternity. God has prepared a home with Him for all time.

The Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22)
Harvest and abundance are also celebrated during the Feast of Weeks. It was a time to take in wheat, grapes, and olives. God’s abundance is seen as God continues to work. He is constantly and consistently bringing a blessing to His people. The Feast of Weeks is also known as Pentecost. For Christians, we see God’s continued blessing in the life of the church. The church began at Pentecost (Acts 2) and continues to function as the Body of Christ in our world. We celebrate the blessings of God when we gather with the church.

The Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25)
The Feast of Trumpets was a special day of rest. A day to simply remember that God is present. It was celebrated with the blast of trumpets. Trumpets were often used in the Old Testament to show the coming of a king, to announce victory over an enemy and to call God’s people to an awareness of God’s power. Christians celebrate the presence of God in each moment as we remember that the Holy Spirit has come into our lives. We know that God is working a great victory over sin and the world in the hearts of His people. Each moment brings the trumpet blast of awareness that God is close and longs to be closer to His people.

The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32)
The Day of Atonement was a day of sacrifice. It was a day to acknowledge both the sin that man struggles with the grace of God’s forgiveness. With the sacrifice of a lamb, the people knew that God was covering their sin and bringing them into holiness. Christians celebrate this atonement every time we set aside time to pray, serve, worship, or study. Forgiveness continues to flow from the cross. We celebrate its power every time we let go of self and surrender to God.

The Feast of Booths (Leviticus 23:33-44)
The Feast of Booths called God’s people to remember the time of their wandering in the wilderness. It was a time when God had brought them from slavery into freedom. It was a time when God’s people rebelled, but God remained faithful. It was a time when God led His people on a journey to the Promised Land. Christians too celebrate a journey with God. It is a journey of transformation that takes us out of a life of sin and leads us to a home with God. Though we struggle and fall, God is faithful to forgive. He leads us closer and closer into His heart and into His will. He calls us to follow.

Embedding the Bible is about seeing all of the ways we can celebrate the presence of God in our lives. The Bible shows us over and over that the life of holiness is not a life of drudgery or solemn duty keeping. It is abundant with the blessings of God. Forgiveness, community, worship, and rest are all a part of God’s plan and a part of God’s gift to us today. Remember to celebrate the journey!

Sometime around A.D. 140, about a hundred years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, a ship owner from the town of Sinope, located on the Black Sea, traveled to the capital city of Rome. His name was Marcion and he was the son of a church leader. As he studied the text of the available Books of the Bible, Marcion began to be influenced by a group of Gnostics, and in particular by a man named Cerdo. Marcion’s study led him to believe that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament were not the same God. Marcion came to believe and to teach that the God of the Old Testament was a God of anger and the author of evil. Marcion believed that the God of the Old Testament was a God who sought the destruction of all non-Jewish people. Marcion went on to teach that Matthew, Mark, Luke, parts of the Book of Acts, and the Book of Hebrews were, along with the entirety of the Old Testament, should be rejected by Christians.

Marcion contrasted the God of wrath with the God of the New Testament. Marcion believed that God, as seen in the life of Jesus, was a God of love for all and grace. Marcion chose to believe that God could not act in a way that Marcion did not understand or that Marcion refused to believe. Marcion decided that God must follow the wisdom of Cerdo and of the Gnostics. To this end, Marcion held the view that only the apostle Paul had firmly held to the gospel of Jesus. He believed that all the others had corrupted the Word of God. While Marcion believed that Paul was seated at the right hand of Jesus who sat at the right hand of God, he also believed that Paul did not have everything right. The Books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus were rejected, as well as parts of the Book of Luke. Marcion’s idea of a perfect Bible held only parts of the Book of Luke and ten letters from Paul. Marcion wanted to make God conform to his understanding.

The conflict between Marcion and the early church led to his expulsion from the official church of the time in 144 A.D. But his influence had already spread. Several villages and towns boasted Marcion congregations.1

We might look at the story of Marcion as something from the distant past, but the reality is that the idea that God, as seen in the Old Testament, and Jesus, as seen in the New Testament, can’t be the same God is as popular today as it was in the second century. Many have a hard time understanding how the two can be one. But the Book of Leviticus helps us to see the character of God in a big picture sense.

The reading this week is a continuation of the kinds of lists we found last week. God continues to distinguish between what is holy and what is common. However, there are also pictures of God’s plan for His people found in the reading this week. God shows them that atonement is available and prepares them for worship. God is building a bridge between His holy presence and sinful man. How? By making man holy. Why would God do this. The answer may surprise you.

In Leviticus 19:18 we find a familiar phrase. “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” God displays His character to His people and calls them to love their neighbors as they love themselves. Sound familiar? Yes. Jesus said the very same thing in John 13:34. In fact, it is a well-known quote. It is used to show the character of Jesus and His love for mankind. Where did it come from? The God of the Old Testament! That’s right, God has always loved mankind. God has always sought to make a path for us to live in His presence. God has always worked to break down the barrier or sin and to forgive, show mercy, and provide grace. Leviticus is a book about holiness and grace and love. It shows us that God has been moving to save mankind.

God is the same in both the Old and New Testaments. The people are different. Like a small child needs a different set of lessons than a 30-year-old, the people of Israel have led the way to our learning who God is and what God is all about. They help us understand the movement of God. God deliberately teaches us that our love flows from His love.

As you embed the Bible this week, remember that God is moving in love to draw men to Himself. He did it in Leviticus and He is doing it today!

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1Shelly, Bruce L. (1982). Church History in Plain Language. Dallas – London – Vancouver – Melbourne: Word Publishing. Pgs. 77-80