What man lost in Eden, FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD … has been renewed by the time we get to the end of the Leviticus Story. Through the five Offerings (all except one involving Bloodshed) in chapters 1-7 … all the way to the Laws of Purity (living cleanly after the Blood has been appropriated, applied) in chapters 12-27. In other words, from beginning to end! Yes, God fellowshipping again with mankind! With Israel now ready to march toward Zion, Mount Zion!

But in Old Testament terms, the greatest manifestation of GOD’S ABIDING PRESENCE is probably found in the concept of Mount Moriah. Let me show you what I mean …

In our King James Bible the proper noun “Moriah” occurs only twice. Those locations are significant. Leviticus is designed to help the Jewish people learn and maintain the Lessons of Moriah!

First occurrence, God speaking to Abraham … “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of MORIAH; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” Genesis 22:2, one of the greatest Pictures of Calvary that we possess, Old Testament wise.

Last occurrence (of only two) … “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount MORIAH, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.” 2 Chronicles 3:1, the beginning of the greatest Building every erected! (God’s House, literally, the Place of God and man meeting together!)

And the Book of Leviticus gives us the total Plan, the perfect Will of God, all the Holy Spirit directed Technicalities of the WORSHIP/COMMUNION that is to be offered in that God ordained Place, on Mount Moriah!

By the way, Jesus died just outside the City that was built around Mount Moriah, Jerusalem! Substitutionary Death (a ram caught in a thicket for Isaac in Genesis 22 … and an innocent lamb for a sinning Israelite throughout the Book of Leviticus), Substitutionary Death (certainly in Jesus dying for us old sinners)!

And that vicarious DEATH making possible the overall Goal of the Book of Leviticus … God and man living in sweet, unbroken Fellowship … eternally!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, “Moriah” in Hebrew means “God sees!” (A blend of the verb “raah” and the Noun “Yah,” God’s very name!) God saw Calvary from Day One! Peter even says, “before the foundation of the world!” 1 Peter 2:20

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The last Book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, leads up to the death of Moses. After which Israel enters the Land of Canaan!

Living in God’s “Promised Land,” where His Tabernacle will finally rest. Where His abiding Presence will become permanent. Where eventually the “Tent of Meeting,” the portable Tabernacle … will become the “Temple of Solomon,” stable and enduring and God’s House among His people.

But WHY did Israel finally (the long delay being due to her sins) enter this grand Land, flowing with “milk and honey?”

Here’s why NOT … “Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.” Deuteronomy 9:6, stubborn Israel did not earn that entrance!

This fact repeated: “Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 9:5, God’s faithfulness to His Word is the impetus!

Then one more time: “Speak not thou in thine heart, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land.” Deuteronomy 9:3, three times now in a single Paragraph!

It is God’s Grace and not Israel’s Goodness that brought them into this Land of miraculous Provision. Where God will ultimately dwell in their midst in a grandiose Building, that Temple.

Then, back to the question … WHY can Israel enter this Land?

It looks to me like their entrance has something to do with the death of Moses!

Moses dies.

Joshua leads.

The Land is entered and conquered.

That simple.

I am using Moses today as a Type of Jesus, a Type of Christ. Moses who certainly was an intercessor for Israel. Moses who would himself have been Israel’s High Priest had he not balked at God’s Call for his life! (The appointment of Aaron was an afterthought, due to Moses’ hesitation, recalcitrance. See Exodus 4:10-16, my proof Text.)

And now with Moses being that Type of Christ our High Priest … note that the Israelites did not (could not) enter the Land of lasting Fellowship with God … prior to this death! (Some Preachers properly consider Canaan as a Type of “Spirit Filled,” victorious Christian living, in perpetual communion with Almighty God)

Get the sequence … Moses dies, the Land of Canaan is entered!

Or this is better … Moses dies, and consequently the Land of Canaan is entered!

Now the fulfillment, the antitype: JESUS OUR HIGH PREIST DIES … AND THEREAFTER WE CAN ENTER THE LAND OF CONSTANT COMMUNION WITH CHRIST. THE LAND OF VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN HOLY GHOST EMPOWERED LIVING!

We can be “right” with God … commune with God, because of Calvary, because of our Lord’s shed Blood!

We can enjoy life, abundant life, life abiding in His Presence!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

One more quick thought along this line. In the Cities of Refuge legislation God gave to Israel, the “manslayer” had to flee to one of those six sanctuaries to be safe. BUT once the High Priest died, he was free to go home, to be at liberty … and safely so!

Again the Symbolism is clear: the DEATH of our great High Priest Jesus has set us free! No longer can the avenger “touch” (harm) us!

Thank You, Lord!

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Just as the Bible began in a garden, with God coming down in the “cool” of the day to walk with and fellowship with Adam and Eve … so does the Book of Leviticus teach the Jewish people how to maintain such fellowship. How to “abide in God’s Tabernacle,” or “dwell in His Holy Hill!”

And then suddenly, in the Book of Numbers, a heathen King hires a well known false prophet to ruin all that fellowship potential! Yes, Balak (of the Moabites) employed Balaam to “curse” the Israelites! This story is told in Numbers chapters 22-24.

But … instead of cursing Israel (his heart’s real desire) … Balaam (under God’s constraint) instead “blesses” Israel! Three different times!

Including this astounding benediction: “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.” Numbers 24:5-6

Clearly he describes Israel and her possessions in terms of a well-watered garden! Get that word … GARDEN!

This is a later description (in my opinion) of the Garden of Eden … some day to be restored to Israel!

This is also the Book of Numbers completely agreeing with the Book of Leviticus … God’s Goal is now (and always has been) and always will be “the dear Lord living in the midst of His people in sweet communion and delight and sweetness of fellowship!”

Who would have ever thought of such symmetry, beauty, singleness of purpose … in the first five Books of the Bible?

I am writing this Lesson on Christmas Morning, 2019 … and acknowledging that the greatest Blessing/Gift/Pleasure we have as Christians is GOD LIVING IN OUR MIDST. Our being indwelt by the Holy Spirit … fellowshipping with the Almighty day in and day out! I could even say hourly, because He has promised … “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:20

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I just counted. The name of the Jewish High Priest “Aaron” occurs 62 times in the Book of Leviticus! The name means “light-bringer!”

And in the Book of Numbers he is mentioned 99 times! (Yet in Deuteronomy, only 4 times, total, purposely no doubt.)

So, easy to see, “Aaron” is a key character (a “proper noun”, a personal name) tying these two Pentateuchal Books together, both Leviticus and Numbers.

And in Numbers, continuing the grand Theme of Leviticus, of the whole Mosaic Corpus really … we see God longing to be in fellowship with man, with sinful man. And for that sweet Communion to occur, blood must be shed (atonement made) … a task entrusted to the High Priest or else one of his sons.

I am trying to say that just as the Books of Genesis and Exodus led us up to the Message of Leviticus … now Numbers and Deuteronomy lead us forward from the beautiful Message of Leviticus!

And the (theological) center of Numbers (not the numerical center) just might be an event narrated in Chapter 17 of that Book.

A group (large in number) of “rebels” had attacked Aaron’s leadership! As High Priest, I mean. God judged them promptly. Then God enacted a miracle (indeed) … authenticating His appointed means of fellowshipping with human beings.

The “Lord being with His people” is this important, fundamentally so! God “tabernacling” among mankind!

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod.And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you.And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels ….” Numbers 17:1-10

A dead tree limb (a rod) came back to life, one of twelve such dead limbs! And it was the one with the name of the Tribe of “Levi” on it, Aaron’s family!

Read it again, of the dead, dry rod … “Behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.”

Amazing!

Yes, clearly God wants the sacrificial System left in place, untampered, so that He and man can dwell together in sweet harmony.

Precious!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Just as Leviticus has at its very heart the idea of “God’s desire to dwell with mankind” … in indescribably sweet communion … so does the Book of Numbers!

And just as Leviticus emphasizes the Priesthood (at its center) … so does the Book of Numbers. (The Priest being the man who helps facilitate that communion, fellowship.)

More particularly, in the “heart” of Leviticus (chapter 10) Aaron’s two sons (one of them potentially in line to be High Priest) sinned egregiously against the Lord God. They offered “strange fire” before God, apparently going (without authorization) into the very Holy of Holies Itself! AND GOD KILLED THEM INSTANTLY!

Why?

Because they had soiled (violated) the God treasured “picture/type/symbol” of Fellowship which God so longs to introduce to Israel! That Holy of Holies contained the very Ark of the Covenant, and the august Mercy Seat … where God lived so as to “be” in Israel’s presence!

That way of APPROACH TO ALMIGHTY GOD must be maintained at all costs! And Nadab and Abihu willfully and blatantly failed in this respect, in drawing near the Lord God.

Don’t you see Leviticus’ emphasis in all this? God with man and man with God, in sweet Harmony! That’s why the priesthood! That’s why the Tabernacle! That’s why those Offerings! That’s why those Laws about purity!

Now we look at the Book of Numbers. At its very heart (chapters 16 and 17) the High Priesthood is again under attack, under question!

We will get more specific in tomorrow’s Lesson, the Lord willing. Looking at Numbers 16 and 17 where THREE situations arise … each challenging (or proving in the face of such challenge) Aaron’s position as High Priest!

Again, this vital Communion (firstly God with man and then consequently man with God) is brought into doubt, placed under suspicion!

First, Numbers 16:1-40 … the rebellion of Korah … directed against Moses AND AARON!

Then Numbers 16:41-50 … nationwide discontent, grumbling, rebellion resulting from the Korah incident … against Moses AND AARON!

Finally Numbers 17:1-13 … God powerfully proving again that AARON AND HIS SONS (the Tribe of Levi) were to be the priests among Israel! Priests (again) to officiate the sweet Communion God desires with man!

Wow!

So … the Book of Numbers does (at its very heart) reemphasize the grand teaching of the Book of Leviticus!

So that some bright day … the Goal of all the Pentateuch (with Leviticus at its center) will be realized … “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” Revelation 21:3

More detail tomorrow, Lord willing.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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