Day 1 (Monday)
Leviticus 3:1-5, 16-17; 4: 1-12; 5:1-13 (Peace Offerings & Sin Offerings)
Last time, we read the conclusion of the account of the ordination of Aaron and his sons as high priests, and saw how his two older sons, Nadab and Abihu, sinned against the Lord and were killed, and how Aaron and his other sons continued with their offerings in faithfulness to the Lord. In all this we saw the importance of offering in the way that the Lord has commanded, not for the sake of honor or reputation or profit, but in faithfulness and obedience, as bearers of the glory of God. Having seen their ordination, we return this week to the earlier chapters of Leviticus, to see how peace offerings and sin offerings, as well as offerings to be released from a foolish oath and other mistakes.
Offerings of Well-Being
3 If the offering is a sacrifice of well-being [literally a peace-offering], if you offer an animal of the herd, whether male or female, you shall offer one without blemish before the Lord. 2 You shall lay your hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance of the tent of meeting; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall dash the blood against all sides of the altar. 3 You shall offer from the sacrifice of well-being, as an offering by fire to the Lord, the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is around the entrails; 4 the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the appendage of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 Then Aaron’s sons shall turn these into smoke on the altar, with the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire, as an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.
… (Then follow basically the same instructions for sheep and goats)…
All fat is the Lord’s. 17 It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, in all your settlements: you must not eat any fat or any blood.
Sin Offerings
4 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: When anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord’s commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them:
3 If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull of the herd without blemish as a sin offering to the Lord. 4 He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull; the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord. 5 The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting. 6 The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord; and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is around the entrails; 9 the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins; and the appendage of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys, 10 just as these are removed from the ox of the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall turn them into smoke upon the altar of burnt offering. 11 But the skin of the bull and all its flesh, as well as its head, its legs, its entrails, and its dung— 12 all the rest of the bull—he shall carry out to a clean place outside the camp, to the ash heap, and shall burn it on a wood fire; at the ash heap it shall be burned.
…Similar instructions are given for if the whole assembly, or one of the rulers, or just an ordinary person, have sinned unintentionally…
5 When any of you sin in that you have heard a public adjuration to testify and—though able to testify as one who has seen or learned of the matter—do not speak up, you are subject to punishment. 2 Or when any of you touch any unclean thing—whether the carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of an unclean swarming thing—and are unaware of it, you have become unclean, and are guilty. 3 Or when you touch human uncleanness—any uncleanness by which one can become unclean—and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall be guilty.
4 Or when any of you utter aloud a rash oath for a bad or a good purpose, whatever people utter in an oath, and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall in any of these be guilty. 5 When you realize your guilt in any of these, you shall confess the sin that you have committed. 6 And you shall bring to the Lord, as your penalty for the sin that you have committed, a female from the flock, a sheep or a goat, as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for your sin.
7 But if you cannot afford a sheep, you shall bring to the Lord, as your penalty for the sin that you have committed, two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 You shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering, wringing its head at the nape without severing it. 9 He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10 And the second he shall offer for a burnt offering according to the regulation. Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for the sin that you have committed, and you shall be forgiven.
11 But if you cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, you shall bring as your offering for the sin that you have committed one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a sin offering; you shall not put oil on it or lay frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 You shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall scoop up a handful of it as its memorial portion, and turn this into smoke on the altar, with the offerings by fire to the Lord; it is a sin offering. 13 Thus the priest shall make atonement on your behalf for whichever of these sins you have committed, and you shall be forgiven. Like the grain offering, the rest shall be for the priest.
Reading 2
1082 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out how the first two chapters of Leviticus are talking about Whole Burnt Offerings, in which the entire offering is given to God and is burnt up on the Altar (except for those parts that are removed and burnt outside the camp), but in the case of Peace Offerings, only specific portions of the offering are burnt and given to God, while what remains is divided between the priests and the person making the offering. The point of these offerings is that a meal is being shared with God by the person making the offering and the priest who offers the offering. The other thing that should emphasized is that the Torah provides a way for those who have made a mistake, even those who have made a foolish vow, to be freed from that vow, and this is something that we should remember as we see people throughout the rest of the Old Testament “forced” to do foolish or terrible things because of a vow that they have made.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 2 (Wednesday)
Joseph and Aseneth – 13
Last time, we saw Joseph and Aseneth meet and prepare for their marriage, having both been guided toward their union by the Man from Heaven. This time, we will finish our reading of this beautiful little text, as we will see them married, and then hear the hymn of praise that Aseneth sings to the Lord.
James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom, and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, vol. 2 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1985), 202–238.
Pharaoh solemnizes the marriage and gives a wedding feast
2 (21:1) And Joseph rose at daybreak and went away to Pharaoh and said to him, “Give me Aseneth, daughter of Pentephres, priest of Heliopolis, for (my) wife.” 3 And Pharaoh rejoiced with great joy and said to Joseph, “Behold, is not this one betrothed to you since eternity? And she shall be your wife from now on and for ever (and) ever.”
4 (2) And Pharaoh sent and called Pentephres, and he came and brought Aseneth, and stood (3) her before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh saw her and was amazed at her beauty and said, “May the Lord, the God of Joseph bless you, child, and let this beauty of yours remain for ever (and) ever, because justly the Lord, the God of Joseph, has chosen you as a bride for Joseph, because he is the firstborn son of God. And you shall be called a daughter of the Most High and a bride of Joseph from now on and for ever.”
5 (4) And Pharaoh took Joseph and Aseneth and put golden crowns on their heads which had been in his house from the beginning and of old. And Pharaoh set Aseneth at Joseph’s right side, 6 and put his hands on their heads, and his right hand was on Aseneth’s head. And Pharaoh said, “May the Lord God the Most High bless you and multiply you and magnify and glorify you forever.” 7 (5) And Pharaoh turned them around toward each other face to face and brought them mouth to mouth and joined them by their lips, and they kissed each other.
8 (6) And after this Pharaoh gave a marriage feast and a great dinner and a big banquet for 7 seven days. And he called together all the chiefs of the land of Egypt and all the kings of the nations and proclaimed to the whole land of Egypt, saying, “Every man who does (any) work during the seven days of Joseph’s and Aseneth’s wedding shall surely die.”
9 (8) And it happened after this, Joseph went in to Aseneth, and Aseneth conceived from Joseph, and gave birth to Manasseh and Ephraim, his brother, in Joseph’s house.
V. ASENETH’S PSALM
10 And then Aseneth began to confess to the Lord God and gave thanks, praying, for all the good (things) of which she was deemed worthy by the Lord:
11 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned,
before you I have sinned much,
I Aseneth, daughter of Pentephres, priest of Heliopolis,
who is an overseer of everything.
12 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
I was prospering in my father’s house,
and was a boastful and arrogant virgin.
13 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
And I have worshiped strange gods who were without number,
and eaten bread from their sacrifices.
14 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
Bread of strangulation I have eaten,
and a cup of insidiousness I have drunk from the table of death.
15 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
And I did not know the Lord the God of Heaven,
and I did not trust in the Most High God of life.
16 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
For I trusted in the richness of my glory and in my beauty,
and I was boastful and arrogant.
17 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
And I despised every man on earth,
and there was no one who achieved something before me.
18 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
And I had come to hate all who had asked my hand in marriage,
and despised them and scorned them.
19 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
And I spoke bold (words) in vanity and said,
“There is no prince on earth who may loosen the girdle of my virginity.”
20 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much.
But will be the bride of the great king’s firstborn son.
21 I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned;
before you I have sinned much,
until Joseph the Powerful One of God came.
He pulled me down from my dominating position
and made me humble after my arrogance,
and by his beauty he caught me,
and by his wisdom he grasped me like a fish on a hook,
and by his spirit, as by bait of life, he ensnared me,
and by his power he confirmed me,
and brought me to the God of the ages
and to the chief of the house of the Most High,
and gave me to eat bread of life,
and to drink a cup of wisdom,
and I became his bride for ever and ever.
839 words
Reading 13
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should note how similar the marriage of Joseph and Aseneth is to the marriage service of the Church, with the groom and bride being crowned and having hands laid upon their heads. He should also note that Aseneth’s hymn of praise recounts all her sins and her repentence, and then gives glory to God for His mercy that He has shown to her, and counts herself blessed to have been received by the Lord and given to Joseph. She is both a picture of the bride who has been made a part of the household of Faith, and an icon of the Church Herself, united with Christ the Bridegroom.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?
Day 3 (Friday)
Acts 11:19-30; 12:1-5 (Church at Antioch, James Killed & Peter Imprisoned)
Last time, we saw Peter return to Jerusalem, where he told the Apostles and others gathered there about the Gentile Pentecost in the house of Cornelius, and explained that everything that had been done there – from the moment that Cornelius was commanded to send messengers to find Peter until the moment that he baptized the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, who were proclaiming in many languages the glorious things of God, just as the Apostles themselves had done on the day of Pentecost – had been the work of God Himself, and not anything that he had done on his own initiative.
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. 20 But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. 22 News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
27 At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. 29 The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; 30 this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
James Killed and Peter Imprisoned
12 About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. 2 He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. 3 After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5 While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
Reading 21 – 389 words
Discussion questions:
1) What did you notice in today’s reading? What surprised you or what was memorable to you? (The Leader should point out that this passage seems to describe the first general preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, in verse 20. We have seen this word “Hellenists” before in chapter 6, when this group was complaining that their widows were neglected in the distribution of food, and the first seven deacons were appointed from their number to attend to these practical matters. So it would seem at first that this term refers again to Jews who are speaking Greek and living in a Greco-Roman manner, but are still circumcised. However, the contrast that is established with verse 19, in which it is said that those of the Way who scattered because of the persecution generally spoke only to the Jews, but some of them went to Antioch and spoke to the Hellenists as well, indicates that there are some actual Gentiles among their number. This is not certain, but definitely we are seeing a substantial growth of the Church in the city of Antioch at this point, and for the first time those who follow Christ are being called Christians. It is also notable that at this point we see the first of the Apostles martyred, as James, the brother of John, is killed by Herod. In the end, all the Apostles except John will be killed by violence, but James is the first.)
2) Where do we see Christ in this text; what is He saying or doing here?
3) Do we see ourselves and the Church in this text; what does it say about us?
4) What do you find difficult about this reading? Is there anything confusing about it, or anything that you dislike? (This is an open question, as always. )
5) Does this reading make you think that you need to change anything in your life?