Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "sin-offering"
What's the difference?
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, (Jesus) explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures [Luke 24:27].
"All the Scriptures" teach about Jesus in some capacity, whether about His Person or about His ministry. This is infinitely so when it comes to the various offerings in the Law of Moses. For our purposes today we will limit our discussion to the sin offering and the guilt offering.
The question at hand, then, is what's the difference between sin and guilt? Since these were two different offerings, a difference must needs exist to mandate two different offerings. In seeking an answer, we mustn't forget Jesus' words quoted at the start of this post. These two offerings, as well as all the offerings, were picture stories to teach aspects of Jesus' Person and/or ministry.
Over the centuries many varying attempts have been made to define this difference. For instance, some folks thought the sin offering was directed toward God, while the guilt offering was directed toward man. But a cursory reading of Scripture reveals that some of the sins which required the guilt offering had to do solely with God. Man had no part in the matter.
Several other theories also exist. This issue is a deep one, requiring much thought and prayer for an answer. I believe I have the correct understanding, and I share it in detail in my book on Leviticus. A full vetting of the various theories, as well as a presentation of my explanation, requires considerable space.
This post is not the place to copy a large portion of my book! To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesLeviticus
"All the Scriptures" teach about Jesus in some capacity, whether about His Person or about His ministry. This is infinitely so when it comes to the various offerings in the Law of Moses. For our purposes today we will limit our discussion to the sin offering and the guilt offering.
The question at hand, then, is what's the difference between sin and guilt? Since these were two different offerings, a difference must needs exist to mandate two different offerings. In seeking an answer, we mustn't forget Jesus' words quoted at the start of this post. These two offerings, as well as all the offerings, were picture stories to teach aspects of Jesus' Person and/or ministry.
Over the centuries many varying attempts have been made to define this difference. For instance, some folks thought the sin offering was directed toward God, while the guilt offering was directed toward man. But a cursory reading of Scripture reveals that some of the sins which required the guilt offering had to do solely with God. Man had no part in the matter.
Several other theories also exist. This issue is a deep one, requiring much thought and prayer for an answer. I believe I have the correct understanding, and I share it in detail in my book on Leviticus. A full vetting of the various theories, as well as a presentation of my explanation, requires considerable space.
This post is not the place to copy a large portion of my book! To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly ShoesLeviticus
No Wiggle Room Allowed - Part 1
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
No Wiggle Room Allowed - Part 2
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Bible Trilogy I – Part 1
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [Psalm 22:1]
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of these three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s logo.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed upon Himself?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible physical truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of these three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s logo.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed upon Himself?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible physical truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Bible Trilogy I – Part 2
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [Psalm 22:1]
We concluded our last study at the foot of the cross. Darkness covered the earth from noon to 3:00 PM. The darkness was the visible reality which depicted a spiritual truth. This truth was that Father God turned away from looking upon His Son because the Son became a sin offering on behalf of mankind.
Huh? That doesn’t compute! How can God turn away from God because God has sin on Him and God cannot even look upon sin? Oh, my aching head! Everything is spinning in circles and I am becoming quite disoriented. Can someone please explain this bizarre concept to me? I am confused.
Uh, that would be no. Can’t explain it. It is a Bible mystery. We only know that it is true because the Word of God tells us as much. But it is beyond the comprehension of finite minds because it is spiritual truth, the truth of eternity. And that is something we finite creatures have no experience with, rendering us incapable of grasping it fully.
But not to worry. We believe this truth by grace through faith because the Lord teaches it to us, and we trust Him to tell us only the truth. No sooner did Jesus cry out the words of Psalm 22:1, than He released His Spirit, surrendering His life all the way to death so that sinners can live.
Indeed Father God did forsake the Son of God, but not as the Son of God. Rather, Father God forsook Jesus as the Son of man. This was essential because Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering for mankind. God is righteous, so He cannot tolerate sin. Sin is the refusal to obey the Word of God. Sin requires God’s judgment of death.
If God overlooked sin, any sin, even a so-called peccadillo, He would no longer be righteous. Such a prospect is an impossibility because God cannot deny Himself. He is righteous. He cannot be otherwise.
Ergo, when Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering on man’s behalf, God the Father turned away from Him, rejecting Him because God must reject sin. God judged sin in His own Son. He did forsake Jesus the Son of man for a time, as He judged mankind’s sins in Jesus.
We’ve already gone down this road further than perhaps is advisable. As finite creatures we cannot really grasp the extent of Jesus’ death on our behalf. We mustn’t attempt to explain it more than is revealed in Scripture. It is revealed, and it is explained; but the explanation is tempered with moderation because the truth is vast and unfathomable. Let us believe without thinking we know it all.
Read Psalm 22. As you do so, consider the prophetic import. Meditate on the crucifixion of Jesus and how Psalm 22 depicts that historic event. You meditation will bring the psalm alive, and you will find yourself in deep and stirring worship of our God.
Lord Jesus, we appreciate you even more, now that we’ve pondered anew your death on our behalf. Thank you for loving us that much. We love you in return because you first loved us…all the way to death on a cross. Make us like you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study at the foot of the cross. Darkness covered the earth from noon to 3:00 PM. The darkness was the visible reality which depicted a spiritual truth. This truth was that Father God turned away from looking upon His Son because the Son became a sin offering on behalf of mankind.
Huh? That doesn’t compute! How can God turn away from God because God has sin on Him and God cannot even look upon sin? Oh, my aching head! Everything is spinning in circles and I am becoming quite disoriented. Can someone please explain this bizarre concept to me? I am confused.
Uh, that would be no. Can’t explain it. It is a Bible mystery. We only know that it is true because the Word of God tells us as much. But it is beyond the comprehension of finite minds because it is spiritual truth, the truth of eternity. And that is something we finite creatures have no experience with, rendering us incapable of grasping it fully.
But not to worry. We believe this truth by grace through faith because the Lord teaches it to us, and we trust Him to tell us only the truth. No sooner did Jesus cry out the words of Psalm 22:1, than He released His Spirit, surrendering His life all the way to death so that sinners can live.
Indeed Father God did forsake the Son of God, but not as the Son of God. Rather, Father God forsook Jesus as the Son of man. This was essential because Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering for mankind. God is righteous, so He cannot tolerate sin. Sin is the refusal to obey the Word of God. Sin requires God’s judgment of death.
If God overlooked sin, any sin, even a so-called peccadillo, He would no longer be righteous. Such a prospect is an impossibility because God cannot deny Himself. He is righteous. He cannot be otherwise.
Ergo, when Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering on man’s behalf, God the Father turned away from Him, rejecting Him because God must reject sin. God judged sin in His own Son. He did forsake Jesus the Son of man for a time, as He judged mankind’s sins in Jesus.
We’ve already gone down this road further than perhaps is advisable. As finite creatures we cannot really grasp the extent of Jesus’ death on our behalf. We mustn’t attempt to explain it more than is revealed in Scripture. It is revealed, and it is explained; but the explanation is tempered with moderation because the truth is vast and unfathomable. Let us believe without thinking we know it all.
Read Psalm 22. As you do so, consider the prophetic import. Meditate on the crucifixion of Jesus and how Psalm 22 depicts that historic event. You meditation will bring the psalm alive, and you will find yourself in deep and stirring worship of our God.
Lord Jesus, we appreciate you even more, now that we’ve pondered anew your death on our behalf. Thank you for loving us that much. We love you in return because you first loved us…all the way to death on a cross. Make us like you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
What's the difference?
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, (Jesus) explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures [Luke 24:27].
"All the Scriptures" teach about Jesus in some capacity, whether about His Person or about His ministry. This is infinitely so when it comes to the various offerings in the Law of Moses. For our purposes today we will limit our discussion to the sin offering and the guilt offering.
The question at hand, then, is what's the difference between sin and guilt? Since these were two different offerings, a difference must needs exist to mandate two different offerings. In seeking an answer, we mustn't forget Jesus' words quoted at the start of this post. These two offerings, as well as all the offerings, were picture stories to teach aspects of Jesus' Person and/or ministry.
Over the centuries many varying attempts have been made to define this difference. For instance, some folks thought the sin offering was directed toward God, while the guilt offering was directed toward man. But a cursory reading of Scripture reveals that some of the sins which required the guilt offering had to do solely with God. Man had no part in the matter.
Several other theories also exist. This issue is a deep one, requiring much thought and prayer for an answer. I believe I have the correct understanding, and I share it in detail in my book on Leviticus. A full vetting of the various theories, as well as a presentation of my explanation, requires considerable space.
This post is not the place to copy a large portion of my book! To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes.
"All the Scriptures" teach about Jesus in some capacity, whether about His Person or about His ministry. This is infinitely so when it comes to the various offerings in the Law of Moses. For our purposes today we will limit our discussion to the sin offering and the guilt offering.
The question at hand, then, is what's the difference between sin and guilt? Since these were two different offerings, a difference must needs exist to mandate two different offerings. In seeking an answer, we mustn't forget Jesus' words quoted at the start of this post. These two offerings, as well as all the offerings, were picture stories to teach aspects of Jesus' Person and/or ministry.
Over the centuries many varying attempts have been made to define this difference. For instance, some folks thought the sin offering was directed toward God, while the guilt offering was directed toward man. But a cursory reading of Scripture reveals that some of the sins which required the guilt offering had to do solely with God. Man had no part in the matter.
Several other theories also exist. This issue is a deep one, requiring much thought and prayer for an answer. I believe I have the correct understanding, and I share it in detail in my book on Leviticus. A full vetting of the various theories, as well as a presentation of my explanation, requires considerable space.
This post is not the place to copy a large portion of my book! To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes.
One of My Favorite Days
Not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption [Hebrews 9:12].
In the Old Testament the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. The holidays of Israel are no exception to this. The high priest was a type of Jesus, our great High Priest. The other priests were types of the Christian.
The tabernacle/tent of meeting was a type of heaven, or rather a type of a meeting place between heaven and earth. It was broken down into two compartments. The outer one went by the name the holy place and symbolized man’s meeting place with the Lord. The inner compartment bore the name the most holy place and represented heaven, the abode of God. The one tent of meeting was divided in half by a veil, thus forming the two compartments.
The holy place was where the priests entered daily to trim the menorah and burn incense on the golden incense altar. No one was allowed to enter the most holy place because sin separated man from God and the Lord dwelt in inside the most holy place. He appeared in the form of the Shekinah cloud of glory, perched atop the mercy seat which covered the Ark of the Covenant.
There was one exception to this interdiction from entering the most holy place, however. Once a year on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) the high priest, dressed in his sumptuous regalia, took the blood of the sin offerings inside the most holy place. Inside he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. When he came out alive, it signified that the Lord accepted the blood covering over Israel’s sins for another year.
The holidays of Israel followed a yearly cycle, just as our holidays today do. They taught Israel’s history from the time of the exodus out of Egypt to the end of the Millennium. Thus each year represented the fulfillment of Israel’s history. This means that on Yom Kippur, when the high priest entered the most holy place to sprinkle the blood of the sin offering, it symbolized that he did so once and only once. He did so every year, yes, but each year represented all of Israel’s history.
Now recall who the high priest and the other priests typified. And don’t forget what the holy place and most holy place typified. Do you recognize what is symbolized by Yom Kippur?
Jesus Christ is both the high priest and the sin offering. He died on the cross (symbolized by the bronze altar) for man’s sins, was buried, and three days later He rose out of death and ascended into heaven. As our High Priest He entered heaven and sprinkled His blood on the throne of God. He did this once-for-all (symbolized by the Yom Kippur holiday occurring only once in the year).
We as priests minister before Him by offering up prayers. This was symbolized by Israel’s priests entering the holy place to minister to the Lord at the golden incense altar. We also see by the light of the Lord, symbolized by the 7-branch menorah in the holy place. We also feed upon the sinless body of our Lord, symbolized by the unleavened bread of the presence on the golden table in the holy place.
In all of this we minister in the holy place outside of heaven (i.e., the most holy place), while only our great High Priest Himself enters into heaven, and that only once. I state this in the context of Yom Kippur, not in any other context. Jesus enters heaven more than once, but not to sprinkle His blood as payment for the penalty of our sins.
Now that Jesus has entered heaven and sprinkled His blood there, man is no longer shut out of the Lord’s presence. We who are born again have ready access to the throne of grace, where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. No temptation is more than we can handle because the Lord provides us a means of escape. We find it at the throne of grace in heaven, where we are most welcome.
This is indeed marvelous spiritual truth, dear friends. I can’t contain myself. I must needs hie off to the prayer closet and avail myself of my Savior’s presence. I want to sit at His feet at the throne of grace a while, while He teaches me His Word. Care to join in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
In the Old Testament the Lord employed visible physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths. The holidays of Israel are no exception to this. The high priest was a type of Jesus, our great High Priest. The other priests were types of the Christian.
The tabernacle/tent of meeting was a type of heaven, or rather a type of a meeting place between heaven and earth. It was broken down into two compartments. The outer one went by the name the holy place and symbolized man’s meeting place with the Lord. The inner compartment bore the name the most holy place and represented heaven, the abode of God. The one tent of meeting was divided in half by a veil, thus forming the two compartments.
The holy place was where the priests entered daily to trim the menorah and burn incense on the golden incense altar. No one was allowed to enter the most holy place because sin separated man from God and the Lord dwelt in inside the most holy place. He appeared in the form of the Shekinah cloud of glory, perched atop the mercy seat which covered the Ark of the Covenant.
There was one exception to this interdiction from entering the most holy place, however. Once a year on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) the high priest, dressed in his sumptuous regalia, took the blood of the sin offerings inside the most holy place. Inside he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. When he came out alive, it signified that the Lord accepted the blood covering over Israel’s sins for another year.
The holidays of Israel followed a yearly cycle, just as our holidays today do. They taught Israel’s history from the time of the exodus out of Egypt to the end of the Millennium. Thus each year represented the fulfillment of Israel’s history. This means that on Yom Kippur, when the high priest entered the most holy place to sprinkle the blood of the sin offering, it symbolized that he did so once and only once. He did so every year, yes, but each year represented all of Israel’s history.
Now recall who the high priest and the other priests typified. And don’t forget what the holy place and most holy place typified. Do you recognize what is symbolized by Yom Kippur?
Jesus Christ is both the high priest and the sin offering. He died on the cross (symbolized by the bronze altar) for man’s sins, was buried, and three days later He rose out of death and ascended into heaven. As our High Priest He entered heaven and sprinkled His blood on the throne of God. He did this once-for-all (symbolized by the Yom Kippur holiday occurring only once in the year).
We as priests minister before Him by offering up prayers. This was symbolized by Israel’s priests entering the holy place to minister to the Lord at the golden incense altar. We also see by the light of the Lord, symbolized by the 7-branch menorah in the holy place. We also feed upon the sinless body of our Lord, symbolized by the unleavened bread of the presence on the golden table in the holy place.
In all of this we minister in the holy place outside of heaven (i.e., the most holy place), while only our great High Priest Himself enters into heaven, and that only once. I state this in the context of Yom Kippur, not in any other context. Jesus enters heaven more than once, but not to sprinkle His blood as payment for the penalty of our sins.
Now that Jesus has entered heaven and sprinkled His blood there, man is no longer shut out of the Lord’s presence. We who are born again have ready access to the throne of grace, where we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. No temptation is more than we can handle because the Lord provides us a means of escape. We find it at the throne of grace in heaven, where we are most welcome.
This is indeed marvelous spiritual truth, dear friends. I can’t contain myself. I must needs hie off to the prayer closet and avail myself of my Savior’s presence. I want to sit at His feet at the throne of grace a while, while He teaches me His Word. Care to join in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
No Wiggle Room Allowed – Part 1
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
No Wiggle Room Allowed – Part 2
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Bible Trilogy I – Part 1
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [Psalm 22:1]
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of those three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s motto.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed on Him?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible spiritual truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of those three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s motto.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed on Him?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible spiritual truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
