01/18 – 01/22/2015Leviticus 9:The Goal of Worship
Update:As we turn to Leviticus 9 this week we come to the moment that all the details and instructions the previous 8 chapters have been leading up to – God meets with his people in worship and fills the Tent of Meeting. Leviticus 9 gives us the outline of a very special worship service that God put together for us. While we no longer worship at the Tabernacle/Temple, in Leviticus 9 we learn a LOT about how God thinks of “worship” and how what it means to worship him biblically. The way we structure Corporate Worship and the elements of our weekly worship service find their roots and justification in Leviticus 8.
If you are not familiar with the content and rituals of Leviticus already, because it contains so many things that are foreign or alien to us, I would strongly encourage you to:
1)Have a Study Bible on hand when you are doing the devotions – especially if you are haven’t yet listened to previous Sunday’s sermon. We’ll try to touch base on some “explanation” in the Reflections Questions section, but we can’t cover everything.
2)Keep up with the sermons on-line if you are out of town on a Sunday. It is worth it, but Leviticus requires a lot of work. In the Daily Devotions, we won’t be able to cover all the details, explanations, and reasons. You’ll have to lean on the sermons for those. If you have difficulty downloading the sermons from our website, just let me know.
3)Trust that, as the week unfolds, the devotions will cover/explain many of the things in the passage, i.e., don’t get paralyzed by having to understand what everything means on Monday.
Song for this week– Blessed Be Your Name (
Where possible we will use songs that are live recordings of our worship singing at Church of the Redeemer. You should be able to access them by clicking the link. You can also download them to your computer, phone, etc. (Please copy & paste rather than drag & drop). While these aren’t as professional and flawless as the recordings we’ve from other sources, there’s something very special about singing along with your own church family! It might just be me, but I have found singing along with these (and hearing your voices) to be deeply moving
Some Recommendations
The goal of the study/reflection questions is to help you get into the text and meet Christ in it, i.e., to worship and meet with God. Avoid engaging with these questions as if it’s a “quiz” where the goal is to get the “correct answer” and then move onto the next question. My prayer, goal, and hope is that the questions will help open up the Word of God – what it means and what it is saying – in order that you might meet God, experience Christ, and hear from the Holy Spirit.
1) I do recommend the full liturgy for each day.
2) The “Bible Study” reflection questions for each day of the week are inserted towards the end of this document. Most often the questions will require time of reflection and pondering in order to find answers or to let the answers sink in to our souls. Be prepared to not rush through them. The goal is to experience/hear from God.
3) Sing the song! (Really) Each week we focus on two songs. Download them to your phone or iPod so you can listen repeatedly during the day. When we sing, our mind, body, heart, emotions, and will are all engaged in worship! If this week’s songs do not appeal to you, substitute a personal favorite.
Opening Prayer
O God, Eternal King and Father of all mercies,
whose light divides the day from the night
and turns the shadow of death into the morning:
To know you is eternal life
and to serve you is perfect freedom:
Drive far from us all wrong desires,
incline our hearts to keep your law,
and guide our feet into the way of peace;
that we may do your will with cheerfulness during the day,
and when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks;
through Jesus Christ, our risen and reigning Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Confession(Leviticus 9:7-8)
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people, and bring the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.” 8 So Aaron drew near to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
Most holy God, you call us to be holy as you are holy. But, we fall short every minute or every hour of everyday.
We do not wholly honor you with our lives, but instead we make excuses for our sin and presume upon your forbearance and mercy.
We presume upon your forbearance and mercy by not taking your holiness seriously.
Forgive us for leaning upon such cheap grace rather than realizing than sin requires death.
You desire for us to consecrate ourselves to you completely so that you might purify us in your holy fire, ridding us of all our sin.
Most holy God, accept our humble confession, consume it our sacrifice to you, and direct our hearts to the Cross of Jesus Christ where your holy wrath was poured out wholly and completely so that we might be accepted before you.
Absolution(Leviticus 9:22-24)
Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
Intercession
Pray this week for your own self, your community, church, city, and this world to know the resurrection of Jesus in accepting the good news of the gospel. Pray by name those you want God to bring into his kingdom.
Scripture Readings & Reflection
See notes above in yellow. I’ve updated them!
Monday:
1)It’s Monday. Probably not our favorite day of the week. Spend a few minutes taking stock of how you’re doing right now and what’s on your mind, how you’re feeling, etc about the week ahead. What’s the biggest thing(s) on your mind and in your heart? Talk to God about these and ask him to meet you in them today.
2)Today we’re not going to read all of Leviticus 9. Just the beginning and end. Read Leviticus 9:1-7 and v22-24.
3)Egypt, where the Israelites had just left had breathtakingly impressive Pyramids – still today regarded as one of the7 Wonders of the World. The Promised Land (Canaan) they were headed towards also had very impressive buildings and temples. Consider:
- Where are the people of God when God meets them in worship?
- What structure does he enter and fill?
- Given that he is the Holy, Awesome, and Mighty Creator and King of the Universe, what does this tell us about God and worship?
4)Read Psalm 59v1-7 and then v16-17. In what context is David worshipping God? There are many other Psalms similar to Psalm 59 that call us to worship in the midst of imperfection, struggle, pain, and the wilderness. Reflect - How do you do with worshipping God in times of difficulty, disappointment, imperfection, waiting, or wilderness?
- Do you stay distant or hold back?
- Do you only focus on the difficulty/problems that you want resolved?
- Are you able to find God, meet with him, and give yourself to him?
5)Read, pray, or sing the lyrics of this week’s Song as an act of longing, faith, and commitment to God.
Tuesday
1)Read Leviticus 9.
2)Starting with the “Call to Worship” in v3 and ending with the “benediction” in v23 go through the chapter and highlight/underline the various step/sacrifices involved in this worship service.
3)Consider each of the elements in turn
- What’s going on in each, i.e. not just “what do they symbolize,” but what do them mean and do?
- How do those elements correspond to the various elements that could make up a corporate worship service?
Unfortunately, the terms used in our English Bibles to name the sacrifices are far from helpful. The following summary might help.
- Sin Offering = Purification from the contamination of sin.
- Burnt Offering = Atonement & Ascension into the Presence of GOD
- Grain Offering = Offering of Tribute (our very selves) to our Sovereign King
- Peace Offering – Shalom Sacrifice/Feast- Fellowship Feast with God
4)5 times in Leviticus 9 God reminds us and his people that he commanded all these steps. Also, v6 tell us that they were necessary in order that God would appear to them.
5)Reflection questions:
- Is there a particular aspect or element of (corporate) worship that the above has opened your eyes to increased your appreciation of?
- What do most people think constitutes a “worship service”?
- The elements or aspect of a worship service – largely personal preference and unimportant, or . . . ?
- If we eliminate one/several of the steps/elements of Leviticus 9 from our worship services, what might be the long-term impact on our spiritual formation?
Wednesday
1)Today, and for the rest of the week, we turn our attention to the “Why?” question of worship, i.e., “What’s the goal of worship.” Leviticus 9 gives us 3 answers to that question. It’s important to hold all three of those together, i.e., the true biblical worship requires all 3. However, we’ll focus on just one each day.
2)Read Leviticus 9. Take your time with it. Picture the scene.
3)We’ve heard about all these sacrifices before in the first 8 chapters or Leviticus. What’s the “new” word here and what does it tell us about the goal of worship? (v4 & v6)
4)What does it look like when this happens (v23-24)?
5)What expectations do you have of/from God when you enter into worship (Personal or Corporate)?
- How are they similar/different from the stated goal of v4 & v6?
- When we/people hear or ask the question, “How was church?” do we think of the goal of v4 & v6?
6)We all have different personalities, but God still desires to meet with us in worship.
- What does it look/feel like for you to meet God and know that you are truly in his presence?
- Think about and reflect on the times and ways you have met with him and beheld his glory.
- Thank him for these times
- Ask him for more
THURSDAY
1)Today, we turn our attention to the second of the 3 “goals of worship” that we find in Leviticus 9. It’s important to hold all three of those goals together, i.e., the true biblical worship requires all 3. However, we’ll just be focusing on one at a time.
2)Read Leviticus 9. Take your time with it, endeavor to not skim read it, try to picture the scene and enter in to it.
3)Yesterday we consider that “meeting with God” was one of the central goals of worship. Read v 23-24 and see what happens when the people meet with God, i.e. what’s their response?
4)Consider the following explanations of what the word we translate as “worship” meant in the ancient world. As you do this, consider what this tells us about the central goals of worship
- to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
- among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
- in the NT ear by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
- used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank
5)How does Romans 12:1-2 illuminate/reinforce this?
6)The goal of worship is that we give ourselves to God. We pay him homage and we offer ourselves to him as his servants who are eager to do his bidding and to fulfill his will.
- Do people regularly think of this as a goal of (corporate/private) worship? i.e., When we ask or hear, “How was church?” Do we think, “Hmmmm, how did I do on Sunday in offering myself to God and giving him all of my life?”
- Are there expectations or assumptions we/people have about worship that are actually at odds with this goal of worship?
- How would it change church and our devotions if we made this dynamic more central?
7)What would it look of you now, right now, to give youself to God as an act of worship.
8)Leviticus 8:1-6 and v14-21 can be grouped together as another step in our becoming priest. Both are related to addressing our inadequacy.
FRIDAY
1)Today we conclude our time in Leviticus 9 and consider the 3rd of the three goals of biblical worship.
2)Read Leviticus 9. The last step of the ordination process in Leviticus 8 is beautiful and special. Read the whole passage and then focus in on v33-36.
3)Re-read v22-24. Here, towards the conclusion of the worship service, along with the manifestation of God’s presence and the people offering themselves to God, there are
- Two blessings pronounced v23-23. What do these communicate? (See Numbers 6:22-27)
- v24 What does the fire do and why? Fire showing the presence of God is something the Israelites experienced in a pillar during the Exodus and also around Sinai in the giving of the 10 Commandments. What does the fire do here and what does it communicate?
4)The third goal of worship is that we know that we are accepted by God and that he desires
- Communion (closeness) with us,
- Our good
5)We deeply long for God’s acceptance and we often struggle with believing that he can, does, or will. Consider how (each of the following individually) might impact our worship:
- If we don’t see/expect God accepting us as a critical goal of worship?
- If we don’t believe that God really does accepts us.
- If we don’t want to get to vulnerable before God in worship.
Song of Approach &/or Commitment- Blessed Be Your Name (
To be transformed by God's mercy and grace into a community of priests engaged in his redeeming work in Atlanta and the world.
10/26-10/30 2015Reviving Mortification: Complacency vs Adventure
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Blessed be Your name.
To be transformed by God's mercy and grace into a community of priests engaged in his redeeming work in Atlanta and the world.
10/26-10/30 2015Reviving Mortification: Complacency vs Adventure
Closing Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God,
You despise nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who repent.
Create in us new and contrite hearts so that,
lamenting our sins and acknowledging our weakness,
we may receive from you full pardon and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
List of Deep Desires
Distorted/Deceptive Desires
- Distorted desire: you long for impact and you take control or manipulate to get it or you long for intimacy and you look to pornography
- Deceitful desire: when you look to any material, experiential, positional, or relational desire to satisfy a deep desire.
- Only God can truly satisfy a deep desire.
Godly Deep Desires
- Purpose, to be part of something larger, transcendence
- Relationship: to love and be loved, to pursue and be pursued, community, family
- Impact, significance
- Honor, respect, valued, understood
- To protect and provide, to be protected and provided for, security
- To come through: duty, to hear “well done”
- Beauty and creativity
- Justice and freedom
- Peace, wholeness, completion, home
To be transformed by God's mercy and grace into a community of priests engaged in his redeeming work in Atlanta and the world.