Blood on the Altar

Leviticus 17:11

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood”, is a foundational statement of evangelical Christianity. It is the fulcrum on which the message of blood atonement rests, for it answers the question, “Why must something die for sins to be atoned?” It is life for life, and one being losing its life can buy as a ransom the life of the other.

This concept brings great importance to blood in the Christian faith. Although an important aspect of sacrifice, it was not just blood that fulfilled the task of atonement. The blood had to come from a spotless host, which was inspected thoroughly to ensure its perfection. The blood was also useless in a basin or on the ground. It was only considered worthwhile when it was placed, “on the altar” (verse 11).

The fact that blood had to be placed on the altar shows us that salvation could not be found in the sheep or the bull, but in their blood placed in the position of sacrifice. For this cause, there is no salvation to be found in copying the life or the lifestyle of Christ. I have heard it said that true Christianity is trying to be as much like Jesus as possible. That is not Christianity; that is the basis for all other religions. They try to be as much like perfection as they can, hoping to slowly but surely transform into that ideal perfection. Christians do not emulate Jesus’ life; they let Jesus live His life through them.

Many philosophers and great minds of the world will quote Jesus alongside other intellectuals of yesterday. Confucius, Aristotle, Gandhi and Jesus will be used to promote everything from world peace to inner healing. The world of intellect seems to have no problem with the statements of Jesus, but they rarely mention the cross of Jesus. Paul called the crucified Christ, “to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23). The blood on the altar puts the life of Jesus on the back-burner in relation to the death of Jesus. The blood on the altar makes Jesus into “Christ”.

It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to die at Calvary. The constant sacrifice of bulls and goats could never make the giver perfect (Hebrews 10:1). If the sacrifice of animals had done the job in taking away sin then, “the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:2, 3). The reason that the conscience was not wiped clean by the animal blood was, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).

Some may say, “Paul, that is well and good, but I still have consciousness of my sins”. The reason that we remain aware of our failures is because we forget that Jesus’ work is a finished work. “But this man (Jesus), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12). Jesus is now seated, not constantly offering up sacrifice for your sins. Just in case you need a reminder, He sent the Holy Spirit into your heart to make you aware of the great price that Jesus paid, for the Holy Spirit was there when it happened, and He was an eye witness:

“Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” (Hebrews 10:15, 16).

His blood is still on the altar, and you are no longer guilty. Go in the grace of our Lord Jesus today.

Jesus: The 'I AM'

Exodus 3:13, 14

Moses asked God what he should say if the children of Israel were to ask him who had sent him to be their deliverer. God responded, “I AM THAT I AM”. “I AM” becomes a name for God in this passage that is translated in Hebrew as hayah, meaning “to be, exist”. God is saying that He just IS. There is no other explanation as to how He became or how He got “to be”; He just is what He is.

This revelation of the name of God was not given to Moses to tell Pharaoh. When Pharaoh asks a similar question to the one posed by Moses, Moses answers, “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go” (Exodus 5:3). There is no need to prove God’s existence before Pharaoh, for he is not under the covenant of God. For Israel however, they know the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so they are looking for a revelation of who this God is.

The establishment of “I AM” doesn’t last long, as we don’t see God calling Himself this again, but instead He refers to Himself as “JEHOVAH” in Exodus 6:3. This is translated in Hebrews as Yehovah and it means “the existing one”. Elsewhere it is rendered by the English spelling of LORD, using all capital letters. Its reference is to the God of the covenant. Each time it is used it is hearkening back to the fact that God is not only powerful, but is faithful to honor covenant.

Following His encounter with the woman caught in adultery, Jesus gives a discourse on being the light of the world, telling the Pharisee’s that they are of their father the devil (John 8:44). He continues on by explaining that if a man keeps His sayings, “he shall never see death” (John 8:51). This infuriates the Jews because they know that Abraham and the prophets were great men, but they are dead, and they feel that Jesus is setting Himself up as greater than all that preceded Him.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56), Jesus said. “Then said the Jews unto him, ‘Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?’” (John 8:57). By claiming that Abraham had seen Jesus’ day, He can only be insinuating one of two things. Either He is claiming to be hundreds of years old, having lived in the actual time of Abraham or He is claiming that He is God, having seen Abraham with His own eyes. Recall what Jesus has just said in verse 38, “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father”.

“Jesus said unto them, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am’” (John 8:58).

The New Testament was written in Greek, so the words are not going to be exactly the same, but can you guess what “I am” means in the Greek? If you guessed, “to be, exist” then you are exactly right. Jesus, who would be speaking in Hebrew to a group of Jews, uses the phrase, hayah, which everyone standing there knows is what God called Himself to Moses. This is Jesus saying, “I AM”.

You must decide for yourself if Jesus was and is God in the flesh, or if he is psychotic. There really are no other explanations. If He was who He claimed to be, then it was Jesus saying to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”. For those of us who believe, He is still THE GREAT I AM!

An Apron of Figs

Genesis 3:7-10

Upon seeing their nakedness for the first time, Adam and Eve clothed themselves in an apron made of fig leaves. They had always been naked, but the glory of God shined both on and in them. Now that sin had entered, the glory had departed, and the long journey towards the cross had begun. Frightened at their own mortality, and afraid of the wrath of God, this First Couple hides their nakedness from their own eyes with fig leaves, and from the eyes of God by hiding in the bushes.

The fig leaf is very large, and it no doubt made sense to Adam to use it for cover. What he did not realize is that when it is separated from the vine and exposed to sunlight, it dries out rather quickly, causing it to shrivel and die. It probably did not take long for Adam to notice that his covering wasn’t covering so much after all.

Fig leaves henceforth and forever become a symbol of self-righteousness. Adam puts these on as men put on works; to cover our failures. Adam is not only the father of all races, giving them sin and death through his sin, but he is also the father of religion. It is Adam’s attempt to cover-up his failure that is the basis for all works righteousness in the world today. Any time that man does something to make up for his faults, or to hide his short-comings, he is taking a cue from Adam, and fashioning an apron of leaves.

All of our works can never bring us righteousness, for if they could, then there was no need for Christ to die (Galatians 2:21). In fact, Christ’s finished work at the cross frees us from the merry-go-round of works to achieve right standing with God (Romans 3:21-22, 27-28). Because of the work of Christ’s cross, you and I are justified simply by faith, and we now wear a different robe. Look at Isaiah’s prophecy concerning those who accept Christ:

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

No longer do we wear garments of figs, fashioned by our good works or our religion, but we wear His garments of salvation, and we have been covered with a robe of His righteousness. This robe cannot be made of our works, for look at what Isaiah says about our own righteousness: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’ are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). The prophet is reminding us of the faded leaves of Adam’s apron of figs. No works of our hands will ever survive.

The Father gave the Prodigal Son, “the best robe” (Luke 15:22). He never wanted His son to forget that he was a son, and the robe would remind him of that. Joseph wore his coat of many colors with pride, always assured of the simple knowledge that his father loved him. The acknowledgment of son ship was enough to bring righteousness out in these, and it is enough to bring Jesus out in us also.

Put on “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). No more figs!

The Sun of Righteousness

Malachi 4:2

Notice the capitalization of “Sun”, making it a proper noun. This takes the meaning from that of a celestial body that burns with gas, to being something far more formal. This verse marks the only time that we see Jesus referred to as “Sun”, comparing Him with light and heat.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). The beginning of this verse says, “Then spake Jesus again unto them”. Who is the “them” that Jesus is speaking to? It is the people that He has been teaching in the temple since early in the morning (verse 2). Within context of chapter 8, Jesus speaks this great verse following one of the more infamous incidents in all of the Gospels.

A woman was brought to Jesus who had been caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees wished to trap Jesus by asking what He thought that they should do to her, in light of Moses’ command that she should be stoned. If Jesus says, “Let her go”, then He is accused of ignoring the law. If He says, “Stone her”, then they pin Him as unloving and judgmental. His response was to point out the sin in all of their lives, leaving no one spotless to accuse her. The only spotless one, Jesus Himself, says, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Following the gift of no condemnation, which empowers the woman to “sin no more”; Jesus calls Himself the light of the world. In effect, He is naming Himself the “Sun” of this world; in which all of His followers will bear within themselves the light of life (verse 12). This proclamation must be linked back to the prophecy of Malachi to truly understand its importance.

Malachi said that to those who fear the name of the Lord, the Sun of righteousness would arise. No one feared the name of the Lord as did the Jewish people, and it was to them that Jesus, the “Sun”, first appeared. Then he tells us that when the Sun of righteousness does arrive, He will have “healing in his wings”. The “Sun” precedes the “healing” in this verse, thus it precedes it in the life of Jesus. When the light of Jesus shined into the life of the adulterous woman, it did not show her sin, but rather it showed her freedom from condemnation. The same light that shined provided her with the healing that she would need to “sin no more”.

Many feel that the light of Jesus shines into the lives of believers to show what they are doing wrong and to condemn them for it. Yet, when Jesus shares this verse, it follows great redemption and hope. His light does not shine into believers to show them their sin, for their sins are remembered no more! Rather, His light shines within us to show us that we are not condemned and that we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The continuous reminder that you are not condemned provides healing for your hurts, your pains and your insecurities. A constant reminder of your failures and sins will bring on guilt and condemnation, which will further into fear and torment. The perfect love of Jesus constantly drives out the fear and the torment, leaving you healed and whole. Praise be to God for the light of Jesus. As the old song says, “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”.

Awake, O Sword

Zechariah 13:6, 7

The Bible study term, “The Law of First Mention” teaches us that the first time that a word or phrase is used in the Bible, it sets a precedent for how that word is to be interpreted or used throughout the Bible. The first time that we see the word “sword” is in Genesis 3:24, when God drives man out of the Garden and places at the east of that Garden, Cherubims that wield a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep man from eating of the Tree of Life and living forever in a fallen state. The sword thus becomes a symbol of God’s judgment against the sin of man.

When Zechariah prophesies of the sword, it is prefaced by a verse telling us of the arrival of Christ on this earth. In that day many will ask the Lord what the wounds are in His hands, and He will answer, “Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zechariah 13:6). This gives us the context for the sword of verse 7, as now those wounds must be explained.

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd…” (Verse 7). God is calling for the sword, held in reserve outside of Eden to wake up from its many years of slumber. As the judgment of God, this sword represents God’s pent up anger against the fall of Adam. He did not kill Adam at Eden, but now someone must pay; that someone will be the shepherd, which Jesus says is Himself (John 10:11).

“…smite the shepherd…” (Verse 7). It was Rome, who ordered the death of Jesus, and it was the Jewish High Council who convicted Him of the crime of blasphemy, but neither of them killed Jesus. In fact, Jesus stated that He was loved of His Father because He was willing to lay down His life (John 10:17). Jesus was not killed at Calvary, instead He, “gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). It was the Father who smote Him however, causing 3 hours of darkness at the cross, during which Jesus bore the sins of the whole world. God did the smiting, and it pleased God to do so (Isaiah 53:4, 10, 11).

“…and the sheep will scatter…” (Verse 7). To further prove that this verse is talking about Christ’s death on the cross, Jesus quotes this portion just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matthew 26:31). Christ’s death on the cross scattered His sheep, with only one disciple remaining at the cross to watch Him die.

The good news is that God’s sword of judgment has been sheathed, and as believers, we never need to fear God’s anger against us. He poured His entire wrath out on Jesus at the cross and as long as people place their faith in Christ, they are spared the wrath that should have come on them. Jesus said as much when He told His disciples, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:31, 32). The word “men” is italicized in your Bible, meaning that it was added by the translators but does not appear in the original Greek. Remove it, and the meaning of these verses becomes clear: God was sending judgment into the world, and if Christ would go to the cross, He would be the lightning rod that took all of that judgment into His body. Praise God!

Saint, there is no more anger in God against you. Rest in the confidence that you are free in Jesus Christ, for He has paid it all. The sword woke up to smite Jesus, now let it rest against you.

The Desire of All Nations

Haggai 2:7-9

With the worsening of economies, the rising prices and the instability in the markets, the world feels a level of insecurity that it is unfamiliar with. Believers rest in their Savior, knowing that God has it all under control, but the unbeliever has no such faith. What can be shaken, is being shaken, as God said that He would do (verse 7). The things that are of Him, namely the gospel of His grace and goodness, cannot be shaken so they will remain in this final hour (Hebrews 12:25-28).

The thing that every believer looks forward to, and most unbelievers think is a joke, is the arrival of Jesus Christ. Haggai called Him, “the desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7). What a wonderful description of our Lord Jesus. Even those who do not realize that they are seeking for Jesus are doing so every time that they try to find happiness in the things of this world. All of these things shake and fade away, and man must replace the joy that went with them. They are seeking after what Jesus offers, whether they realize it or not. As Simon said to Jesus, “All men seek for thee” (Mark 1:37).

God gives a further promise in the next verse of Haggai, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts” (2:8). Everything belongs to the Lord. This world has its system of finances and government, but it all belongs to God. Even the silver and the gold, which is the monetary system of this world, is all in the hands of God. His desire is not only to bless His people with spiritual things, but to bless us financially as well. Some try to argue that this silver and gold is symbolic, but there was actual silver and gold in the temple and it is the temple that God is speaking of.

Finally, a great promise that is being fulfilled even now: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:9). Paul declared that as believers, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). The glory of the great temples of yesterday cannot compare to the glory of having the Holy Spirit reside within the heart and life of a child of God.

You do not find the presence of God in a church building, you find Him in your heart. The desire of all nations is Jesus, and He lives within each believer. The latter is better than the former because in the past, prior to Calvary, the only place where God could be approached was within the walls of the physical temple. Now, because Jesus has provided a new and living way (Hebrews 10:20), we can draw near to God because of His residence within our own body. We are not “little gods”, but we belong to a “big God”!

If you find yourself lonely today, or bogged down with the cares of this life, remember that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives and dwells within you and He is ready to provide His temple with whatever it takes to bring it glory and honor.

The Judgment of Nations

Zephaniah 3:8

The latter phrase of the 8th verse shows us that this event has yet to occur on God’s timeline, “For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy”. The earth has yet to be devoured by the fire of God, though Peter tells us that this day is coming, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Don’t worry; forest fires and rising global temperatures are not the end time burning of God. This moment comes at the very end, and there are still other things to be accomplished before this can be.

God promises to “gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger” (Zephaniah 3:8). We know that God’s judgment was poured out upon Jesus at the cross, so He has no more to pour out on humanity, for the sin debt is paid. Where does this terrible anger come from in Zephaniah? Look at the arrival of Jesus following the Tribulation:

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:31-33).

At the Second Coming, after Jesus defeats the anti-Christ at the Battle of Armageddon, He will sit on His throne in Jerusalem and will gather all nations before Him. This is not a judgment of individuals, for that will not occur until after the 1000 year reign of Christ on this earth. This judgment is for the nations of the earth at that time, and He will divide the good from the bad.

All of humanity is referred to as sheep in the Bible. Even sinners are given this title, for they are lost, in need of being found. The goats of Matthew 25 are the nations that Zephaniah warns us about. When Christ takes the mantle of world leadership and authority to begin His 1000 year reign, He must judge the nations for what they did with His finished work.

It is important to remember that no one will ever be judged for whether or not they kept the law, for all would be guilty. Men do not go to hell for committing acts of sin, but for rejecting Jesus as their redeemer. Jesus said, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

John wrote, in the same chapter, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). You see the wrath of God abiding because they ignored that which appeased God’s wrath: the cross of Jesus Christ.

Believer, your judgment has been accomplished at the cross. Tell someone else that theirs has been accomplished as well, and all they need is to accept Jesus in their heart. Go in Him today.