Wednesday May 16, 2007

Lev 23-24/Mark 10:32-52
Tomorrows Reading: Lev 25/Mark 11:1-18

Lev
Appointed feast – many are mentioned; Passover was a single day (14th day of month) in v5, feast of Unleavened Bread was the following day of the month (15th day for 7 days) – I thought feast of Unleavened Bread/Passover were the same thing. Hmm… shows you what I know. NIV notes say NT version of the ‘feast of weeks’ (23:16) was Pentecost (Acts 2:1, 20:16, 1Col 16:8)

When I read 23:22-C, God is instructs Israelites to leave the very edges of the harvest for the poor – then just says; “I am the LORD your God”. Do you think they didn’t know that – yes… they did. So what’s the point of continued repeating of LORD/God? I get the feel of a power; leadership, direction, and… a sense of ‘trust me’ from God. Sometimes when I talk to my kids, giving instruction that I REALLY want to make sure they understand - and after I just told them what I want, I’ll say… ‘did you hear what I just said’? I’m looking for conformation/commitment from them – maybe this is along the same lines.

In 23:24, notes say ‘first day of seventh month’ is actually known as the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) – trumpet blasts were blown to signal beginning of new months (as there were no calendars)

Chapter 24:3 – Aaron is to tend lamps continually – you starting to get the feeling Aaron had a lot going on, much responsibility. In today’s society, how many times, or how many people have you heard taking God’s name in vain, swearing by it – vv10-16 shows how a young boy is stoned to death for doing so and granted no lenience… what lack of respect for God. hmmm, Jesus, the sacrificial lamb for my/your sins.

Mark
‘afraid’ v32, what's going on there – the 12 afraid of harm to Jesus, as He’s been telling them something was going to happen? James/John are requesting privileged/reserved assignments; right/left-hand side of Jesus ‘in your Glory’. Jesus’ questions in his reply of ‘can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?’ Jesus is talking about the suffering He is soon to endure on the cross. Speaking of the 12, do you think there is a parallel to the 12 tribes of Israel?

Jesus talks about He being a servant, not to be served – Isaiah has this exact prediction in Isa 52:13, all of 53, v13-14 ‘my servant…so disfigured’, , Isa 53:3 ‘He will be despised and rejected’, v5 ‘pierced for our transgressions… crushed for our iniquities… punishment that brought us peace was upon him’ and finally in 53:12 ‘for he bore the sin of many’… ‘… intercession for the transgressors’. Wow.


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