A Type of Calling
Leviticus and the Messiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Leviticus 1:1-9
The Context of Leviticus
The Context of Leviticus
Chronology of Leviticus
God’s people have been freed from harsh slavery in Egypt. Baptized in the Red Sea, made a nation by God, they came to Sinai in the 3rd month of the 1st year after they left Egypt. (Ex. 19:1)
In the 1st day of the 1st month of the 2nd year after they left Egypt, they built the tabernacle. This is the end of the book of Exodus. (Ex. 40:17)
The book of Numbers begins in the 1st day of the 2nd month of the same year. (Num 1:1)
This leaves a gap of a month. This month is when Leviticus takes place. Lev 8:33-36
Narratives of Leviticus
Only two historical sections.
Nadab and Abihu (9-10)
The Blasphemer (24:10-23)
Everything else are laws God gives to Moses to give to Israel.
The Lord Called to Israel
The Lord Called to Israel
Calling by Name (Lev 1:1)
Now the Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying,
The word “called” here points to the Lord calling someone by name. He called to Moses.
The Jewish title for Leviticus is “Wayyiqra” (“and called”). The book is mainly ordinances and commands given to Moses to then give to Israel.
This is the only time the word for “called” is used in Leviticus, but about thirty more times, we find the phrase “the Lord spoke...” - a word or oracle given. This is then typically followed with the Lord instructing Moses to “speak to the children of Israel...”
The Significance of the Calling
This was the God of creation speaking to His people.
Answering the Call Provides Fellowship with God
Answering the Call Provides Fellowship with God
Sacrificial Laws in order to approach the LORD (1-17).
Laws for offerings, 1-7.
Laws for the priests (consecration of priests into office), 8-10.
Laws relating to purity, 11-15, culminating in the Laws for national atonement, 16-17.
Sanctification Laws Directed toward Holiness needed to be in fellowship with the LORD (18-27).
Laws for sanctification of the people, 18-20.
Laws for sanctification of priests, 21-22.
Laws for sanctification in worship, 23-24.
Laws for sanctification in the land, 25-26.
Laws for sanctification through vows, 27
Holiness - The Ultimate Goal of the Call of God
Holiness - The Ultimate Goal of the Call of God
Holiness in the Calling. (Lev 11:44)
The Hebrew word q-d-sh in adjective, noun, and verbal forms appears 152 times in the book; “holy” occurs ninety times.
Key Verse of Leviticus: Lev 11:44
For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
Consecration is needed in order to be holy.
“consecration” simply means making one’s self holy or separate. “removed from common use”.
ASV “sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy”
MSG “Make yourselves holy for I am holy”
We must decide to be holy. We do not get there automatically. It assumes an INTENT.
The Failures in Leviticus Display the Need for the Calling
The Failures in Leviticus Display the Need for the Calling
Nadab and Abihu (Lev 9-10)
Everything in ch.9 goes perfectly; everything is faithfully done.
Then in ch.10, everything goes wrong!
Strange fire came from their own reasoning.
If they had heeded God’s call, they would have lived. 10:3 bears this out.
The Blasphemer (Lev 24:10-23; Ex 20:7; Ecc 8:11; Matt. 5:38-42)
God had already given the principle, yet they needed to consult Him again. Ex. 20:7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
The attitude and what we say matters immensely before God.
There was a need to do something about this serious problem.
Note Ecc 8:11 in this context.
Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
If their son had heeded God’s call, he would have lived.
The Lord Calls Us like He Called Israel
The Lord Calls Us like He Called Israel
His call is Holy and Heavenly. (2 Tim 1:9; Heb 3:1)
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
A separate, special, pure calling. A calling that obliges us to give heed.
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
He calls us where we are. (1 Cor 7:17–24)
But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.
He didn’t wait until Israel was “ready” for Him, but rather called upon them as who they were - redeemed slaves.
Similarly, we are all redeemed slaves that come from different backgrounds.
He calls us freely, openly, and impartially. (Matt 11:28-30; Rev 22:17)
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
He calls us conditionally. (Matt 22:12-14)
So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
We are called to inherit a blessing. (1 Cor 1:9 ; 1 Pet 3:8-9)
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
This is a sacred fellowship, special and precious.
We are called to be part of something greater, and such a thing brings meaning and purpose to our lives.
There is no collective purpose more important than the Church.
We are “called out” from the nations. (Rom 1:1-6)
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
Not only are we “called unto”, we are “called out”
“Among” the nations and powers, only the Kingdom of Christ is eternal and true.
Any other calling that supersedes this (social/political/religious organizations, work, school, family) is pulling us away from our true calling to be a church of God.
He calls us to a place of privilege. (Rev 17:14; 1 Cor 1:23-26; Deut 7:1-11 Eph 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11)
“called, and chosen, and faithful...” (Revelation 17:14 )
These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
There is a great distinctiveness to being a Christian.
We are not called because we are the greatest. 1 Corinthians 1:23-26 ; Deut 7:1-11
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly. But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.
It makes us special among all humanity. We are truly God's People if we are faithful to Him.
And if we are God’s people, we are to act like it. Eph 4:1 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:11
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,
We are called “according to His Purpose...” (Rom 8:28-30)
He has a purpose and a plan for us.
NOT a plan for our comfort and physical health, but a plan that we be “conformed [fitted] to the image of his Son” - we are to be fitted into the mold of Jesus.
This plan was “predestined”. He is calling us to this plan. Those He calls can be justified. Those who are justified will be glorified. And we are ALL called to this great adventure.
We are called in one Hope. (Eph 4:4; 1:15-21)
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
This hope is tied up with our identity in Christ, based on the mighty power God has worked. Eph 1:15-21
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.