Peace

We are celebrating the fourth Sunday of Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ into the flesh. This Sunday we focus on peace, peace primarily with God and secondarily with other people.

It is with this idea of peace that we go to, arguably one of the most neglected and least-favorite-books-in-a-read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year-program: the book of Leviticus. I hope that after we finish this morning you will see that Leviticus is truly a Christmas book.

I. The Background of Leviticus

Genesis opens up with the creation of the world. God makes the galaxies, the earth, water, animals, and crowns His incredible work with the creation of man and woman in His image.

God placed man in the Garden of Eden, a temple-like location where God would dwell with His creation in perfect harmony. God only gave the man, Adam, one prohibition: do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17). Adam was to “work it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15), two terms that also refer to the work of the priests in Scripture.

Adam and Eve were, at this point in human history, the only human beings to ever possess true, free will. A. W. Pink puts the sin of Adam like this,

“In full-grown manhood, with every faculty perfect, amid ideal surroundings, he rejected the good and chose the evil.”—A. W. Pink, Divine Covenants

God was not ignorant of man’s treason, and God, a Word-keeping God, cast Adam and his wife out of the Garden of Eden, where their experiences of peace and tranquility would never be enjoyed.

Man and woman, who had known a peace that would never be experienced in similar fashion again, were hopelessly and completely lost. The result: all human beings afterward would be born in Adam’s image, and would along with Adam be completely enslaved to sin. Paul tells us as much in Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

But God was not shocked by Adam’s transgression. Before God made anything, in the counsel of His own will, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit covenanted together to send One who would take man’s place. God gave a glimpse to Adam and Eve, referring to this Coming One as “the Seed of the woman” (Gen. 3:15).

Banished from the Garden, though, Adam and Eve carried on their miserable lives. They had two boys, one of which murdered the other. Then they had other children. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent already waging war against one another.

Humanity multiplied, grew in both numbers and knowledge. They built cities, kingdoms, and something else grew: sin. Murder and strife and evil abounded. So much had evil grown that God flooded the entire earth and righteously judged all but 8 humans, Noah, who found grace in the eyes of God, were delivered from this judgement.

It would seem, then, that wickedness was finally defeated. Right after the flood, though, sin manifested itself again in Noah and his son, Ham. Again humanity grew, multiplied, built kingdoms and empires. Nimrod and the people of the Tower of Babel wanted to exalt themselves over the Lord, and the Lord judged them through the confusion of languages.

Then one man, a man from Ur, was called and chosen by God. This man, Abram, who would later be called Abraham, would be the one through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. We receive yet another glimpse into this promised Seed of the woman. God reveals to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, and one nation in particular. Through the course of many events, the children of Abraham, now called the children of Jacob (or, Israel), were now in Egypt.

God foretold their dreadful experiences under slavery in this pagan land. God also foretold the coming deliverer, Moses. The Lord waged a one-sided war against Pharaoh and the gods and goddesses of Egypt, completely decimating and embarrassing them. God would bring His people to the land of promise, a land God told would be Abraham’s.

God, in HIs good and infinite wisdom, led the children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years. During that time, the Lord graciously instructed the Children of Israel to construct a Tabernacle. A tent of meeting, where God would, like the Garden of Eden, be among His people.

The people had a problem, the perennial problem of all of Adam’s children: they were sinners. They were not sinners because they sinned; they sinned because they were sinners. They were, as Paul tells us, “by nature children of wrath,” (Eph. 2:1–3).

What could Israel do? They had no hope! Yet, God in His goodness instructed them on the sacrifices, where we see the incredible and bloody details in this book of Leviticus.

Michael Morales says this,

“The primary theme and theology of Leviticus is YHWH’s opening a way for humanity to dwell in the divine Presence.” (Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? , 23)

God is Israel’s God and Israel is God’s people. But how can wicked sinners come into the presence of God? They needed sacrifices.

II. The Sacrifices for Sin- Leviticus 16; 4–6

We will not spend time this morning reading through Leviticus chapter 16, or through chapters 4–6, but they discuss the elaborate process by which Israel, through the death of an innocent animal at the hands of a specific tribe, would receive atonement for their sins.

This all took place in the structure called the Tabernacle, or what would eventually become the Temple. The priests would assist with these rituals so Israelites could receive atonement. The Day of Atonement, though, was the day of sacrifice.

Morales sums up the events of this yearly event,

“The Day of Atonement was the day of purgation: the tabernacle and its furnishings, the high priest and the priesthood, and all the Israelites were purged from Israel’s uncleanness, atonement being made by the high priest for Israel’s sins.” M. Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the LORD?, 169

This was the only day that a human being (and only one, a man, of the tribe of Levi and lineage of Aaron, without any imperfections) could enter the Holiest of All or Holy of Holies (the physical place where God dwelled).

What is fascinating is that the Tabernacle/Temple was situated in such a way that you entered from the west. You may say, “What is so significant about that?” I am glad you asked! I will highlight a few verses from Genesis that, I believe, will help you see the significance of the geographical placement of the Tabernacle/Temple.

Genesis 2:8 “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.”

Genesis 3:24 “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Genesis 4:16 “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”

Genesis 11:2 “And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”

Genesis 13:11 “So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.”

Genesis 25:6 “But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country.”

Since Genesis 3:24, Adam, and humanity collectively, have been driven eastward, away from the presence of the Lord in the Garden of Eden. Now, through the Tabernacle/Temple and sacrifices, we are returning from the east, coming back westward to the presence of God.

It is only after the sin offerings that Israel could employ the peace offerings.

III. The Peace Offering- Leviticus 3:1–17; Leviticus 7:11–36

As with the previous Scripture, there is much that we could read about the elaborate rituals of the peace offering. We learn from chapter 7 that there are three kinds of peace offerings: thanksgiving (7:12–15), vow and freewill offering (7:16–19).

After following these elaborate steps, though, the Israelite would eat this meal, a fellowship meal with God (7:15, 16). To eat it in a manner outside of God’s Word would severe one from the covenant community (7:19–27). What should have been a wonderful time of fellowship and enjoyment would, at least in my mind, been an incredibly stressful one!

Even their “peace offerings” would have been, to an extent, terrifying.

This is where we connect the dots to Messiah Jesus and the glories of Advent. Let me read Scripture from the Gospel of John and Matthew.

John 1:1–3 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:14 NKJV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 NKJV

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Matthew 26:26–29 NKJV

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus came to give us peace with God through His perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 10:1–4

Hebrews 10:1–4 NKJV

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

The sacrificial system although inadequate, was educational, because it demonstrated the need for a better sacrifice.

Romans 5:1 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

What can we do now? The author of Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 4:14–16 NKJV

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

That Seed of the Woman, promised so long ago, was gradually revealed until His birth, Jesus Christ. He has paved the way for us to return to God, to the west, in peace. No longer do the cherubim guard our way into the Garden. Now, because of Who Christ is and what Christ did we can boldly go into the holiest of all and fellowship with our grand Triune God!

Listen to the last chapter of God’s holy word, Revelation 22:1–5

Revelation 22:1–5 NKJV

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Do you have this peace, Christian? Are you enjoying it to the fullest? It brings a whole new appreciation for one of the songs we just sand, “Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n”

Let the unimpeded entrance into the presence of God spur your on this Christmas to dwell with Him!

Do you have this peace, you who are without Christ? Jesus says to you, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”