God's Word For Every Day

James Philip  

1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32 So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and there will be no room for the Redeemer and His redemption. 'Earmarked' for Jesus, we are to 'serve Him for life' (6). No turning back! We are bound to Him by love - not law! What love He has for us! Verse 30 speaks of 'ransom' and 'redemption': What great words of the Gospel (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19)! 'Eye for eye...' (24) - This limits vengeance. Remember: Love is the answer - not vengeance (Leviticus 19:18)! Let Christ's love give you strength - to keep on serving Him (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6). 2nd July: Exodus 21:33-22:31 We travel from grace to glory - from 'Egypt' to 'the prom...

1st August: Leviticus 1:1-2:16 Jesus Christ, 'the Lamb without blemish', has 'made atonement' for sin through the shedding of His 'precious blood' (1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This offering of Christ - He 'loved us and gave Himself up for us' - is 'a pleasing odour to the Lord', 'a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God' (1:9,13,17; Ephesians 5:2). Read of the 'cereal offering' in which there was to be 'no leaven' (2:11). Think of Christ - 'Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed': 'Let us celebrate the festival (the Lord's Supper)...with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth' (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). May our worship - 'frankincense': an expression of worship (Matthew 2:11) - be filled with 'the oil of gladness', 'with the Holy Spirit and with fire' (Psalm 45:7; Luke 3:16). Such worship is 'most holy...to the Lord' (2:3,10). 2nd August: Leviticus 3:1-4:35...

1st September: Numbers 1:1-54 'Every man able to go forth to war': This is the key phrase in verses 1-46. God is looking for 'soldiers': Soldiers of Christ! To live for Christ is to be engaged in warfare. It is spiritual warfare. We need 'the whole armour of God' (Ephesians 6:10-20). We must remember that 'the weapons of our warfare are not worldly'. They have 'divine power'. They are 'powerful weapons from God'. They are 'mighty through God' (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). The Levites were to lead worship (47-54). The battle is the Lord's (2 Chronicles 20:15). We will never be strong 'soldiers of Christ' unless we are learning to worship the Lord. Worship lies at the very heart of the life of God's people. Without worship, we are weak. Worshipping God, we will grow 'strong'. We will 'firmly resist' the enemy. We will 'take action' for God (Daniel 11:32). 2nd September: Numbers 2:1...

1st October: Numbers 19:1-22 The sacrifice was to be 'without defect'. There was to be 'no blemish' (2). Here, we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ - 'without sin', He offered Himself 'for the sins of the people' (Hebrews 4:15; 2:17). The gathering of 'the ashes' (9-10) speaks of the completeness of Christ's work for us - 'for all time a single sacrifice for sins' (Hebrews 10:12). The danger of becoming unclean through touching a 'dead body' (11) - there is a warning for us here. 'Dead in trespasses and sins', we have been 'made alive' in Christ (Ephesians 2:1). We dare not look back (Luke 17:32; Genesis 19:26; Luke 9:62; 2 Peter 2:20-22). We have been purified 'from dead works to serve the living God' (Hebrews 9:14). Christ 'saves to the uttermost'. How dare we 'shrink back' from Him? 'Have faith. Be saved' (Hebrews 7:25; 10:39). 2nd October: Numbers 20:1-...