Atoning for the Land (Deut. 21:1-9)

6/10/2009 8:48 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Atoning for the land

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Deuteronomy 21:1-9

 

            Message of the verse:  “1 ¶  "If a slain person is found lying in the open country in the land which the LORD your God gives you to possess, and it is not known who has struck him, 2  then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one. 3  "It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke; 4  and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5  "Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them. 6  "All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; 7  and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. 8  ‘Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O LORD, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them. 9  "So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the LORD.”

            In his commentary on this section Warren Wiersbe points out some interesting things of which I want to write on some of them.  He says that the elders and judges that are mentioned are probably the sanctuary court that is mentioned in Deu. 17:8-13, and this would also include the priests in Deu. 21:5.  He does not think that this would be the rulers of the nearest town who did all of this but they too were involved in the ritual. 

            The next thing that Dr. Wiersbe speaks of is that this ritual is a picture of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for innocent sinners, as the heifer was an innocent sacrifice in this ritual.  “This red heifer pointed to the offering of the Son of God whose death brought cleansing, forgiveness, and the annulment of God’s judgment.”

The words that were said at this ritual are similar to what the Lord Jesus Christ said while on the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” 

            In Genesis 9:5-6 is states the following, “5  "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6  "Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.”  These verses speak of how God will someday judge people for killing innocent people, and even innocent animals.  We here in the USA have a lot to answer for, for at last count there have been over 48 million innocent babies who have been killed in the womb.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Yesterday the phone rang at 8:30 AM and the caller was looking for money to help in the fight against abortion as there is a law that, if not voted down, will not only allow any person to have an abortion at any time, but will be paid for by tax dollars and even have our tax dollars sent overseas to pay for abortions there.  This is a hideous thing for our country to be a part of and if passed all who vote for it and the one who signs it will be accountable to God and will one day answer to Him for this awful sin.  I sent them a small amount of money and now I am glade that I did. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Put on my spiritual armor:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
2. Continue to learn contentment.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path.
4. Keep a short account with the Lord.

 

Memory verses for the week:                                              Ephesians 3:14-17

 

14.  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15.  from whom every family on earth and in heaven derives its name,

16.  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

17.  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts and faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

 

6/10/2009 9:37 AM