E.G.O. ---- Edging God Out --- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD? --- week 4 - First Fruits

E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out    

--- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD?

Facilitated by Rev. †Ken Neuhaus at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church (KY) 

(8 week series 2/5/17 – 3/26/17) on 2/26/17

We are continuing in the discussion from Leviticus 23, regarding the Feasts of the LORD.  This week, we discuss First fruits --- and I want to challenge us to consider if we, as Christians, should be observing the Sabbath and these Feasts.  

Feast of First Fruits

The feast we are reading about is found in Leviticus 23:9-14.  

Now, I don’t want to shock you too badly, but if you have been observing Resurrection Sunday --- you really have been co-celebrating the Feast of First Fruits.   

Let’s break it down….

Let's review the last 3 weeks.  Jesus, the spotless Lamb, entered into town on “Palm Sunday” and was tested throughout that week, and was proven to be the Spotless Lamb.  All the questioning by the religious could not trip him up, and He provided many parables and learning opportunities to share the Good News with everyone who would listen.  This corresponds with Passover, where the Lamb was brought into the home of the Israelites and inspected in order to be found Spotless.  Then we see Jesus conducting the Passover Seder, observing the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where Jesus is speaking about his body being broken and his blood poured out, and He being the New Covenant.  The Passover Seder is eaten while reclining at the table, ready to depart at a moment's notice, to symbolize the departure from Egyptian slavery and the coming deliverance into the Promised Land.  (Exodus 12:11)  Then we see the Crucifixion, where the Passover Lamb is slain and the sins of all mankind are placed upon Jesus.  Here is a good quote identifying what really happened.... (When an Israelite worshiper laid his hand on the animal victim, he identified himself with the animal as his substitute . . . this accomplished a symbolic transfer of his sin and a legal transfer of his guilt to the animal victim. God then accepted the slaughter of the animal . . . as a ransom payment for the particular sin which occasioned it.   (F. Duane Lindsey, "Leviticus," 166.))  

Jesus is the ransom for all our sins!!!

Now, we come to Jesus being in the tomb for 3 nights and 3 days.   We see in Luke 23:54 that Jesus was buried, but there was the day of preparation, and Sabbath was coming.   So before the Sabbath, they saw how Jesus was laid in the tomb. But after the Sabbath, something was very out of place.  The day after the Sabbath, it was discovered the tomb was empty.  Leviticus 23:11 says that the day after the Sabbath the first sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest be presented to the LORD.   This is the Messiah, on Resurrection Sunday, the first fruits raised to the LORD.

Paul identified this in 1 Corinthians 15:24, that Jesus is the first fruits.  The whole observance of the Feast of First Fruits began as a celebration of the people as they entered out of bondage and into the land the LORD is providing.  This is a statute to be observed forever throughout our generations in all our dwellings. (Leviticus 23:14).   How fitting it is, that on the night he was betrayed, as Jesus took bread and cup, and provided a New Covenant as the Passover Lamb, that just 3 days later, He would become the fulfillment of the First Fruits.   

What are we missing here?

What happened to you when you got saved?  What happened to you when you accepted the Death and Resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ, and you accepted that your very existence depends upon Jesus' sacrifice for your salvation, and that you now have the Hope of a Resurrection.   Didn’t you enter into a new dimension, a new relationship, a new circumstance?  That was the goal of Jesus becoming the Passover Lamb.  That by the shedding of his Blood, by the ransom for your sins, by these things you could enter into the Kingdom of God.   This is you, entering in, and reaping its harvest.  Leviticus 23:10  And this is you, demonstrating your honor to God by giving the first of your harvest back to the LORD.  We are missing the temple today, but you can remember this commandment in other ways.  Another commandment instructs us to care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger and the priests.  Deuteronomy 26:12   You might consider donating money off the TOP of your budget (your first fruits) before spending money on anything else.  You might prepare double a meal and give the FIRST batch to someone who needs it, or by some one else's groceries BEFORE you purchase your own.    We are called to honor the LORD with our wealth, and with the first part of our harvest.  Proverbs 3:9. Let's not miss the point that the FIRST of our harvest must go to the LORD, not our scraps.

So, what else are we missing here?

Resurrection Sunday is the Feast of First Fruits!!!!  God led you out of your slavery to sin, God covered you with the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus led you into the Kingdom of God, and Jesus is the First Fruits on Resurrection Sunday.  So also, under the New Covenant, God brought forth the word of truth, so that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures (James 1:18).   This is a huge Feast, this involves us showing God our honor, and God providing Hope in our own resurrection.  We miss the significance of this when we don’t follow His command to observe First Fruits.  Now, let’s shift gears.

Why do we observe Easter?

Let’s clarify… All the fun things about Easter are pagan. Exchange of eggs is an ancient custom, celebrated by many cultures. Each spring, people saw other first fruits, like a budding tree, and figured it would be a good time to ask their goddess for new babies – both for themselves and for their livestock to reproduce.  They worshiped the things in nature which represented fertility, such as the rabbit and the egg.  Since the rabbit is a prolific breeder, isn't it wonderful that the Easter Bunny hide eggs in places easily discovered to give hope of fertility.  An egg hunt represents the attempt to conceive a baby.  I have friends who like to say "they go at it like rabbits" when talking about sex.  Today, we continue this observance with the Easter Bunny and painted eggs and new outfits for Easter church services and parades.   It isn’t very popular to speak the truth, but the Easter Egg business is a nearly $2 Billion industry.   God hates this idolatry, Exodus 20:2-5, and for our disobedience, there is generational perversity.  The reality though, is that we diminish the Gospel, the Good News of the Messiah, when we get side tracked on all this other non-sense.  The end result is that the church at large doesn't understand who Jesus is as the First Fruits - because we've kept them busy with other distractions.

Why do we observe Resurrection Sunday?

For a Risen Christ, our Messiah resurrected from the grave!  For many Christians, this is the extent of their comprehension of what happened on this particular Sunday.  

Should we observe the Feast of First Fruits?

Not if you want to miss out the deeper meaning of the New Covenant.  Most of Christianity isn’t interested in that deeper relationship with God; rather they just want the blessings.   Throughout history, including at the Cross, believers scurry away when they are confronted with the Truth.  Modern Christianity is the worst, where we come to church to sing some songs, raise a hand, feel emotionally charged from the rousing music and a 3 point sermon.  But that’s it.  Most Christians just want to show up and get blessed.  Sadly, most Christians are a breed of lazy souls, going along for a ride, not really wanting to do more than lip service.  So, when society offers options, God’s way will get pushed out.  This is seen today with watered down and seeker friendly sermons, the abandonment of “servant” in servant leadership, homosexuality in the pulpit, and with lack of accountability upon church leadership.  But the largest means by which God’s way is pushed out is when the congregation has removed the ability for God to bless them.  God cannot bless them when they are despising Israel.  (Genesis 12:3)  Moreover, the problem is that our ego doesn’t allow us to submit to God’s way.  The solution is simple.  The solution is that we must submit to God and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Jesus observed these Feasts, why don’t we?

Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice.  He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds! Everyone will see him, even those who pierced him. All peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen.   (Revelation 1:5-7)  

Won't you follow Jesus in a deeper way?

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.” 

― William Booth

E.G.O. ---- Edging God Out --- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD? - Week 3 - Passover and Unleavened Bread, pt. 2

E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out    

--- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD?

Facilitated by †Ken Neuhaus at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church (KY) 

(8 week series 2/5/17 – 3/26/17)   on 2/19/17

Part 2 – The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:4-8

It is my prayer that you never look at Communion the same way

 after knowing more of the Passover.

This study material comes from http://www.chosenpeople.com

The video can be found at http://nkysaved.org/video/seder.mp4

The removal of leaven

Before the beginning of the Passover, all leaven, which is a symbol of sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8), must be removed from the Jewish home. The house is cleaned from top to bottom and anything containing leaven is removed.

Washing the hands

Once the leaven is removed, the family sits around the table and ceremonially washes their hands with a special laver and towel. Jesus also took part in this tradition, but rather than wash his hands, he got up from the table and washed the feet of his disciples, giving us an unparalleled lesson in humility (John 13:2-17).

Lighting the candles

Once the house and the participants are ceremonially clean, the Passover seder can begin. The woman of the house says a blessing and lights the Passover candles. It is appropriate that the woman brings light into the home, because it was through the woman that the light of the world, Messiah Jesus, came into the world (Gen. 3:15)  The woman waves her hands over the flame 3 times to prepare her body, mind, and soul for the Passover.  Her prayer is this…. Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the light of the Festival Day.

The first cup of wine

The seder begins with a blessing recited over the first of four cups of wine: "Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine." Jesus himself blessed the first cup in Luke 22:17-18.

The second cup of wine

The second cup is to remind us of the Ten Plagues and the suffering of the Egyptians when they hardened their heart to the Lord. In order not to rejoice over the suffering of our enemies (Prov. 24:17), we spill a drop of wine (which is a symbol of joy) as we recite each of the Ten Plagues, thus remembering that our joy is diminished at the suffering of others.

Afikomen

A very curious tradition now takes place. At the table is a bag with three compartments and three pieces of motza. The middle piece of motza is taken out, broken, and half is put back into the bag. The other half is wrapped in a linen napkin and hidden, to be taken out later, after the meal.  After the meal is finished, the leader of the seder lets the children loose to hunt for the Afikomen, which was wrapped in a napkin and hidden before the meal. The house is in a ruckus as everyone rushes around to be the first to find the Afikomen and claim the prize as grandpa redeems it from the lucky locator. The going rate is $5.00! Once the leader has retrieved the Afikomen, he breaks it up into pieces and distributes a small piece to everyone seated around the table. Jewish people don't really understand this tradition, but traditions don't need to be understood - just followed! However, it is widely believed that these pieces of Afikomen bring a good, long life to those who eat them.

The tradition perhaps dates back to the time of Jesus. If this is the case, then Luke 22:19 takes on a greater meaning: "And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.'" For Jesus the Messiah would have taken the middle one of the three pieces of motza, the piece that stood for the priest or mediator between God and the people, broken it as His body would be broken, wrapped half in a linen napkin as he would be wrapped in linen for burial, hidden it as he would be buried, brought it back as he would be resurrected, and distributed it to everyone seated with him, as He would distribute His life to all who believe. As He did this, he was conscious that this middle piece of motza represented His own, spotless body given for the redemption of His people. As the motza is striped and pierced, His own body would be striped and pierced, and it is by those wounds that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). This middle piece of motza, or the Afikomen, is our communion bread.

Shankbone of the Lamb

In every Jewish home, on every seder plate, is a bare shankbone of a lamb. In the book of Exodus, Jewish firstborns were spared from the Angel of Death by applying the blood of a spotless, innocent lamb applied to the doorpost of their homes as God brought the people from slavery into freedom. Today, we believe Jesus is that perfect Passover Lamb, and when we apply His blood to the doorposts of our heart, we too go from death into life, from the slavery of sin into the freedom of being a redeemed child of God. As John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus coming towards him, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Charoset

Charoset is a sweet mixture of chopped apples, chopped nuts, honey, cinnamon, and a little Manischewitz grape wine (kosher for Passover) just for color! This sweet, pasty, brown mixture is symbolic of the mortar that our ancestors used to build bricks in the land of Egypt. Why do we remember an experience so bitter with something so sweet? The rabbis have a good insight: even the bitterest of labor can be sweet when our redemption draws nigh. This is especially true for believers in the Messiah. We can find sweetness even in the bitterest of experiences because we know our Lord's coming is near.

Beitzah - egg

A roasted egg is on the seder plate to bring to mind the roasted daily temple sacrifice that no longer can be offered because the temple no longer stands. In the very midst of the Passover Seder, the Jewish people are reminded that they have no sacrifice to make them righteous before God.

Maror - bitter herb

This is usually ground horseradish, and enough is eaten (with Motza) to bring a tear to the eyes. We cannot appreciate the sweetness of redemption unless we first experience for ourselves the bitterness of slavery.

Karpas - greens

The first item taken is the karpas, or greens (usually parsley), which is a symbol of life. The parsley is dipped in salt water, a symbol of tears, and eaten, to remind us that life for our ancestors was immersed in tears. (Matt. 26:23). 

Third Cup

The third cup of wine is taken after the meal. It is the cup of redemption, which reminds us of the shed blood of the innocent Lamb which brought our redemption from Egypt. We see that Jesus took the third cup in Luke 22:20 and 1 Corinthians 11:25, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'" This was not just any cup, it was the cup of redemption from slavery into freedom. This is our communion cup.

Fourth Cup

The fourth cup is the Cup of Hallel. Hallel in Hebrew means "praise," and we see in the beautiful High Priestly Prayer of John 17, that Jesus took time to praise and thank the Lord at the end of the Passover Seder, his last supper. The spotless Passover Lamb had praise on his lips as he went to his death.

Elijah's Cup

A place setting remains empty for Elijah the prophet, the honored guest at every Passover table. The Jewish people expect Elijah to come at Passover and announce the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). So a place is set, a cup is filled with wine, and hearts are expectant for Elijah to come and announce the Good News. At the end of the seder meal, a child is sent to the door to open it and see if Elijah is there. Every year, the child returns, disappointed, and the wine is poured out without being touched. My people wait and hope for Messiah - they do not realize that Messiah has already come. But those of us who believe in Jesus  know that He is the one the prophets spoke of. He is the spotless, unblemished Passover Lamb, whose body was broken for us, whose blood was shed, and who now lives to distribute His life to all of us who apply His blood to the doorpost of our hearts and have passed from death into His eternal life.

How is the timing of Passover calculated? Why does Passover sometimes fall after Easter?

The two holidays are based on two different calendars. Easter is based on the solar calendar, the calendar commonly used today. In Western churches, Easter is dated as the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. It therefore occurs somewhere between March 22 and April 25. Eastern Orthodox churches have a different approach based on the lunar calendar.

Passover, on the other hand, is based on the Jewish calendar, a lunar calendar that has twelve 28-day months. Every two or three years, there is a thirteenth month called Adar II included in the calendar. Over the course of a 19-year cycle, this "extra" month occurs in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years. The year 2008 was one of those years with an extra month. Passover occurs from the 15th to the 21st of the month of Nisan - which is the month right after the "extra" month of Adar II. The inclusion of the "extra" month in the lunar calendar thus caused Passover to fall nearly 30 days after Easter in 2008.  In 2017, Passover is April 10 - April 18.

How is Passover related to the Last Supper?

The Last Supper was itself part of a celebration of Passover. Knowing that He would be put to death in a few hours, Jesus told his disciples that He "eagerly desired to celebrate this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15). At this celebration, He took elements of the Passover (the unleavened bread and the cup) and identified them as his body and blood, symbolizing his death.   Other elements of the Passover are important symbols as well. The "lamb" points to the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Indeed, Jesus is the Passover Lamb. Paul tells us that as often as we eat this bread and drink of this cup (elements of the Passover and the heart of the Last Supper, or Communion), we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).

E.G.O. ---- Edging God Out --- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD? - Week 2 - Passover and Unleavened Bread

E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out   
--- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD?

Facilitated by †Ken Neuhaus at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church (KY) on 2/12/17   (8 week series 2/5/17 – 3/26/17)

Today we are going to discuss two Feasts - in one.  Their timing is in the same month, even in the same week.  But their significance is often missed by Christians.  Let's take a look at the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  --- We may take two weeks to cover these two feasts.   ----  (opening prayer led by Chris H.)

Let’s look at the very first Passover, the Institution of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

1.    We are studying Leviticus, so let's read Leviticus 23:5-14

2.    Now, let’s review Exodus 11:1 – Exodus 12:36

·       1^ST Month of the year (Nisan)

·       10^th day chose a lamb for the household, must be without defects

·       Evening of 14^th, the whole community of Israel will sacrifice the lambs and place the blood above the doors

·       The lamb is to be completely consumed

·       Do this quickly, be ready to travel, walking stick in hand

·       When God sees the blood, He will pass over and not harm you

·       Celebrate this day for all time to come

·       When your children ask why, tell them the sacrifice of Passover is to honor the LORD, because he passed over us.  He killed the Egyptians, but sheltered us.

·       From evening of 14^th day to the evening of 21^st day, have no leaven in your house.

3.    Let's read  1^st Corinthians 5:6-8

As a side comment regarding leaven in the church, let’s read 1^st Corinthians 5:9-13

Seder meals, for nearly 1600 years before Jesus was crucified, the seder meal was practiced, even by Jesus. 

Luke 2:41       and    Mark 14:12      and    Luke 22:15

Is Jesus the Passover Lamb?

John 1:29  and    Luke 22:19-20

Is the Feast of Unleavened bread for Christians?

We can see the spiritual meaning of this feast.  The deeper significance wasn’t ultimately found in what had occurred in the Old Testament.  Rather, we see it in Jesus, the sinless one, who purged our sins and gave us a chance to be spiritually “unleavened” before God.   Read
Jude 1:24.  Jesus is very much at the center of this second feast of the LORD.  Jesus makes it possible for us to be spiritually “unleavened”.

Let’s take a look at Holy Week, and the parallel between OT and NT and preparing for Passover.

Sunday	Nisan 10	Gather the Lamb	Palm Sunday
Monday	Nisan 11	Inspect the Lamb	Parable of King preparing for wedding feast.
Tuesday	Nisan 12	Inspect the Lamb	Questioned about taxes Questioned about resurrection
Wednesday	Nisan 13	Inspect the Lamb	Questions about resurrection Questions about the great commandments
Thursday	Nisan 14	Slaughter the Lamb / Eat	Last Supper then arrested
Friday	Nisan 15	Released from Egypt / captivity	Jesus bruised and crushed, crucified and buried

Jesus was scrutinized on whether His teachings were according to the Torah - and was found to be spotless.

Next week, let’s look specifically at Seder and compare the symbols of who Jesus is in celebrating the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.   I am hoping to have a video compilation for next week.  Seder Meal – refer to http://chosenpeople.com/main/holidays-and-festivals/190-the-meaning-of-passover

(Closing prayer by Keith L.)

By the way, the next Passover begins at sundown on Mon, 10 April 2017.  Maybe we can do a seder meal around then?

E.G.O. ---- Edging God Out --- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD? --- Week 1 - The Sabbath

E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out   
--- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD?

This 8 Week Bible Study was facilitated by †Ken at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church (KY) on 2/5/17 (8 week series from 2/5/17 – 3/26/17)

As we open, let us go before the LORD in prayer and seek His guidance and teaching…. So that He may empower us with Holy Spirit Power to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to our families, our communities, and to the nations.   
Opening Prayer ( ♥ Group is welcome to pray  - †Ken opens, anyone who wants can join in, Shane closes.♥ )

outline – RED SCRIPTURES ARE TO BE READ OUT LOUD

·         I am piggy-backing off Chris Hamilton’s sermon last week where he presented the acronym “E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out”

• Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16
• – Chris also referenced this in his sermon last week.
• Let’s dig into the Old Testament to see where it was written…
• Leviticus 11:44 - For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.
• Leviticus 19:2 - “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
• Leviticus 20:7 - Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

·         Why is Leviticus so important? – 1^st Reason

o    The book of Leviticus was the first book studied by a Jewish child; yet is often among the last books of the Bible to be studied by a Christian. Today’s readers are often put off by the book’s lists of laws regarding diet, sacrifice, and social behavior. But within these highly detailed directives we discover the holiness—the separateness, distinction, and utter “otherness”—of God. And we learn how sin devastates humanity’s relationship with their Creator.

o    The word Leviticus directly relates to the Levites, the tribe that was set aside by the LORD to be His priests and worship leaders.  Although that tribe isn't emphasized throughout the book of Leviticus, it is still appropriate for genuine Christians today. 

o    Let's take a litmus test to see if we are priests --- do these passages describe us as individual authentic Christians?  (Question 1)

§  1st Peter 1:1-2  From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ--- To God's chosen people who live as refugees scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.  You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours…

§  1st Peter 2:9 - You are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

·         Why is Leviticus so important? – 2^nd Reason

o    Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, kept these biblical feasts as part of His worship, and used them to teach about the Father. 

o    All of these feasts show Christ’s central role in the process of salvation.

o    And today, as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, He is still the main agent of God’s plan for salvation for mankind.

o    Despite the thought process “those are Jewish feasts” – the reality is that these feasts really belong to the LORD.

o    They also belong to Christians who desire to follow Jesus’ example, and they have everything to do with Christ and His Church today.

o    The Book of Leviticus is a message of sanctification.  Leviticus communicates God’s forgiveness and acceptance which is followed by Holy Living and Spiritual Growth.

·         Why is sanctification so important? – The purpose of this study.

o    To summarize, “sanctification” is a translation of the Greek word hagiasmos, meaning “holiness” or “a separation.”  In Christianity, we have three basic phases of sanctification. 

§  Positional Sanctification --- In the past, when we first accepted Jesus as our Savior, God granted us justification, a once-for-all, positional holiness in Christ.  We are set free from the penalty of sin because of the Messiah's sacrifice is meant to redeem us.

§  Progressive Sanctification --- In the present, as we seek to follow Jesus authentically, in effect of obedience to the Word of God, God guides us to maturity and reveals how to be overcomers.  Also, if we reflect on John 17:18-19, this is the process of setting apart believers for the purpose for which they were sent into the world.

§  Complete Sanctification --- In the future, God will give us glorification, a permanent, ultimate holiness. At the second coming of Christ, we shall be like Him.  1 John 3:2 and Colossians 3:4

o    These three phases of sanctification separate the believer from the penalty of sin (justification), the power of sin (maturity), and the presence of sin (glorification). At which phase do we find ourselves? (Question 2)

·         Why is Leviticus so important? – 3^rd Reason

o    God established the sacrificial system so that His covenant people would enjoy fellowship through worship.  But that fellowship with a Holy God requires repentance and renewal.   (Question 3)

§  When an Israelite worshiper laid his hand on the animal victim, he identified himself with the animal as his substitute . . . this accomplished a symbolic transfer of his sin and a legal transfer of his guilt to the animal victim. God then accepted the slaughter of the animal . . . as a ransom payment for the particular sin which occasioned it.   (F. Duane Lindsey, "Leviticus," 166.)

o    Studying the Feasts in Leviticus 23 will allow us to see the extent of Jesus’ legal acceptance of our sin, and bring better understanding of how God accepted the slaughter of His only begotten Son for your ransom.

·         Leviticus 23:1-3 --- Observing Sabbath

o    This study is in Leviticus 23, but we will step back and look in

Leviticus 22:31-33

o    Lev 22:31  The LORD said, "Obey my commands; I am the LORD.

o    Lev 22:32  Do not bring disgrace on my holy name; all the people of Israel must acknowledge me to be holy. I am the LORD and I make you holy;

o    Lev 22:33  and I brought you out of Egypt to become your God. I am the LORD."

·         Now let’s look at Leviticus 23:1-3 --- Observing Sabbath

o    Where else do we find the Commandment of observing Sabbath?

• 10 Commandments /// Exodus 20:1-18 and Deuteronomy 5:1-22
• First place ever mentioned is Exodus 16:23-30
• Why do we observe these commandments?  Deuteronomy 6:20-25
• (Question 4) and (HOMEWORK Question 5)

Crystal B closes with prayer.

----------------------=================================-----------------------------

E.G.O.  ----  Edging God Out   
--- what happened to our Sabbath – and the 7 Feasts of the LORD ?

A Study on Leviticus 23  -  Week 1 – 2/5/17

Question 1 --- Do we pass the litmus test of priesthood?  Do we obey Jesus Christ?  Are we purified by His blood?   Do we proclaim the wonderful acts of God? 1st Peter 1:1-2  & 1st Peter 2:9

Question 2 --- At what phase of sanctification do we see ourselves?  Have we been Born Again and justified with God?  If so, are we overcoming the power of sin and walking in maturity?

Question 3 --- When an Israelite worshiper laid his hand on the animal victim, he identified himself with the animal as his substitute . . . this accomplished a symbolic transfer of his sin and a legal transfer of his guilt to the animal victim. God then accepted the slaughter of the animal . . . as a ransom payment for the particular sin which occasioned it.   (F. Duane Lindsey, "Leviticus," 166.)
Do you fully understand the ransom that was paid for you?

Question 4 --- Are you and your household observing Sabbath – a true Sabbath? Exodus 16:23-30

HOMEWORK Question 5 --- What does the word Sabbath mean?  Leviticus 23:1-3 Could you use one?  Hint (look up the Hebrew definition).

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Facilitated by †Ken Neuhaus at Fort Mitchell Baptist Church (KY)  2/5/17 – 3/26/17