Reflections: 12-10-2007

All Scripture citations are taken from New Living Translation, Second Edition (www.newlivingtranslation.com).

• Leviticus 19
  

  Israelites must observe holiness as a personal conduct. Although we do not follow these specifics anymore since these apply in setting the Israelites apart from the customs of the native Canaanites and also since we are redeemed through Christ's atonement for us, the idea here is that we must still heed the call to be holy in everything that we do.
  

  
  

  • You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. (v. 1b)
    

  
  

• Leviticus 20
  

  The negative reinforcement implementations (a.k.a. punishment) for those who disobey are shown here. This disobedience take the form of sacrifice to heathen gods with explicit citations to Molech, practicing witchcraft or sorcery, trusting mediums and divinations, illicit sexual practices. God wants to punish people committing these acts by casting them out of the community or having them killed.
  

• Psalms 60
  

  Not everything in David's campaign is all victories and glory. In this psalm, it highlights David's dependence on God for help in this time of defeat. He acknowledges help from God, but in this psalm he calls upon Him for help, as His seeming absence is felt.
  

  
  

  • … And Judah, my sceptre, will produce my kings. (v. 7d)
    
    • In verse 6, God has promises for the different tribes of Israel. In this verse, Judah in particular will produce the Davidic line of kings. A possible reference to the King of Kings is implied in this line, as is promised for Judah.
      

• Luke 3
  

  In this chapter, John the Baptist started to prepare the coming of the Messiah by calling everyone to repent from their sins, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 40, verses 3-5. It is also recorded here that Jesus came to be baptized, but with the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended to him in a bodily form. Later this chapter, the lineage of Jesus was shown up to Adam.