Bible Reflections From Scripture Union Volume OneSample

Trust and Obey Read Leviticus 16:1-34 "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. Leviticus 16:3 Where I live, a ‘World of Feng Shui’ shop has recently opened. Among the displays is a 'Wish Fulfilling Bird'. The text says: 'Birds are powerful symbols of opportunity. Write down your wish on a scroll, roll it up and place it in the bird’s beak. Hang this bird flying out of your home or office. The bird will carry your wish into the cosmos and make it come true. You will be astonished how quickly the bird will work for you.' Feng shui, it seems, seeks to discover the ‘secrets’ of nature and make them work for us. The procedure on the Day of Atonement had a totally different slant. God took the initiative to show Israel, in great detail, the way to approach Him. What about the people? They responded in OBEDIENCE – they adhered strictly to the rules with no innovation of their own. They responded in HUMILITY – they took the day off from work and repented with prayer and fasting. The high priest, clad in plain linen garments, offered sacrifices for his and his family’s sins before he took care of the community’s sins. They responded in TRUST – they believed God would do as He promised i.e. to cleanse and forgive them and so continue to live among them and bless them. In the New Covenant, God has prescribed one way of salvation and blessing – through embracing Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice for human sin. Do we humbly trust and obey? Resolve afresh before the Lord to follow Jesus and obey the plain teaching of Scripture. Let us confess our sins to God and thank Him for the cleansing blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.