Live the Word Bible Studies

Purpose Study Bible 123: More to Come

One of the festivals the Jews were to observe was called the Feast of Weeks. The New Testament refers to this as the feast of Pentecost. We read in Leviticus,

“‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord (Leviticus 23:15-18).

This was actually an act that offered the firstfruits (see Study 109 which discussed the practice of offering firstfruits) from the wheat harvest, which thanked the Lord that the harvest had started and made a faith statement that conditions would be favorable to complete the harvest. It was an "advance" gift to God in anticipation of better things to come.

In the New Testament, God chose to send the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, which was also an advance on the harvest that was to come as the disciples went forth to fulfill the Great Commission. It was also an advance gift that spoke of more gifts to come, for each person who received the Spirit also received the Spirit's gifts along with clarity of purpose. In some ways, the Acts of the Apostles could be named the Acts of Purpose for each person who received the Spirit (the Twelve, Barnabas, Dorcas, Luke, the Apostle Paul among others) also received a purpose assignment and in conjunction with their gifts yielded much fruit for God's Kingdom.

Have you seen the Spirit's deposit in you as a pledge of good things to come? What fruit are you producing that is in line with this gift from God? Are you anticipating more fruit as you grow and mature, or have you become complacent and satisfied with your status quo? What return is God receiving from His investment in you? Those who celebrated the Feast of Weeks had harvested fruit but came before the Lord with an offering because of their great expectations of more to come. May you also offer to God what you have in anticipation that you will be even more fruitful as you mature and grow in Him.

Purpose Study Bible 122: Something to Look Forward To

The Lord laid out a calendar of annual events that Israel was to observe, which included Passover, Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Day of Atonement:

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies (Leviticus 23:1-2).

The Jews were to plan their year not around work but rather around an awareness of God and His worship requirements. These celebrations or commemorations sometimes required travel to Jerusalem and necessitated that the people interrupt the rhythm of their lives to acknowledge the Lord's presence as the sustainer of their nation.

What's more, the Jews always had something they were looking forward to and planning. It created traditions they would celebrate as a family. There was an overall pattern of life but it was never to become drudgery or dull. As they experienced a variety of life experiences, it was to enhance not only their worship but their creativity and purpose as well, for a break from their normal routine would energize their lives and keep them from a complacent, surprise-free lifestyle.

What about you? Is your life dull and a tad boring? Do you plan some things in your future to which you can look forward that involve seeing new things or at least things outside your daily routine? Do you celebrate special times with family and friends? Can you step away from where you live and work, and venture out into places for events that will stimulate and breathe life into your normal routine? Where is fear acting like gravity, holding you to a set pattern which you cannot break?

Purpose Study Bible 121: Rest

The issue of the Sabbath is mentioned several times in Leviticus, this one included in a discussion of all the festivals Israel was to celebrate:

‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord" (Leviticus 23:3).

Once again, a comprehensive study of the Sabbath is beyond the scope or interest of this study. Today's verse uses the phrase "sabbath rest," so let's examine it with the concept of rest in mind.

When you are doing work you love, for which you are gifted and called, there is usually no need to shut down due to exhaustion or overwork. Purpose work always gives back the energy expended to do it, which is a good indication of whether or not you are in your life's work. Do you look forward to Friday and dread Monday when you have to return to your job? Do you look for ways to get out of your work instead of into it? If the answer is yes to those questions, then perhaps you are in the wrong work

Jesus made this statement: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). He added, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4). In other words, God did not designate a day and then require that people serve the day. The day was set aside to serve their best interests brought about through rest, worship, and replenishment for the work yet to be done. That day was to be for the good of people not to enslave them to legalistic observances and restrictions.

Does your work energize you? What changes can you make to ensure that it does? What do you need to stop doing? Do you find yourself worn out, mentally and/or physically? Don't be afraid to examine those questions and get good answers, for to find the work you love enables you to enjoy a sabbath rest every day. That's because you won't work because you have to, you will work because you get to. With the former attitude, you take a Sabbath because you have to. With the latter, you enjoy a Sabbath to savor your work and thank God for a purposeful existence.

Purpose Study Bible 120: Futility

Leviticus can be a difficult book to read because it includes so many tedious details that eventually cause us to skip over those chapters to the "good parts" that are more interesting. Chapters 13 and 14 are long chapters that are devoted to what to do in the event of a skin disease, mold, or bodily discharges. For example, here is a portion of the instruction for someone with a skin disease:

The Lord said to Moses, “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest: The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease . . . The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean" (Leviticus 14:1-4, 8-9).

Again, our purpose is not to examine the meaning or symbolism in what is written but to discover lessons that can make us more purposeful and creative. In this case, we should be grateful that Christ set us free from having to pay attention to and being consumed by rules and regulations that could never satisfy God or be good enough for our freedom or cleansing. Peter summed it up succinctly when he wrote,

" . . . knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:18-19, ESV emphasis added).

We have been set free from a futile lifestyle and worship not so we can do as we please, but to invest our time in purposeful activities instead of religious ones. In his second letter, Peter wrote, "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8). Simply stated, God expects you to be productive in your freedom in Him. Are you productive and effective in your knowledge of Him? What fruit can you point to that proves you are productive? What can you do to bear even more fruit now that you are free to serve and express who you are?

Purpose Study Bible 119: The Living and the Clean

In Leviticus 11, the Lord laid out the guidelines for clean and unclean food and what to do when touching a dead body:

“‘If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches its carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of its carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening'" (Leviticus 11:39-40).

The rationale behind these laws has been debated and written about for centuries but for this study, we are looking for clues and guidelines to help us be more purposeful and creative. How does Leviticus 11 relate to our study? It would seem that the Lord wanted the people to be ever conscious and meticulous concerning the clean and unclean, the living and the dead. Is there any correlation to a New Testament principle? Perhaps we could find that in what Jesus said in Mark 7:15: "Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” We are to be as conscious and meticulous today concerning what is in us as the Jews were according to their dietary laws. God wants clean and living things to come out of us, things that will edify others and glorify Him.

Are you around things that for you are clean and bring life? Are you then producing things that "come out of you" that are also clean and life-giving? Do you see now why it is so important to attend to your words and actions for as James wrote, "Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water" (James 3:12)? You must keep your springs fresh and good tasting so you produce the same in accordance with the gifts and purpose God has assigned you. Therefore, don't devote yourself to things that are below your high calling as a creator and servant of the Most High.

Purpose Study Bible 118: Stay Sober

Last week, we examined a warning to Aaron that he was not to mourn the loss of his sons who offered "strange fire" before the Lord and were consumed by that same fire. The Lord then gave Aaron further instructions:

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses" (Leviticus 10:8-11).

This stipulation is similar to someone who voluntarily entered into what was called a Nazirite vow, which we will discuss later in this series. A Nazirite was not to cut their hair, drink wine, or partake of any grape products whatsoever. Why this restriction?

Wine could be used to deaden one's senses or pain, and certainly Aaron was in pain over the loss of two children. Wine can also be used during celebrations to enhance one's mood of joy and the Israelites were commanded to partake of wine and "strong drink" during their festivals (no, this was not to cross over into drunkenness). Jesus advised His listeners not to put new wine into old wineskins, and He was using wine to represent the new covenant He had come to establish.

We could spend more time on wine and what it represents, but in the context of this story, it would seem that Aaron was not to do anything that would help him cope with the current situation except to do the work and be the representative God had chosen him to be. Perhaps it could be likened today to the many ways people try to deaden their pain or escape their responsibilities with such activities like binge watching TV, shopping, eating, family drama, or other activities that in and of themselves are not evil or wrong unless they are used as a means to avoid the realities one's human experience and current situation.

God is to be the source of your help in times of trouble and temptation. Are you pressing into Him during difficult times? Are you embracing your call or frittering away your time on empty diversions? Is your creativity all it can be or do you keep yourself occupied with lesser things to keep yourself from disappointment or failure? Read what Peter wrote, keeping in mind that his exhortation to "sobriety" was not to avoid alcohol but a directive that you are to keep your wits and spiritual perspective at all times:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8-10).

Purpose Study Bible 117: Focus

There is an account in Leviticus 10 that is one of the stories that makes the Old Testament for some so scary and foreboding:

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-2).

One denomination uses these verses as a warning that we are not to use musical instruments in worship for they are not mentioned in the New Testament and are thus "strange fire" before the Lord. Others look at it as example of God's holiness that is not to be trifled with in any way, shape, or form. Let's skip over trying to figure out exactly why this happened and look at the instructions that followed:

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord’s anointing oil is on you" (Leviticus 10:6-11).

Aaron, the dead men's father, was not permitted to mourn as the other relatives. He was to keep his focus as a leader and priest because "the Lord's anointing oil" was upon him and his sons. The same is true for you. This isn't to insinuate that you cannot have family relationships or feel what they feel. However, even Jesus was quite clear that nothing, not even family, was to interfere or, perhaps better to say, be a higher priority than God's purpose in your life: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:37-39). You have work to do and God will help you do it if you stay diligent and disciplined.

On what part of your life is God's anointing oil most evident? Are you focused on your purpose and creativity, or do you put them off until in your mind all the conditions of your life are conducive to doing them? Where do you need to be more focused and structured? Don't take God's anointing for granted or make light of its importance in your life and in God's plan.

Purpose Study Bible 116: Guidance

When Leviticus completed the instructions for the sacrifices in chapter 7, it moved on to the ordination of the priesthood. First, it described the garments the priests were to wear, including this obscure reference to something called the Urim and Thummim:

"He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece" (Leviticus 8:8).

What exactly were the Urim and Thummim? We aren't quite sure but it seems they were precious stones embedded in the portion of the priest's garment that was over his heart. These stones served as a source of guidance for the nation at critical junctures in their history. How did they operate? We aren't sure, but conjecture is that they glowed or somehow reflected light or energy that would indicate God's will when they were consulted. There are less than a dozen references to the Urim and Thummim in the Old Testament and we don't really know how often they were consulted or why they seemed to disappear from existence and use.

One thought is that the people did not have a history of going to their spiritual leaders for advice and they certainly did not have any Scriptures to consult. They were learning how to follow the Lord and trust the fact that He communicated to His people through His designated leaders. As Israel grew and matured, perhaps there was less need for such a means of communication. The main point is that God was ready to guide His people whenever they asked for it. He led them by a cloud and pillar of fire as to where they should go and how long they should stay. Then He provided these stones in the priests' garments for specific requests.

If that is what God was willing to do "back then," what is He capable of doing today through His Word, His spiritual leaders, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that dwells in each believer? What's more, do you trust Him to lead you or are afraid that somehow even when you ask, the answer might get garbled in transmission? Keep in mind what James wrote:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do (James 1:5-8).

You can have confidence that God will answer your cries for guidance with specific feedback that will enable and empower you to do His will on every occasion. Are you asking? Are you trusting in His response? Are you acting on what you hear?

Purpose Study Bible 115: A Wave Offering

Leviticus established the guidelines for a variety of offerings, one of which was the peace or fellowship offering. This was a freewill offering in that it was not prescribed as a sacrifice for sin, but as an expression of thanksgiving or when upon the fulfillment of a voluntary vow at the giver's discretion. We read,

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who brings a fellowship offering to the Lord is to bring part of it as their sacrifice to the Lord. With their own hands they are to present the food offering to the Lord; they are to bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering" (Leviticus 7:28-30).

The worshiper was to "wave the breast before the Lord as a wave offering." What happens when you wave to someone? You are drawing their attention to you, in essence saying, "Hello, I'm here. I send you greetings. I acknowledge your presence is within eyesight of my presence and I welcome it. Please respond and welcome me." The wave offering was designed to say, "God, I see You and I hope You see me. Here I am, thanking You for your goodness and mercy. I hope you acknowledge my presence!" Then the rest of the offering was to be shared with others to eat and enjoy.

This offering counters the oft-heard exhortation that it must be all about the Lord while you do nothing to draw attention to yourself. The fellowship offering does the opposite. It's an expression of who you are, given when you choose to do so, and is for no other reason than to say to God, "Hi! I'm here and I know You are, too." That means you can wave your gift of poetry, business, teaching, mercy, missions, generosity, humor, or any other talent before the Lord and draw His attention to what you're doing as a means of worship and thanksgiving that He made you who you are. Then you can share who you are and what you do with others as another means of giving thanks.

What do you have that you can wave before the Lord? What do you have or do that you can share with others as part of your wave offering? What do you do that when the focus centers on you, you can then redirect the attention on Him, the One who gave you the gift or talent in the first place? The point is that God doesn't have to initiate everything you do so you can use your free will and decide to give out of the abundance of who you are to God and others as often as you like.

Purpose Study Bible 114: Tailor-Made

Let's look at the regulations for what's called the fellowship offering in this week's study:

These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the Lord: . . . "If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in. Along with their fellowship offering of thanksgiving they are to present an offering with thick loaves of bread made with yeast. They are to bring one of each kind as an offering, a contribution to the Lord; it belongs to the priest who splashes the blood of the fellowship offering against the altar. The meat of their fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; they must leave none of it till morning" (Leviticus 7:1, 12-15).

Be honest. In all probability, you skip over reading passages like this and perhaps skip over the book of Leviticus altogether. Why? Because it gives too much detail that seems to be irrelevant for your life today. Yet Moses wrote this with great care because it was consistent with who he was. Moses was not a man given to inspiration, he was more in tune with the details. God gave him Ten Commandments and he spent the rest of His life explaining the implications of those commandments to the people, which produced the first five books of the Bible.

The point is that God will give you tasks tailor-made for who He created you to be, just like He did for Moses and others. Peter could inspire large crowds, Nehemiah organized large tasks, David composed moving poetry, and Lydia in Acts built a successful multinational business. What can you do better than most people? Are you fighting who you are, trying to be someone else? Do you accept that you can't do or be it all, instead trying to be the best you that you can be? What changes do you need to make that will position you to do work best suited to who He made you to be, just like Moses as he wrote his tedious-to-read worship manual in Leviticus?