I learned something this week.  Yes, my eyes were opened to a new perspective on the Bible.  I grew up knowing, believing and respecting the teaching that the Bible was the infallible Word of God; but this week, as I read Leviticus, Chapter One in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit showed it to me as a Road Map for court etiquette.

You will recall that I have mentioned in past blog writings, that I am an early riser and often I connect with a semi-large group of believers who gather at 5:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. every weekday morning on the telephone for Bible study and prayer time.  Our mission, led by an assistant clergy of my church, is to read one chapter from four different books of the bible (three chapters from the O.T. and one chapter from the N.T.).

As the spirit leads, with thanksgiving, any person is allowed to ‘wrap a prayer around’ any verse that reminds them of God’s goodness.  Boy oh boy, does this exercise start my day with holy ecstasy, jubilance and solace.  The spirit runs high and by the end of the session, our leader closes out our time together by asking for prayer requests which he lifts up to the Lord.

All those who read and study the Bible know that God’s word is new and fresh every morning.  His word is also a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway.  Since God likes things done in order, he gave the Levitical priests strict instructions on how to hold court at the tent of meeting (the tabernacle).

As I read and meditated over the first chapter of Leviticus, and saw how God wanted Moses to instruct the people as to how they were to bring their offering to the Lord, the Holy Spirit showed me that the same procedure required in the days of old are being lived out today in our court system in the twenty first century.

The first lesson I learned from the scriptures was that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Three classes of society are mentioned in the following verses.  And the offering that was required of them had to be killed and its blood was to be shed.  The person (sinner) who brought their offering to the priest (a forerunner of Jesus Christ, the High Priest Who was to come) had to lay their hand on the head of their burnt offering.

Lev. 1:3    “If the offering is a burnt offering from the ‘herd’”,….The filthy rich people that owned the larger animals like oxen and cattle with hides.

Lev. 1:10  “If the offering is a burnt offering from the ‘flock’”,….The middle class people that owned smaller animals like sheep and goats, chickens, etc.

Lev. 1:14  “If the offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of ‘birds’”,…The poorer class of people without means and who would have to catch and kill their offering.

NOW, LET’S LOOK AT WHAT OUR COURTS REQUIRE…

All witnesses arraigned in our court system must place their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  The example given in scripture shows that each society class of people owes their survival and good fortune to God (WHO IS TRUTH) and by placing their hand on the head of their prize possession (herd, flock or bird), they are indebted to Him and just as He gives, He can take it away.  Don’t forget, the Old Testament requires that the offering must be drained of its blood and completely burn up at the ceremony’s conclusion.

CHRIST JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US!

Perhaps, if you are familiar with the Book of Leviticus, you might think that I have really taken the meaning of Chapter One to the limit.  But that’s alright.  I just like to try and relate every word of God’s revelations to my life today and make it relevant.  I trust you do the same.  So many of my friends love to read and discuss the New Testament but shy away from the Old Testament.  For me, the more I understand the Old Testament, the more God reveals himself to me in the New Testament.

See you next week. Please leave me your comment on how you relate to the Old Testament Scriptures.

Scripture Lesson:

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