Leviticus 25:47-27:13 ~ Mark 10:32-52 ~ Psalm 45:1-17 ~ Proverbs 10:22
Today is the 2nd day of March. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian. It is my pleasure and it’s a joy that we can come together like this for the next step forward. That’s what we’ll do by first going back out into the wilderness among the children of Israel as their laws and customs are being initiated. We’re reading from the Names of God Bible this week, Leviticus chapter 25, verse 47 through 27, verse 13 today.
Commentary
In the book of Leviticus for the last several days we’ve been hearing as the laws and the customs and the rituals and the festivals are being instituted by God through Moses to the people. Where his tabernacle will be in the camp, what it is supposed to look like, very detailed, all of the things that are required to make this people who are just slaves from Egypt, they don’t really know how to govern themselves. They’ve only been slaves for four centuries. There is this massive horde of over a million people out on the desert floor, out in the middle of nowhere and they are being utterly transformed. Every little detail about what their culture is going to look like, they need to know these things. They don’t know how to be anything but a slave. A lot of people think this patch of scripture is sort of tedious and yet, man, when you dig into it, you realize there is just a lot there. There is a lot to apply to our own lives. There is a lot to understand just historically where this story is going, why this is happening. When we understand why this is happening, it all makes sense.
We get today to a place where God is kind of recapping. Alright, here are the things that I’ve told you and here are the blessings that you can expect by obeying these things. And, conversely, here are the curses and punishments that you can expect by not. Which brings us to consider the laws of the Lord, the things that we are to do and the things that we are not to do, the things that will bring upon us blessing and the things that will bring us dire circumstances. We wonder how do we do all this? And we wonder why God is controlling everything in these people’s lives and why do we feel that way from time to time? But is that really what is going on here? Do we think that God wants to control us? Because that would pretty much fly in the face of everything else he has ever done, beginning in the Garden of Eden. Did God control Adam and Eve as they lifted their hand and plucked the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? And then did he force that hand to bring the fruit into their mouths and did he contract their jaws so that they bit in rebellion? He did not. He does not. So what we find often in the laws and rules is something very fascinating, because embedded with them is blessing and life. So yes, they are commands, but also invitations.
God isn’t up in heaven just trying to dream up new rules for the people of earth. He is saying, look, Eden has fallen and we have what we have, but let me show you the narrow path that leads to life. Let me show you the way back to yourself. Let me show you the narrow path that will lead you back to who you were created to be. If you will stay within these parameters and not look at them as a cage but look at them as a path then you’ll understand what I’m doing. I’m setting you apart. You are different. You are mine. You are holy.
That intertwining of God’s Holy Spirit, divinity within our humanity can change the world. It is supposed to change the world. We are not here accidentally on some aimless, unfathomable journey that does not make any sense whatsoever and then we die. We are here to participate in the restoration of all things back to God as they were intended from the very beginning. If we will listen to him, if we will listen to his word and walk with him in spirit, he will only lead us to life. He is the source of life. He is love. These are the paths that he will lead us upon because he delights in us. He loves us.
So yeah, we’ll find plenty of opportunity to encounter the idea of cursings in the Bible, judgments in the Bible, and it’s very easy to move through some of this territory and go like, ‘Man, that’s a vengeful God there,’ but these are reactions. God is simply saying, ‘Look, because you chose otherwise, this is what is going to happen. You don’t have to choose that way. You don’t have to walk into your own judgment. It is just out there. The choice is yours. There is a path that leads to life and then there is a much larger path that doesn’t. What road are you on? What road are you going to choose? I’m doing everything I can possibly do to show you the path that will lead to life.” So often what we do is try to find our own shortcuts to lead to life. It’s just that when we get there, what we were looking for and what we were looking at is not going to give us life and we find out we’ve slid off the narrow path.
So when we encounter these passages of scripture, may we keep this in mind because it applies today. It’s not that esoteric. It applies today. What is the narrow path that leads to life for you today? Well, that would begin with intimacy with God, fellowship with God today and then choosing to walk in his will and in his ways. In other words, to obey him in the things that he has given us as signposts, as mile markers on our faith journey.
Prayer
Father, thank you for showing us these parameters. Thank you for illuminating the narrow path that leads to life. We apologize for the times that we have chosen a different path. We humble ourselves and repent for the times that we have rejected your invitation into life, choosing otherwise, choosing flashy, blinking, cardboard imitations. Forgive us for that. You have offered us the real thing and we have gone in search of some sort of easier substitute. But there is no substitute for the real thing and we want the real thing. We want to be as we were created to be and this is what the gospel offers us. So come, Holy Spirit, indwell us. Rise up within us. Help us to choose life this day. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian. I love you. I do. And I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
Hi, it’s Alicia in Kansas calling for Max M. I just let you know that, brother, I heard your prayer request today. It’s February 26th and I am praying for you. And I heard your cry, the Lord is there with you. Depression blinds us. It isolates us and I believe that if you can hook up with a Christian therapist, somebody you can talk to, get outside, get air, get around people, make sure you’re getting some human touch. Coming off those medications can make it even worse than it is, but God is there. Just keep saying Jesus. Just keep calling out his name. He is there. Those are lies. The chemical reactions in our brain can take us to different places. I’m praying for you and I know there are hundreds if not thousands of others that are praying for you, brother. Please just keep calling out for him. I love you. I’m praying for you. You are on my list and I will not stop. I ask that you do the same. Blessings, sweet brother. Bye-bye.
Hi, this is Charlotte calling from the UK for Max M. I heard your call and was really moved by just the emotion in your voice. But this is from God, I believe. There is an old song called Cast Your Burdens on Jesus, For He Cares For You. It’s an old song and I think it is based on one of the Psalms, Psalm 55 which is cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken. I just really encourage you against the depression. Just meditate on him because he is very close. He’s super close, in fact, and he loves and if you just rest in him, feel the burdens just lift off of you. Rest in his love and knowledge that he will take these burdens from you if you just keep pushing in and resting in him. And also for Justin in Sacramento, thank you for your encouragement, message. One of my friends was needing to hear that so deeply, so it did get through and it did benefit them. Thanks. Bye.
Hello Daily Audio Bible listeners. I am Cornelia here in Sydney. Thank you, Brian, for your very interesting readings from the Old Testament which I find, you know, the ones that are painted quite hard to read and you make it very interesting with the way you express the Old Testament generally. I’m just putting out a point forward for Max whose prayer request I heard on the 25th of February. Max, I understand you wanted more help for solving an issue you have with depression and that you feel really, really at a low point about it. I just want to say that answered prayer comes in many different ways. Just would like to suggest something. I’m a health practitioner and deal with people with depression and Jesus speaks to us by giving us answers in many different ways, but I thought I would give you my email address and just give you a couple of ideas that you could follow with your church community for yourself. My email is CG_Shepherd.@bigpond.com. Okay, that’s it. I heard a lot of other people really asking for prayer and I’m in prayer with them. For the gentleman with the brain tumor and also that had a kidney tumor, and I hope you can take some good supplements or things to strengthen your body during this period of time. God bless everyone and I love…
Hi, this is Victorious Soldier and I’m calling tonight to pray for some of the Dabbers. I want to pray for Nancy from Rockford, IL. Her husband’s health has declined and he has had the kidney tumor. I just want to pray for you, Nancy. It is such a blessing that the two of you are together and able to do this. I’m praying for you, Nancy, that God will continue to open up doors and bless that you all can enjoy each other. Lord, I want to pray for Pamela. She was talking about the drought there in California. I have a son that is down there too in Oroville with that flood and I’m praying for you all, that the water won’t overflow for you, that you will get the rain that you need. I want to pray for Anthony with depression. Lord, I pray for my brother Anthony. Lord, the depression is bringing him down. I pray for him and I pray for Byron and also his wife, Lord. O Lord, in the name of Jesus, Lord, you lift them up. Father, you touch them in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, they need you. You are their present help in trouble. Lord, let your word give them the joy. The joy of the Lord is their strength. O Lord, have your way with Byron and Anthony and his wife, Lord. O Lord, in the name of Jesus. Lord, you touch Nancy’s husband, Lord. O Father, in the name of Jesus, you are a doctor that never lost a case. Father, you are Jehovah Rapha. Lord, you heal, Lord, in the name of Jesus, that they can have their lives together, Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, you bless your people, Father. In the mighty name of Jesus, you touch them and you continue to bless, you continue to…
Good morning DAB family. This is Jackie in New Jersey and I’m calling with the most wonderful praise report ever. Our daughter has reconciled with me. I am so happy. Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord! Thank you for your prayers. Today is the 27th of February and this is a Monday and Saturday I took my grandson. Thank God for him. He is doing excellent in school. My granddaughter’s birthday was on Saturday and I had taken her a card, so I took my grandson over there. He wanted to be with his sister. And my granddaughter came out to get her card and this was the first time I hugged my granddaughter and her and I hugged in the car and it was just such a wonderful feeling. I started crying and she said, “Grandma, this is a new year. Stop crying. This is a new year.” That’s what she kept reciting to me, so I looked over her shoulder and my daughter was standing out of the car and my granddaughter got out of the car. She said she loved me and my daughter got in the car and oh, it was such a wonderful feeling. She hugged me and told me to stop crying and stop crying and she said, “Mom, I love you.” And we just hugged and I told her I loved her back. She got out of the car and I left, but I smiled all the way home. I was so excited. Thank you for your prayers. I appreciate everything. I love my family. I love my DAB family. Amen.
Well good afternoon Daily Audio Bible family. My name is Dionne, the Radical Midwife, and I have been a Dabber for the last three years. This, however, is my absolute first time calling. Brian, I just want to tell you thank you for your act of obedience, first and foremost, for your lovingkindness, and for sharing your precious wife with us, Miss Jill. I’m sorry for the loss of your mother. I know it has been a couple of months. I have a prayer request, if I can. I have a 14-year-old son who was diagnosed with brain and spine cancer on August 19, 2016. We have been constantly battling, but I am yet encouraged in the Lord. I am trusting and believing that God is going to use his life to get the glory. I am believing without wavering. It has been a long arduous road, but I know that God is able. To all of you that call in, Miss Warrior Princess, Honey, you bless me all the time. I thank God for you. And I believe it’s Blind Man, the Poet, thank you for sharing and encouraging and checking in on people. And lastly, there was a young lady that called and is suffering from depression and anxiety. __________ to the abuse of her father. I just wanted to encourage you, young lady. Life is full of challenges, but the word declares that we are more than overcomers. The word says guard your heart with all of your diligence for out of it are the issues of life. I just want you to believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him and he’s more than able to heal you. Be encouraged. God bless you Daily Audio Bible.