EXODUS AND LEVITICUS

My what a wonderful day we had at Church yesterday.  The fourth of July!  We celebrated by having church and then a meal for everyone and then we had another service in the parking lot.  It was a most enjoyable time!  Today, I finished up Exodus and read the first ten chapters in Leviticus as well.  Here are a few thoughts: 1) THE SABBATH- Exodus 31 deals with the Sabbath, and here is the teaching:  vs. 13- "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep:  for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."  vs. 15-"Six days my work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, honly to the LORD:  whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall be put to death."  vs. 16-  "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."  vs. 17- "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever:  for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed."   The teaching is:  a. The Sabbath is Holy  b. The Sabbath was a day of rest  c. The Sabbath was for the Jews  (not Gentiles)  d. The Sabbath had consequences if broken  e. The Sabbath was an everlasting covenant between God and the children of Israel  f. The Sabbath was a sign that they were God's people     *It is for the Jews, not Gentiles, and certainly not Christians.  2) TURNING THE HEART OF GOD- I do not understand all of the theology of it, but I do know that God listened to Moses and changed His mind.  I'm sure God knew what He would already do, but the scriptures tell us that Moses spoke to God and turned the heart of God.  In Exodus 32:10, God said:  "Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them:  and I will make of thee a great nation."  Moses then talks in verses 11, and 12, and ends with:  "Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people."  and then verse 14 says:  "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."  HIS HEART WAS TURNED!  But also in Exodus 33:2, it says:  "And I will send an angel before thee;...."  Then in verse 15, Moses says:  "And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."   (Moses is saying an angel will not do; God Himself must go with him.)  So, in verse 17 we read:  "And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken:  for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."   Now these verses show us that Moses was allowed to speak to the LORD in such a fashion that Moses turned the heart of God!  I know it was God's choosing, but he allowed Moses to have a small part in that.  So we too should go before God knowing that HE listens to us!! 3) IDENTIFYING WITH THE OFFERING- Eight times in Leviticus chapters 3 and 4, it says:  "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering..."  3:2, 8, 13; 4: 4, 15, 24, 29, & 33.  The idea is identifying with the offering.  The idea is that what this sacrifice is about to get.... I deserve!  We identify with Jesus Christ and His sacrifice by faith.  We are believing that Christ died for us.... that is... in our place!  By faith we acknowledge that we deserved the death Christ died in our stead.  We identify with Him and His death by our faith in His finished work! Well, I have so much more I could write about that I marked down but I had better quit.  I hope you have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler