“Love your neighbor as yourself” – that comes from Leviticus 19:18.  And in quoting from this Old Testament passage, Jesus said that love for others sums up a big portion of what the Law of Moses is all about.  In today’s passage, as in so many other parts of the…

The big idea of the Day of Atonement is clear enough – we need the blood of Christ shed for us to atone for our sins.  But so many parts of chapter 16 seem strange until we remember that Aaron the High Priest is representing Jesus’ person and work. Notice,…

It’s easy to see why Jesus had to die, shedding His blood to pay the penalty that our sinful actions deserve.  Sin, at its root, is really nothing less than rebellion against God, treason against God.  And everyone knows that traitors get the death penalty. But what does a blood…

What can we possibly learn from all these Old Testament laws about clean and unclean animals?  After all, Jesus Himself declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19).  So, why would God make His Old Testament people go through all this trouble if it wasn’t necessary? Remember, all the ceremonial laws in…

Why was God so hard on Nadab and Abihu?  Sure, they tried to incorporate some sort of innovation into the form of worship at the Tabernacle, but did they really deserve to get killed over it? In order to understand all this, we need to remember that every part of…

“It’s not my actions, it’s my intentions that matter most.  As long as my heart’s in the right place, you shouldn’t judge what I do or say.”  Lots of people live according to these kinds of rules.  For them, authenticity is the greatest virtue, and hypocrisy is the only real…

“Jesus died to pay the penalty for my sinful actions.”  That’s true, but that’s not all that Jesus’ sacrifice did for us.  In fact, in the first three chapters of Leviticus, we see sacrifices offered for reasons other than to pay for the sins of the people.  In chapter 3,…

Have you ever wondered why there’s so much repetition in the Bible?  Chapters 36-39 describe how Bezalel and Oholiab fashioned all the things that were involved in the worship of God – the plated wooden objects, the embroidered textiles, and the objects of cast metal.  And then they’re all listed…

Do Christians have to tithe, to give a tenth of our income?  Should we tithe on our gross income, or only what’s left after taxes?  Do we have to give all of our tithe to the church, or can we use it for other charitable purposes?  Behind all of these…

No, there’s nothing we can possibly do to save ourselves.  It is God Who graciously enters into covenant with His people (Exodus 34:10), in spite of our rebellion against Him (Exodus 33:3).  It is only the mediation of Christ which prevents God from abandoning us altogether – a mediation which…