The Preeminence of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Colossians 1:15-20 ESV

In these verses, Paul launches into a densely packed defense of Christ's preeminence or superiority. This carefully crafted rhetorical flourish follows his reminder that God had rescued the believers in Colossae from the kingdom of darkness and transferred them into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased their freedom and forgave their sins. Jesus was not to be overlooked, taken for granted or discounted in any way. Paul defends the deity of Christ because this foundational doctrine of the faith has come under attack from men who claim to speak with apostolic authority. Epaphras informed Paul that these unnamed individuals were teaching false doctrines concerning Christ, which had left the Colossian congregation confused and dangerously close to diminishing the fruitfulness for which Paul had graciously complimented them.

To redirect the focus of his letter to Christ, Paul adeptly and somewhat abruptly shifts the emphasis from God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son. Following his reminder of Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross and its eternal implications for their redemption and justification, Paul states, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT). In His incarnation, Jesus, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity made God visible and knowable to mankind. He became the visible image of the invisible God on earth.

In his gospel account, the apostle John elaborates on this unique aspect of Christ’s earthly ministry.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14 ESV

And John boldly proclaimed that Jesus was more than just another messenger from God. He was God Himself.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. – John 1:18 BSB

The author of Hebrews expands on the God-reflecting nature of Jesus and further solidifies the doctrine of His divinity.

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names. – Hebrews 1:3-4 NLT

For Paul and these other New Testament authors, Jesus' divinity was an essential doctrine that must be defended at all costs because it was the hinge upon which the door of salvation swung. If Jesus was not divine, then His death on the cross was ineffective because His sinlessness was the key to His death’s effectiveness. As John explains in his first letter, Jesus’ righteousness was the basis for His sacrifice being acceptable to God the Father.

…we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… – 1 John 2:1-2 BSB

But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. – 1 John 3:5 BSB

His sinlessness satisfied the just demands of a holy God and made His atoning death worthy of the Father’s approval. Paul stresses another aspect of Jesus’ atoning work that was being questioned by these self-proclaimed apostles. As a member of the Godhead, Jesus’ substitutionary death was the work of the Creator laying down His life for those He created. Jesus wasn’t a man who served as a martyr for a cause. He was the Son of God and fully divine. That is why Paul stresses Jesus’ divine credentials by promoting His eternality and the essential role He played in creating all things.

…by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:16 ESV

Once again, the apostle John provides ample support for Paul’s claim.

He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. – John 1:2-3 BSB

Paul presented this same argument for Christ’s role in the creation account when writing to the believers in Corinth.

…there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. – 1 Corinthians 8:6 BSB

As the Creator-God, Jesus was responsible for all that existed, including the believers in Colossae. He was not just a Messiah who came to save them, but He was the God who had created them. He was not only responsible for their salvation but for their very existence as well. He had formed them and forgiven them. He breathed in them the breath of life and became their hope for experiencing new life, and by His divine power, Jesus would hold them safe and secure to the end.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. – Colossians 1:17 ESV

Paul is going out of his way to stress the unique nature of Christ. He was determined that the believers in Colossae grasped and appreciated the significance of Jesus’ life-giving and life-transforming role as the Son of God. Jesus had been much more than a teacher, Rabbi, healer, and miracle worker. He was superior and supreme in all things. He had no equal, and no one could replicate His accomplishments or diminish His one-of-a-kind status as the sovereign Savior of the world. That is why Paul stresses the headship of Christ over the church and promotes His well-deserved status as the unequaled and unparalleled Lord of all.

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. – Colossians 1:18 ESV

The church would not exist without Christ. Had He not died and risen again, there would be no church because there would be no Christ-followers. Jesus was not a martyred teacher who cultivated a faithful host of committed followers to propagate His teachings. He was the “firstborn from the dead” who, through His death and resurrection, made possible the spiritual transformation of countless men and women.

There were those who taught that Jesus's resurrection was a fable or myth and downplayed its importance to the Christian faith. Paul addressed these dangerous “false teachers” 'misguided musings in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 ESV

Christ’s resurrection made possible the redemption of condemned humanity and guarantees the future resurrection and glorification of all those who accept His free gift of salvation. Again, Christ was more than a gifted teacher with a message of life transformation based on behavior modification. He had not come to model a new way of living. His teachings were not intended to provide a road map for living a better life. He came to offer His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men so that they might receive new lives and new natures that would reflect His own.

Paul emphatically states that Jesus is preeminent and one-of-a-kind. He has no equal. Jesus was the sole means by which God chose to redeem fallen humanity, and that is why Paul claims, “God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ” (Colossians 1:19 NLT), and no one else. It was only through Christ that “God reconciled everything to himself” (Colossians 1:20 NLT). No one else could take credit for the role that Jesus played in God’s grand redemptive plan. God used Jesus to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself, and anyone who diminished Jesus’ role as Savior or presented another means of salvation was to be avoided at all costs.

You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. – Galatians 1:6-8 NLT

You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. – 2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT

It seems quite evident that Paul held strong views concerning this topic. He was obsessed with defending the doctrine of Christ at all costs. He would not tolerate anyone who attempted to diminish Christ’s divinity or who tried to devalue His role as the God-man who, through His life, death, and resurrection, made it possible for sinful men to be made right with a holy God.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Good News of Great Joy

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
    I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
    today I declare that I will restore to you double.
13 For I have bent Judah as my bow;
    I have made Ephraim its arrow.
I will stir up your sons, O Zion,
    against your sons, O Greece,
    and wield you like a warrior's sword. – Zechariah 9:9-13 ESV

Any Christian who reads these verses will likely recall gospel accounts of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. All four gospel accounts describe Jesus entering the city mounted on the foal of a donkey, but only Matthew and John quote Zechariah 9:9, inferring that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy concerning Israel’s future king.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. – John 12:12-16 ESV

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” – Matthew 21:1-5 ESV

In both passages, Jesus is shown to be the one who orchestrates the details of His grand entrance into the city. He gives His disciples detailed instructions for finding and procuring the donkey and its foal because He had the Zechariah 9 passage in mind. Jesus was intentionally fulfilling the declaration His Father made to Zechariah nearly 500 years earlier. But this was not a case of play-acting on Jesus’ part. The gospels make it clear that the donkey and its foal had been pre-ordained for their part in the prophecy’s fulfillment. Luke records that Jesus sent two of His men to a specific village where they would find the two animals. While donkeys were ubiquitous in Judean villages, Jesus added the important distinction, “You will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat” (Luke 19:30 ESV).  

Jesus was not sending them to find any donkey or foal. He knew the village and the location of the two animals that were preordained for use in His dramatic, prophecy-fulfilling entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus even knew that the disciples would be questioned for their apparent purloining of the beasts and told them to respond, “The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately” (Mark 11:3 ESV).

The disciples must have found Jesus’ instructions to be a bit odd. John points out that they “didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy” (John 12:16 NLT). Even as faithful Jews, they didn’t have the Scriptural knowledge to associate Jesus’ actions with the prophecy in Zechariah. But John adds, “After Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him” (John 12:16 NLT).

For Christians, reading prophetic passages like those found in Zechariah 9 provides a sense of validation and evidence for Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. Yet, for the disciples, the events unfolding around them did not meet their Messianic expectations. They believed Jesus was the Messiah but few of His actions seemed to fit their vision for how this future King of Israel would make His appearance. They were looking for a conquering king who would appear on the scene and radically restore the fortunes of the people of Israel. Their understanding of Old Testament prophecy painted the image of a descendant of David riding into Jerusalem on a white horse and prepared to lead an insurrection against the occupying forces of Rome.

But Jesus had spent most of His ministry years teaching, performing miracles, debating with the Jewish religious leaders, and telling obscure, difficult-to-understand parables concerning His kingdom. Yet the disciples kept wondering when that kingdom would actually come. Even after His death and resurrection, they questioned whether He was getting ready to fulfill His Messianic responsibilities.

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” – Acts 1:6 NLT

Jesus understood their curiosity and their eager hope that His resurrection was the sign they had been looking for, but He simply answered, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.” (Acts 1:7 NLT).

With all this in mind, it’s easy to understand how Zechariah might have had reservations about the prophecy God had given him. He would have been familiar with the prophecies of men like Zephaniah who, more than three centuries earlier, had declared the following words of encouragement from the lips of Yahweh.

“Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
    shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
    O daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
    he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you shall never again fear evil.” – Zephaniah 3:14-15 ESV

Zechariah would have been well-versed with the writings of Isaiah.

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! – Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

While living in Babylon, Zechariah would have been exposed to the writings of Daniel, a fellow exile who, a century earlier, had served in the Babylonian court and as a prophet of Yahweh. It was Daniel who was given a vision of Israel’s coming king and recorded it for posterity.

As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

Zechariah would also have been exposed to the writings of Jeremiah, another fellow prophet whose ministry preceded his by at least a century.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” – Jeremiah 23:5-6 ESV

So, when Yahweh told Zechariah, “Your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9 ESV), he would not have been surprised. But it’s likely he was slow to understand or comprehend the full scope of Yahweh’s words. As Zechariah stood in the still-dilapidated surroundings of Jerusalem, it must have been difficult for him to believe what he was hearing. The walls of the city remained little more than rubble. The houses were uninhabitable and the Temple was unfinished. The enemies of Israel were numerous and their opposition to the rebuilding efforts was relentless. And to top it all off, the Persians remained firmly in control of the entire region.

But almost as if to assuage Zechariah’s doubts, Yahweh provides the following description of what He will accomplish through the coming king.

“I will remove the battle chariots from Israel
    and the warhorses from Jerusalem.
I will destroy all the weapons used in battle,
    and your king will bring peace to the nations.
His realm will stretch from sea to sea
    and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.” – Zechariah 9:10 NLT

Little did Zechariah know that these verses formed two bookends that covered the foretold the first and second comings of the Messiah. Verse 9 predicts Jesus in His first advent, entering Jerusalem at the end of His earthly ministry to serve as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). But verse 10 prophecies Jesus’ second advent when He returns to earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). In His first coming, Jesus was the humble servant who willingly laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:15). He came to die for the sins of men, sacrificing His life in their place and offering His righteousness in exchange for their guilt. In His second advent, Jesus will return as the victorious King and deal a death blow to both sin and death. He will conquer the rebellious nations of the earth and render judgment against the unrighteous. 

Sandwiched in-between these two verses lies the entire Church Age. From the moment of Jesus’ ascension to His eventual return, the Church will be the focus of God’s ministry. It is not that He will take His eyes off of Israel or replace them with the Church, but that the growth and spread of the bride of Christ will be His primary concern. But as verse 10 makes clear, God will one day finish what He began with Israel. He will keep every promise He has made to His covenant people, including their restoration as a nation and the revitalization of their relationship with Him.

There was so much about this prophecy that Zechariah did not understand. But Yahweh was giving His faithful prophet a glimpse of His future plans for the people of Israel. Like the shepherds who received the angelic announcement concerning the birth of Jesus, Zechariah was the recipient of Yahweh’s good news of great joy.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:8-14 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cause to Celebrate

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule. – Nehemiah 8:1-18 ESV

The walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt – in just 52 days. The temple had already been restored under the leadership of Ezra. But the city was a virtual ghost town. Most of the people who had returned to the land lived in towns and villages outside the city’s walls. So, Nehemiah knew that his work was incomplete. While he had accomplished his primary objective of rebuilding the walls, he chose not to return to Susa as he had promised King Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:6). Instead, he stayed because he knew that rebuilt walls did not make a city; it had to be repopulated and its citizens needed to be made right with God.

With the construction work completed, Nehemiah shifted roles from project manager to pastor. He assembled the congregation of Judah and arranged for Ezra to read from the Book of the Law. This could have been the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, or just the book of Deuteronomy along with portions of Leviticus. But whatever it was that Ezra read, it took hours for him to do so, and the people stood the entire time. This was in keeping with the command Moses gave the people just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan.

And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” – Deuteronomy 31:10-13 ESV

It seems that the completion of the walls coincided with the celebration of the Feast of Booths which inspired Nehemiah to call for this holy convocation. He enlisted the aid of Ezra who was a scribe and priest. The law was read and explained in detail so the people could understand it. This lengthy recitation of God’s laws had the desired effect, convicting the people of their sins. They wept and mourned as they heard how they had violated the commands of God. But Nehemiah told them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep” (Nehemiah 8:9 ESV). Instead, he encouraged them to focus their attention on God.

“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” – Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

While the law had reminded them of their sin, he wanted them to remember their gracious, merciful God. It was time to celebrate because God was their strength. He had provided a means for them to receive forgiveness for their sins. These events took place in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Part of what was read to them out of the law was God’s command to keep the annual festivals. They were to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Booths, and the Day of Atonement. These festivals were intended to remind them of all that God had done for them in the past. They were to culminate with the once-a-year sacrifice made on their behalf by the high priest. On the Day of Atonement, he would enter into the Holy of Holies and make atonement for the unintentional sins they had committed that year. This sacrifice was to culminate in a celebration. While their sins alienated them from God, He graciously provided a means of receiving forgiveness and pardon.

When God gave the people of Israel His plans for the Tabernacle and His commands for observing the sacrificial system, it foreshadowed greater things to come. It was an earthly picture of a heavenly reality but was designed to be temporary and incomplete. The author of Hebrews says, “They serve as a copy and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5 ESV). The Mosaic Law, associated with the Old Covenant, was not intended to be a permanent solution to man's persistent sin problem.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. – Hebrews 8:7 ESV

God told the people of Israel, “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” (Hebrews 8:8 ESV). He had a plan for a new and improved covenant that would be permanent and complete. Everything that the people of Israel had done in association with the Tabernacle and the temple had pointed toward something greater to come. Under the Loaw, one of the key elements involved in man's atonement was the shedding of blood.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. – Hebrews 9:22 ESV

Every year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins before he could intercede for the people because he was a sinner just like those to whom he ministered. Once his sins were atoned for, he had to offer another sacrifice and mis the blood with water and, using scarlet wool and hyssop, he sprinkled it on the Book of the Law and the people, declaring, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you” (Hebrews 9:20 ESV).

With that action, the covenant between God and His people was ratified and renewed. But again, it was just a foreshadowing of things to come. That event had to take place every year because their atonement was temporary and incomplete. The Book of Hebrews goes on to state, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 ESV). Complete and permanent forgiveness of sins could never happen through the sacrifice of bulls and goats. But God had a better solution.

Our sin is an ever-present reality that follows us wherever we go. It is a permanent part of our experience as fallen human beings. When we read God's Word, we are reminded of our sinfulness. It convicts us by revealing our unfaithfulness and consistent rebellion against a faithful, loving God. But rather than weep and mourn over our sins, we must learn to rejoice in the gift of our Savior. God has provided a solution to our sin problem, one that is far better than the one the Israelites had.

For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. – Hebrews 9:24 ESV

Christ didn't enter into an earthly Tabernacle or Temple. As our high priest, He presented His sacrifice before God the Father, once and for all.

But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. – Hebrew 9:26 ESV

He gave His life as a sacrifice for our sins and, unlike the animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant, His sacrifice was a permanent solution to man's sin problem. His death provided complete atonement for the sins of mankind – past, present, and future. He secured an “eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12 ESV).

So what should our reaction be to this news? We should rejoice and celebrate. We should recognize that the joy of the Lord is our strength because He has provided for our salvation. He has made a way for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him that is not based on human effort. God has done for us what we could never have done for ourselves.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. – 1 John 4:9 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

That is cause for celebration and ample reason for rejoicing. Our God is great, His love is unimaginable, and His grace is immeasurable. Yes, our sin is real but so is our salvation. Those of us who have placed our faith and hope in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross can celebrate because our redemption is eternal and our atonement is complete. The truly great news is, “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 NLT).

Celebration is the proper response to God’s goodness and grace. So, when the Law had been read, and the people understood their guilt and God’s grace, they were prepared to celebrate. With the Feast of Booths at hand, they “went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate” (Nehemiah 8:16 NLT). This feast was to serve as an annual reminder of God’s provision during Israel’s years of wandering in the wilderness. When their ancestors had refused to enter the Promised Land, God banned that generation of Israelites from ever entering His “rest,” condemning them to spend their lives outside the borders of Canaan until they died off. But during those days, and despite their disobedience, He graciously provided them with food and shelter. He met their needs and ensured that their descendants were the recipients of His covenant promises.

This celebration of the Feast of Booths was the first one to be held in nearly 150 years. It is unlikely that they celebrated the feasts during their exile in Babylon and there is no indication that the feasts had been reinstituted since the first exiles had returned. So, Nehemiah records that this celebration was an especially joyous occasion.

So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun. – Nehemiah 8:17 NLT

God had been gracious and good. His people had wandered away into the wilderness of Babylon, but He had graciously returned them to the land. He was a loving and forgiving God who kept His covenant promises. And that was cause for celebration.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Law of the Land

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now 13 I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.

21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. – Ezra 7:11-28 ESV

God had miraculously arranged for the people to be given a royal decree, allowing them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and restore Jerusalem and ensuring they had the resources necessary to complete the task. They had all the material needed to build and the manpower to do the work. God had even taken care of their constant harassment by their enemies. But one thing was missing. They had plenty of people, gold, silver, wood, and hours in the day to accomplish the work. But God knew that without His Law, they would end up in the same spiritual condition that resulted in their captivity in the first place. So God raised up Ezra, "a scribe who was well-versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel" (Ezra 7:6 NLT).

As a Scribe, Ezra was intimately familiar with the Law God had given through Moses to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. A span of nearly 60 years takes place after the events recorded in chapter six end and Ezra arrives in Jerusalem from Babylon in chapter seven. It has been 80 years since the first wave of exiles returned to Judah. God has been watching and waiting. He has been preparing the right man to bring the one ingredient the nation needed most: His Law. Ezra would not have even been born when the first exiles returned but he was a direct descendant of Aaron, the high priest. He had a spiritual heritage and a godly upbringing that made him perfect for the job God had prepared for him.

The Persian king, Artaxerxes, issued a royal decree commissioning Ezra to go to Jerusalem and conduct an official inquiry into the situation "based on your God's law, which is in your hand" (Ezra 7:14 NLT). This pagan king officially ordered Ezra to use his knowledge of God’s law to assist the people of Judah in their rebuilding efforts.

"…use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God's laws to given all the people of in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it. Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation or goods, or imprisonment." – Ezra 7:26 NLT

As a king, Artaxerxes knew that the rule of law was essential to maintaining peace and security in his kingdom. As a polytheist, he also understood the need to foster obedience to the many gods his people worshiped. The same would be true for the people of Judah and their God, Yahweh. Once again, God sovereignly ordained His will to be done through the power and position of an ungodly king. This monarch effectively gave Ezra the authority to conduct a spiritual revival in the land of Israel.

Knowing he was being sent by God didn't prevent Ezra from praying for God's hand of mercy and protection as they made the journey home. He called a fast and ordered the people to humble themselves before God, praying for a safe journey and for God’s protection as they traveled. They carried large amounts of gold and silver and would travel a very long distance through potentially dangerous conditions. Their retinue included women and children, but Ezra refused to request an armed escort from the king, choosing instead to trust God. So after prayerful preparation, they set off. It took four months for them to make the long and arduous trek to Jerusalem, but they arrived unharmed with every ounce of silver and gold accounted for.

Ezra acknowledged that it was God who had protected them along the way. They celebrated their safe arrival with sacrifices. Then the real work began. The law of God had to be given and then applied. It was not going to be easy, but it was necessary.

God had graciously provided all that the people of Judah needed to rebuild and restore Jerusalem. But there was one missing ingredient: His holy Law. The Mosaic Law, God’s written code of conduct, was an essential ingredient for the people’s success. Without it, they would fail to understand His holy standards and end up violating His will for their lives. The Law provided non-negotiable guidelines that were designed to set the people of Judah apart from the surrounding nations. Obedience to God’s laws was the key to experiencing God’s blessings, and ignorance of His laws was not an excuse. So, God sovereignly arranged for Ezra to receive a royal appointment and an all-expenses-paid trip back to Judah with full authority to teach the Mosaic Law to his people.

It is amazing how often we leave out the key ingredient for our own success. We take on responsibilities and tackle all kinds of tasks without consulting God’s Word or asking about His will in the matter. The people of Judah had been doing the will of God but had neglected the law of God. During their 70 years in captivity, the people of Judah had neglected God’s Law and allowed it to fall out of favor. Without the sacrificial system to provide atonement and forgiveness for breaking the Law, the people of Israel became lax in their obedience to God’s commands.

Now that they were back in the land of promise and had successfully completed the reconstruction of God’s house, they would be tempted to believe they had earned God's favor. But without a knowledge of the Law, they would never live up to His righteous requirements. As a result, they were attempting to do God-ordained tasks while living in open disobedience to His Law. They had a recently completed Temple and had reinstituted the sacrificial system and the annual feasts, but they were ignorant of God’s Laws. But God knew what they needed and arranged for a pagan Persian king to pass a law that ensured the Law of God was once again the law of the land of Judah. 

The Book of Nehemiah records what happened when Ezra reached the land of Judah and began to teach God’s Law to God’s people. It was a momentous and life-changing day in the history of the people of Judah.

Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. – Nehemiah 8:5-9 NLT

They were convicted by what they heard because they understood their disobedience. But Nehemiah told them, “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10 NLT). The Law was simply doing what it was meant to do, exposing their disobedience and sin. But awareness of sin led to confession and, ultimately, atonement. Forgiveness was available through the sacrificial system. That is why the Levites quieted the people by saying, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day” (Nehemiah 8:11 NLT).

God had given the people of Judah His Law but over the decades they had allowed it to pass from their collective conscience. Now He had arranged to have their knowledge of the Law restored so their joy could be renewed.

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. – Nehemiah 8:12 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Sovereign Over All

13 Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. 14 And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; 15 and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

16 And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. 21 It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. – Ezra 6:13-22 ESV

When reading a story like this, it is easy to see the machinations of men as they plot and scheme their way to a chosen outcome. Local governors and high officials pose questions, cast dispersions, and sow seeds of doubt. Disgruntled citizens write letters of protest containing a list of their grievances and demanding immediate redress. Kings examine royal records, deliberate with learned men, and issue binding and irrevocable decrees. But behind all men's intrigues and self-interested strategies lies God's sovereignty. He controls the narrative and orchestrates events so that His will is accomplished.  

It was God who moved Cyrus to issue the original decree giving the people of Judah permission to return to Judah and rebuild their capital city and its once-glorious Temple.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom… – Ezra 1:1 NLT

This pagan king of the Persian Empire made the fateful decision to end the 70-year exile of the people of Judah and allow them to return home. But he also acknowledged that Yahweh, the God of the Jews, had commissioned him with the task of rebuilding the Temple.

“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!” – Ezra 1:2-3 NLT

His decision and ultimate decree were the result of God’s leading. He would not have done what he did had God not intervened and moved his idolatrous heart to fulfill a divine decree issued 70 years earlier. God had orchestrated Judah’s fall to Babylon but had also promised their eventual return.

“This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 25:11-12 NLT

“You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT

God had raised up Cyrus and the Persian Empire to defeat the Babylonians. This fulfilled God’s promise of judgment against the Babylonians for their role in Judah’s demise. But it also set the stage for the next phase of God’s plan: the return of His people to the land of their inheritance. He had promised they would return and was providentially ensuring that it happened on time and in keeping with His will.

Yet, the remnant who returned to Jerusalem found a city in disarray and a Temple that was nothing but a pile of rubble. The city’s walls had been destroyed and many of the surrounding towns and villages had been claimed by displaced immigrants sent to Judah by the king of Assyria. In the intervening decades, these foreigners had intermarried with the Jews who had been left behind, creating a new mixed-race people group that came to be known as Samaritans. Having settled in the land that once belonged to Judah, the Samaritans were not thrilled with the arrival of the returning Jews. They opposed the plans to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. They plotted against the Jews and tried to curtail all construction efforts through verbal attacks and acts of subterfuge. At times, their strategies proved to be effective. As despair set in, the people of Judah set aside their trowels and shovels. They lost sight of God’s plan and gave up hope of seeing their work completed.

But God was not done. He used three different Persian kings to ensure His plan was carried out. Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes each played a significant role in fulfilling God’s will for His chosen people. These pagan and idolatrous kings were instruments in the hands of Yahweh, motivated by His Spirit and obedient to His divine will – each in their own way and at just the right time. And as God moved in the lives of these Persian potentates, He also spoke to and through His prophets; men like Haggai and Zechariah who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned His messages to the people of Judah. It was Haggai who wrote a letter to Zerubbabel and Jehozadak the high priest, commanding that the people restart construction on the Temple.

When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT

Regardless of their circumstances or the efforts of their enemies, God was with them and He always had been. The promises God had made to Zechariah would be fulfilled.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Zechariah 8:4-6 NLT

God had plans for them but He also had the power to bring those plans about. What seemed impossible to them was no problem for Yahweh. He could and would accomplish all that He had promised to do. But the people needed to remain firm in their faith and determined to carry out God’s will, even in the face of opposition. That is exactly the message God delivered to His dispirited people through Zechariah.

“Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 8:9-13 NLT

Ezra reveals that the people heeded the words of God’s prophets and accomplished the task at hand.

…the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. – Ezra 6:14 NLT

The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign. This momentous occasion was accompanied by feasting and sacrifices. The work was done and the worship began. The Levites renewed their role as God’s priests, offering sacrifices on behalf of the people and atoning for the sins of the nation through the shedding of the innocent blood of an unblemished lamb. Forgiveness was made available and a right standing with God was made possible – for the first time in a very long time. This is an important point because, during their 70 years in exile, the Israelites had no Temple in which to offer sacrifices. No atonement was available because there was no Holy of Holies or Mercy Seat. In fact, even after the newly constructed Temple was finished, the Holy of Holies remained empty because the Ark of the Covenant had been pillaged by the Babylonians, never to be returned. It was once a year on the Day of Atonement that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the atoning blood on the Mercy Seat located on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Temple was restored, but things would never be quite the same.

Just over a month later, the people celebrated the Passover together. This ancient annual festival was a celebration and commemoration of God’s miraculous deliverance of His chosen people when the death angel passed over the nation of Egypt. All firstborn males living in the homes where the blood of the Passover lamb was sprinkled on the doorpost and lintel were spared (Exodus 12). This night of divine deliverance was to be celebrated every year without fail for perpetuity. There is no indication that the Jews were able to keep the Passover during their seven decades in captivity. So, this day was especially significant for the remnant who returned. It was a reminder of God’s deliverance of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and a celebration of His more recent deliverance from captivity in Babylon.

The final celebration was the seven-day-long Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed Passover. Leaven, which symbolized sin and impurity, was to be avoided during this week-long celebration. The people of Israel were to set aside all leaven, thus setting themselves apart as holy to God. This symbolic act was meant to illustrate their unique status as God’s chosen people. They had been set apart by God and provided with a distinctive relationship with Him based on a covenant and marked by a one-of-a-kind standard of conduct.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NLT

They were back in the land. The Temple had been rebuilt. Atonement had been made. Forgiveness had been given. Now it was time for them to live up to their original calling as God’s chosen people. This was a joyous occasion marked by relief and a sense of hope for the future. But while the people could rejoice over the work they had accomplished, there was more to be done. Something was missing. During their 70 years of captivity, the people had lost their knowledge of God. They could reinstitute the sacrificial system and keep the annual feasts and festivals, but none of it would matter if they failed to know and understand the One behind it all: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Sacrifice Before the Sacrifice

1 When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. 7 So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

8 Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. 9 And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers.

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. – Ezra 3:1-13 ESV

The text does not indicate when the exiles began to arrive in Jerusalem. Cyrus’ decree was issued in 538 B.C., so it is likely that the first wave of returnees did not arrive until later the following year. The reference to the “seventh month” indicates that the events of this chapter occurred during the month of Tishri (around late September or early October). According to the Jewish sacred calendar, the month of Tishri was especially important because it featured three different annual feasts: The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The Jews also had a civil calendar that featured the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the New Year.

Verse six states, “From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord” (Ezra 3:6 ESV). This indicates that not long after they arrived in Judah, the Jews began to reinstitute the prescribed feasts and festivals with their accompanying sacrifices. The Book of Numbers outlines God’s requirements for celebrating the Feast of Booths. 

“On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.” – Numbers 29:1-6 ESV

These recently relocated Jews were going to discover that they had their work cut out for them. They would soon discover that their new lives would be difficult and fraught with suffering, setbacks, and intense opposition. But they began their efforts in the right way; offering sacrifices to God that were in keeping with His commands. They had no Temple but they could worship Yahweh by celebrating His prescribed feasts and offering atonement for their sins. These initial efforts were led by Jeshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin.

During their captivity, the Jews had been forced to abandon many of their sacred traditions. With the destruction of the Temple and the looting of the sacred items used in their sacrificial system, they were left without a way to fulfill God’s law or a means of atonement for sin. So, as one of their first official acts, Jeshua and Zerubbabel reestablished the Law as the basis for their relationship with God. Now that they were back in the land, they were obligated to live according to God’s righteous standards. Their ancestors’ failure to keep God’s commands had resulted in the fall of Judah and the Babylonian captivity. They were not interested in repeating the mistakes of the earlier generation.

But living godly lives in a godless world would not be easy. Attempting to conduct their lives according to God's will while surrounded by those who opposed them was guaranteed to be difficult and, sometimes, impossible. The people of God had been allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, but when they arrived they found their land occupied by foreigners, people who had been relocated to Israel when the Babylonians conquered the Israelites and took them captive. These people had migrated down into the south and taken up residence in Judah while the Israelites were in exile in Babylon. So when the people of God returned to Jerusalem, they found themselves surrounded by enemies who were opposed to their presence and would do anything to prevent their relocation and rebuilding efforts.

But the first thing the people of God did was build an altar to offer sacrifices to Him. In the face of their enemies and despite their own fears, the people proved to be obedient, building the altar and reinstituting the sacrificial system Moses had established years before. Along with the feasts and festivals, the Jews reinstituted the daily sacrifices. All of this took place before beginning their efforts to build the Temple. They knew they had to get their hearts right before they went about building God's house. They also knew that the Temple had to be their highest priority. It was the house or earthly dwelling place of their God and He had to come first. Getting their spiritual lives in order was paramount. They knew a rebuilt city with strong walls was useless without the presence and power of God to protect them.

They had learned that painful lesson from experience. So, they began to build, and when the foundation for the Temple was laid, the people celebrated. Some rejoiced the significance of this important accomplishment. But others wept because they knew that the new Temple would never match the glory of the old one. This mixture of joy and sadness is reflected in the text.

…the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. – Ezra 3:13 ESV

Some were singing the praises of God, declaring, “he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel” (Ezra 3:11 ESV). But some of the older members of their congregation wept bitterly as they recalled the glory of Solomon’s Temple. For them, the celebration brought back memories of Judah’s glory days. They remembered how things used to be before the Babylonians invaded and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. The glorious Temple had been ransacked and reduced to rubble. Now, as they surveyed the disheveled state of Jerusalem and considered the scope of the work ahead of them, they wept.

But they were faithful to do what God had called them to do. They faced their fears, stood up against their enemies, and they built. It would take them four years to finish the Temple and, after its completion, they were faced with rebuilding the city itself, including its perimeter walls. This would be a gargantuan task, and they did it all under constant pressure and attack from the opposition. God never told them it would be easy. But they would soon discover that He was in their midst and would guide and sustain their efforts. He was there and He cared.

Godly living is not easy and it was never meant to be. It takes effort, courage, obedience, and faith. The presence of opposition is not an indication of God's absence, but a reminder that we need His power. Our weakness is a great opportunity for Him to reveal His strength. We just need to be faithful and do our part. He will do His.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

1 “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.

2 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. 3 But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!

5 “For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 And this will be his name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety. – Jeremiah 23:1-6 NLT

YHWH-Tsidkenu – The LORD Our Righteousness.” The context for this passage is when the prophets of God warned the nation of Judah to repent and return to the Lord. They had long ago abandoned their reverence for and allegiance to Yahweh, choosing instead to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations. Their apostasy and spiritual adultery were insatiable and despite the warnings of men like Jeremiah, they refused to repent. Even then Jeremiah received his commission to serve as God’s mouthpiece, he was told that his efforts would prove unsuccessful because the people would not change their way. The coming judgment was inevitable and inescapable.

“Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“They will set their thrones
    at the gates of the city.
They will attack its walls
    and all the other towns of Judah.
I will pronounce judgment
    on my people for all their evil—
for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.
    Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!” – Jeremiah 1:15-16 NLT

  God was going to punish the southern kingdom of Judah for its unrighteousness. He had set them as His treasured possession but they had failed to live up to His holy standards. Not only were they unable to keep their covenant commitments to Him, but they had also broken His commandments and failed to worship Him alone.

While they claimed to be faithful to Yahweh, their behavior did not mirror their expressed beliefs. God put a high priority on righteous living, providing them with a non-negotiable code of conduct meant to regulate every area of their lives. His standard of conduct was high.

“You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2 NLT

They were forbidden from deceiving, defrauding, or robbing their neighbor. They were to treat the disadvantaged and disabled with respect and honor. Gossip was forbidden, as well as unjust business transactions. Workers were to be paid fairly and treated with dignity. In every area of life, they were to express love for one another and live according to God’s righteous standards.

“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” – Leviticus 19:15 ESV

All of these commands are found in Leviticus 19, and after each one, God included the statement, “I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:4 ESV). He repeatedly reminded them that He was Yahweh, the God of Israel. They belonged to Him and He expected them to live in keeping with His will and in gratitude for their unmerited status as His chosen people.

Some understood the magnitude of God’s grace and expressed their appreciation for the privilege of keeping His commands. David referred to Yahweh as “God of my righteousness!” (Psalm 4:1 ESV). David understood that God was the source of his righteousness. His capacity for right living was a gift from Yahweh, not something he self-produced. In yet another psalm, David expressed his desire that God would judge him fairly and justly, according to his righteousness.

The Lord judges the peoples;
    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
    O righteous God!
My shield is with God,
    who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7;8-11 ESV

But David was not claiming to be self-righteous and deserving of God’s gratitude and reward. He understood that his righteousness was based on God’s holy standard and not some man-based criteria for good behavior. The “upright in heart” are not those who produce good works in their own strength, but who faithfully follow the will of a righteous God.

David knew that right behavior, the kind of behavior that would be acceptable to a righteous God, was nothing more than faithful adherence to His will.

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
    and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever. – Psalm 15:1-5 NLT

But the people of Judah had not kept God’s commands. They had violated His will by ignoring His rules for right living. From top to bottom, the nation of Judah was rife with rebellious people who refused to live according to God’s righteous standards. Even Judah’s kings and priests were complicit in the nation’s spiritual failure and God would hold them accountable.

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for…” – Jeremiah 23:1 NLT

He goes on to level his accusations against these leaders and warn them of their fate.

“Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.” – Jeremiah 23:2 NLT

They knew the rules. They understood what God expected of them as the shepherds of His flock, but they had chosen to use their God-given authority to fleece the flock of God for personal gain. They did not rule in righteousness. They did not lead and love well. Their conduct did not comport with God’s call on their lives and the LORD Our Righteousness was not pleased.

Judgment would come. The unrighteous would suffer for their sins. The Babylonians would invade Judah, besiege the capital city of Jerusalem, and bring the entire nation to its knees. The righteous God would pour out His wrath on His unrighteous people. Their city would be destroyed and their leaders would be killed or taken captive. The Temple would be reduced to rubble and the inhabitants of Judah would be exiled to the land of Babylon for 70 years.

But their righteous God was far from done. Despite their disobedience and unfaithfulness, He would do the right thing. He would keep His covenant commitment to His covenant-breaking people. After seven decades of captivity in Babylon, a ragtag remnant would return to the land of Judah. But their homecoming would be anything but joyful and their future would be filled with hard work and difficulties. But their righteous God would care for them because He was not yet done fulfilling His righteous will for them. 

Through His prophet Jeremiah, God promises to restore the fortunes of Judah.

“I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again.” – Jeremiah 23:4 NLT

This promise has yet to be fulfilled. But it will be. God goes on to state, “For the time is coming when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land” (Jeremiah 23:5 NLT). This king will be called, “The LORD Is Our Righteousness”

YHWH-Tsidkenu will be like no other king Israel has ever had. He will be the Shepherd-King who rules in righteousness, restoring the fortunes of God’s people and enabling them to live in obedience to His commands. Jeremiah goes on to describe this future King of Israel.

14 “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 “In those days and at that time
    I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’” – Jeremiah 33:141-6 NLT

This prophetic promise points to the coming of Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Jesus came to make righteousness available to all who would believe. As the apostle Paul states, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:22-22 ESV).

Righteousness is impossible without God’s help. David knew that and so did the apostle Paul. Even with the righteous law available to them, the people of Israel and Judah could not live up to its demanding standards. But the law was never intended to be a litmus test for righteousness; it was designed to expose sin. 

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

The law reveals man's need for a Savior. It exposes man’s lack of righteousness and his incapacity to maintain a right standing with God. That was the whole purpose behind the sacrificial system. Even with the law to guide them, the people of God would end up sinning and damage their relationship with the LORD Our Righteousness. Their sin would have to be atoned for and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

But Jesus came to make righteousness available by offering Himself as the once-for-all-time sacrifice for mankind’s sins. He sacrificed His sinless life on behalf of sinful men so that they could be restored to a right standing with God. Paul boldly declares that the Gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV).;

The Israelites were given the impossible task of living up to God’s righteous standard by attempting to keep His law. But God never expected them to pull it off. That’s why He gave them the sacrificial system. Yet, as the author of Hebrews makes clear, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 NLT).

The law was “a shadow of the good things to come” and could never “make perfect those who draw near” (Hebrews 10:1 NLT). It pointed to the better sacrifice to come: The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:9 ESV). It was always God’s will for Jesus to become the sole source of salvation for the sins of mankind.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

Jesus was destined to be the LORD Our Righteousness. As the sinless Son of God, He took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, and became the perfect sacrifice that could satisfy the just demands of a holy God, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But because He came, lived, died, and rose again, the righteousness of God is available to all who believe. The apostle Paul succinctly summarizes the gracious gift of righteousness that Jesus made possible to all who believe.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. – Philippians 3:9 NLT

Jesus is the LORD our Righteousness.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Sin Substitute

11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.”’ 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

15 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up at Gad’s word, as the Lord commanded. 20 And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. 21 And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be averted from the people.” 22 Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel. – 2 Samuel 24:12-25 ESV

David had sinned. He had conducted a census to determine the size of his nation and, ultimately, his army. His actions revealed that his trust was not in the Lord but in the size and strength of his army. But having completed his ill-fated census, David immediately regretted his decision and recognized it as an affront to God.

“I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” – 2 Samuel 24:10 ESV

David was wise to confess his sin, but his iniquity and guilt remained. He knew that restitution would need to be made. Some form of payment would be required to cover the sin he had committed. David was well-acquainted with the requirements of the sacrificial law and knew that his sin must be atoned for. The author of Hebrews reminds us: “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

David couldn’t just say, “I’m sorry” and then expect everything to go back to the way it was before. Payment for sin was required, and God offered David three different payment plans. He sent word to David through a prophet named Gad.

“I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.” – 2 Samuel 24:12 NLT

His three choices included a lengthy famine, a devastating plague, or a three-month time period when his mighty army would be powerless against its enemies. In all three cases, death was a non-negotiable outcome. His people were either going to die by the sword, starvation, or sickness. David’s response seems to indicate that the one option he ruled out was the three months' worth of defeat at the hands of his enemies. He cried out to God, “let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands” (2 Samuel 24:14 NLT). This man who had just taken a census to determine the size of his army had no desire to go to war. It wasn’t that he was afraid of a good fight, it was that he knew this one would be a losing proposition. For someone used to always coming out on the winning side, the thought of being humiliated by his enemies was not an option. So, he begged God to remove that option.

“…let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” – 2 Samuel 24:14 NLT

David opted to have God mete out the punishment, trusting in His mercy and grace. So, God sent a plague across the entire nation of Israel. The nature of God’s chosen form of punishment should not be overlooked. David had just finished numbering his people and determining the size of his fighting force. The census revealed that he had a potential army of one million three hundred thousand men, a fact that must have pleased David greatly. During his reign, the population of Israel had increased greatly, making him the ruler of a mighty nation and the commander of a formidable army.

But God’s judgment would prove costly and go directly to the heart of David’s sin: His misplaced trust in the size of his army. As a result of the plague, David lost 70,000 men, a staggering figure that represents close to 20 percent of his fighting force. Sadly, these men all died as a result of David’s sin, not because they had done anything to deserve it. They didn’t have the honor of sacrificing their lives in the heat of battle while facing the enemies of Israel. They were struck down by a debilitating plague because of a sin committed by their commander-in-chief, and they were not alone. An undetermined number of women and children also died as a result of the plague.

The text makes it clear that the death toll was going to increase greatly because God’s angel “was preparing to destroy Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 24:16 NLT). The plague had already lasted three days and now the city of David was to be the target of God’s wrath. But when David witnessed the destruction he had brought upon his people, he cried out to God again.

“I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.” – 2 Samuel 24:17 NLT

As a result of David’s plea, God sent the prophet Gad with instructions.

“Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” – 2 Samuel 24:18 NLT

This is where it all gets interesting. The threshing floor of Araunah was where the angel of the Lord had been stopped by God from bringing any more destruction upon the people.

But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. – 2 Samuel 24:16 NLT

This place held special significance for the Israelites. Centuries earlier, the patriarch Abraham had gone to this very same spot to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God.  He and his wife Sarah had waited over 60 years for Isaac to be born. Yet God, who had promised to give Abraham a son and had miraculously caused his barren wife to give birth, commanded that the long-awaited child be put to death.

“Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” – Genesis 22:2 ESV

Amazingly, Abraham obeyed the command of God and prepared to sacrifice the life of his son. But at the last second, God intervened and an angel of the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand. Then God provided a substitute sacrifice, a ram whose horns had been caught in a thicket. That ram took Isaac’s place and its blood was spilled on his behalf.

So he [Abraham] took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). – Genesis 22:13-14 NLT

Now, centuries later, God commanded David to build an altar to offer a sacrifice on behalf of his people.

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. – 2 Samuel 24:25 NLT

This was no coincidence. God chose this spot for a reason. It was at this location that He had spared the life of Isaac. It was here that He would spare the people of Israel. And it would be on this very same spot, the threshing floor of Araunah, that Solomon would build his magnificent temple, where countless sacrifices would be made on behalf of the people. Sacrifice was required for forgiveness to be received because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. David could confess his sins, but payment was still required.

As followers of Christ, we live under a different dispensation. We are no longer required to make payment for our sins. We don’t have to shed the blood of an innocent animal to satisfy the just demands of a holy God. Why? Because our sins have been paid for in full. The apostle John reminds us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT). All we have to do is confess our sins. There is no more condemnation for our sins. There is no further payment required because Jesus paid it all. The author of Hebrews tells us just how different things are now because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

The sacrifices under that system [the Mosaic law] were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

But he goes on to give us the good news:

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

Our sins, past, present, and future, have all been paid for by Christ’s death on the cross. He paid the debt we owed. He covered our sins with His blood. As a result, we have complete forgiveness for ALL of our sins. We don’t have to ask for forgiveness; we simply have to confess our sins. The forgiveness is guaranteed. When we sin, God’s Spirit convicts us, and that conviction leads us to confess our sins to God. To confess means to agree with Him that we have sinned against Him. When we confess, He responds with forgiveness – each and every time – faithfully and fully.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Treating Sin Lightly Can Be Deadly

18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence. – 2 Samuel 14:18-24 ESV

As the story unfolds, the woman from Tekoa reveals why Joab chose her for the job. Verse 2 states that she was a "wise" woman, and now it becomes clear just how wise she really was. The Hebrew word the author used to describe her is chakam, and it can refer to someone crafty, shrewd, or wily. While Joab had given this woman the story she told to David, her craftiness shows up in how she handled the situation once David saw through her little ploy. She was adept at thinking on her feet. So, once David guessed that it had all been the handiwork of Joab, she craftily responded, “Nobody can hide anything from you…” (2 Samuel 14:19 NLT).

Most likely fearing David’s anger at having been tricked, she buttered him up by telling him, “you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!” (2 Samuel 14:20 NLT). This woman was shrewd and perfect for the role she had been asked to play. She knew just how to handle David.

But one of the most interesting things she said to the king required no deceit or flattery. She simply told David the truth.

“In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this.” – 2 Samuel 14:20a

This statement is loaded with significance, and the full weight of its import will not be seen until the story has fully unfolded. Joab had instigated this whole affair to get David to allow the return of Absalom from exile in Geshur. He wanted things back to the way they were before and thought his plan would force a family reunion between David and his son. Joab’s efforts appear to be motivated by his concern for David’s mental and emotional well-being and the impact Absalom’s absence was having on David’s ability to run the kingdom.

King David, now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom. – 2 Samuel 13:39 NLT

Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom. – 2 Samuel 14:1 NLT

As David’s friend and military commander, Joab sensed that the king’s three-year separation from his son had taken its toll and was becoming a threat to the nation’s security. So, his attempt to reunite David and Absalom was well-intended but probably misguided. At no point in the narrative does Joab seek the will of God. There is no indication that any aspect of his plan came from God or had His Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Even the woman from Tekoa, who delivered an Oscar-winning-worthy performance, was relying solely on her skills as an actor and her gift of persuasion. When she admits Joab’s role in the whole affair, she ends up praising the wisdom of David but says nothing about the will of God.

“My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say. He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!” – 2 Samuel 14:19-20 NLT

Was any of this God’s will? Had he given Joab instructions to orchestrate this long-delayed reunion between David and his son? While the doctrine of God’s sovereignty would state that He is ultimately in control of all things and nothing happens without His knowledge or permission, that does not mean He approves or condones all that happens. The Bible tells us, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NLT) and “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21 NLT).

God has given man a certain degree of autonomy and self-determination. But, in the end, His divine will is always accomplished. Joab could scheme and plan. The woman from Tekoa could put on a persuasive performance filled with falsehoods and flattery. But despite their actions, God’s will would be accomplished.

Joab had been out to “change the course of things,” but he was going to find out that, despite his plans and expectations, the purpose of the Lord would ultimately prevail. God had plans for Absalom, and if David refused to do what was just and right concerning his son’s actions, God would step in and do what needed to be done.

David agreed to Joab’s plan and gave permission for Absalom to return home, but it would not prove to be a joy-filled reunion. David instructed Joab, “Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.” (2 Samuel 14:24 NLT). In other words, David allowed Absalom to come home but then placed him under house arrest, effectively keeping Joab in forced exile. He was home but still estranged from his father and family. The happy reunion Joab expected never took place. The prodigal returned, but not to the open arms of his father.

Once again, David took the path of least resistance. He brought his son back, but he neither punished nor pardoned him for his crime of murder. Perhaps David thought he had done Absalom a favor by allowing him to return. But David knew the law of God. He understood that as the king, he was the ultimate enforcer of the law. God demanded that justice be done, and because David’s son was guilty of murder, he deserved to die. But David could not bring himself to condemn his son to death. So, he did nothing. 

The Book of James contains a sobering reminder of the serious nature of David’s inaction.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. – James 4:4 ESV

David knew what he had to do, but he refused to do it. By placing Absalom under house arrest, David conveniently put this problem out of sight and out of his mind; he didn’t have to think about it. While Absalom had been in Geshur, David had an excuse for doing nothing; his son was under the protection of another king (the father of Absalom’s mother). Now that Absalom was home, David kept him hidden from view so he wouldn’t have to think about him. In a real sense, David was committing the sin of omission. He knew the right thing to do, but he chose to do nothing and, in doing so, he sinned against God.

We can ignore sin or attempt to turn a blind eye to it, but it never goes away. We can refuse to deal with the sin in our life or within the body of Christ, but the danger remains. David’s decision to allow Absalom to return would prove deadly. His son’s presence in the kingdom would be like a cancerous cell being released into the body where it spreads and infects, ultimately bringing death.

David didn’t know it yet, but he was about to get a powerful and painful lesson on what happens when a child of God fails to do what God has called him to do. Yes, God is gracious, merciful, and forgiving, but He is also just and righteous. Absalom had murdered his brother and God’s law demanded that justice be done. Absalom deserved death and, as God’s king, David was obligated to enforce divine justice. Refusing to do so was just another sin, complicating the matter even further. David could attempt to turn a blind eye to Absalom’s transgression, but God couldn’t. David could sequester his guilty son out of sight and out of mind, but the omniscient God of the universe was not fooled and His will was not satisfied. As long as God’s justice remained unfulfilled, He would remain unsatisfied with the status quo. God patiently endured and allowed David to implement his strategy for dealing with Absalom’s sin, but justice would be served. David would learn that ignoring sin never makes it go away. Refusing to deal with it only aggravates it. Avoidance and denial are never effective means for dealing with sin. Failure to confront sin is sin.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul had to deal with a problem that had come to his attention. There was a member of the local congregation who was having an ongoing affair with his stepmother. To make matters worse, David discovered that, rather than dealing with this blatant case of immorality as sin, the church was actually approving of it. So Paul was forced to write and warn them of the danger of their action (or inaction).

Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are.” – 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 NLT

Passivity toward sin creates a vulnerability and susceptibility to commit further sin. Sin is infectious and never remains static. It spreads and its very presence within the individual or the body of Christ has a numbing effect that makes further sin not only possible but probable. David could sequester Absalom away, out of sight and out of mind, but the sin of Absalom was going to spread and have a deadly influence on David’s kingdom. David could attempt to lock Absalom away and hope that the forced isolation would do him good, but until justice was served, the situation would only grow worse.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Absolution Without Atonement Is Always Inadequate

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” 5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’ 17 And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!” – 2 Samuel 14:1-17 ESV

More than three years have passed since Absalom arranged and carried out the murder of his half-brother, Amnon, for raping his sister, Tamar. Absalom fled, knowing he was guilty and deserving of death. He lived in exile in the land of Geshur the entire time and, while David thought about Absalom every day, he took no action regarding his son’s behavior. Technically, as king, David could have absolved his son of guilt and invited him to come home. But that decision would have required David to violate the law of God. There was little doubt concerning Absalom’s guilt and yet David did nothing to render a just and righteous indictment for the crime committed. For three years he failed to mete out justice for what his son had done.

This whole sordid affair had been lived out in the public eye. Everyone in the kingdom of Israel would have been familiar with the intimate and infamous details of the crimes committed by the royal family. It would have been common knowledge that one of the king’s sons had raped his half-sister and was then murdered by her brother. News of Absalom’s escape and exile would have been gossip fodder and, as the years, passed, people would have questioned why David did nothing to resolve the conflict in his own home. There were likely some who were angered by David’s decision to let his son get away with murder. They would have viewed this as a travesty of justice and a blatant display of favoritism. Others would have questioned David’s lack of mercy and his reluctance to use his power as king to pardon his own son.

The rumor mills must have been busy with all kinds of gossip and speculation. Questions swirled about David’s moods and his constant longings for his missing son Absalom. It was in this context that Joab, the king’s friend and military commander, decided to take action. He determined that it would be in the best interest of the kingdom for David to allow Absalom to return. It’s not made clear why Joab felt compelled to do what he did. There are no indications that any of his efforts had the blessing of God. Nowhere in the passage does it reveal him either seeking or receiving a word from God. So, Joab’s plan appears to have been his own idea and the fruit it eventually produced would seem to bear evidence that it was not within God’s will.

When Joab saw how much David longed for Absalom, he concocted a plan to convince David to forgive and forget. Perhaps remembering how Nathan the prophet had used a story to trick David into confessing his sin with Bathsheba, Joab came up with a similar strategy. He hired the services of a “wise woman” to assist him in implementing his plan. The Hebrew word translated as “wise” is ḥāḵām, and it has a range of possible meanings. In the Hebrew Bible, it is most commonly translated as “wise,” but it can also mean, “crafty, cunning, and wily.” Whatever her attributes, this woman’s reputation convinced Joab that she was the perfect person to help carry out his plot.

Joab concocted an elaborate and completely fabricated story for the woman to share with David. It involved the murder of her son by his own brother. In this fallacious tale, the “poor widow” was being pressured by her clansmen to do the right thing and put her second son to death for having murdered his brother. To further enhance the sad story, Joab had her add another twist in the plot that was designed to tug on David’s heartstrings. She described herself to David as a widow with no other sons to protect or provide for her. The living son was her last hope; if he was put to death, she would be helpless and hopeless.

Her fabricated story, while somewhat similar to that of Absalom and Amnon, had some glaring differences. Absalom’s murder of Amnon had not been in the heat of an argument and the result of uncontrolled passion. In other words, his was not a case of unpremeditated murder; he had planned it for over two years. His murder of Amnon had been calculated and carefully orchestrated. Secondly, the execution of Absalom for the murder of his brother would not have left David destitute and alone. He had plenty of other children and a son who would serve as his heir. David was a wealthy and powerful king, not a poor defenseless widow.

This entire scheme appears to be motivated by Joab’s desire to help Absalom return his father’s good graces. Perhaps he believed Absalom was the rightful heir to his father’s throne and his continued absence would make any transition of power impossible. Technically, Absalom was not the heir to the throne. Amnon would have been, but he had been killed. Next in line would have been Chileab, David’s second-born son (2 Samuel 3:3). And little did Joab know that God had already decided to make Solomon the next king of Israel. But Joab, whatever his motivation, did what he thought was best. He believed that by getting David to allow Absalom to return, things would get back to normal in the kingdom.

But when reading this story it is essential to remember that God had already given His will concerning matters of this nature. The Book of Numbers contains His divine provision for those who commit unpremeditated murder. God established six cities of refuge, designed as places where the guilty could go for safety until their case could be judged appropriately. But God made it clear that acts of premeditated murder were not covered under this plan.

But if someone strikes and kills another person with a piece of iron, it is murder, and the murderer must be executed. Or if someone with a stone in his hand strikes and kills another person, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. Or if someone strikes and kills another person with a wooden object, it is murder, and the murderer must be put to death. The victim’s nearest relative is responsible for putting the murderer to death. When they meet, the avenger must put the murderer to death. So if someone hates another person and pushes him or throws a dangerous object at him and he dies, it is murder. Or if someone hates another person and hits him with a fist and he dies, it is murder. In such cases, the avenger must put the murderer to death when they meet. – Numbers 35:16-21 NLT

Absalom deserved death, but Joab was determined to convince the king to grant him a pardon. His reasoning was simple, David needed to put the needs of the kingdom first. The woman’s story was intended to persuade David to do “the right thing.” In the “script” that Joab wrote for the woman, he even suggests that David’s absolution of Absalom would be within God’s will.

“Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.” – 2 Samuel 14:14 NET

These words are a not-so-subtle appeal to God’s mercy and love; they emphasize His forgiveness. But they paint a one-dimensional view of God, conveniently leaving out His justice and holiness. God can’t ignore sin. His divine character will not allow Him to turn a blind eye to the sins of men or issue pardons without appropriate penalties. To do so would be an injustice and a violation of God’s righteousness. Sin must be punished and while Joab’s efforts were well-intentioned, he was encouraging David to supplant the will of God with his own.

As those living on this side of the cross, we know that God eventually provided a means for all sins to be forgiven. But that amazing reality did not come without cost. The apostle Paul reminds us that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV). Not only that, all humanity stands condemned before God and worthy of death, “for everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But Paul gives us the good news that pardon is available to all.

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:24 NLT

The absolution of our guilt and the pardon of our sins did not come without a price; it cost God the life of His own Son. Payment had to be made. The penalty for sin had to be paid by someone and God chose to do it through the life of His sinless Son. The author of Hebrews reminds us, “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

Joab wanted everything back to the way it was, and he was willing to overlook the sins of Absalom to make it happen. This whole scene was the brainchild of Joab and was intended to get David to overlook the guilt of his son and allow him to return home. Yet this plan circumvented God’s demand for justice. Absolution is not the same thing as redemption. Forgiveness without atonement is impossible. Allowing Absalom to return without demanding that he pay for his crime would not solve the problem; it would only make matters worse.  

Yet David, seemingly susceptible to a good story, gave into the woman’s tale and her plea that he allow Absalom to be restored. David’s decision, like so many others he made, would come back to haunt him. He didn’t seek God’s will in the matter but, instead, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him. It seems that the woman, armed with the words of Joab, knew exactly how to get to David’s heart. He longed for Absalom and was just looking for an excuse to bring him home. He didn’t want to mete out justice, which is why he had allowed Absalom to live in the land of his maternal grandfather for three years. Now, David seemed to have a viable excuse for doing what he had wanted to do all along – absolve Absalom of guilt. But while David could forgive and forget, God could not overlook what Absalom had done. Contrary to the wise woman’s words, God does take away life. He had taken the life of David’s newborn son because of his sin with Bathsheba. God had taken the life of Achan and his entire family for bringing sin into the camp (Joshua 7). God had a consistent and fully justified track record of dealing with sin in a just and righteous manner because He is a just and holy God. He is righteous and always does what is right.

David could choose to overlook Absalom’s sin, but God could not and would not. And David would soon learn the painful lesson that while his pardon of Absalom would guarantee his son’s return, it could not redeem and restore his son’s heart.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Gracious Source of Refuge and Hope

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14 You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

16 “But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28 For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” – Numbers 35:9-34 ESV

The level of detail found in God’s instructions to His people is staggering. In His divine wisdom and according to His intimate understanding of His chosen people, God left nothing to chance or up to their less-than-stellar discretion.  In this chapter, Moses records God’s instructions for the establishment of the six cities of refuge to be located throughout the land of Canaan. These cities were to be strategically placed within the land allotments of the other tribes and occupied by the Levites. Their decentralized locations would make them easily accessible from all parts of the land of Canaan, and their purpose was to provide a safe haven for anyone who had committed unpremeditated murder.  If an Israelite inadvertently and unintentionally caused the death of a fellow Israelite, he could flee to one of these cities and seek refuge from the avenger.

In the cultural context of that day, it was up to the relatives of a murder victim to seek vengeance. This "blood avenger" (Numbers 35:19) was not just free to kill the murdered, he was obligated to do so (Numbers 35:19, 21). It was his duty. He was called the "avenger of blood."

But in order to prevent the blood avenger from taking the life of an innocent individual, the cities of refuge were established. If an Israelite accidentally killed someone else, he could run to one of these cities and seek refuge. As long as he remained there, he would be protected from the legally sanctioned actions of the blood avenger. It was up to the residents of the city (Levites) to help determine the guilt or innocence of the accused. If it was determined that his actions were premeditated and intentional, he was to be handed over to the blood avenger for retribution. But if he was deemed innocent of having committed voluntary manslaughter, he would be allowed to remain in the city of refuge until the high priest died. In essence, the city became his prison. If he ever left, he would be guilty of violating his sentence and the blood avenger could seek his death.

All of this sounds very barbaric to us, but you have to remember that Israel had no police force to enforce laws or dispense justice. According to the Mosaic Law, murder was a crime worthy of death; the guilty must be punished. But involuntary manslaughter was to be dealt with differently.; that is why the cities were established. God was protecting the innocent.

God dwelt among His people, and His very presence demanded that they live set-apart lives. His holiness and righteousness required that they live differently and distinctively, abiding by a stringent set of rules and regulations that governed their behavior and interactions with one another. Yet God knew their weaknesses and fully understood their incapacity to live up to His exacting standards. The entire sacrificial system was designed to deal with their ongoing struggle with sin.

To unjustly execute the innocent would have been as evil in God’s sight as to excuse the guilty. So, for those who committed involuntary manslaughter, He provided a means for finding justice. If an Israelite unintentionally murdered a fellow Israelite, he could flee to a city of refuge and enjoy permanent protection from the “blood avenger.” He was still guilty of murder, but his life would be spared. The city of refuge became his prison until the day that the high priest died. The high priest’s death would serve as an atonement for the guilty party’s sin, providing them with release from their guilt and the right to live among their kinsmen again – fully innocent and free.

But what was behind the rather strange legal precedent? Due to the sinfulness of the Israelites, the ongoing presence of God was constantly in jeopardy due to their inability to live up to His strict moral standards. Even unintentional sins could end up jeopardizing their enjoyment of His ongoing presence and power. So, He provided them with countless means by which they could receive restoration and assure His continued existence among them. It was God who set them apart. Without Him, they would have been nothing. It was His presence that provided their distinctiveness, and it was their sin that threatened their uniqueness as His chosen people.

From the day that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God has been actively and aggressively seeking to restore order to the chaos created by their actions. Their sin brought disorder, disobedience, and, ultimately, death into the world. It wasn't long after Eve listened to the lies of the enemy and convinced her husband to join her in rejecting God's word, that death showed up on the scene. Eventually, one of Eve’s own sons determined to kill his own brother, introducing the shadow of death into the once-idyllic garden. In time, the presence of disease would follow close behind, with their bodies undergoing the inevitable effects of aging. Sin would increase, rebellion against God would run rampant, and yet, God continued to reach out to mankind, offering a form of refuge from the consequences of sin.

In a real sense, God's choice of Abraham made him and his descendants a “city of refuge” for mankind. The people of Israel became the solitary source of God's abiding presence and divine protection from the guilt and condemnation of sin. It was among the children of God that men could find access to their Creator. It was through the law of God that men could learn His divine requirements and expectations for holiness. It was through His mandatory sacrificial system that men could find atonement for their sins and freedom from the penalty of death they so justly deserved. God had provided a city of refuge among the sons of men.

Eventually, God would send His own Son as the ultimate and final means of refuge and escape from sin's destructive power and God's righteous judgment. The Scriptures make it painfully clear that all men are guilty of sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.– Romans 3:23 ESV

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?” – Proverbs 20:9 ESV

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

The law of God was given to reveal to men the reality and gravity of their sins. Like a speed limit sign on the side of the freeway, the law provided a constant reminder of man’s proclivity for disobedience and rebellion. Our guilt is unquestionable and undeniable. Sinful humanity stands condemned before a holy and righteous God due to the sinful nature passed down to them from Adam and Eve. All are guilty and all stand condemned. And the very presence of disease and death in our world is an outward reminder of the reality of sin's devastating consequences.

In the case of someone seeking refuge in one of these cities, if they remained there until the high priest died, their sin was forgiven. They walked away free and clear. The death of the high priest had atoning value just as Jesus' death atones for our sins.

No one could accuse this person of guilt or condemnation once the high priest had died. And, according to the apostle Paul, those who place their faith in Christ’s death, stand as unaccused and uncondemned because of His atoning work on their behalf.

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us. – Romans 8:33-34 NLT

We can take refuge in Christ. He is our high priest and He has died for us. His death has set us free once and for all.

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. – Hebrews 6:17-20 NLT

Like everything else in the old covenant, the cities of refuge were designed to foreshadow Christ. They provide a glimpse into the heart of God, presaging a time when He would send His Son as the ultimate source of refuge for the guilty and condemned. All those who stand accused and worthy of death can find safety and solace in the arms of Christ. But even better than that, His death as the greater high priest paid the penalty for their sin and provided them with full atonement and forgiveness. Their sin is wiped clean and their relationship with God is fully restored.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Problem In Need of a Permanent Solution

12 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days. 13 And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; 14 and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, 15 and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; 16 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

17 “On the second day twelve bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 18 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 19 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

20 “On the third day eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 21 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

23 “On the fourth day ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 24 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 25 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.

26 “On the fifth day nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 27 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 28 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

29 “On the sixth day eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 30 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 31 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offerings.

32 “On the seventh day seven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old without blemish, 33 with the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 34 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

35 “On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work, 36 but you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish, 37 and the grain offering and the drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, in the prescribed quantities; 38 also one male goat for a sin offering; besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering and its drink offering.

39 “These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, in addition to your vow offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your grain offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.”

40  So Moses told the people of Israel everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. – Numbers 29:12-40 ESV

Reading through chapter 29, it’s impossible not to be staggered by the sheer number of offerings God required the people of Israel to make. This chapter only covers the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year, which was the first month of the civil year. When the people came into the land this would be the time of year when they had the most leisure time, because it would fall between the harvest and the next planting. So, God seemed to fill it with a wider array of sacrifices and solemn occasions.

But this one chapter alone outlines the observances for the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the month, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day, and the Feast of Booths on the fifteenth day. In that one month alone the people were required to sacrifice 73 bulls, 17 rams, 120 male lambs, and 10 male goats. That doesn't include all the other sacrifices that were to be made on various days of the month on an annual basis. In fact, if you look at chapters 28 and 29, it would appear that the yearly offerings, made at the peoples' expense, would have added up to 15 goats, 21 kids, 72 rams, 132 bulls, and 1,101 lambs, without taking into account a vast number of voluntary vow and trespass offerings.

So, the total of animals sacrificed at public cost would have been an incredible 1,241. Then if you take into account the huge quantity of lambs slain at Passover each year, the number goes out the roof. According to Josephus, the 1st-Century Jewish historian, the number of lambs sacrificed at Passover in a single year would have been in the vicinity of 255,600. That is an incredible amount of animals.

Think of the cost to the people. These were not the runts of the litter they were sacrificing, but the very best they had to offer. They were sacrificing their breeding stock;, all those animals who were free from disease or disfigurement. Any animal they offered to God had to be the best of their flocks and herds. In an agriculturally based society, this was an expensive proposition, and it was mandatory. No options. No excuses. So what's the point? What does all this blood and sacrifice have to do with us? In The Expositors Bible Commentary, Ronald Allen says this:

"As we, the modern readers of Numbers, think scripturally, this overwhelming emphasis on sacrificial worship has one intent: to cause each reader to think of the enormity of the offense of our sin against the holiness of God, thus driving the repentant sinner to the foot of the Cross. All sacrifices—whether of the morning or evening, of Sabbath or New Moon—have their ultimate meaning in the death the Savior died. Apart from his death, these sacrifices were just the killing of animals and the burning of their flesh with attendant ceremonies. After his death, sacrifices such as these are redundant—indeed, offensive—for they would suggest that something was needed in addition to the Savior's death. But before his death, these sacrifices were the very means God gave his people in love to help them face the enormity of their sin, the reality of their need for his grace, and—in some mysterious way—to point them to the coming cross of Savior Jesus."

Thousands of lambs could never add up to the one sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us. But they can reveal the incredible cost of sin, and that sin required a payment. The shedding of blood.

In fact, we can say that according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified by sprinkling with blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. – Hebrews 9:22 NLT

Every one of the sacrifices God required the Israelites to make was meant to foreshadow and point to the final sacrifice of the unblemished Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:20). They were intended to be a temporary solution to mankind’s ongoing problem with sin and the penalty of death that accompanied it. The author of Hebrews points out the temporary and imperfect nature of the sacrificial system.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. – Hebrews 10:1 NLT

He went on to reveal the built-in limitations of animal sacrifices. While they could offer a temporary means of atonement, all they could really do was remind people of their ongoing struggle with sin. And he pointed out the reason for their ineffectiveness.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:4 NLT

The sacrificial system was never intended to be a permanent solution to the problem of sin. The very fact that the offerings were required on a repetitive and perpetual basis reveals that they were like treating a terminal disease with a bandaid. The whole reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to bring about a permanent solution to the death sentence hanging over the heads of sinful humanity.

Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). – Hebrews 10:8 NLT

Yes, God had been the one to institute the whole sacrificial system, but it was never meant to be the final solution. Jesus was always intended to be the one true sacrifice that would fully atone for the sins of the world.

God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

That holy sacrifice was presented by God Himself, and it cost Him dearly.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

He sacrificed His precious Son on mankind’s behalf. He gave the best He had to atone for the sins of humanity. As a result, those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus’ sacrificial and substitutionary death, have forgiveness of sin, and we do not need to offer any more sacrifices. Jesus Christ accomplished it all with the sacrifice of His life in our place. No more blood needs to be shed. No more lives need to be lost. Once again, the author of Hebrews points out the remarkable nature of this once-for-all-time gift.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. – Hebrews 10:11-12 NLT

No more sacrifices are needed. Why? Because Jesus’ death paid the death we owed and now God has forgiven and forgotten our sins.

“I will never again remember
    their sins and lawless deeds.” – Hebrews 10:17 NLT

The Israelites, who were destined to keep on sinning, were also required to keep on sacrificing so that they might receive a temporary reprieve from their well-deserved judgment. But for all those who are in Christ, “when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:18 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Only One Who Was Once-For-All

1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.

7 “On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work, 8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. 9 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 a tenth for each of the seven lambs: 11 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings. – Numbers 29:1-11 ESV

Beginning in Numbers 28 and continuing through chapter 29, Moses provides a synopsis of the various public sacrifices the people of Israel were required to make. There was a daily sacrifice of two lambs, as well as a sacrifice of two additional lambs each Sabbath day. On the first day of each month, they were to sacrifice two bulls, one ram, seven lambs, and one goat. Then, during each day of the seven-day-long Feast of Unleavened Bread, they were to sacrifice two bulls, one ram, seven lambs, and one goat. During Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, they were to offer the same number of sacrifices. On the first day of the seventh month, they were to offer one bull, one ram, seven lambs, and one goat. On the Day of Atonement, the same sacrifices were required. Then for eight straight days during the Feast of Booths, they were to offer their largest number of sacrifices:

Day 1– 13 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 2 – 12 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 3 – 11 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 4 – 10 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 5 – 9 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 6 – 8 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 7 – 7 bulls, 2 rams, 14 lambs, 1 goat
Day 8 – 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 1 goat

Every one of the sacrifices was to be made “to the Lord.” They were to be a pleasing aroma to Him and were to be offered as an atonement for their sins so they could maintain a right relationship with Him in the days to come. There were so many sacrifices because of the sheer volume of sins committed among a nation of so many people. There was never an end to the need for the making of sacrifices and the atoning for sins; it was to be a perpetual requirement for the people – UNTIL God instituted a better plan.

There was a day coming when God would send His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of mankind. He would provide a permanent solution to man's sin problem.

In John 6, we read the words of Jesus stating, “It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33 ESV).

Under the system that God established for the nation of Israel, the sacrificial animals had to be provided for by the people. They had to offer unblemished animals to God on their own behalf. But in the scenario that Jesus paints, He describes Himself as a sacrifice given by God for the people. Jesus used some very strange language that confused His disciples. He spoke of Himself as the bread of life and said, “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:50-51 ESV).

His choice of words shocked His hearers.

“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” – John 6:52 ESV

But rather than clarify His message, Jesus responded with more of the same.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” – John 6:53-54 ESV

Of course, Jesus was not speaking of the literal consumption of His flesh and blood. He was referring to trust and belief in the coming sacrifice of His life on the cross for the sins of mankind. When we take in food, we trust that it will sustain us and supply us with life, In the same way, Jesus was saying that men will be required to “take in” His death on the cross, believing that it alone can provide them with forgiveness of their sins and eternal life.

But Jesus points out that this particular sacrifice was provided for us by God; He did what only He could do. In the book of Hebrews we read, “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV).

Until God sent His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, the people of God were caught in a cycle of sin and sacrifice. Their best efforts to remain in a right relationship with God were temporary and incomplete. They had to bring their best animals and sacrifice them to God to stave off their own execution for their sins. But in the New Testament, we read of God sacrificing His best to atone for the sins of mankind.

Paul tells us, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV). God provided the singular and all-sufficient sacrifice of His Son – for us. In essence, the sacrifice of Jesus should be a “pleasing aroma” to us. This sacrifice was made for our benefit and for our consumption. And not only do we receive forgiveness for sin, but we also gain life – eternal life.

Jesus told His audience, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40 ESV). He was offering a permanent solution to the problem of sin, through His shed blood and crucified body. And yet, the people of His day were more concerned with literal bread and their own sad, temporary lives. They had come to Jesus seeking more food because He had miraculously fed them the evening before. He had filled their stomachs with bread and fish, and they craved more of the same.

When Jesus spoke of bread from heaven that gives life to the world, they responded, “Sire, give us this bread always” (John 6:34 ESV). But they wanted real bread, not the metaphorical or spiritual kind. They were stuck on a temporal, earthly plane, and failed to see that God was providing an offering for them that would do for them what they could never accomplish for themselves.

It amazes me to think that God made a sacrifice on my behalf; He sent His Son to die for me. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the people had to provide their own sacrifice, and it could only forestall or delay the inevitable reality of death. It could prolong life on this planet, but not provide life for eternity. Their sacrifices were temporal and eventually, ineffective at sustaining life. But God's offering of His Son's body and blood provides everlasting life. Jesus said, “Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58 ESV).

All I have to do is receive God's offering and believe that it is sufficient to pay for my sins and provide life more abundantly, both now and for eternity. Just as I eat bread and rely on it to sustain me, I must consume the sacrifice of God's Son and allow Him to provide me with life everlasting.

God has made a sacrifice on my behalf by sending His Son to die in my place. No more lambs, goats, bulls, or rams. Jesus offered Himself to God as a pleasing aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, and God offered His Son for me as a permanent solution to my ongoing sin problem. I live because He died. The sacrifice of Jesus by God was done for me, but not because of me. I didn't deserve it. I had not earned that kind of gift. It was while I was in the depths of my own sin and hopelessness that God sent His Son as an offering on my behalf. The Son of God became the Bread of Life so that I might have eternal life.

We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. – Hebrews 10:10 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Atonement Comes with a Cost

16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord's Passover, 17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast. Seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 19 but offer a food offering, a burnt offering to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old; see that they are without blemish; 20 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil; three tenths of an ephah shall you offer for a bull, and two tenths for a ram; 21 a tenth shall you offer for each of the seven lambs; 22 also one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you. 23 You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering. 24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. 25 And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work.

26 “On the day of the firstfruits, when you offer a grain offering of new grain to the Lord at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, 27 but offer a burnt offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each bull, two tenths for one ram, 29 a tenth for each of the seven lambs; 30 with one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them and their drink offering. See that they are without blemish. – Numbers 28:16-31 ESV

The next major event God reminded the Israelites to keep was the annual feast of unleavened bread. It took place in the first month of the year, the month of Nisan (March/April), in conjunction with the celebration of Passover. This week-long feast was the first of seven Jewish feasts or festivals each year, and as part of the celebration, the Israelites were prohibited from eating bread baked with yeast. This was to commemorate their hasty departure from Egypt during the Exodus.

“For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.” – Exodus 12:15-16 NLT

God declared that this feast would be celebrated for perpetuity, throughout all generations.

“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.” – Exodus 12:17 NLT

Now, four decades later, the descendants of those original Israelites who had lived through the first Passover and escaped the judgment of the death angel, were standing on the banks of the Jordan River waiting to enter Canaan. And God wanted them to remember His miraculous deliverance of their forefathers.

Along with the unleavened bread, the Israelites were to present a special offering on the seventh and final day of the festival.

“As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects.” – Numbers 28:19 NLT

First, these unblemished animals were sacrificed, their blood poured out, and then their bodies burned so that they might be a pleasing aroma to God. They served as a symbol or foreshadowing of the sacrifice that Jesus would make on the cross for the sins of mankind. Paul would later write to the believers in Ephesus and encourage them to follow the example of Christ.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

The author of Hebrews uses the imagery of the sacrificed animals to point out the superior nature of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross for the sins of man.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” – Hebrews 10:1-7 NLT

But while the sacrifices associated with the feast of unleavened bread could not fully alleviate mankind’s sin debt, God still wanted the Israelites to follow His commands to the letter. As the author of Hebrews points out, the sacrifices were meant to remind the Israelites of their sin and their constant need for cleansing.

But there was one offering that was to stand out among them all.

“You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.” – Numbers 28:22 NLT

The sacrifice of this animal was intended to provide justification; its death would not only cleanse the Israelites from sin but reestablish their relationship with God. Its death would restore fellowship between sinful humanity and a holy God, and that restored relationship would be essential for the ongoing well-being of the people of God. Without it, they would stand condemned and alienated from a holy and righteous God who is obligated to punish sin.

It was essential that the Israelites follow all the prescribed procedures associated with the seven days of the festival. Nothing could be left out or altered in any way. To do so would jeopardize their relationship with God and that would have devastating results.

The Festival of Harvest, also known as the Feast of Firstfruits, was next on the Jewish calendar. This feast occurred at the beginning of the harvest and was intended to celebrate God’s gracious provision for all their needs. They were commanded to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the Tabernacle and present them as an offering to God, declaring their intention to return to God a portion of what He had given them.

“I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.” – Deuteronomy 26: 10 NLT

Then they were to place the produce before the Lord and bow to the ground in worship before Him. This offering was to be followed by a community-wide celebration.

“Afterward you may go and celebrate because of all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.” – Deuteronomy 26:11 NLT

The Feast of Harvests, like the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was also accompanied by the sacrifice of unblemished animals. These flawless creatures would have been of great value as breeding stock, yet the Israelites were to offer them up willingly and gladly as expressions of gratitude to God and as payment for their sins. That’s why God commanded, “Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects” (Numbers 28:31 NLT). God would not accept damaged goods or allow the Israelites to offer sacrifices that did not cost them something. Their desire for a restored relationship with Him was to be worth the cost and any sacrifice they might have to make. After all, the unblemished yet undeserving animals became substitutes for the sins of the people. They died so the people could live, and, eventually, Jesus would become the final sacrifice for all sin.

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. – Hebrews 10:11-14 NLT 

Earlier in his letter, the author of Hebrews declared the reality of the Jewish sacrificial system: “For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). And Jesus came to shed His blood for the sins of men so that they might receive forgiveness and have their severed relationship with God restored for all eternity.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Look and Live

1 When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive. 2 And Israel vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed give this people into my hand, then I will devote their cities to destruction.” 3 And the Lord heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.

4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6 Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live. – Numbers 21:1-9 ESV

One of the things the Israelites seemed to quickly forget was that their presence in the wilderness was their own fault. God had led them from Egypt to the edge of the land of promise 40 years earlier, but they had decided that entrance into the land was way too risky. The 12 spies they had sent in to reconnoiter the land had returned with a conflicting report concerning conditions in Canaan.

“We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!” – Numbers 13:27-28 ESV

The second half of their report left the Israelites dejected and demoralized. Despite the news that this land was fertile and filled with abundant fruit, the presence of “giants” was too much for the Israelites, and the spies fed their doubts and anxieties by confirming their worst fears.

“We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” – Numbers 13:31-33 ESV

These rumors succeeded in convincing the Israelites that God’s promise of victory over their enemies was impossible. Rather than enter the land and risk certain death, they decided it would make more sense to return to Egypt. This bit of twisted logic earned them the wrath of God. He made the fateful decision to allow that entire generation to spend the rest of their lives wandering aimlessly in the wilderness until none of them was left. They would not be allowed to enter Canaan or return to Egypt. Instead, they would spend the remaining days of their lives in a kind of existential limbo that lasted four decades.

During that time, both Miriam and Aaron died. Many of their friends and family members succumbed to the effects of old age and illness, and they all discovered that life in the wilderness was no picnic. Their persistent presence near the borders of Canaan had attracted the attention of the land’s occupants. These nations had heard the rumors about this massive host of people who had escaped from Egypt and were headed their way. It is likely that they knew the Israelites to be the descendants of Jacob and were afraid that they would be looking for a place to live. This was a migrant problem of epic proportions. The thought of two million-plus Israelites invading their borders caused these nations to react with fear and brute force.

The last chapter revealed that the Edomites sent a large army to dissuade the Israelites from attempting to pass through their land; they wanted nothing to do with them. Now, “The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that the Israelites were approaching on the road through Atharim. So he attacked the Israelites and took some of them as prisoners” (Numbers 21:2 NLT). Nothing was going well for the Israelites. As a nation, they were persona non grata in Canaan. They had no homeland and were even finding the nations outside the borders of Canaan to be just as dangerous as the “giants“ they had refused to confront. Their refusal to enter the land had come with serious repercussions.

Yet, there is one glimmer of hope in this dark period of Israel’s existence. Their self-inflicted troubles caused them to call out to God. When some of their people were captured by the forces of the king of Arad, the Israelites begged God to come to their aid. What’s interesting to note is that these are the very same people who had seen their odds of defeating the occupants of Canaan as insurmountable, yet they were suddenly ready to take on all comers. They even made a vow to completely annihilate the opposition if God would come to their aid.

“If you will hand these people over to us, we will completely destroy all their towns.” – Numbers 21:2 NLT

What makes this even more fascinating is that the Israelites had been here before. Thirty-eight years earlier, after having refused to enter the land of Canaan the first time, God had sentenced them to a life of wandering in the wilderness. In response to this death sentence from God, they quickly changed their minds and decided to enter the land after all. But Moses warned them that it was too late.

“Why are you now disobeying the Lord’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work. Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the Lord is not with you. When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle, you will be slaughtered. The Lord will abandon you because you have abandoned the Lord.” – Numbers 14:41-43 NLT

But the people refused to listen, and “defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant left the camp” (Numbers 14:44 NLT). The result was a rout. The Israelites were soundly defeated because they attempted to take on their enemies without God’s permission or help.

Now, 38 years later, they decided to seek God’s assistance, and He “heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns” (Numbers 22:3 NLT). Amazingly, what they had feared was impossible four decades earlier, was actually quite easy when they did it God’s way. Their victory was assured when they chose to seek God’s permission and assistance.

But even after that exhilarating display of God’s power, they quickly reverted to their old habit of complaining about their lot in life. While they had enjoyed a great victory, they were not allowed to occupy the towns they had conquered. Instead, they had to backtrack to Mount Hor and then travel further south and east to skirt the borders of Edom. They had gotten a taste of success, but still found themselves cursed to wander through the wilderness. Those conquered cities and villages were not theirs to occupy.

As the people made the long trek around Edom, the thrill of victory soon gave way to the agony of defeat and despair.

…the people grew impatient with the long journey, and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!” – Numbers 21:4-5 NLT

Even though they had brought all of this on themselves, they were still adept at casting blame on others. Their seemingly neverending trek through the wilderness soon led to discontentment with God’s will. They were unhappy with the way things were going and they let Moses know about it. But in response to their complaining, God let them have it. He sent a plague of poisonous snakes among them, and soon the bodies of the dead began to pile up. Suddenly, the people were singing a different tune.

“We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” – Numbers 21:7 NLT

God’s judgment produced a confession. The people repented of their sin and begged Moses to intercede with God on their behalf, asking for the removal of the curse of the snakes. When Moses complied and sought God, he was given the following instructions.

“Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” – Numbers 21:8 NLT

This rather strange command makes it appear as if God was asking Moses to make an idol. But the serpent on a stick was not meant to be worshiped;. it was intended to be a test of their faith.

God did not answer their request to eradicate the snakes. In fact, He indicated that the snakes would continue to do what He had sent them to do. They would keep inflicting pain, suffering, and death upon the Israelites as punishment for their ingratitude and their disregard for His holiness. What God did was create a rather bizarre plan for receiving deliverance over certain death. The snakes were sent from God as punishment for Israel’s sin. Their bite produced death, and the only way to escape that outcome was to look at the image of the serpent on the pole and they would be healed. But that simple glance would require faith.

God did not remove the penalty for their sins; they would still be bitten by the snakes. But now they had a means of escaping the penalty of death. The bite of the snakes would no longer prove deadly but only if the victim displayed faith in God. They were required to believe that the God they had offended could and would heal them. But that faith required the one who had been bitten to look their death sentence in the face. They had to turn their eyes to the pole and see their condemnation on public display. If they refused, they would die.

The apostle John would later record the words of Jesus where He stated that this entire scene in the wilderness was meant to foreshadow His coming and His substitutionary death on the cross.

…the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. – John 3:13-15 NLT

When a sinner looks at the cross, he sees the wrath of God poured out on the sins of mankind. Jesus was not the cause of our death but the means of our victory over it. He bore our sins so that we might not have to pay for them with our own lives. And that is exactly what the apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth.

God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 BSB

And Peter would state the same blessed hope.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. – 1 Peter 2:24 ESV

The key to victory over death is faith. One must “believe in Him” to be saved. The Israelites had only to look at the serpent on the pole to be saved from death. This scene in the wilderness foreshadowed the death of Christ, when He gave His life as a payment for the sins of humanity. The apostle Paul described the universal nature of mankind’s sin problem.

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one…” – Romans 3:9-10 ESV

…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. – Romans 3:23 ESV

Paul also declared that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 ESV). Every Israelite deserved to be bitten and every sinful human being deserves God’s penalty of death. As the sovereign God of the universe, Hee is just and right when He punishes those who rebel against His authority. But in His mercy and grace, He provided a way for all those under the penalty of death to escape their sentence by looking to the cross of Christ. That simple act of faith produces life rather than death.

It should be noted that this entire scene began with the people complaining about the manna that God had graciously given as a source of life. Their ingratitude was met with God’s judgment. They had refused His offer of the bread that could sustain life and, as a result, they faced the sting of death. The only means of salvation would be faith in His mercy and grace.

“The bread is a picture of Jesus; as the Bread of Heaven he is the proper nourisher of his people. The bronze snake is a picture of Jesus, who became sin for us as he hung on that awful tree. The manna had to be eaten. The snake had to be seen. The commands of Scripture are for doing. The manna was no good if left to rot. The metal snake would not avail if none looked at it. The manna and the snake are twin aspects of the grace of God.” – Ronald B. Allen, “Numbers.” In Genesis—Numbers. Vol. 2 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

The anecdote to the Israelite’s death sentence was simple: Look and live. If they would only trust God and cast their eyes upon the bronze serpent, they would experience God’s mercy and grace. As long as they looked at their wound, they would die. If they attempted to heal themselves, they would fail. But if they would face their sin and trust that only God could save them, their lives would be spared. What an amazing picture of God’s gracious gift of eternal life made possible through His Son.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our Gracious God

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 3 And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. 4 And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. 5 And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned. 6 And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer. 7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may come into the camp. But the priest shall be unclean until evening. 8 The one who burns the heifer shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water and shall be unclean until evening. 9 And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place. And they shall be kept for the water for impurity for the congregation of the people of Israel; it is a sin offering. 10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. And this shall be a perpetual statute for the people of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. – Numbers 19:1-10 ESV

One of the things to keep in mind when reading these verses is the recent judgment that God had enacted upon the people of God. As a result of Korah’s rebellion, nearly 15,000 Israelites died from a plague that God had sent among the people. This large-scale pandemic had left the survivors with a massive clean-up task. The bodies of the fallen had to be gathered and properly buried, which rendered unclean all those who participated in the operation. Having come into contact with the bodies of the dead, these individuals would have been considered defiled and in need of purification, and God had already provided clear instructions regarding the treatment of the unclean.

“Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did. – Numbers 5:2-4 ESV

Due to the sheer number of volunteers necessary to dispose of nearly 15,000 corpses, the Israelites would have needed a tent city to house all those who had become defiled and ceremonially unclean. So, God instituted a new command that would bring a quick resolution to the problem.

“Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal that has no defects and has never been yoked to a plow. Give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Eleazar will take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle.” – Numbers 19:2-4 NLT

This was to be a corporate endeavor, with the entire congregation participating, whether they were personally unclean or not. They were to choose a red heifer that was free from defects and had never been used to pull a plow. This means it would have been a highly valuable animal in the prime of health; they were not free to bring a maimed or diseased heifer. There was no option to offer an older, less valuable animal or one that was worn out by a lifetime of hard work. This sacrifice was going to cost them something.

The whole point of this ceremony was to protect the holiness of the Tabernacle. The deaths of the rebels would have ended up defiling the entire congregation, and their defilement posed a very real and present danger to the holiness of the Tabernacle itself. But the death of the heifer was not meant for atonement. In other words, its death was not intended to provide cleansing from sin but to purify from defilement.

Notice the detailed instructions God provided for Aaron. First, the animal was to be slaughtered and some of its blood was to be used for purification.

Eleazar will take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tabernacle. – Numbers 19:4 NLT

Eleazar was one of the four sons of Aaron and served as a priest alongside his father and brothers. His job was to supervise the entire process, ensuring that the remains of the heifer were taken outside the camp and burned. As the body was cremated, Eleazar was to add a stick of cedar, a hyssop branch, and some scarlet yarn.

“Cedar wood was not as subject to decay as most other woods and so represented the continuance of life. It was also aromatic when burnt and was probably either the common brown-berried cedar or the Phoenician juniper. Hyssop stood for purification from corruption, and the priests used it to apply blood, as in the Passover ritual. Scarlet wool symbolized the strong vital energy connected with blood (cf. Lev. 14:6). All of these elements combined to signify all that strengthened life. The person in charge added these elements to the heifer ashes as the heifer was burning.” – Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Numbers

The leftover ashes were to be collected and kept in a specific location outside the camp. All those involved in the sacrifice of the heifer were required to go through a special purification process before they could return to the camp. The ashes were to be maintained for the future purification of any who became defiled through contact with the dead; the ashes were to be mixed with water and used as a purifying agent. The death of the innocent and unblemished heifer was required for the cleansing properties of the water to be effective. The ashes mixed with water would provide purification from defilement and restore the guilty to a state of holiness. They could once again enter the camp and enjoy access to the Tabernacle and all the rites associated with it.

While all the imagery in this passage is difficult for us to understand, and the burning of the red heifer seems rather strange to our modern sensibilities, the entire process provides a beautiful illustration of God’s patience, grace, and mercy. Even after all that the Israelites had done to offend Him, God provided a means for the guilty to receive forgiveness and the unclean to be purified from the devastating effects of sin and death. Korah’s rebellion had been a direct attack on God’s sovereignty, and the perpetrators had suffered the ultimate consequence for their efforts: Death. Their actions had not only left the people of Israel with a massive clean-up effort but also the problem of how to deal with a community-wide defilement. Sin always has consequences; it impacts and infects far more than the guilty party. Rectifying the negative ramifications of Korah’s actions was going to take time and would require the efforts of the entire community. But the very one whom Korah and his cohorts had chosen to disobey was the one who graciously provided a path to purification and restoration for the people of Israel. God intervened, yet again.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Misunderstand God’s Ways Leads to Misjudging His Character

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” – Numbers 17:1-13 ESV

The Israelites had proven themselves to be all-star professional whiners who could grumble with the best of them. Repeatedly, since the day they left Egypt, they had found reasons to complain – about everything from the food God provided to the leadership He had placed over them. Most recently, it had been God’s decision to have only the Levites serve as priests in the Tabernacle that had left them disgruntled and ready to voice their displeasure. God had given the tribe of Levi the sole responsibility of serving in the place of the first-born males of every tribe. The Levites had been divinely chosen to serve as substitutes.

But the people had decided they didn’t like this plan. Under the leadership of Korah and a few other leaders, the people had risen up against Moses and Aaron, demanding their version of equality and inclusion, but their demands were met with the discipline of God. He destroyed all those who instigated the rebellion against Moses and Aaron and then brought a plague against those who blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of their friends. Only the quick action of Aaron, who offered an atoning sacrifice for the people, spared even more from death that day.

In light of all the complaining, God came up with a plan to settle the matter once and for all. He knew the people were far from done, and it was just a matter of time before something else stirred them up and caused them to question His will and grumble against His chosen leaders. So, God instructed Moses to have each tribe select a branch from an almond tree and inscribe on it the name of the prince or head of their tribe. These 12 rods were then to be placed in the Tabernacle before the Lord.

The people agreed to God’s proposal and each tribe submitted their staff to Moses. He placed each of them in the Holy of Holies before the Ark of the Covenant. The next day, Moses went in and discovered that the rod bearing Aaron’s name had budded, blossomed, and borne fruit. Miraculously, Aaron’s rod had gone through an entire growing season overnight. Devoid of water and the benefits of the tree from which it had been taken, this one rod evidenced a supernatural capacity for fruitfulness. This amazing visual display was intended to convince the Israelites that God had selected Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests – case closed. There was no more reason for the people to question or complain because God had settled the dispute once and for all.

Or maybe not. Immediately after this event, the people cranked up their complaining once again. This time it was about their physical well-being. They said, “We are as good as dead. Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. We are all doomed!” (Numbers 17:12-13 NLT). Instead of praising God for what He had done with the almond rod, they focused their attention on their own well-being. They were so busy pitying themselves, that they had no time to think about God’s miraculous demonstration of power and His clear endorsement of Aaron and his sons.

God’s divine display had been intended to settle the leadership dispute. He had unquestionably reaffirmed His selection of the Aaronic priesthood. He even commanded that the rod be placed alongside the Ark of the Covenant as a permanent reminder of Aaron’s selection. God had spoken and the matter was settled. His will was not up for debate and He expected His commands to be obeyed at all times.

But the people saw His actions as a statement of judgment and feared further retribution from God. They had just witnessed the earth open up and swallow the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then they stood back and watched as the fire of the Lord consumed the 250 leaders who had joined in the rebellion. Finally, they had seen 14,700 of their fellow Israelites die from the plague that God had sent upon them.

So, they viewed the budding of Aaron’s rod as a further indictment of their guilt and reacted with fear.

“Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all doomed to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

Rather than glorying in the greatness of God, they cowered in fear. Instead of repenting for their rebellion against Him, they accused Him of being a vengeful, bloodthirsty deity. They displayed no remorse. They exhibited no signs of sorrow for their sins. They simply expressed their fear of God’s judgment and wrath. After all the time they had spent in His presence, enjoying His power and provision, they still had no idea who He was and how they were to respond to Him. Centuries later, the psalmist would record God’s assessment of this generation of Israelites.

“For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.’” – Psalm 95:10 ESV

The author of The Letter to the Hebrews quoted this very passage when writing to his audience of Jewish converts to Christianity, and he followed it up with this admonition:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV

Even this New Testament congregation of Jewish believers was struggling with disbelief and doubt. Having placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, they were beginning to have second thoughts because their lot in life had not improved. Living outside the land of Israel and surrounded by pagan Gentiles, these Jewish Christians were in the minority and even despised by their fellow Hebrews. Their decision to follow Christ had left them ostracized by their own people and questioning the validity of the gospel message they had so eagerly embraced. Their difficult circumstances caused them to question the validity of Jesus’ Messiahship and tempted them to return to Judaism and the Mosaic Law.

But isn’t that what we do? We can get so consumed by dissatisfaction over our lot in life that we fail to see the miracles of God taking place all around us. We whine and moan, and spend all our time grumbling to God that we become blind to His goodness and greatness. Yet God patiently endures our rejection of Him and continues to shower us with His grace and unmerited favor.

The author of Hebrews encouraged his readers to remain committed to Christ, their Messiah.

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. – Hebrews 3:14 ESV

Rather than return to life under the Law, he wanted them to keep their eyes on the One who had set them free trying to earn their way into God’s good graces. Jesus had come to provide them with access to God’s presence through the effort of His saving work, not their own. Jesus had died for their sins so that they might enjoy full forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. This incredible gift of grace, made available by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, was to become the focus of their lives. They no longer needed to fear God and there was no need to look to the Law as a way of earning His favor. Everything they needed had been provided by Jesus.

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

The Israelites had sinned against God but had also been graciously spared. But rather than rejoice in His mercy, they feared His retribution. They had rejected His will and now, they failed to understand His ways. Because they had sinned, they expected judgment. Yet the budding of Aaron’s rod was less an indictment of their sin than it was a confirmation of God’s will. He wanted them to trust Him. His ways were righteous, just, and worthy of their obedience.

They had turned their backs on God but He had not abandoned them. The guilty had suffered the just and righteous penalty for their sins. But the vast majority of the Israelites had graciously been granted the mercy of God. Yet, they couldn’t fathom what God was doing. Rather than rejoice in His forgiveness, they expressed their fear of pending judgment. Despite all God had done, they remained ignorant of His ways and distrustful of His goodness.

The truth is, as God’s people, we still turn our back on Him, but He never abandons us. He disciplines us, but He never stops loving us. He is faithful, even when we are unfaithful. He provides us with leadership, direction, sustenance, and everything we need to survive in this hostile and sin-prone world. Yet we continually misunderstand His ways and misjudge His character. Worse yet, we end up fearing Him rather than basking in the love He pours out on us. Like the Israelites, we live as if God is out to get us, not to bless us. We view Him as a cosmic killjoy, not a loving Father who wants to meet our every need in Christ.

Sin is ultimately self-centered; it always has been. It ends up being all about me, and when I constantly focus on myself, I tend to lose sight of Him. If I’m not careful, that myopic, me-centered perspective will lead me to mischaracterize God and miss out on the joy of His blessings, just like the Israelites did.

“We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish! Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die! Are we all to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Redemption in the Face of Rebellion

36 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. 38 As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, 40 to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the Lord said to him through Moses.

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.” 42 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. – Numbers 16:36-50 ESV

God cleaned house. He purged the wickedness from the midst of the camp of Israel by swallowing the households of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then He consumed the 250 co-conspirators with fire as they attempted to offer unacceptable sacrifices to Him. When the smoke had lifted, all that was left were their bronze censers lying among the ashes with their charred bones.

This macabre scene was the result of a test that Moses had arranged to determine who among the Israelites was truly holy to the Lord.

“Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the Lord. Then we will see whom the Lord chooses as his holy one.” – Numbers 16:6-7 NLT

God had declared the outcome of the test in no uncertain terms; the guilty and unholy had been punished. Yet, their destruction produced a rather strange result. The incense burners these rebels had been carrying at the time of their destruction had been purified in the process. The Lord ordered Moses to have them gathered and hammered into a covering for the altar.

“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to pull all the incense burners from the fire, for they are holy. Also tell him to scatter the burning coals. Take the incense burners of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, and hammer the metal into a thin sheet to overlay the altar. Since these burners were used in the Lord’s presence, they have become holy. Let them serve as a warning to the people of Israel.” – Numbers 16:37-38 NLT

Those men had presented their censers filled with burning incense to the Lord, but He had consumed them with flames because they were guilty of rebelling against Him. But because their incense burners had been presented to God, they had become holy or set apart for His use.

“As we think about the notion of the ‘holy,’ we recognize that things are made holy in Scripture, not because people are holy, but because the things are presented to the Lord, who is holy. Since these wicked men presented their censers to the Lord, the censers are holy, despite the men’s own wickedness.” – Ronald B. Allen, “Numbers.” In Genesis—Numbers. Vol. 2 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

This entire story provides a powerful reminder of the ever-present danger of doubt in the life of the follower of God. Doubt has a way of turning into disobedience, and disobedience against God is nothing more than rebellion against His Word and His will.

In chapter eight of Numbers, this pattern was lived out in the lives of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On. These men were descendants of Levi and, as such, they were responsible for the care and upkeep of the tabernacle of God. God had set them apart as His servants and their jobs were essential to the spiritual well-being of the people of Israel. However, they were dissatisfied with God’s plan and wanted to debate His distribution of roles and responsibilities; they wanted more authority and a recognition of their own importance.

“You take too much upon yourselves, seeing that the whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the community of the Lord?” – Numbers 16:3 NLT

Korah’s thinly veiled expression of care for the entire community was nothing more than a ruse to cover his own desire for a greater role in the affairs of Israel. He and his companions aspired to supplant Moses and Aaron as the designated leaders of the nation. In their estimation, those two men were no better than they were. As citizens of the nation of Israel and members of the tribe of Levi, they felt they were just as qualified for leadership as Moses and his brother.

They doubted God's order of things and demanded a restructuring of responsibilities and duties. Like Miriam in chapter 12, these men expressed their doubt in God's preordained order of things and it led to their open disobedience and rebellion.

As a holy, righteous King, God was unwilling to tolerate the blatant actions of these men. While the actions of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were more pronounced and worthy of God’s wrath, the truth is that the entire congregation was guilty of turning against God. They had allowed the inflammatory words of Korah to sway their thinking and turn them against Moses and Aaron.

Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting… – Numbers 16:19 NLT

In response to this open display of communal solidarity and insurrection, God swore to pour out His divine judgment, telling Moses, “Separate yourselves from among this community, that I may consume them in an instant” (Numbers 16:21 NLT). But Moses and Aaron interceded and begged God to spare the congregation and punish only the ring leaders. Yet God would not tolerate rebellion among His people because He knew it was like cancer that, if left unchecked, would spread and infect the entire community. So He set out to eradicate it but, in keeping with Moses’ request, He chose to spare the people.

But despite Moses’ intercession and God’s gracious acquittal of the people, the text reveals that “on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, ‘You have killed the people of the Lord’” (Numbers 16:41 ESV). Unwilling to express gratitude for God’s sparing of their lives, they once again display their ignorance of God’s ways. Refusing to believe that the previous day’s events had been God's will, they openly rebelled against God's representatives and accused them of murder.

Once again, God warned Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from the people because He was about to destroy them. But Moses interceded yet again, telling Aaron to take his censer and “carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the Lord; the plague has begun” (Numbers 16:36 ESV).

The judgment of God had already begun, and Moses' quick thinking and Aarons' immediate response spared the lives of many. Despite the brothers’ rapid response, 14,700 people died that day – at the hand of God. Yet, the number would have been much higher had Moses and Aaron not taken immediate steps to intercede. The rebellion of the people had been a sin against God, and only the atoning work of Aaron, the high priest, had been able to satisfy the righteous judgment of God against them.

Doubt is inevitable and, if left unchecked, it will always result in disobedience and rebellion against God. Mankind is prone to unfaithfulness, even those who call themselves followers of God. Disobedience is in our nature and the risk of rebellion is a constant threat for each of us.

In the gospel of Luke, there is another story of the people of God rebelling against the will of God. He had sent His Son as the Savior of the world but Jesus didn't come in the form the Israelites had expected. He failed to measure up to the standards they had set for their long-awaited Messiah. Rather than appearing as a conquering king on a white horse leading a powerful army, Jesus had shown up as a carpenter from the small hamlet of Nazareth, accompanied by a rag-tag group of disciples. Instead of revering Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah, the religious leaders of Israel responded with revulsion. As His popularity spread, their desire to eliminate Him grew stronger; they longed to rid themselves of His presence. Eventually, they had Him arrested and dragged before Pilate, the Roman governor. Their goal was to convince Pilate that Jesus was a potential threat to Roman rule by portraying Him as an insurrectionist and troublemaker. Their hope was for a speedy trial and the execution of this upstart Rabbi from Nazareth. But much to their surprise and disappointment, Pilate found Jesus to be innocent of any wrongdoing. He tried repeatedly to release Him, but the Jewish leaders convinced the people to demand His crucifixion. Out of fear that the people would stage a riot, Pilate gave in to their demands.

Their doubt led to disobedience, which resulted in rebellion, and led to the death of the One whom God had sent. They doubted God's Word and rejected His will. Writing more than 750 years before the events of the crucifixion, the prophet Isaiah predicted, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NLT).

God sent His Son to deal with the rebellion of mankind. Yet, Jesus did not come to pour out the wrath of His Father on sinful humanity. In fact, He declared, “I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” (John 12:47 ESV). His incarnation was the first step in God’s grand redemptive plan to restore humanity to a right relationship with Himself. Jesus provided a means by which sinful men and women could be healed and made whole. He paid the debt that humanity’s sin had incurred. He suffered the death that was the penalty for mankind’s rebellion against His Father. He took on the penalty for our rebellion against God.

It’s interesting to note that Aaron was able to atone for the sins of the people by taking fire from the altar of God and using it to ignite incense in a censer. The same fire that had consumed the 250 leaders who had rejected God’s will was used to atone for and spare the rebellious Israelites. An incense burner in the hand of God’s anointed was how God redeemed the unholy and undeserving. The all-consuming fire of God actually averted the deaths of tens of thousands of Israelites who had been deserving of God’s judgment. The plague was averted and the people were spared.

In much the same way, Jesus, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity provides healing and atonement for sinful humanity. The Light of the world did not come to condemn and consume but to enlighten the darkness and provide life to those living under the penalty of death. As Jesus told the woman accused of adultery, “…neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.” Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:11-12 BSB).

Even in the face of man’s ongoing rebellion, God is gracious to provide a way of redemption.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God Takes All Sin Seriously

22 “But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses, 23 all that the Lord has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the Lord gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations, 24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer one bull from the herd for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the Lord, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the rule, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the people of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, because it was a mistake, and they have brought their offering, a food offering to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord for their mistake. 26 And all the congregation of the people of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them, because the whole population was involved in the mistake.

27 “If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 And the priest shall make atonement before the Lord for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.” 

32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the Lord said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the Lord commanded Moses. – Numbers 15:22-36 ESV

The people of Israel were guilty of having committed the sin of rebellion. They had purposefully rejected His command to enter the land of Canaan because they doubted His ability to give them victory over its current occupants. According to the assessment of the ten spies, the pagan nations that populated the promised land were too powerful and the odds of failure were insurmountable. There was no way a rag-tag militia comprised of former slaves, shepherds, and farmers was going to defeat the well-armed and highly-trained armies of the Canaanites, Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites. So, they decided to disobey God’s will, dismiss His appointed leaders, and return to Egypt.

But rather than raining down judgment and wiping them off the face of the earth, God sentenced that generation of Israelites to a lifetime of meaningless wandering in the wilderness – until the last of them died off. They would pay for their sin by receiving a permanent ban on entering the land of promise and would never enjoy the promise of God’s rest.

Their sin had been deliberate and premeditated; they had intentionally rejected God’s will and would have to suffer the consequences. But in verses 22-26, God graciously made provision for unintentional sin. He knew there would be occasions when His children sinned “by mistake.” In other words, they would accidentally or unintentionally violate His commands without knowing they had done so, and He made provision for those inevitable occasions.

God provided Moses with a hypothetical “what-if” scenario designed to eliminate the guilt that came from inadvertently violating His commands. He made a provision for man’s built-in propensity for committing sin, and this special dispensation was to be long-standing and applicable to every successive generation.

“And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the Lord has commanded through Moses. If the mistake was made unintentionally, and the community was unaware of it, the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” – Numbers 15:23-24 NLT

The kind of sacrifices referred to in these verses were meant to cover sins of commission as well as omission. Whether the guilty party simply forgot to keep a command (omission) or unknowingly violated a command (commission), as long as they had done so by mistake, they could receive forgiveness. But it was to be a community-wide affair. Once they discovered the presence of sin in the camp, the entire nation was to take a part in making atonement for the offense.

“…the whole community must present a young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It must be offered along with its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering and with one male goat for a sin offering.” – Numbers 15:24 NLT

Sin is sin, and its impact is universal. No one sins alone. The nature of sin is that it is highly contagious and infectious. It can spread like yeast in a lump of dough or like cancer cells in the human body, and it doesn’t matter whether the sin was committed intentionally or not. Any violation of God’s law requires confession and restitution. The sin must be atoned for and that atonement required a sacrifice.

God knew that anyone was capable of committing unintentional sin, including the high priest.

“If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed.” – Leviticus 4:3 NLT

The price for his atonement was an unblemished young bull, and if the entire community happened to commit corporate sin without realizing it, they were also required to sacrifice a young bull. If one of the nation’s leaders committed an unintentional sin, he was required to offer an unblemished goat as payment. In all three cases, the blood of the sacrificed animal was to be placed on the horns of the altar within the Tabernacle. The Leviticus passage above makes it clear that even sins committed by mistake would render the individual, leader, or community guilty before God. Unless atonement was made, that guilt would lead to condemnation.

Yet, when the sin was exposed, the guilt was admitted, and the proper sacrifice was made, both the individual and the community could expect to receive the forgiveness of God.

“With it the priest will purify the whole community of Israel, making them right with the Lord, and they will be forgiven.” – Numbers 15:25 NLT

But what about those who knowingly and deliberately violated one of God’s commands? What hope did they have of receiving God’s forgiveness?

“But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community.” – Numbers 15:30 NLT

The language suggests that this individual has boldly and unapologetically chosen to disobey the revealed will of God; there is no sense of remorse or regret. No confession is forthcoming and no repentance is displayed. Even when the sin is exposed, this individual persists in justifying and continuing his rebellious ways – with impunity - and the consequences are drastic: “They must be cut off from the community.”

This is not suggesting their dismissal from the camp or some kind of public ostracization. No, this is a call for their execution. The guilty party is to be cut off from the community by putting them to death. The kind of sins God has in mind are those that are committed against Him. This would include the worship of false gods, the fabricating of idols, taking His name in vain, or failing to honor the Sabbath. These violations would incur God’s wrath and demand the death of the perpetrator.

The book of Leviticus indicates that willful sins committed against another individual were to be treated differently. While all violations of God’s laws are ultimately sins against Him, He made special provisions for sins committed against a neighbor.

“Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the Lord. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, or you find lost property and lie about it, or you lie while swearing to tell the truth, or you commit any other such sin. If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty.” – Leviticus 6:2-4 NLT

Repentance and restitution were required. Amends must be made. But not only that, a guilt offering was demanded to restore the sinner’s relationship with God.

“As a guilt offering to the Lord, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. Through this process, the priest will purify you before the Lord, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed.” – Leviticus 6:6-7 NLT

And, as if to give a concrete example of a non-repentant and brazenly defiant sin against God, Moses includes the story of a Sabbath-breaker. The man was discovered collecting firewood on the Sabbath, in direct violation of the fourth commandment. Evidently, he knew exactly what he was doing and was defiant in doing so. The penalty for his blatant display of disobedience against God was death.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him outside the camp.” So the whole community took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. – Numbers 15:35-36 NLT

The difference in this situation is that the man sinned “with a high hand” (Numbers 15:30 ESV). In an act of willful disobedience, he knowingly and presumptuously violated God’s law regarding work on the Sabbath. He placed himself above God’s law; determining that his will took precedence over God’s word.

“The sin is described literally as acting “with a high hand”—בְּיָד רָמָה (byad ramah). The expression means that someone would do something with deliberate defiance, with an arrogance in spite of what the Lord said. It is as if the sinner was about to attack God, or at least lifting his hand against God. The implication of the expression is that it was done in full knowledge of the Law (especially since this contrasts throughout with the sins of ignorance). Blatant defiance of the word of the Lord is dealt with differently.” – NET Bible Study Notes

God knew that His people were going to sin. It was an inevitable and unavoidable fact, and they had proven it repeatedly. Everyone would sin at some point; the important distinction was whether that sin was intentional or not. Secondly, it was important to differentiate between horizontal and vertical sin. A sin committed against a brother could be atoned for and forgiven. But any willful and unrepentant violation of one of the first four commandments would bring down God’s wrath. God took deliberate and “high-handed” sins committed against Himself quite seriously because they were considered acts of rebellion that would lead the people to reject Him. That is why the ten spies had been put to death.

It was inevitable that the Israelites would sin; so God gave them the sacrificial system to provide a means of atonement and forgiveness. Those sins were redeemable through God’s grace but brazen sins committed against God were unforgivable and deserving of His righteous indignation and full justice.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Never Forget

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6 And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.” – Numbers 9:1-14 ESV

The first 14 verses of chapter 9 record God’s call for Israel to celebrate the second annual Passover. A year had passed since He had instituted the original Passover meal that had resulted in the deliverance of the people of Israel from the divine judgment meted out by the Death Angel. Any home where the blood of an unblemished lamb had been spread on the doorpost and lintel had been spared the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12). The sacrifice of the innocent lambs provided protection from the wrath of God. Their lives were offered up in place of the firstborn sons of the Israelites.

God graciously reminded His people to keep this annual festival, knowing that they would naturally tend to forget. Much had transpired since they left Egypt a year earlier and the celebration of that long-forgotten night would have been the last thing on their minds. Yet, God had commanded them to commemorate the Passover every year on the same day from generation to generation.

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” – Exodus 12:14 ESV

The second-annual Passover was to occur in the first month of the second year after the Exodus. This means it took place a month earlier than the census recorded in chapter 1, which God had instituted “on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (Numbers 1:1 ESV). This tells us that the events recorded in Numbers are not necessarily in chronological order.

As per God’s command, the Passover was to be kept “at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules” (Numbers 9:3 ESV). Nothing was left to chance. They couldn’t skip it or make any changes to it. Everything had to be done in keeping with the requirements spelled out by God on the evening of the first Passover.

“Every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. …Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.” – Exodus 12:3, 5-6 ESV

As part of the celebration, the people of Israel were required to reenact all the requirements that  God had handed down regarding the Passover, including the sacrifice of the lamb.

“…take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” – Exodus 12:7 ESV

While they were living in Egypt, the Israelites had been shepherds (Exodus 9:1-7), so they had ready access to the lambs necessary for obeying God’s commands. Even when they departed Egypt, they did so with “great flocks and herds of livestock” (Exodus 12:38 NLT).  So, they had plenty of resources to obey God’s command and commemorate this annual festival.

Once again, they were not free to twist the rules or skimp on the requirements. The lambs must be without blemish. They couldn’t cut corners by offering a flawed or disfigured animal. That would have made the sacrifice unacceptable to God. Every detail concerning the celebration of the original Passover had been critical and non-negotiable. If they wanted to experience God’s deliverance, the people would have to do everything according to His exacting standards. As the years passed and each successive generation asked, “What does this ceremony mean?,” their parents were to answer, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families” (Exodus 12:25-27 NLT).

God had graciously spared the Israelites, but they had been required to do everything according to plan. Their obedience was non-optional and non-negotiable and, a year later, that fact remained unchanged.

The Passover was all about God’s mercy and grace. When the Death Angel passed through the land of Canaan, all the firstborns of the flocks and herds were to die, as well as the firstborns of all the households in Egypt. That would have included the Israelites – unless they obeyed God’s command and purified their homes with the blood of the unblemished lamb.

The Passover meal had been ordained for the Israelites alone. God had made it perfectly clear that “no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal” (Exodus 12:48 NLT). Any foreigner wishing to celebrate that Passover and escape the wrath of God was required to undergo the right of circumcision. 

“If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite.” – Exodus 12:48 NLT

And a year later, another provision was made for those who were ceremonially unclean.

…some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. – Numbers 9:6 NLT

Having come into contact with a corpse, they had become defiled and ceremonially impure. As a result, they were unable to celebrate the Passover meal or take part in the rest of the events associated with the festival. So, they made an appeal to Moses.

“We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the Lord’s offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?” – Numbers 9:7 NLT

Unsure as to what to do about this unexpected conundrum, Moses sought direction from God, and He responded.

“They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month.” – Numbers 9:11 NLT

This act of leniency would not have been possible a year earlier. Passover took place the very night on which the Death Angel passed through the land. A month’s delay would have resulted in death. But God had already delivered His people and they had escaped His judgment. Now, a year later, He could extend them grace by allowing them to delay their eating of the meal for 30 days; just enough time for them to undergo ceremonial purification and restoration. Once the month-long delay was complete, they were to keep every aspect of God’s command down to the last detail.

“They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.” – Numbers 9:12 NLT

God was gracious and came up with a provision for their defilement. But anyone who simply neglected to keep the Passover could not expect to enjoy the mercy of God.

“But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the Lord’s offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt.” – Numbers 9:13 NLT

These individuals were to be treated as ceremonially unclean and cut off from the faith community. Their failure to obey God’s commands concerning the Passover would result in their banishment. There would be no Death Angel passing through the midst of the camp, but they would suffer relational death – a painful removal from their family and friends and, worse yet, from the presence of God.

And God held everyone within the Israelite community to the same exacting standards, whether they were Jews or Gentile converts to Judaism.

“…if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.” – Numbers 9:14 NLT

Some biblical scholars believe the reference to being “cut off” from the faith community is really a reference to physical death. One of the verses they use to support this interpretation is found in the book of Leviticus.

“All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God’s people. And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day.” – Leviticus 23:29-30 NLT

God commanded that the annual Day of Atonement be treated as a Sabbath day of rest. The people of Israel were prohibited from doing any work from sundown of one day to sundown of the next. If they did, they were to be cut off or destroyed. And those who failed to keep the Passover were also to be “cut off” so that they might “suffer the consequences of their guilt” (Numbers 9:13 NLT).

Whether the separation was merely physical, in terms of removal from the fellowship, or of a more permanent nature, due to death, it is clear that God considered obedience to His commands to be mandatory. His people were to keep His word or face the consequences. God had established the Passover as a memorial, an annual event designed to remind each successive generation of His gracious deliverance. He had protected His chosen people from certain death by providing them with a sacrificial substitute, an unblemished lamb whose life and blood served as a means of atonement. And the annual commemoration of this event was meant to remind them of God’s deliverance. When their children asked for an explanation for this bizarre ritual, the parents were to respond: “It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.” (Exodus 12:27 ESV).

For us, the Passover serves as a reminder of the greater sacrifice that God offered on our behalf. He sent His Son to serve as the ultimate Passover Lamb whose blood would deliver from death and provide eternal life. The apostle Paul would remind the believers in Corinth, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7 NLT). John the Baptist would describe Jesus as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NLT). According to the apostle Peter, this spotless Lamb of God served as God’s gracious ransom for mankind’s sin debt.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.