NEW COVENANT COMMUNITY

Leviticus 16

1 The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died,

2 and the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.

3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.

5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

6 "Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.

7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel.

9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the LORD and use it as a sin offering,

10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

11 "Aaron shall present the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.

12 And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil

13 and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.

14 And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

15 "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.

17 No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.

18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.

20 "And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat.

21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.

22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there.

24 And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

25 And the fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.

26 And he who lets the goat go to Azazel shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

27 And the bull for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried outside the camp. Their skin and their flesh and their dung shall be burned up with fire.

28 And he who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp.

29 "And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.

30 For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins.

31 It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever.

32 And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments.

33 He shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

34 And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." And Aaron did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Two truths to consider...

These Old Testament laws represent God’s covenant relationship with

His people.

These Old Testament laws are not our testament laws.

Unless an Old Testament law is somehow restated or reinforced in the New Testament, it is no longer directly binding on God’s people.

These Old Testament laws are the Word of God for us even though

they are not the commands of God to us.

Three pieces of counsel...

Read these Old Testament laws carefully within their context.

Observe what these Old Testament laws reveal about the gospel

of God.

Imagine the effects of these Old Testament laws collectively within a community.

Four implications for the church...

We stand in awe together before the God who reigns over us.

We cannot be a casual community before God.

We must be a contrite community before God.

We fight in battle together against the sin that remains within us.

Our propensity to sin is strong.

We need help from one another.

The punishment for sin is severe.

We want help from one another.

We unite together around the cross of Christ.

God’s provision in the Old Testament: An annual sacrifice on

the Day of Atonement.

God saw the sins of Israel.

God was satisfied by the sacrifice of a substitute.

God’s provision in the New Testament: An abiding sacrifice

in the death of Christ.

God sees the sins in our lives.

God is satisfied by the sacrifice of His Son.

Our guilt is gone.

Our conscience is clear.

We work together in the mission of God.

We want to show God’s law through the way we share our lives.

We want to spread God’s gospel for the sake of God’s glory.

Thanks Pastor David!!

Peace with God—Because of the Cross

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“... having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

How can a cross bring peace if Jesus is the One hanging there? 

At the cross, wickedness was not appeased. Wickedness was confronted. 

At the cross, sin was not overlooked. Sin was atoned and paid for. 

God’s greatest righteousness confronted man’s greatest wickedness, and righteousness won! Peace was attained through the blood of the cross. 

Thank God for the cross! Thank God for Jesus!

ACTION POINT:

During this time of year, as you celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord, take a few moments to praise Jesus for the power and hope you have because of His resurrection.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

The Only One Who Conquered Death

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Harry Houdini was an escape artist. They tried all kinds of ways to keep Harry Houdini locked up. They would bury him in a coffin, but he would get out. They would sew him up in canvas bags and throw him in the river, but he would come out. His biographer said he could escape from anything, except your memory. 

Yet there came a day when Harry Houdini died and he did not escape. No trickery there. Harry Houdini did not escape the iron-clad clutches of death. But I want to tell you there was another who died. His name was Jesus, and He made the great escape. Jesus came out of the grave and He arose. Praise God, Jesus is alive!

ACTION POINT:

Who in your circle of friends doesn’t know Jesus? Pray for them right now, that they would hear the Good News, repent and believe upon Jesus as Lord and Savior.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Jesus in All Sixty-Six

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

The thing I love about the Old Testament is the thing I love about the New Testament. The Old Testament and the New Testament both are the inspired Word of God. Don’t get the idea that the Old Testament has a message different from the New Testament. All of the Bible is about Jesus. If you read the Bible and you don’t find Jesus, you better go re-read it.

Somebody may ask if you have read the four gospels, and you can answer them, “I’ve read all sixty-six!” 

From Genesis to Revelation, 

It has the same villain Satan. 

It has the same hero Jesus. 

It has the same purpose to present salvation in no other name but Jesus.

ACTION POINT:

Read Isaiah 53. What are the prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Christ?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

In The Blood

Lev.17:11

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

Matt.26:28

for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 14:24

And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Romans 3:25

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 5:9

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Eph.7:1

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Hebrews 13:12

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

1 John 1:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Rev.1:5

and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 

Hebrews 9:22

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Was Perfect

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What an amazing life the Lord Jesus lived. Do you realize that Jesus never corrected, withdrew, or amended any statement He ever made? I wish I could say that! Jesus Christ never apologized for anything He ever did or said. Jesus Christ never sought advice from anyone, never had to ask for forgiveness. 

Jesus Christ doesn’t have any strong points. For Him to have strong points, He would have to have weak points. Robert Clark has rightly given this assessment of his character: 

“There was meekness without weakness, tenderness without feebleness, firmness without coarseness, love without sentimentality, holiness without sanctimoniousness, lowliness without lowness, truth without error, enthusiasm without fanaticism, passion without prejudice, heavenly mindedness without forgetfulness, carefreeness without carelessness, service without servility, self exaltation without egotism, judgment without harshness, seriousness without somberness, mercy without softness.” 

What a person was the Lord Jesus Christ! 

ACTION POINT:

The greatest question that can be asked was the question Pontius Pilate asked the crowd when Jesus stood before him: "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?" Now I'm going to ask that question of you. What will you do with Jesus? No greater question could be asked. 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Surprising Qualities of a Peacemaker

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Matthew 5:9

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I remember reading about a preacher boy who was in a class in a liberal college, and the professor said, “Christians ought never to have any enemies. We ought never to be controversial.” Then he said, “What we need to do is to follow the example of Jesus.” 

The boy lifted his hand and asked, “If Jesus Christ was so beautifully tactful and diplomatic, how did He manage to get Himself crucified?” 

Peace is not appeasement. It is a right relationship with God that leads to a right relationship with self and guides us into right relationships with others. Literally, peace is a fruit of righteousness. It is the righteousness of God ruling and reigning in your heart. 

ACTION POINT:

Read Hebrews 12:14. Are there conflicts which you can resolve by becoming a peacemaker? If so, confidently place your hand in His and bring peace.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers