Justice and Sabbath Laws

June 3, 2018 Background Scripture: Matthew 12:1 – 14 Lesson Passage: Matthew 12:1 – 14 The last series of studies were based on different elements of the Law. After that type of study, it is refreshing to look at the gospel narratives to see Jesus’ interpretation of some of those laws. It should be obvious from the many recorded instances in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ run-ins with the religious leaders of Israel over interpretation of the Law that the Jewish leaders did not understand the Law as Jesus interpreted it. Furthermore, it is instructive that they relied on their interpretation of the Law their ancestors received from Moses rather than allow themselves to be corrected and informed by the One who gave the Law to Moses. In this narrative—also recorded by Mark and Luke—the Pharisees were offended when they witnessed the disciples of Jesus pulling heads of grain in the field and eating it because it was being done on the Sabbath. They complained to Jesus about it, but Jesus refuted them by referring to David’s action with the showbread. After this, Jesus went into a synagogue on the same day. There was a man present in the synagogue who had a deformed hand. The Pharisees suspected that Jesus might heal the man; they attempted to preempt the healing with a legal question. They asked Jesus about the legality (according to the Law) of healing someone on the Sabbath day. They were bringing attention to the act before it happened—instead of afterwards as was the case with the disciples in the field pulling grain and eating it earlier. Jesus asked them to consider what a shepherd would do if a sheep fell into a pit on the Sabbath day. Jesus’ answers to both situations show how far off base we can get as far as attempting to apply the Law to the actions of others. We may be more lenient towards the treatment of domesticated animals than we are towards the treatment of people. Consider today’s society where manmade laws are applied more severely for crimes against dogs than video recordings of obvious police brutality by rogue officers towards citizens. Perhaps it is because we tend to be hero worshipers and despisers of the poor as could be implied from the example of David and his followers eating the bread designated for the priests. The principle that Jesus shares with them is that God desires for his people to constantly live as purveyors of compassion to fellow human beings rather than sacrificially living as a service to Him. We are not doing God a favor by restraining ourselves from certain behaviors based on a set of rules while at the same time holding others to standards that we cannot or will not attain ourselves. Although we are born in a sinfully fallen state, we should not forget that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God. People still have value in God’s eyes and that should be good news for all of us. We should learn to interact with others with this in mind and not think that we have reached a point where we can look down on the condition or actions of others. Compassion is needed if we are going to attempt to assess or understand people’s actions. We should certainly think about the context of those actions. There is often a very compelling reason why people do what they do—sometimes good and sometimes bad. In summary, justice, righteousness, and compassion are much higher standards to live by than the application of rules and regulations to judge the actions of others. Robert C. Hudson May 7, 2018

Rejoicing in Restoration

May 27, 2018 Background Scripture: Leviticus 16; Psalm 34; Hebrews 2:5 – 18 Lesson Passage: Psalm 34:1 – 10; Hebrews 2:17, 18 Today’s lesson focuses on the most important offering of all, i.e., the sin offering on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was the holiest day of all on the Hebrew calendar. Once during the year, the Day of Atonement, the High Priest presented himself before the Lord and offered a sin offering for himself and all of Israel. In addition to the sacrifice of a bullock, a ram, and a lamb, there was also a scape goat. The scape goat was presented before God alive and all the sins of the people of Israel were confessed on the head of the scape goat. Following this confession by the priest, the scape goat was led far into the desert and released so that it (and the confessed sins of the people) could not find its way back to the people. The people waited patiently for the priest to emerge after his work was completed so that they could know that God had accepted the sin offering for their atonement. This once per year ritual required the High Priest to enter the Most Holy Place inside the tabernacle or temple—depending on the structure the people of Israel had available to them at the time. If the High Priest remained alive and emerged from the Most Holy Place, this was a sign to Israel that God had accepted the sin offering. A favorable outcome indicated that God had forgiven their sins for the past twelve months. They could once again expect the favor of God upon them during the upcoming year. The atonement ritual meant that the nation of Israel was once again “at one” with God. This spiritual status would be borne out in their everyday lives as they encountered obstacles. Psalm 34 is a recognition and celebration of such a status. Psalm 34 commemorates God’s deliverance of David from the hands of his enemies. David had become a wanted man by King Saul who sought to kill him. As a last resort, David escaped to the land of Israel’s enemy, the Philistines. David knew that Saul would not come there seeking him unless he was prepared to do battle with the warriors of the Philistines. King Saul did not go into the land of the Philistines; however, it was unfortunate for David that David’s reputation preceded him into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines knew the words of the song sang by the women of Israel that celebrated David’s defeat of Goliath. Goliath was the Philistines’ hero. He was a physical giant who led their army of warriors into battle. David killed Goliath and cut his head off. One of the Philistines recognized David and told the others of his presence. When King Abimelech sent for David to appear before him, David pretended to be insane and allowed spit to run out of his mouth and down his beard. King Abimelech was disgusted by it and ordered that David be taken away from him. But he spared his life because he thought David was insane. It was this deliverance from his enemies that prompted David to write Psalm 34 in celebration of his deliverance from the Philistines through God’s intervention. This is a psalm of rejoicing. In it, David extols the name of God. David recognized that his deliverance was a result of the favor of God over his life. Robert C. Hudson April 18, 2018

May 20, 2018 Background Scripture: Leviticus 25 Lesson Passage: Leviticus 25:1 – 12 In today’s lesson, God presents a plan to Moses that involves a Sabbath rest for the land. We are familiar with the weekly Sabbath that every person of the nation of Israel was required to observe. As former slaves, they might not have understood the importance of giving their physical bodies a time to replenish, rebuild, and refresh itself from the daily toil. Slaves were expected to take care of their physical bodies only in as much as they could remain healthy enough to do their master’s bidding. Any leisure beyond the rest that was deemed absolutely necessary could be seen as idleness on the part of the slave. While in Egypt, the mere suggestion of the people taking time away from work to go and worship God was interpreted as them having too much idle time. The additional work of retrieving their own straw was added to their burden of brick making so that they could work at the maximum capacity humanly possible. Worshiping God was seen as a waste of the slaves’ time by their Egyptian taskmasters. When they were given time off from work, it was for rest and recuperation and not recreation and religion. After hundreds of years of slavery, there was much they would not have understood about nurturing their bodies and their souls. The Sabbath was mandatory for them to be able to learn by doing. On the other hand, the Sabbath rest for the land was for the land to be worked for six years but not worked during the seventh year. The land would have a complete year where crops would not be planted and vineyards would not be pruned. The land owners were not to harvest any crop that grew voluntarily during the Sabbath year or gather grapes from the unpruned vines during the year of rest. Rather than the owners harvesting the increase, the increase was to be available for everyone; the owners, strangers, and animals—domesticated and wild. After this cycle is repeated seven times, then the seventh Sabbath year, or the fiftieth year, was declared by God to be a year of jubilee—or jubilant celebration. It was a year of freedom for the land and all of its inhabitants. The concept of the Sabbath is that it should be a time of ceasing from work and enjoying the blessings that God gives as increase because of our trusting Him and willingness to labor. The fact that one can cease from their labor is indicative of increase that has occurred to the point of being over and above our daily needs. We can rejoice because we have more than we need. But even more so, we can rejoice because of our relationship with the true Source of our blessings. It’s good to know that even if God chooses not to bless us, He has the power to do so as He pleases. It is refreshing to recall a “happy moment” from our past. When the thought seems to randomly appear out of nowhere, it is even more wonderful. God calls His people to purposely recall and use the occasion as a time of celebration. In spite of blessings, sometimes one falls on hard times. This may come about because of bad decisions on our part and sometimes it may come about due to no fault of our own. The Year of Jubilee observance provides a safety valve in case hard times come. Finally, we can rejoice because the Year of Jubilee has inherent in it the option of redemption by a kinsman-redeemer. The “Son of man” is the kinsman redeemer for all humanity. Robert C. Hudson April 18, 2018

Bringing Firstfruits

May 13, 2018 Background Scripture: Leviticus 2:14; 23:9 – 22 Lesson Passage: Leviticus 2:14; 23:9 – 14, 22 Oftentimes, the Law foreshadows the events of the gospel narrative. In other words, there are steps prescribed by the Law that foretell of future events with little relevance to the ritual itself—other than symbolic. The religious ritual of “first fruits” is such an example. This ritual was designated by God to begin after Israel occupied Canaan and harvested their first crop in the land of promise. The first sheaf of grain was supposed to be brought to the priest who would wave it before the Lord as a wave offering. This was accompanied by a sin offering and a peace offering. Fifty days later (seven Sabbaths plus one day) the first fruits were to be celebrated. Prior to the wave offering, Israel was told to eat unleavened bread; however, the celebration of first fruits, fifty days later, would take place with leavened bread. This timeframe coincided with the Passover and the Day of Pentecost (fifty days after Passover). The first offering using unleavened bread foreshadowed the crucifixion of Jesus, the sinless (unleavened) Lamb of God. Fifty days after the crucifixion, on the Day of Pentecost, the spiritual conversion of a group of saints (leavened) took place. All total, over three thousand one hundred souls were saved on that day. These souls were not sinless (unleavened) like Jesus but were delivered out of eternal damnation as a “first fruits” offering to God. The first fruits ritual of the Law was prophetic in that it looked towards Calvary in the future as the true fulfillment of God’s divine plan for the salvation of mankind. This is all instructive for us, but one must wonder, “What did it really mean to Israel?” to celebrate this ritual. What was their understanding of what the ritual really meant? Today, we celebrate this first fruits concept with a Calvary slant to it. We revel in things which are “firsts”. We believe that God also revels in “first fruits”. The scriptures declare that Jesus is the first among many brethren. Jesus is preeminent in all things so that in everything he would be to God “first fruits”. We reflect on God’s great love for humanity when we meditate on the offering of first fruits because we have our own thoughts about it. “Firsts” for us are our keepsakes. It is a very unselfish act to offer our “firsts” as sacrifices. To give feels sacrificial but to give the “first fruit” is an act of ultimate worship in acknowledging God as the true source of everything. We have nothing to offer God but that which is already His. When we freely give the first that we receive, we declare through our actions that either the first blessing from God will not be the last blessing, or we rest assured that if God chooses not to bless us again, we are satisfied in knowing that He can. This is the reason we can joyously bring God the first of the blessings He bestows on us. We release the offering to God so that it does not attach itself to us. This is accomplished when we first offer ourselves to God. After offering ourselves, offering things is not as much of a challenge. Robert C. Hudson April 18, 2018