Thoughts on the readings for February 28th (Leviticus 3, 4, Psalm 104, 1 Corinthians 12, 13)

Leviticus 3 and 4 outline laws firstly for the Peace Offering (chapter 3) and the Sin Offering (chapter 4). The importance of the Peace Offering is that it speaks of our aim – to have peace with God – see Isaiah 26 verses 1-3. And, like all Scripture, our Lord Jesus Christ is the focus – read aloud slowly and carefully
Ephesians 2 verses 14-22 – ponder its meaning to you. Verses 1-5 of Leviticus 3 describe what was offered and how it was offered. Verses 6-7 tell us that the peace offering had to be without blemish. This is because it firstly spoke of our Lord; and secondly it tells of what we aspire to give to the LORD. And in Christ we are presented before the Father as being unblemished (Jude v24). Verses 8-17 provide further instructions for offering. Like the burnt offering the person making the offering had to lay his hands on the animal’s head to identify with the offering. The fat represented energetic and wholehearted service to our Sovereign. So the Peace Offering speaks of fellowship with God.
Although having fellowship with God and His Son is our highest need, redemption through the blood of Christ is our first need (Psalm 50:5; Ephesians 2:1-13,
1 John 1 verses 1-10). So Leviticus 4 tells us about the Sin Offering. This chapter is more than three times the length of chapter 3. Verses 1-12 tell us what was offered and how it was made. Verses 13-31 describe the various groups for whom the offering was made;
verses 13-21 the whole of Israel. The identification with the offering was made by their elders; verses 22-26 tell of a ruler making this offering; verses 27-35 talk about individuals within the nation making the offering. It is noteworthy that for all three groups the forgiveness of sin is spoken of – verses 26, 31, 35. This forgiveness was temporary and unavailing unless the offerer had faith and understood the need of the provision of an offering that could cleans the conscience of guilt. This could only be done through the forgiveness of sins in our Lord Jesus Christ – see Hebrews 10:1-14.

Psalm 104 is a psalm of thanksgiving to the LORD for His majestic power seen in His creation. Verse 24 of the song is perhaps the key to understanding its message. The AV says that the earth is full of God’s “riches” (Hebrew “creation”) and ESV “creatures”. The Almighty’s creation and His earth are totally awesome. And for these reasons the writer extols his Creator in verses 1-4. The psalmist calls upon all creation to join him in praise and worship of the Omnipotent One, who controls the world and its diverse creatures. His angels, who are mighty in power, are those who minister to the heirs of salvation as Hebrews 1 explains. The earth, its founding and mountains are described in verses 5-9. Some of creations habitats and provisioning are described in verses 10-18. Verses 19-20 talk of the providing of night and day as appointments from our Sovereign
(Genesis 1 verses 14-19). The theme of the Psalm is expressed in verse 24. And this theme is magnificently captured by Hayden’s “Creation Hymn” – to quote from the second half of the third stanza, “In reason’s ear they all rejoice, and utter forth a glorious voice; for ever singing as they shine, the Hand that made us is Divine”. Verses 25-26 speak of the teeming sea creatures. Verses 27-30 tell of the total dependence of every living thing on the sustaining Spirit of their Creator; not only in the temporary and transient present, but for the transformational power to feed them with food of eternal life. Verses 31-35 conclude the psalm with responsive praise and the confidence that the sinner will be rooted from the earth and the faithful will fill it with the Almighty’s praise.

From 1 Corinthians 12-14 Paul shows that the body of believers in Christ is analogous to the human body. In 1 Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul describes how God through His Spirit had distributed gifts and roles within the ecclesia. Just as our bodily members have unique and distinctive functions so too is it within the ecclesia of Christ: compare Romans 12 verses 3-8. It is never a question as to what member is the most important; because the unseen and less showy members are the most vital to the body, ie the heart, the kidneys etc. Just as in Ephesians 4 verses 1-16. Paul demonstrates that, rather than the gift, it is the service – or function which the individual can contribute
to the growth of the body into Christ its head. This chapter is an answer to all would be schismatics – the body of true believers in the one body of Christ. The Apostle finishes the chapter by telling his readers that the better way of service lay in three qualities, which were not the spirit gifts, but attributes available to all believers – FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13 reveals that the infantile aids of the spirit gifts would cease once their objective of establishing a mature community of believers had been completed. This is the basis of his magnificent treatise on love; showing it to be the greatest and only enduring gift. Hope will vanish when it is realised in God’s Kingdom. Believing will have been completed in the receiving of immortality. What a wonderful experience awaits us when we will then know God as He now knows us. Only love goes on and never cease. Slowly read the chapter aloud. Ponder, pause and meditate its message for the way believers must live. This chapter in Paul’s letter changes the Corinthians narrow self-focus to an elevation of their minds to living the truth as our Lord Jesus Christ our head directed both them and us: Ephesians 4:11-16.