Sun.’s Devo - The Goodness of God

Read: Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18 The book of Leviticus was written by Moses to tell the Israelites how to please the Lord with their offerings. It is also written to the church to tell them what the Lord requires of us. *** It starts with the offerings they were to give to the Lord. The burnt offering was to be an ox or bull offered and killed by the person offering it. He was to put his hand on the head of the ox transferring his sin to the ox. Then the ox would die in his place, making him right with God. The priest would then take the blood from the animal and sprinkle it on the altar, skin the animal and cut him into pieces. The the internal organs and legs were first to be washed with water. Then all the pieces were to be burnt on the altar. *** This is a picture of Jesus on the cross who was sinless in his inmost parts and totally consumed for all our sins, on the cross. His blood was sprinkled on the altar to cover all our sins. *** The same was done if a sheep, goat, or bird was offered. I think of the ox as being offered for a nation and the sheep and goat and bird as offered for the individual. Jesus was crucified for both: individuals and nations. *** A grain offering was made to obtain God’s favor. The gift was from the man’s labor. It must be accompanied with oil, but no yeast. For us, this is a sacrifice of our works. They were to add salt to it because we are to be the seasoning in the world. With our talents we are to do them with the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, long suffering, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the salts that flavor our gifts. *** It was to be mixed with oil and frankincense and burnt on the altar as a fragrant offering to the Lord. *** The peace offering was to be voluntary. Whatever they gave as a sacrifice, they were to lay their hands on the head of it and kill it. The priests would then take its blood and sprinkle it on the altar. If it was an ox, it was to be killed at the door of the tabernacle but if it was a sheep or goat it was to be killed before the tabernacle. Since the ox was for all the people, then when the people entered through the door, they would be affected by the offering. Since the sheep or goat was for the individual, it was killed outside the tabernacle. *** The cooked meat of the peace offering was to be eaten as food, but not the fat or the blood. That was given to the Lord. *** In Mark, Jesus went to the home of Simon Peter. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick but instead of being afraid she was contagious, Jesus healed her. She recovered immediately and went and prepared a meal for them. *** That night, the people of the town brought all their sick and demon-possessed people to him. He healed them all and shut the mouths of the demons. Jesus did not want the people to know who he was by the mouth of demons but by the mouth of the Holy Spirit. *** Early the next morning, the disciples looked for Jesus and finally found him praying. They told him everyone in the town was looking for him, but he told them that they needed to keep traveling because there were others who needed to hear his message. *** A man came to him with leprosy, begging to be healed. Jesus healed him and told him to go straight to the priests and let them do the ritual for the healing of leprosy in the law. He would be a witness to them of God’s kingdom. Instead, the man went and told the people, making it hard for Jesus to travel publicly. *** Jesus eventually returned to Capernaum and when the people heard he was back, they flocked to hear him. He was preaching in a house. Four men came carrying a paralytic man on his mat for Jesus to heal. They couldn’t get in because of the crowd, so they dug a hole in the roof and lowered the man in front of Jesus. Jesus was amazed at their faith and forgave the sins of the man. The Pharisees watching very upset that he forgave his sins. Jesus asked him if it was easier to tell him his sins were forgiven or to tell him to stand up and walk. Then Jesus turned to him and told him to stand up and walk and he did. The people were amazed and praised God. The Pharisees were humiliated. *** May our eyes be open to see your marvelous works. May our faith be what moves us instead of letting our doubt paralyze us.