Well, it is beginning to look like we may never discuss the Book of Leviticus itself, per se! But we shall, the Lord willing.

It’s just that I have been so overwhelmed by other Old Testament “Hints” that Fellowship with God (and subsequently His Fellowship with us) is the overarching THEME of the pre-Leviticus Pentateuch. And yesterday we even saw that Motif in the Psalms and Minor Prophets too!

I was reading/studying last night, after preaching at a Camp Meeting Service south of Gaffney, South Carolina, and was thrilled to see some (possible) parallels between the Garden of Eden and the Old Testament Tabernacle and thus, the Book of Leviticus! (Remember: our fellowshipping/communing with God and His reciprocal fellowshipping with us!)

In fact, that Garden in Eden may even be a “type” of the “Holy of Holies,” the very “heart” of the Old Testament system of worship! And the “Center” of the Leviticus 16 “Day of Atonement” Emphasis.

Let me show you …

God “lives” in both the beautiful Garden of Eden and the august Holy of Holies! Genesis 3:8 … “And they (Adam and Eve) heard the voice of the Lord God WALKING in the garden in the cool of the day.” Where “walking” is expressed in an intensive verb form (walking intensively and deliberately and habitually) meaning “to go to and fro!” Then in Leviticus 26:11-12 … “And I (the Lord God) will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I WILL WALK among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.”

That’s a “parallel,” indeed!

Eden also seems to have faced east (Genesis 3:24 and 4:16) … as did the Tabernacle!

Eden had the Tree of Life in its midst. So did the Tabernacle, the golden lampstand/candlestick being a clear replica of such a Tree! (Perfectly designed, symmetrical!)

And both Eden and the Tabernacle (later the Temple in even more detail) were loaded with fruit … lush and verdant.

Eden is also portrayed as being “on higher ground!” And the Tabernacle/Temple was also built on a “mountain!” (Mount Moriah, to be exact.) A River cannot flow out of Eden unless it is trickling downward (Genesis 2:10)! Ands a mist went “up” from the ground/earth to water Eden (Genesis 2:6)! And in Ezekiel 28:13-14, where Lucifer is being addressed: “Thou hast been in EDEN the GARDEN of God; every precious stone was thy covering … thou wast upon the HOLY MOUNTAIN of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.” And the Tabernacle/Temple? God Himself, in Psalm 2:6 promises: “Yet have I set my king upon my HOLY HILL of Zion.” 

By the way, in the coming Millennial Temple, a river flows from it as well! Ezekiel 47:1 … “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east.” Similar to Genesis 2:10 … “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.”

Wow!

The point of all this holy “geography?” A Place for God to fellowship with His creation, with mankind! And for us to reciprocate!

I am excited. Leviticus, its position and content and thrust, have opened up (for me anyway) a vast new area of Bible Study!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

More tomorrow, the Lord willing.

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Yes, the Psalms!

Many of which begin “far away” from God, experientially “out of fellowship” with Him.

But these same Psalms (as a pattern) conclude with man (the Psalmist) being “lifted up,” being “restored” to sweet fellowship with his God, with our God!

Psalm 13 is a good example.

Verse 1, David feeling “forsaken” of God! Clearly our of Touch/Tune with the Almighty! “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Psalm 13:1

But look at the Psalm’s conclusion, godly fellowship again being richly enjoyed! “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:5-6, its ending!

Dozens of Psalms follow this paradigm!

Even the little Book of Jonah, as a matter of fact, fulfills this pattern!

From the belly of the whale, the depths of the wild (rebellious) sea! “Out of the fish’s belly! Out of the belly of Hell. Thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight.” Jonah 2:1-4, part of the King James Text. Out of fellowship, clearly!

But watch now … “Then I (Jonah) said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple.” The Temple, the place of Communion with God! “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine Holy Temple.” Jonah 2:7, near the end of that great chapter! “With God, via humble, repentant prayer!”

Back into sweet Friendship, Fellowship with His Lord!

And folks, that is too the trajectory of Leviticus! From forgiveness of sin (the various “Offerings” enumerated and detailed in Leviticus’ opening chapters) all the way to the Day of Atonement in mid-Book, chapter 16! Blood sacrifice … making possible Face-to-face Relationship with the Lord!

Close, unimpeded, uninterrupted Fellowship with God Himself!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I learned something a few days ago, something that I trust I will not soon forget … regarding “fellowship” with the Lord. (Which is the whole Point of Leviticus, how to establish and maintain such sublime Communion with our great God!)

The opening Section of the Book of Genesis, Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3 specifically … carries us from the initial Moment of Creation to the establishing of the Sabbath Day, maybe the very “high point” of Creation week anyway!

As if God fellowshipping with us, and we with Him, were the very Purpose of Creation, of the Sabbath!

In Hebrew, Genesis 1:1 contains SEVEN Words.

Then come the SEVEN Paragraphs describing God’s miraculous Creative “Days! Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. (SEVEN Days!)

Then, on that SEVENTH DAY, the Sabbath (Rest unto God) … God gives us a THREEFOLD Emphasis of that Special Day, that Day of Fellowship!

Here’s that TRIUNE Emphasis … “And God BLESSED the seventh day, and SANCTIFIED it: because that in it HE HAD RESTED from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:3

It appears to me that the Creation Act of God was geared (arranged or orchestrated) to point to Communion with the Almighty! The “Purpose” of the Sabbath Day!

The very Theme of Leviticus!

The very Theme of the Tabernacle!

The very Theme of the Earth itself, built as a Tabernacle!

In fact, the very Theme of the Bible!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

James 4:8 has come to mind: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

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Today I talk about Creation, the Tabernacle, and the Book of Leviticus. I want to show you an amazing anomaly, particularly in ancient Hebrew vocabulary.

The Tabernacle, God’s special Place to meet mankind, has a lampstand within its walls/curtains. This we all know.

The “light” emitted by that lampstand (candlestick) is at times called “maor,” a seldom used (only 18 times in all Scripture) Hebrew noun. (In Exodus 25:6 and 27:20 and 35:8 and 35:14 and 35:8 and 39:37.) This is light to brighten the Holy Place, where the fresh Bread rests … a place to commune with God! The very entryway to the Holy of Holies! God’s Mercy Seat!

Now watch this. In the Creation Account which God gave Moses, when “light” was first mentioned … the Holy Spirit did not opt for the normal word for “light” (in Hebrew a noun simply spelled “or,” but pronounced “owr”). Instead He used “maor!” As in Genesis 1:3 … “And God said, Let there be light (maor): and there was light (maor).”

Furthermore, even when God created the sun and moon … “And God made two great lights (maor); the greater light (maor) to rule the day, and the lesser light (maor) to rule the night: he made the stars also.” Genesis 1:16, neglecting or refusing to use the normal (most frequently) employed noun for light, “or.”

And now … does Leviticus use this relatively rare term for “light?” Yes, in Leviticus 24:2 … “Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light (maor), to cause the lamps to burn continually.”  With God talking, commanding!

Wow!

If “maor” is “light” in the sense of making fellowship with God possible … then God crated this whole planet (which we call earth) for fellowship, Himself with his creation, with humankind! Earth then is a Tabernacle, in that sense!

And if “maor” is the word used by Moses to depict the “light” from the golden candlestick in the Tabernacle … again God made that Structure for such sweet fellowship too! A “given” in fundamental Bible Study!

And if (which it is) Leviticus is THE Book of fellowship with God … no wonder it also uses the atypical “maor” for “light!

God’s REASON for creating earth!

And for building the Tabernacle!

Anod for writing Leviticus …

All the Same … FELLOWSHIP WITH MANKIND!

Thrilling!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Invest some time with the Lord today. That’s your vey reason for existence! He loves such communion!

John 4:23, Jesus to a Samaritan lady one day … “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: FOR THE FATHER SEEKETH (DESIRES, AIMS FOR, STRIVES AFTER, CRAVES) SUCH TO WORSHIP HIM.”

God Almighty … HUNGRY for such worship, love, interaction, adoration, interplay! So says the Bible!

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Earlier today I was reading a little commentary on Leviticus. Written by a Christian Brother who died (went “home” to be with the Lord) in 1892 (December 30th). His name: Andrew Bonar, a Scottish man of God.

I quote him, concerning Leviticus … “There is no book, in the whole compass of that inspired Volume which the Holy Ghost has given us, that contains more of THE VERY WORDS OF GOD than Leviticus. It is God that is the direct speaker in almost every page; his gracious words are recorded in the form wherein they were uttered. This consideration cannot fail to send us to the study of it with singular interest and attention.”

Wow!

Thus, as we proceed with our study of Leviticus … we need to remember that we are indeed standing on “Holy Ground!” GOD IS SPEAKING!

Our Book is so named (Leviticus) because it centers on the proper activity for the Levites. Especially the Priests among the Levites. With God Almighty being the Instructor, Teacher, Lecturer!

Look with me at Leviticus 1:1, its very first sentence: “And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, …”

I love learning new things “from” the Word of God, and even learning “about” the Word of God!

Lessons continue, Lord willing, tomorrow morning!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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