Month: April 2018

April 2, Reading 1 – Leviticus 9

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

These priests had to offer sacrifice for their own sins and that continually. We find here the reason Christ is most necessary. See Hebrews chapters 7-10, esp. 10:10,11, for a good understanding of how these chapters of Leviticus teach us of Christ.

SJA Notes

* Father God, You are without sin. We are sinners. Thank You for Jesus, through whom we are saved.

“And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the alter, …”

God consumed these offerings with fire. Another example of this is when Elijah came up against Ahab and the prophets of Baal, the Lord consuming a very water-logged offering with fire from heaven.

Remember back to when God called Moses at the burning bush back in Exodus ch 3.

“He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.”

Even though we see God consuming the burnt offerings and animal sacrifices with fire – We know that these are only a symbol, a pointer.

We are called to be living sacrifices (Romans ch 12), burning but not consumed.

God’s plan was always this for His people, as we see in Him calling Moses, long before the sacrificial laws were given.

But we know that for this to happen Jesus had to become the once-for-all sacrifice. A sacrifice that purified and redeemed us from our sin, so that we can offer up ourselves to God each day.

* Dear God,

Thank You for sending Yourself to earth, for offering up Yourself as a sacrifice, making it possible for us to be burning but not consumed.

Please help us to offer up ourselves as living sacrifices today and onwards.

Amen.

April 2, Reading 2 – Psalm 109

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

We find the silences of God disturbing. People can be so cruel. We can suffer so much from their hands. David is not quiescent in the face of such attack. He turns to God and pours out all the feelings of his heart. Don’t be shocked. Turn to Him for He is at your right hand in your need!

SJA Notes

* Help us, O LORD our God, save us according to Your steadfast love!

“May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!”

These are word-word statements David is making.

“May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!”

David is not only asking God to limit evil generally, but that God limit evil _people_.

What reason could David have for bringing this kind of prayer?

He says of the wicked man,

“For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.”

David is praying for the end of people who work evil. Of people who bring death to the poor and need, people who love to curse (and do not like blessing).

David brings these people before the Lord and asks for them to be punished.

Let us be encouraged to dwell on these words, even though they may seem hard and judgemental.

Let us be encouraged to wrestle with our own experiences with people.

Let us give thanks to the Lord,

“For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.”

* Father God,

Thank You Lord, we give You thanks.

Please help us to praise You in the places You have put us.

You stand at the right hand of the needy one – thank You Lord!

Amen.

April 2, Reading 3 – Mark 2:23-3:12

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Jesus gives us some guidelines for what we do on Sundays – find at least three. Our rest is in the resurrection of Jesus – the new creation, not in the old creation. So we worship on the first day of the week – Sunday, not the last day – Saturday. Sabbath just means rest day.

SJA Notes

* God Above, Jesus is Your word become flesh. Please show us Jesus today.

“And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart,”

Jesus is not a peace-loving mung-bean.

It is important for us to know this, to continue to remember that He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

That He will return, as we read in Revelation 19,

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”

And further down a little,

“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”

Jesus will return as the conquering king. To tread out God’s fury upon His enemies.

This is a God that should not be taken lightly.

* Holy God,

Thank You for hiding us in Christ from the just desserts for our sin, Your wrath being poured out.

Please save those around us, please Lord, we would see them saved through Jesus.

Your word tells us that in Christ and Him alone we are saved from Your wrath.

Please may we see Jesus today.

Amen.