The Memorial Offering and Rest for the Land (Feb 24)

"Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings.  Day and night they never stop saying:

'Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come."

Revelation 4:8-9-NIV

Consider the Tabernacle, its vicinity and the actions that occured there: Lamps burning continually with Aaron tending from evening to morning; 12 loaves of bread, set out regularly on the table of pure gold before the Lord with pure incense.  All as a covenant.  The Lord is Holy and did not tolerate blasphemy.  God instructed that; the blasphemer was to be taken outside the camp, hands of hearers of blasphemy were to lay hands on the blasphemer, and the entire assembly was to stone the blasphemer.

Webster tells us that blasphemy is the impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things. In Judiasm: is an act of cursing or reviling God or a pronunciation of the tetragrammation (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute prounciation such as Adoni. In theology: The crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qulaities of God.  Irreverent behavior to anything held sacred, priceless, etc.

We also have the Year of Jubilee described today.  This event, an every 50th year event was a time of; soil resting, land reverting to its original owner, slaves of Israelite ancestory freeing.

"Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.  It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan."  Leviticus 25:10-NIV

I have been told that there is no evidence of the year of Jubilee actually occuring.  Despite this, Jesus said: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19-NIV

Thoughts:

Did you realize that blasphemy was at one time a capital offense that involved the whole community?  How do you avoid blasphemy?  How can someone see your response when you perceive blasphemy?

Where do you look for; rest from your shackels of bondage, cancellation of your debt of sin, and the ability to return home?

Pray for leadership to have wisdom and discernment about moving ahead; in maintaining our facility at Trinity, and providing direction via the blueprint for ministry for future ministries. 

In Christ,

David P