Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. – Leviticus 26:34

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 10, 2015): Leviticus 26

Probably the biggest damage made by the Judge with his ruling in the “Deflategate” scandal in the National Football League has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the New England Patriots cheated and played with under inflated footballs. It also has absolutely nothing to do with the judgment that was vacated by the courts in the case of Tom Brady (It is important to note that Brady was not declared to be innocent, just that the NFL had not made its case against the future Hall of Fame Quarterback). The real damage is that now many expect that there will be more of the NFL’s ruling that are going to be brought into the courts for them to handle. Maybe it is just fear talking, but the question seems to be why would any league discipline be accepted when there is a chance that the courts might overturn it? And now we have a legal precedent that we didn’t have before – NFL vs. Tom Brady in “Deflategate.” Get ready for more football to be fought in the courts of law rather than on the field. The major casualty of this fight was the authority of the league to enforce its own rules.

It has been estimated that 123 Sabbath years should have been celebrated between Israel’s arrival in Palestine and the Babylonian Captivity during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. There is no evidence that any of them were actually celebrated. It was as if Israel doubted that God had the authority to actually enforce the laws that he had given to them. They lived their lives as if they believed that there was another power to which they could appeal – one that could, and would, overturn the decrees of God. Most often that other power seems to have been Asherah (the goddess of motherhood and fertility) and Ba’al (the god of the storm). And so Israel ignored much of the Mosaic Law, or at least the portions that they found inconvenient, assuming that it was spoken by a God who did not have the authority to actually follow through.

But this portion of the law would actually turn into a prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar would carry Judah into captivity and he would leave the land in Palestine empty. For the duration of the captivity, the land would remain empty. Those that were left in the land simply lived off of what the land grew naturally. For seventy years the land received it rest. Some have questioned why the land did not receive its full rest – 123 years. But it is likely that the number seventy was symbolic. Seven is the number of perfection. The land did not receive its full rest, but rather its perfect rest.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 27

Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. – Leviticus 25:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 9, 2015): Leviticus 25

Guilt seems to be such a wasted emotion. I understand the purpose of it. Our own essence convicts us of the things that we have done wrong. Once we have “felt guilty” about something, we get a chance to “put things right.” If we decide not to “put things right,” our guilt grows until our spirit finally hardens over it and the guilt feeling begins to slowly dissipate. Once that happens, our chance to “put things right” is often lost. The Bible often refers to this process as the “hardening of the heart.” But even a hardened heart can be broken – and when it is the overwhelming guilt returns.

All of this describes what we might call the healthy side of guilt. The unhealthy side  of guilt is that these feelings often seem to run out control even after things have been put right, and a number of us feel guilty over things for which there is no reason to feel guilty. The guilt system inside of our brains has run amok – and the overwhelming sense of false guilt begins to destroy us from within. Unfortunately, religion often seems to tap into this unhealthy guilt. Some religious institutions are built around this kind of guilt, continually asking whether or not the guilty one has done enough to pay for their wrongdoing. And it is precisely this guilt that seems to be such a waste.

It is interesting that the year of Jubilee, a year in which Israel is to “proclaim liberty throughout the land to all of its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10) begins with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kipper) and not with the beginning of the Jewish Civil year (Rosh Hashanah) which takes place ten days earlier. And the principal that seems to be at work is that forgiveness must be given before freedom can be proclaimed, because our guilt is one of our biggest barriers to experiencing true freedom. The Day of Atonement accomplishes the task, proclaiming forgiveness on a national basis.

In our culture, the Christian Church should be one of the loudest voices proclaiming the coming of freedom – after all, atonement has been accomplished and freedom delivered to the entire world through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. Every Christian needs to hear these next words very clearly – guilt has been taken care of once and for all. What seems to run rampant in the Christian church is not healthy guilt, but rather guilt run amok. And as long as that is true, we are unable to proclaim the message of freedom that the world needs to hear. Our atonement has been accomplished once and for all. And at the foot of the cross, the place where our atonement was accomplished, freedom must begin. It is time to declare the year of Jubilee, because for the Christian, every year is a Jubilee Year.

(Special Note – Pope Francis has declared that 2016 to be a year of Jubilee in the Christian Church emphasizing God’s mercy. The last year of Jubilee was declared in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 26

… fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. – Leviticus 24:20

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 8, 2015): Leviticus 24

R. C. Sproul Jr., the son of noted Reformed theologian Robert Charles Sproul, has been suspended from his ministry position at Ligonier Ministries, an organization that was founded by his father, because he has admitted that in a moment of weakness he visited the Ashley Madison site and left an old e-mail address. The theologian then says that he quickly left the site never to return, and that he never actually contacted anyone on the site. Sproul’s wife died in 2011 after a long battle with cancer. He maintains that he has never been unfaithful to her either before or after her death. The Board at Ligonier suspended the Christian Pastor for a period of one year for his lapse in judgment.

And I have to admit that there is something about this that doesn’t quite sit right about the judgment. If Sproul is telling the truth (and I have no evidence that he is not) then he made an unfortunate step at a time of weakness. At the time of this action, he was already a widower. He immediately felt guilt and shame for taking that step and left the website never to return and never to take further action. And, it seems that he has been tormented by guilt for this act ever since. I understand that as Christian Ministers we need to hold to a higher level of moral action than others around us – we are to set the example. And I agree that we should pay a price for our sins, but I would argue that R. C. Sproul Jr. has already paid the price. He calls the Ashley Madison hack a blessing for people like him. Because of the hack he had to come clean with his board, his denomination, and now with the world – something that I am sure was not easy for him to do. But the other side of this reality is that really all he did was be tempted. Yes, he made that first step which was wrong, but his relationship with his God was strong enough to stop him from making a second step. I wonder how many of his Board members have done worse and have never admitted their indiscretion and have never been caught. None of us are perfect. Personally, I would much rather deal with a religious leader that understands that, has experienced temptation and has admitted to his sins then one who refuses to make that step and makes excuses for the things that he has done. Sproul has refused to do that. He is at fault and he offers no excuse for his behavior. And that I admire.  

The Bible has often been called barbaric and cruel for its assertion of justice through the Law of Talion - or an eye for an eye. Talion simply mean retaliation, and what we sometimes lose sight of is that the premise of an “eye for an eye” this is really just about retaliation. It is a limitation of the retaliation that the one who has been harmed can seek. As a race, we always want more from retaliation then what the original act cost us. We want to penalize the person who hurt us. It would be very easy to lose an eye because of someone else’s carelessness and want to take both of theirs. A quick trip through the news seems to constantly reveal to us people who were insulted and killed the person to attain their revenge. But the Law of Talion places restrictions on how we can retaliate before we are guilty of breaking the law ourselves. It establishes the line in the law that we dare not cross.

As Christians, we have left the Law of Talion behind. One of the pieces of advice that I often give to young couples is that they should “forgive more than they need to be forgiven.” We believe in Grace and in love. But the law of Talion never insisted that we must take this level of revenge, it only stated that we could not go beyond that level of vengeance when seeking justice for the wrong that has been done to us. Even the Law of Talion allowed for grace.

The situation of R. C. Sproul, Jr. seems to cry out for grace and love. It cries out for the forgiveness that was offered us on the cross of Christ. It is forgiveness that every one of us needs. And maybe the lesson that Ligonier Ministries and the rest of us need to learn is that none of us are perfect – and we all stand in need of God’s grace.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 25

Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. – Leviticus 23:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 7, 2015): Leviticus 23

Sometimes we Christians can sound just a little like Chicken Little – the sky is falling, the sky is falling. I have lost track of the number of times someone has predicted the end of the world just during my lifetime. Some insist that this experience has left me a little jaded. But the reality is that I really strongly believe that we are not supposed to know the time and date of the end. We are to live our lives with the expectation that we will live to be a hundred, but not be surprised if it all ends tomorrow.

And so as we enter into September, we are closing in on yet another date in which the world is supposed to end. And this one has its roots in the prophecy that has become known as the “Four Blood Moons.” According to the prophecy, there is an important noise being made by the sky over our heads. In 2014 – 2015, we would experience four blood moons (they are called blood moons because of the coppery color that the moon takes on during a lunar eclipse), and each blood moon would be separated from the next by six lunar months. Also of significance, there will be a solar eclipse between the second and the third blood moon, completing what is known as a tetrad. Also of interest to prophecy buffs, the four blood moons would fall during significant Jewish holidays. The first blood moon would be experienced on April 15, 2014 during Passover, the second would take place on October 8, 2014 during Sukkot (the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles remembering the desert wanderings of Israel under Moses), and then the Solar Eclipse on March 20, 2015 followed by the third Blood Moon on April 4, 2015 during Passover. The final blood moon would take place in September 28, 2015 completing the tetrad during the celebration of Sukkot. And after that – well, according to some there is no after that. September 28, 2015 is the end.

Okay, so a little perspective. While the existence of a tetrad is interesting and special, it is not totally unknown. We have seen tetrads at various places on the earth 62 times since the death of Jesus. And for some what is even more important is that of the events in this tetrad, only the blood moon on September 28, 2015 would have been visible in Israel (allowing one person to comment “what good is a tetrad if God can’t see it?” Okay, a little overstated, but we get the point.)

But another interesting point is that just before the final blood moon, Israel will celebrate a very special Rosh Hashanah (The feast of Trumpets that was instituted in Leviticus 23:24.) Rosh Hashanah celebrates the day that the world was created. But there is a problem that surrounds Rosh Hashanah - the date is arbitrary because we don’t know exactly when the world was created. Jesus comment about not knowing “the day or the hour” of his return is actually a phrase that some have argued was instituted at the celebration of Rosh Hashanah indicting that we do not know the day or the hour of creation. But while we do not know the day or the hour of creation, those that hold to a “6000 year earth” seem to believe that this Rosh Hashanah, which is set to be celebrated on September 13, 2015, is the 6000^th year of the earth – the 6000^th birthday of the earth will be celebrated just two weeks before the last blood moon of the current tetrad. For many, this is a significant prophetic development.

Did that give you Goosebumps? Some of those who are walking among us are freaking out at this point. I have to admit that much of this is hard for me to write with a straight face (but you can’t see my face.) My suspicion is that September 29, 2015 will be just another Tuesday. I already have bookings for that day and the rest of the week. But my advice remains the same - work as if you have another 100 years left on this planet, but don’t be surprised if Jesus shows up tomorrow (or on September 28, 2015.) Because we do not know the day and the hour of either the beginning of the world or of its end. But that does not mean that we shouldn’t take every chance and celebrate what we know God is doing in between the beginning and the end. And that is something that we should know.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 24

Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. – Leviticus 22:28

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 6, 2015): Leviticus 22

The Sumatran Rhino has been declared to be extinct in the wild. Less than one hundred individuals are left alive all in captivity, of this Rhinoceros breed that once lived across most of Southeast Asia. There are plans in the works to develop Intensive Management Zones (IMZs) and re-introduce the Sumatran Rhino back into the wild at some time in the future, although it seems that no concrete model has been developed yet. The purpose of the IMZs would be to maximize the potential of survival of the rhino so that the species could multiply and grow. The major decline of the rhino has been blamed on poaching and logging. The decline was so severe that during the early years of the 21^st century, it became increasingly unlikely that a male and a female Rhino would ever meet in the wild in spite of their protected status – a situation which sealed the fate of the entire species.

I know that some wonder why we should care about the disappearance of a rhinoceros. The human race seems to have so many problems of its own that need to be solved without worrying about the disappearance of an animal from the wild. But what that egocentric thought pattern sometimes seems to fail to understand is that the future of our own survival is highly interconnected with the health of the planet – and the failure of any species damages the total health of the planet on which we live.  

But beyond that I believe that Bible specifically stresses our role, not as consumers of the planet, but as protectors of the planet. God’s closing comment to Jonah has always amazed me. After Jonah whines and complains about the death of a plant that happened to provide him with shade, God answers his questioning prophet with this comment - “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals” (Jonah 4:10-11)? I don’t necessarily want to wade into the “do dogs go to heaven” debate, but didn’t God just tell Jonah that he is concerned over the animals that might have been destroyed in Nineveh?

The range of debate that happens around this verse in the law that specifically states that an animal should not be killed on the same day as its young maybe says more about our curiosity over the verse than anything else. Many people have tried to figure out reasons for God’s concern over this issue. The baseline response has been that maybe this practice of killing mom and child on the same day was a regular practice of the nations with which Israel dealt on a daily basis – that, like so many other laws, this was just another example of the “don’t conform to the world around you” instructions that are so prevalent within the Mosaic Law. But we can’t rule out that God was concerned with anything that might look like cruelty to animals. God created everything, and the first job that he gave to his newly created Adam was the protection of the creation – he was to attend to the needs of the Garden of Eden and name the animals. In the eyes of God, there would seem to be no excuse for cruelty exercised against any element of his creation. And maybe that is all we need for a reason explaining the presence of this concept within the Mosaic Law - for this reason a mother and child must not be killed on the same day.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 23

Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. – Leviticus 21:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 5, 2015): Leviticus 21

In Tana Toraja, a regency eastern Indonesia, a funeral is a boisterous affair that involves everyone in the village. Of course, that also means that a funeral is very expensive. Death must be saved for – money must be accumulated so that a person can die. So, what happens when a person dies before the family can afford a funeral? According to cultural anthropologist Kelli Swazey, that simply is not allowed to happen. Death can only occur once the family can afford the funeral, the monetary obligation simply must be met. So, if a member of the family stops breathing, they are placed in a special room within the house. They labeled as sick or asleep. They are symbolically fed. Sometimes they are taken out on family excursions. The loved one may have died physically, but culturally they are very much alive – until the time of the funeral.

Funeral traditions are strange in almost any cultural. We light candles for the dead, although I am not sure that anyone really knows what the candle is supposed to mean. Over the past few years it has amazed me how many people who profess to be atheists change their tune the moment someone they love dies. Oh, they still do not believe in God or any kind of a higher power, but they also seem to know that the one that they loved is in a “better place.” Within Christianity there is this persistent belief that our loved ones are “looking down on our lives from heaven” even though there is precious little evidence that this could be true. And I really hate to have to contradict “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but when we die we don’t become angels of any class, and a ringing bell has nothing to do with an angel getting its wings. (I know, some of you are crushed and simply want to shut down your computer at this point.)

So, why do we bother with these often meaningless death rituals. I think the answer is really rather simple – it makes us feel better (although I have to admit that having a leering ancestor who died a while ago scrutinizing every moment of my life brings me very little comfort.) And in some ways, we aren’t really all that different from the inhabitants of Tana Toraja – our loved ones aren’t really gone – they are just living in a different room in the house.

We need to be reminded that these instructions in Leviticus to the priests are with regard to death and mourning and funeral preparations within the community. Essentially Moses is just reminding his priests that Israel stands as nation that has been set apart by God. Other cultures might mourn the dead by shaving their heads or cutting themselves, but they were not other cultures. They were a nation who professed a deep dependence on their God. And there probably is not a moment when what we believe is put to the test more than that moment when we are forced to confront death. The priest was to lean on the understanding that the God that they honored in life needed to be honored at the moment of death as well. There would seem to be really no formal belief in an afterlife in Jewish thought at this point in history - that would come later. But there was a strong belief that the God who was in control in life – was also in control at the time of death. And the priests were to set the example for all the people. God could be trusted – even in the moment when life ceased to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 22

Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. – Leviticus 20:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 4, 2015): Leviticus 20

More and more the litmus test for where you stand on Christian issues starts with how you stand on the subject of Israel. No matter how much we may want to deny it, the beginnings of our faith be starts in the Middle East. Our sacred writings were written in the Middle East for an audience that lived in the Middle East. The three sister faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - all find their origins in the Middle East. Much of the prophecy that Christians seem to love to argue over pertains to happenings that will take place in the Middle East; including the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, the famed Battle of Armageddon, the return of Jesus and the descent of the New Jerusalem. In the eyes of many Christians, tension in the Middle East means that the days of our planet are drawing to a close. We can’t escape it or deny it – the Middle East is important to all of us, even those who seemingly have no connection with that troubled area of our World.

But one of the key questions for Christians is this, does the Christian Church replace Israel or does it simply augment and join Israel in their mission – a mission that has been given to them by the one living God. Hopefully if you have read this blog for long, you know that I believe in the latter. It is irresponsible for us as Christians to believe that we have replaced Israel. Israel remains the chosen people of God, but we have joined them in their mission to proclaim that living God to all of the people of the Earth. And there are prophecies that indicate that a time is coming when their will be a great revival among the Jewish people – and they will return to God, although admittedly what that return might look like is another matter for more debate.

Historically, Israel has been tied to specific piece of land in the Middle East. Even in times when Israel did not occupy the land, Israel looked forward to the time when they would be able to return to the land that had been promised to them. But the Mosaic Law also came with a specific warning that pertains, first to Israel, and then to the rest of us. Israel was to keep the Law in its entirety or this land that was promised to them would vomit them out. And I have to admit, I love the phrasing. This is not something that God is going to do – the land will do it. The land would not allow them to stay unless they were willing to honor God. The reality is that this was exactly what had happened to the inhabitants that had lived in the land before Israel – the land would vomit them out.

Israel would live in the land. But in the same way as those who had gone before them, they would refuse to keep the Law. And eventually, first the Northern Tribes, but then also to the Southern Tribes, the land would once again vomit out its inhabitants. But this also leaves us with a problem. There is really no moral ground for an argument that allows either group to inhabit the Promised Land – the land has already vomited them out because of their refusal to honor God as he needs to be honored. Because of this, the inheritance is gone.

This brings us back to the prophecy that we like to argue over. The time is coming when not just Israel, but the world will return to God. We, who have not honored him in the past, will honor him in the future. And at that time the land will be returned to the people of God – it will be restored. Some believe that this is exactly what happened with Israel’s return to their plot of land following the World War II. Others are not quite sure. But there is no doubt that it would happen – and maybe this is exactly what the prophet Joel meant when he spoke these words - I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed (Joel 2:25a, 27).

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Leviticus 21