Sun.’s Devo - Life From Death

Read: Leviticus 20:22-22:16; Mark 9:1-29; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 10:18 God wanted his people to be able to stay in the land he was sending them. If they didn’t learn what was holy and what was unholy, they would be vomited out of their land. He wanted them to clearly understand what was holy and what was unholy so all his laws taught them this. What they ate and what they consulted for wisdom was to be sanctioned by him. The priests represented the Christians of the New Testament. They were not to touch a dead body unless it was a close relative. Today that would mean to have close relationships only with those who were Christians. We are suppose to love and be friendly to everyone but to be close with people of the world only leads to compromise. The exceptions are the members of your own blood relatives that are closely related to you. The laws says that if a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she also defiles her father’s holiness, and she must be burned to death. Spiritually that means that if a Christian defiles herself or himself by worshipping other gods or taking evil things into his or her heart then he must come to the cross and allow the fire of God to burn that out of them and be cleansed. To burn to death means to repent. A great description is given of the high priest which our high priest now is Christ. He may marry only a virgin. Jesus is coming back for a spotless bride. She must be from his clan. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah which means “Praise”. She must be a bride who lived in praise of God. A priest with a defect could not serve as high priest and enter into the Holy of Holies because of his defect. He was allowed to eat the food of priests. Spiritually that is talking about what hinders our prayers from being heard. Some of the things that hinder our prayer life is unbelief, sin, unforgiveness, sadness which keeps us from being able to praise (we enter into his presence with praise), being spiritually blind. Verse 18 gives us a list. Being lame has to do with our “walk”. If we are not walking upright then we can’t approach God’s altar because of shame. Being disfigured deformed or with a broken foot or arm also has to do with not being balanced in our walk. To be hunchbacked is not being able to stand upright before the Lord. Having a defective eye has to do with how we see God. Having skin sores or scabs has to do with sins of the flesh. Damaged testicles has to do with sins of reproduction. We are to reproduce life. A person with any of these problems could not offer food to God but they could receive food from God. In other words, they should not be in positions of authority in the Church to give out teaching, preaching, prophecies but they are free to be taught, preached to and prophesied over. They need to repent and be healed, then they can offer to God and the body of Christ what they have been given. In Mark, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain alone. Before their eyes, Jesus transfigured into his glorified body. Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter wanted to make three shelters for each of them to commemorate them. A cloud overshadowed them and God’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” Elijah was the prophet and Moses was the law all preparing God’s people to meet his son, Jesus. Elijah and Moses all spoke of Him but now he was come and Jesus superseded them all. The disciples asked Jesus why the scriptures said that Elijah had to come first. Jesus said that Elijah had to come first to restore all things. Elijah was the prophet who contended with the prophets of Baal. First there had to be a showdown between good and evil. We are witnessing that showdown right now in the world. Jesus reminded them that they treated Elijah with great contempt just like he would be treated and just like we will be treated by the world. What would happen to Satan was demonstrated in the boy they brought to Jesus. He was possessed by an evil spirit that tried to kill him. Even the disciples couldn’t cast it out. The demons threw the child into a violent convulsion and he fell to the ground writhing and foaming at the mouth. Jesus rebuked the spirit that made the boy unable to hear or speak and cast it out never to return. The child went into convulsions then lay there looking dead. Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up. Jesus was demonstrating what he came to do. He came to give sight to the blind, open deaf ears and give life to the dead. He came to overcome the works of the devil and give salvation to all who wanted it but to live you have to first die then the Lord would raise you up. Lord, may we die to ourselves and live to you. May our lives demonstrate your power.