The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Leviticus 12:6-7,
"'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood."
When an Israelite woman gave birth she became "ceremonially unclean". A period of time is specified for the unclean condition. Also provided in this chapter is the time allotted for purification before an offering could be made to atone for the uncleanness. Uncleanness, purification and atonement.
The recognition of the unclean state and the purification and atonement it called for reminds me of the process a believer in Jesus Christ goes through.
When we are approached with the gospel message, an understanding of our sinful condition needs to be recognized, our "uncleanness". Otherwise, there would be no felt need for being purified from it through an atonement for it. Paul tells us the law given to Israel through Moses accomplishes this very thing, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:19-20. Becoming conscious of our sin is to be aware of our "unclean" condition before God.
Paul's salutation to the church in Ephesus reminds them of a purification God foreordained for those who embrace him in faith, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:3-6.
Paul goes on to remind us that it was the atonement Jesus Christ provided for our sins that made possible our "holy and blameless" standing before him, "In him [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Verses 7-8.
"'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood."
When an Israelite woman gave birth she became "ceremonially unclean". A period of time is specified for the unclean condition. Also provided in this chapter is the time allotted for purification before an offering could be made to atone for the uncleanness. Uncleanness, purification and atonement.
The recognition of the unclean state and the purification and atonement it called for reminds me of the process a believer in Jesus Christ goes through.
When we are approached with the gospel message, an understanding of our sinful condition needs to be recognized, our "uncleanness". Otherwise, there would be no felt need for being purified from it through an atonement for it. Paul tells us the law given to Israel through Moses accomplishes this very thing, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:19-20. Becoming conscious of our sin is to be aware of our "unclean" condition before God.
Paul's salutation to the church in Ephesus reminds them of a purification God foreordained for those who embrace him in faith, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:3-6.
Paul goes on to remind us that it was the atonement Jesus Christ provided for our sins that made possible our "holy and blameless" standing before him, "In him [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us." Verses 7-8.
Uncleanness, purification and atonement.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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