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Date:         Tue, 19 Mar 1996 08:25:07 +-100
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
              
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
              
From: Teus Benschop 
Subject:      ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 75 [via LSMTP - see 
www.lsoft.com]
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP 

Contents
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1. Leviticus 1:3-9      - The burnt sacrifice
2. Jeremiah 23:16,17    - Own imaginations
3. Revelations 1:12-14  - The Son of man


1.  Leviticus 1:3-9 - The burnt sacrifice
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Weekly reading: Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26 (= 6:7, Eng.)


3  If  his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer  a
male  without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will  at
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

Here  we  have the law for a burnt sacrifice. This law is not for  the
regular  burnt sacrifices, but for the sacrifices that are brought  of
one's own voluntary will. Such a voluntary person wished to thank God,
or  to  ask  forgiveness for committed sins. That  person  voluntarily
brought a sacrifice to the LORD. When he were to bring is unwillingly,
then it wouldn't haven been acceptable for him. The LORD wishes to  be
served  voluntarily,  not grudgingly. The mean  people  might  perhaps
bring  not  the  best of their flock, but here we have a  person  that
brings a male of his herd, without blemish: an animal of a good value.
Further,  he  also brings it voluntarily. These things are  acceptable
before the LORD.

4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering;  and
it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

The  person that brings the offer shall put his hand upon the head  of
the burnt offering, that is, upon the head of that beast. Why? That is
might  be accepted for him. Accepted? For what? To make atonement  for
him. The person had sinned, and asked forgiveness. For that reason, he
brings a burnt sacrifice, to make atonement for him. He lays his  hand
on  the  head  of the animal, to testify by that, that he  consecrated
this offering to the LORD. The person gave this offer to the LORD, and
put  it  before Him, to be an offering in his own stead.  He  was  the
sinner,  and therefore had to die. But now, he gives this beast,  that
is might die in his stead. The person that offers hereby asks mercy of
God,  that  his sins may be forgiven. The acceptance of this  offering
through  the LORD will make atonement for him. This showed  forth  the
Messiah, Who was then yet to come. By faith the person looked  forward
to  the coming Messiah, Who was promised to Israel. The burnt offering
showed  forth,  and sealed the future atonement, to  be  made  by  the
Messiah.
The  person that offered was justified freely by God's grace,  through
the redemption that would be in Jesus Christ. We know this, because we
live now, and can look back on this great happening. Jesus Christ, the
burnt  sacrifice, Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation  through
faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission  of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. (Rom. 3:24,25). In
Christ Jesus have we redemption through his blood, the forgiveness  of
sins,  according to the riches of God's grace. (Eph. 1:7). We have  in
Jesus  the  "redemption  through His blood, even  the  forgiveness  of
sins", Col 1:14.

5  And  he  shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and  the  priests,
Aaron's  sons,  shall bring the blood, and sprinkle  the  blood  round
about  upon  the  altar that is by the door of the tabernacle  of  the
congregation.

The  bullock was to be killed before the LORD. Since the bullock  died
in  stead of the person, he could see what would have happened to him,
if  his sins were not forgiven. Then not the bullock should be killed,
but the person himself. While the person was looking at this, he might
feel  the  greatness of his sins. He was worthy of death, but  through
God's grace the bullock died in his stead, showing forth the death  of
the Messiah, Whose Name is Jesus Christ (as we now know).

6 And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces.

The  bullock  should not only be killed, but also be cut into  pieces.
Look  how  great  the sin is. Sin causes the bullock to  be  cut  into
pieces,  so  that the sinner might be released. Look  also  how  great
God's mercy is, to forgive the great and many sins of all believers.

7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and
lay the wood in order upon the fire:
8  And  the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head,  and
the  fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the
altar:
9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest
shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made
by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Further,  the  beast should be burnt wholly. This  fire  showed  forth
God's wrath against both sin and sinner. God is so angry with sin  and
with the sinner, that His anger burns like flames. These flames devour
everything that is sinful. Only through remission of sins, there is  a
way  of escape for us. The person that offered saw it before his eyes.
The animal was burnt. That beast was burnt in his stead.
We  don't have offerings any longer, but we can look back, and read in
the  Word, that Jesus was God's sacrifice, the unblemished Lamb,  that
died for the sins of all those that are given Him.



2.  Jeremiah 23:16,17 - Own imaginations
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Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
    Hearken not unto the words of the prophets
    that prophesy unto you:
    they make you vain:
    they speak a vision of their own heart,
    and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
    They say still unto them that despise me,
         The LORD hath said,
              Ye shall have peace;
    and they say unto every one
    that walketh after the imagination of his own heart,
         No evil shall come upon you.

There  are  prophets  enough  in the world,  but  are  they  all  true
prophets? Also Israel had prophets enough, but were they all  send  by
the  LORD?  Were they true prophets, sent by God, or were  they  false
ones,  sent  by  Satan? The true prophets speak truth, but  the  false
prophets  speak  falsehood  (though under the  cover  and  pretext  of
truth).

There  are prophets, whereof God says: "They make you vain". That  is,
they  deceive  you with false promises. If you rely on them,  then  it
will come out that you have deceived yourself. Of these prophets,  God
also says: "They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the
mouth  of  the  LORD". That is, these false prophets speak  what  they
think up themselves, and not what they receive of God. They speak  the
dreams  of  their  heart. They are the foolish prophets,  that  follow
their  own  spirit, and have seen nothing. Ezek 13:3.  These  are  the
prophets, when they stand at the pulpit, vomit out all what  has  come
up  in  their heart, and in their dreams. A few weeks ago, I  heard  a
minister say: "When I must prepare my sermon, I don't know what to say
or  what to prepare. But when I begin, then I take a paper and a  pen,
and begin to write. While writing, there come up something in my mind,
and  I can thus finish my preparation. This is my sermon for the  next
day." This minister's very own words prove that he is a false prophet.
Because  he  prophecies  what  come  up  in  his  own  heart,  without
consulting the Scriptures.

"Thus  saith  the  LORD of hosts: Hearken not unto the  words  of  the
prophets  that  prophecy unto you. They make you vain.  They  speak  a
vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD." They
speak  every dream that comes up in their heart, but the silent  about
the  truth  of  God and His Word. These prophets try to  please  their
listeners.  To  please them, they have so speak soft things.  A  thing
these ministers always and ever will avoid, is speaking of the sins of
the  congregation.  They might lose their listeners,  and  also  their
living!  Speak  therefore soft things, and suppress the  truth,  false
prophets!

According to our text, and also according to the present situation  in
too many churches, "They say still unto them that despise Me, The LORD
hath  said,  Ye shall have peace". So, every despiser of God  is  told
that he will have peace. This is contrary to the truth, of course, but
the  false  prophets either are blind for the truth, or they  wilfully
reject it lest they lose both their listeners, and their living.  Many
people  despise God. They once a month, or even once a year go to  the
church, and when they are there, they listen to the flattering  sermon
of  their  false prophet. ("Glad to see you", instead of  "those  that
reject  God  will be judged"). "They say still unto them that  despise
me, The LORD has said, You shall have peace".

There  are  also people that "walk after the imagination of their  own
heart".  They think that they are good religious people. According  to
the  imagination of their own heart, they "have never hurt  somebody",
"have never stolen", "are always friendly, and help everybody", "never
commit evil", and so on. According to their own hearts, they are  good
people,  and will finally enter heaven. They never consult  the  Word,
nor  love God, but yet they think that they live good lives. They love
themselves,  and their own flesh, but they care not for God,  nor  for
His  Word, nor for His honour. They don't oppose falsehood in doctrine
or  life,  because they don't love God, and therefore it hinders  them
not that the world is full of God's enemies. Their ministers tell them
the  same  as what the false prophets in our text tell. "And they  say
unto  every one that walks after the imagination of his own heart:  No
evil shall come upon you".

Looking  around  us, we see and hear the truth of Jesus'  words:  "And
many  false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many", Matt  24:11.
Therefore this advice is suitable: "Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but  try  the  spirits  whether they are of God:  because  many  false
prophets are gone out into the world", 1 John 4:1.





3.  Revelations 1:12-14 - The Son of man
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12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.
    And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks
    one like unto the Son of man,
    clothed with a garment down to the foot,
    and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow;
    and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

John  saw  the  Son  of  men,  standing in  the  midst  of  the  seven
candlesticks.  These candlesticks represent the seven  churches  which
are  in Asia. These seven churches are precious to Christ, the Son  of
man. Therefore He stands in their midst. The churches on earth are  as
precious  unto  God, as gold is precious to us. No, the  churches  are
more  precious then anything on earth. God sends His Son to  stand  in
their midst, to lead and guard them, and to protect them against every
enemy.

John  saw  the Son of man standing in the midst of the churches.  This
Son  of man is Jesus Christ. It is said here, that John saw one  "like
unto  the Son of man". Not "the Son", but "like unto the Son of  man".
This  is because Christ here appears not in his real person, but in  a
vision. John saw one like unto the Son of man. Christ is "clothed with
a  garment down to the foot". Such garments were worn by the  priests.
Christ  is  the chief of priests. He is our High priest,  serving  His
office  in  heaven, daily praying for His church.  John  saw  in  this
vision  that  Christ was "girt about the paps with a  golden  girdle".
This girdle show His readiness in executing His office.

The  head  of Christ, and his hairs, were seen by John as  white  like
wool,  and  as  white as snow. Jesus' eyes are like  flames  of  fire.
Christ  is God, and is knowing all. With His eyes, He pierces  through
everything. The thoughts of our inner parts are opened before Him.  He
knows,  and  sees all. His eyes are like flames of fire. He penetrates
through  all, even through the thickest darkness. Nothing is hid  from
His eyes. The sinner will fall as dead before Him, because there is no
sinner that will stand His penetrating gaze, with eyes like flames  of
fire.

Every  person stands condemned before this Christ, because nothing  is
his  from Him. Even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags before Him.
When  we have never met this God, then we think that we are righteous.
Through  our  blindness and ignorance, we think  that  our  deeds  are
acceptable  before  the  Lord. But as soon  as  Christ's  eyes  pierce
through  us,  through  our  hearts and  through  our  minds,  then  we
instantly  see that we are cursed sinners. Everything that  seemed  to
us,  formerly,  good  and  pleasant, shows  itself  now  in  its  true
filthiness.  Even our best works become then abominable in  our  eyes.
This is the result of having met Jesus' eyes, that are like flames  of
fire.  "LORD Jesus, come down and draw Thine sword, that it may divide
our inner parts, and cut through all our opposition against Thou". May
God  send  His Spirit, that we may see the eyes of Jesus Christ,  like
flames  of  fire.  Then  we  see ourselves as  we  are:  valueless  in
ourselves;   unable  to  do  any  spiritual  good;   cursed   sinners;
transgressors standing condemned before God's tribunal; sinners caught
in  the  act.  We  then will see ourselves as we are, and  our  drowsy
blindness will instantly disappear. Let's Christ eyes, like flames  of
fire, open also our eyes, that we may see the truth.



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chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
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