The villages which dotted the hillsides surrounding the Sea of Galilee were buzzing with excitement.  As cottage industries produced their millstones, olive oil, fishing products and pottery, shop owners, farmers and villagers alike discussed the fiery new preacher who had come up from the Judean wilderness and was baptizing the repentant at the mouth of the Jordan River.  The Roman soldiers kept a watchful eye on the itinerant preacher, a man with strange clothing and even stranger eating habits.  He seemed more critical of the religious leaders of the Jews than the emperor, so they deemed him harmless and reported their findings about his antics and popularity to Herod rather than troubling the waters of Rome. 

            John the Baptist bursts into the world of the New Testament with all the passion and fire of a thunder and lightning storm.  Yet his connection to the Old Testament was not missed by the Gospel writers, or those who waited expectantly for the appearance of the Messiah.  The church leaders who organized the canon also saw this connection.  The Old Testament finishes with the eloquent words of Malachi and the promise of the return of Elijah the prophet before the arrival of the Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6).  Interestingly, all four Gospels link the beginning of Jesus' ministry to the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist.  The importance of this is explained in Mal. 3:1 which states a messenger would appear to prepare the way for the Lord.  Luke, Mark and Matthew also draw a connection to Isaiah's prophecy concerning a messenger too (Is.40:3; Mk. 1:3; Mt. 3:3; Lk. 3:4).

            Luke makes note of one critical and distinct link between John the Baptist and Elijah.  He sees that like Elijah, John received his message from God (Lk. 3:2) and, using similar wording to the Old Testament, relates the call of John to that of the prophets (Is. 1:1-2; Jer. 1:1-2; 1 Ki. 17:13).  Luke acknowledges that John is a spokesman for God as were his prophetic predecessors.  John also had several characteristics that the people immediately recognized as being like Elijah.  First, John came from the wilderness in Judea to the Sea of Galilee to preach and baptize (Lk. 3:3).  Elijah ministered in this region as well.  The Judean wilderness stretched from the lower tip of the Sea of Galilee where it met the Jordan River, down through the Jordan Valley to Jericho and Jerusalem.  John's attire was a carbon copy of his illustrious predecessor.  Elijah was noted as a "hairy man with leather girded around his loins" (2 Ki. 1:8) as was John (Mt. 3:4).

            Elijah met the apostasy and unbelief of Israel head on (1 Ki. 18:21).  His outspoken condemnation of the duplicitous religious activity of both the common folk and royalty, earned him a spot on Queen Jezebel's hit list.  John was also outspoken on matters of religious purity.  He challenged the crowds who were coming to be baptized by making them analyze why they were seeking him out.  Did they come for a show?  Or did they truly understand that repentance translated into a permanent change of behavior which resulted in actions that were in line with God's commands in Torah (Lk. 3: 8, 10-14)?  Ultimately John’s “calling out” of Herod the Tetrarch’s illegitimate marriage to his brother Philip’s wife cost John his life (Mt. 14:1-12).  But he had already accomplished the mission given to him by God (Jn. 1:23-34).

            Both Elijah and John evoked a response from the people.  When the people saw the failure of Baal's prophets, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord, He is God!" (1 Ki. 18:38).  The multitudes being convicted by his fiery preaching asked John for instruction, "Then what shall we do?" (Lk. 3:10).  Once again, Luke’s Gospel grounds the reason for this result firmly in the words of the prophets (Lk. 1:16-17; Mal. 4:6) when the angel announces to Zacharias God's plans for his son.

            The people gathered on the banks of the Jordan River and waited to hear the prophet speak.  They were anticipating a passionate message blasting the oppressive rule of Rome or the adulterous lifestyle of Herod.  Instead his words cut open their hearts and made them recognize their need to turn from their own sinful ways back to God's ways.  One by one, they stepped into the Jordan to rededicate their lives by repenting; first walking into the Jordan one way, and then climbing out another- a visible sign of turning away from sin and toward God.  Put yourself on the shoreline.  Listen to the words of the prophet.  How will you answer his message?  Will you see your own need?  Will you respond as they did and ask, "Then, what shall I do?"

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            In the year 2010, publisher Nan A. Talese and author James Frey, came under scrutiny when it was discovered that Frey's autobiography was not entirely truthful and contained descriptions of his life that did not actually happen.  In an article which called the publisher's integrity into question, Talese was quoted as saying in her defense of promoting a book with so many inconsistencies and out-right lies, "When someone starts out and says, 'I have lied, I have cheated...', you do not think this is going to be the New Testament."  They were interesting words when considering they came from someone who did not actually believe the New Testament was trustworthy and accurate.  In my own experience I find that most people like what the Bible has to say but give it no more importance than their favorite self-help book, a myth or other religious writings like the Koran.  In our day and age of wanting every detail to be proven beyond a doubt the Bible has been relegated to “just another book” worthy of collecting dust on the bookshelf.  Sadly we do not take the time to recognize that the Bible can and does really stand up to scrutiny if we take the time to honestly examine how it was compiled and how it has endured over the course of time.  Throughout Scripture we are reminded how trustworthy God's Word really is.  It is called the "Word of Truth" in 2 Tim. 2:15, living and active in Heb. 4:12, and the prophet Isaiah proclaimed that the Word of the Lord would endure forever (Is. 40:8), while John wrote in Revelation that God's Word was faithful and true (Rev. 21:5; 22:6).

            Our Bible is unique among other literary works, spiritual and secular.  Although it's subject matter spans thousands of years and was written by at least 40 different authors, it is more accurate than other ancient writings whose oldest manuscripts still exist.  For example the scribes who copied the Old Testament followed a strict set of criteria.  If at any point the smallest stroke of the smallest letter was copied incorrectly, the entire scroll was destroyed.  This is why Jesus could claim with confidence that, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will not pass away" (Mk. 13:31).  He also noted that, “Not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Mt. 5:18).  Jesus is referring to the Hebrew letter yod which resembles our comma and the tiny upper portion of that letter.  Simply stated even the tiniest portion of the Law is so significant it will be fulfilled.

            But accuracy and truth are not limited to the Old Testament writings.  The transmission of the New Testament followed the same scrutiny in that many of the early believers were still alive while it was being written and any untruth or inaccurate accounts of the life, death and resurrection of the Lord were branded as heresy and kept out of what came to be known as the New Testament. While writings such as The Gospel of Thomas tickle the fancies of Hollywood and sensationalistic authors, there are blatant inaccuracies in their historic facts and their treatment of Jesus is more like that of a fairy tale character.  Not only did the early believers refute writings which were inaccurate (and ultimately kept them out of the final collection of Scripture), many died for the Divine Author who oversaw the composition of the book we call the Bible today (2 Tim. 3:16).  I know some people will die for a cause, but not too many people will die for something they know is factually wrong and historically inaccurate.

            Many think the Bible has been disproved through scientific discoveries, but these discoveries have done just the opposite.  For example, it was long believed that King David was a figment of the Bible's imagination.  Archaeologists had not found any evidence which proved otherwise, until an excavation in northern Israel unearthed a stone tablet which included the phrase "the house of David" confirming not only David's existence, but his kingship as well.  Other areas of science continue to confirm Biblical thought and understanding not only of nature but the human mind and life in general.  Most of these discoveries are kept hidden by our major news sources.  Why?  It goes against the grain of what they want to believe!  But for those who do read its words and have faith in what the Bible teaches, a great reward awaits (Rom. 10:11; 15:4).  Nan Talese attempted to minimize the extent of her accountability over the lies in Frey's book by claiming it was not Sacred Scripture.  Scripture, however, scrutinizes a person’s integrity with the precision of a surgeon (Heb. 4:12).  No one will ever be quoting Nan Talese or David Frey when speaking of truth nor will they be testing what they’ve published to see if it “holds up in court” the way the Bible has been scrutinized or tested through the years.  But the Bible withstands any argument humankind can throw at it.  Therefore we can be confident in what is recorded there and live by what it teaches us with assurance (Ps. 18:30; 119:105, 111).

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Imagine that you are walking along a sidewalk and you notice a piece of paper on the ground.  You are a curious person, so you pick it up to see what it says.  You see a partial date on one of the corners, but since it is only a piece of paper, you don't know how large it originally was or where it came from.  Written in bold letters across the top portion of the paper you read,  “'S BACK!”  Sometimes reading the Bible can be like this, especially in a book like Leviticus.  As you read the rules and regulations they seem distant and unrelated to your life.  Reading them is like the partial headline of your mysterious piece of paper.  Did it say, "He's Back"?  If so, who was he?  A politician or sports figure?  If it said "It's Back!", what would that mean?  Since it only has a partial date you wonder when it was originally printed.  How did it end up on your street?  The more you think about it, the more questions come to mind.  What if you looked around and realized that this was the only piece of paper of its kind.  A whole new set of questions would arise and you might even come to the conclusion that this paper was not relevant to you.

            In the case of the Old Testament, and Leviticus in particular, many Christians tend to think that it does not apply to them.  These books are like that partial piece of paper.  They don't make sense and they don't seem to match with the way we live life today.  But a careful reading of the New Testament shows that those authors quoted the Old Testament quite often. Both Jesus and Paul were convinced that the basic principles of behavior in the Old Testament agreed with the teachings of Christ in the New Testament.  For example, in Mark 12:30-31, Jesus quotes both Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 when He describes the way we should love God.  Gordon Wenham said it this way, "With this double quotation from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, Jesus drew out the quintessence of Old Testament Law and gave it His own seal of approval."

            So, to understand what Leviticus means to us today, we must first understand where it fits into Scripture as a whole.  Leviticus, the third book in the Pentateuch (a fancy way to say the five books of Moses), is part of the Mosaic Covenant.  The Mosaic Covenant was the binding agreement between Israel and the LORD (Yahweh in the Hebrew).  The crux of this covenant was that Israel must be holy because the LORD was holy (Lev. 19:2).  Did this command disappear in the New Testament?  No.  Peter draws his instructions in 1 Peter 1:13-16 directly from the book of Leviticus.
            Likewise, the overall aspects of the Mosaic Covenant are reflected in the New Testament teaching on Law and grace.  Consider these three points: 1) The OT Covenant was arranged by divine grace. For example, God called Abraham, rescued Israel from Egypt and chose David to be king.  In each case the action was initiated by God.  In the NT, it is the Lord who comes to seek and save the lost (Lk. 19:10) and calls sinners to repentance (Rom. 5:8); 2) The OT Covenant involved a command (Lev. 19:2) and created a means for fellowship between God and man (Ex. 29:10-13).  The NT view of the Law is that it explains how man is to imitate God.  The Law was not a means to salvation, but a response to salvation.  The disciple is not merely to observe the letter of the commandments.  Instead his/her righteousness is to exceed that of the experts of the law (Mt. 5:17-48); and 3) The OT Covenant involved blessing and curses (Dt. 27:1-30:20).  This theme continued in the NT with commands to seek God’s kingdom (Mt. 6:33) and blessings for obedience (Mt. 5:1-12).

            If we wish to walk in our Lord's steps and think His thoughts after Him, we must attempt to understand the sacrificial system of Leviticus.  By discovering the underlying principles of the Law, which were established by the same God who sent His Son to die for us, we will learn something of the way we should approach a holy God and how He desires us to live and interact with the world we live in.  The Law is now influenced by grace, but it has not lost its position as a teacher and we would do well to study and learn from it (Gal. 3:24).

Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Have you ever looked at a tapestry and marveled at how many different threads intertwine to compose the picture that you see before you?  If you turned the tapestry over and looked at the back, you may have been fascinated by the amount of threads needed to make the picture clear and precise.  But if you only focused on one particular thread in that weaving, you might never see the big picture.  The great covenants of the Bible have something in common with those threads.  If we only focus on one, we miss the beauty of the Big Picture and the blessings that all mankind receive from these covenants.

            The covenant blessings actually begin in Gen. 3:15, when God promises that a "seed" will come from Eve and that the seed will cause a fatal wound to the seed of the serpent.  Two important aspects should be noted concerning what we call the "Adamic Covenant" (a fancy way of saying the Covenant God made with Adam through Eve).  First, it is unconditional, that is only God Himself is required to make sure it is fulfilled.  And secondly, it is made with mankind in particular, in that Adam and Eve were the first of all humanity, not a particular nation or ethnicity.

            Gen. 12:1-3 (the Abrahamic Covenant) another great covenant is woven into the tapestry.  In this promise we learn that Abraham is not the seed, but through his seed, that is his descendants which are represented by seed, all people will be blessed.  This is a key point, because it is the foundation of all the promises we inherit when we, as Gentiles, profess faith in The Seed (who we later learn is the Messiah, Jesus Christ).  Although Abraham is childless when he receives this promise from God, we can follow the fulfillment of this promise and its continued fulfillment through the story of Isaac (Gen. 15:1-6; Gen. 21; Gen. 26:1-5; Gen. 26:24) and Jacob (Gen. 28:12-16).  This promise is repeated several times throughout the final chapters of Genesis, the most notable is Gen. 35:9-13 where Jacob's name is changed to Israel and the promise moves from a person to a nation.  The covenant remains "unconditional" in that God will be the one to bring it to pass.  A nation is a large entity to pull one promise out of, especially when that nation is formed by not 1, but 12 sons!  So the conduit of the promised Seed moves to a particular tribe, Judah (Gen. 49:8-12).

            The thread of this promise will not emerge again until 2 Sam. 7:8-16 (the Davidic Covenant), when a descendant of Judah, takes the throne.  Here God makes an astounding promise to David, Judah's descendant, that unlike other earthly kings, David's descendant will sit on the throne forever.  Humanly speaking this is impossible.  And just to confirm that the fulfillment of this promise is not dependent on human initiative both David, and his heir apparent Solomon, die as do all the generations after them.  So within the eras of Israel's history the promise of The Seed submerges once again and it does not resurface until many generations later.

            Now we'll take a great leap forward and land in Luke 3:23-38 which concerns the genealogy of Jesus Christ.  Luke's record is very careful to include not only David's lineage, but it continues to go all the way back to Abraham AND Adam.  Luke wants you to understand that God has always intended the promise of Gen. 3:15 to be a promise made for everyone.  It was a promise that was made when Israel as a nation was only a glimmer in God's eye, so the promise is not particular to one people group, but all inclusive.  Luke not only makes this one of the themes of his Gospel, it is also the main theme of the Book of Acts which was also written by him.  Later on, when Paul writes to the Romans (a group of believers composed mainly of Gentiles) he goes to great lengths to call attention to the all-inclusiveness of the Gospel and its blessings to all who believe it.  Romans chapter 4 is a monumental tribute to Abraham's descendants, not only the ones in his "fleshly" family tree (his physical descendants) but those in his "spiritual" family tree; those of us who exhibit his spiritual attributes of faith.  It is a fitting conclusion to the thread of the Promised Seed and the Big Picture of salvation which is woven in the Covenant tapestry of Scripture.  There is The Promised Seed (Jesus), but also a harvest of seed who believe, and that's you and me!
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre