Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Leviticus 10:1-20 NKJV

10 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. ² So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. ³ And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying:

‘By those who come near Me
I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people
I must be glorified.’ ”

So Aaron held his peace.

⁴ Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” ⁵ So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

⁶ And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. ⁷ You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: ⁹ “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, ¹⁰ that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, ¹¹ and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

¹² And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy. ¹³ You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord; for so I have been commanded. ¹⁴ The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. ¹⁵ The thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the Lord. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the Lord has commanded.”

¹⁶ Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, ¹⁷ “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? ¹⁸ See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

¹⁹ And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” ²⁰ So when Moses heard that, he was content.

What crime did the sons of Aaron commit? They took it upon themselves to enter the Lord’s holy tabernacle and to offer incense on the incense altar at a time and in a manner that God had never prescribed. You may recall the meticulous designs and procedures God had given to Moses with regard to the tabernacle, its furnishings, and all the priestly duties that were to be performed there. The priests, and especially Aaron and his sons, were given the highest calling in Israel: to carry out God’s commands for the ministry of the tabernacle, to the letter, and thus to teach the people to know God rightly and to tremble before His word. When Nadab and Abihu failed to be an example of obedience, God made an example of them.

Even after this severe judgment, Aaron and his two remaining sons were expected to show, by their example, that they accepted the Lord’s punishment. They were to continue ministering in the temple, which they did, although they were unable to eat the meat of the sacrifices that belonged to them, due to their grief. The Lord did not hold this against them.

This is one of the texts that the devil likes to twist, trying to make it seem as though God were too strict, too judgmental, trying to convince people that they are more righteous than God. But we must not give in to the devil’s lies. The Lord had given clear instructions to His chosen priests, and His chosen priests decided to do their own thing, as if they didn’t need to listen to Him. They exalted themselves above God’s Word, and, as Jesus says repeatedly, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled.”

If you thought God was kidding about His commandments, He isn’t. See how serious He is! See how much He expects of His ministers, because they are the ones who teach the people, by word and deed, to understand and to obey God’s Word! If the teacher teaches falsely, then the people will believe falsely, and that can have deadly consequences for everyone. Likewise, if you thought you could justify yourself by keeping God’s Law, you can’t. It’s far too strict. Instead, look to Christ alone for God’s acceptance, and you will have it!

Let us pray: Lord God, truly You are a consuming fire. But You have given Your Son to atone for our sins. Forgive us for His sake, and teach us to tremble at Your Word. Amen.

Psalm 87:1-7 NKJV

87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
² The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
³ Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God! Selah

⁴ “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’ ”

⁵ And of Zion it will be said,
“This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
⁶ The Lord will record,
When He registers the peoples:
“This one was born there.” Selah

⁷ Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
“All my springs are in you.”

Psalm 87 is a song about God’s deep and fervent love for “His city,” which, in Old Testament times, was called “Zion.” Properly speaking, Zion was a hill within the larger city of Jerusalem. But the name is almost always used to represent the whole city, the “city of God,” which symbolized the whole people of Israel whom God had redeemed from slavery in Egypt and adopted as His own son. To be born in Zion, where God had placed His temple and His altar, placed a person within God’s holy Church, and thus placed him above all the nations of the earth. Yes, the nations had reason to be jealous of those who were born in Zion. Such love God had for them! Such earthly and heavenly blessings God had promised them!

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus wept and grieved for the city of God during Holy Week (cf. Matthew 23:37). After a thousand years of God’s devotion to His beloved city, it turned out that the city of God failed to love Him back. Instead, they were about to crucify the Son of God and reject Him forever. And, therefore, instead of being established by God forever, the city of God would be rejected by God forever.

But the true city of God is not the city of Jerusalem. It’s a spiritual city, without geographical borders. It’s a city into which people are not born, but reborn, when they are baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s the kingdom of God throughout all the world, the Church catholic, where the Lord Christ reigns in the hearts of believers, and feeds and governs His people with Word and Sacrament, preached, applied, and administered by the ministers He has sent. Over this city God still rejoices. Of this city God still approves. And to this city God still makes a promise, to establish it forever, for the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

“Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!” Yes, the Son of God loved you and gave Himself for you, and has pledged you to Himself as His beloved bride. Give thanks to God for giving you rebirth into His city, and make it your life’s purpose to remain in it, and to gather others into it. Let us pray: Lord, we rejoice in You, even as You have rejoiced in us. Keep us in Your city forever, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Psalm 83:1-18 NKJV

Asaph, on inspiration from the Holy Spirit, pleads with God not to be silent, not to hold His peace, and not to be still. He laments that God’s enemies are crafty, that they hate God, and have lifted up their heads against the Lord.

As you have heard a few times in these devotions, the psalms teach you how to pray; they give voice to the many concerns that you have as a Christian in this evil world. Through the psalms – and today’s is another good example – Asaph almost seems to be informing God of things He may not know about: the enemies are crafty, they consult together, they rally against Him. God most certainly knows all these things, for He is omniscient, and nothing ever surprises Him. And neither does He need you or anyone else to supposedly give Him information about anything.

But the psalms teach you to call out to God in all things – not, of course, for God’s sake, but for yours. Jesus Himself taught His disciples and you to pray in all circumstances. God knows that it is good for you to voice your concerns, grievances, and fears to Him, for prayer is the marvelous gift God gives to you to “let it all out” and cry to Him who is the only one that can and will hear you and answer according to His good and gracious will for your life. I John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” And in the Our Father, Jesus gave you the very words to use in prayer. Further, Luther teaches us that “I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us” (Small Catechism, Lord’s Prayer, Conclusion).

It is always right to ask God. It is always right to seek His counsel, and to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest His Word. He loves you in Christ and will hear and answer according to His will for you.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, help me to pray more fervently and in true faith to You for all my fears and needs. Amen.

Leviticus 9:1-24 NKJV

9 It came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. ² And he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. ³ And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering, ⁴ also a bull and a ram as peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the Lord will appear to you.’ ”

⁵ So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord. ⁶ Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord commanded you to do, and the glory of the Lord will appear to you.” ⁷ And Moses said to Aaron, “Go to the altar, offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and for the people. Offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.”

⁸ Aaron therefore went to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. ⁹ Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood to him. And he dipped his finger in the blood, put it on the horns of the altar, and poured the blood at the base of the altar. ¹⁰ But the fat, the kidneys, and the fatty lobe from the liver of the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ The flesh and the hide he burned with fire outside the camp.

¹² And he killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar. ¹³ Then they presented the burnt offering to him, with its pieces and head, and he burned them on the altar. ¹⁴ And he washed the entrails and the legs, and burned them with the burnt offering on the altar.

¹⁵ Then he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and killed it and offered it for sin, like the first one. ¹⁶ And he brought the burnt offering and offered it according to the prescribed manner. ¹⁷ Then he brought the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

¹⁸ He also killed the bull and the ram as sacrifices of peace offerings, which were for the people. And Aaron’s sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar, ¹⁹ and the fat from the bull and the ram—the fatty tail, what covers the entrails and the kidneys, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver; ²⁰ and they put the fat on the breasts. Then he burned the fat on the altar; ²¹ but the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved as a wave offering before the Lord, as Moses had commanded.

²² Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. ²³ And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, ²⁴ and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

The faithful reader of God’s Word understands that the Old Testament priestly system, inaugurated here in Leviticus, was completely fulfilled by Christ through His own perfect keeping of the Law and by His sacrificial and substitutionary death on the cross to atone for all sin.  All the rites and sacrifices proscribed by God through Moses to Aaron and his sons served to point God’s people to the fulfillment of them all in Christ. And it’s important to note that it wasn’t the sacrifices and rites themselves that brought about atonement for sin, but rather, as it always has been, faith and belief in the God who commanded them. As it was said of Abraham, he “believed God and it was accounted/credited to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:3).

As Moses inaugurated the OT service, Jesus inaugurated the Divine Service in the new covenant. He was, one could say, its ritual founder. Christ brought the OT service to its divine goal which was open access to God and His presence in the heavenly sanctuary.

Jesus, who was made the perfect Priest through His sufferings inaugurated the new and living way into His Father’s presence. By His presence and activity as High Priest, our Lord changes the orientation and shape of the Divine Service. Since He has made satisfaction for the sins of the world by His sacrifice of atonement, there is now no need for any further acts of atonement for those involved in the Divine Service.

Christ atoned for the sins of all mankind. He now offers full forgiveness to all who, by faith alone, believe in Him and His work on the cross. Receive Christ in all the ways He wants you to have Him – Baptism, Absolution, Gospel, and Supper – so that your faith my be strengthened and that you may receive a constant flow of forgiveness until you are received into the life of the world to come.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all the Old Testament rituals and sacrifices by Your own sacrifice on the cross.  In Your mercy, keep me in that one true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.

Leviticus 8:18-36 NKJV

¹⁸ Then he brought the ram as the burnt offering. And Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, ¹⁹ and Moses killed it. Then he sprinkled the blood all around on the altar. ²⁰ And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. ²¹ Then he washed the entrails and the legs in water. And Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²² And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, ²³ and Moses killed it. Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Then he brought Aaron’s sons. And Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar. ²⁵ Then he took the fat and the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh; ²⁶ and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh; ²⁷ and he put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. ²⁸ Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma. That was an offering made by fire to the Lord. ²⁹ And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ part of the ram of consecration, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

³¹ And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ ³² What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire. ³³ And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you. ³⁴ As he has done this day, so the Lord has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. ³⁵ Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.” ³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

The rites and ceremonies of the ordination of the first Old Testament priests continue to be revealed in today’s reading. Of special note is the application of the ram’s blood on certain body parts of Aaron’s sons. In this unique act of purification, they were specifically cleansed for their service as priests. By the purification of these body parts, the priests were purified so completely that they were qualified to share in the Lord’s holiness, without desecrating it by their impurity. The right ear of each candidate was purified to hear and obey the Word of the Lord. The right thumb of each candidate was purified to handle the holy things of God. The right big toe of each candidate was purified to walk on holy ground. This rite of ordination involved the Lord’s admission of the priests into His presence and His acceptance of them as priests.

The Lord makes clear here in Leviticus 8 that His priests are not only specifically chosen by Him, but also that those same priests are to do exactly as God has ordered, and not to deviate from those orders in any way. At the very least we understand that God wants things done orderly while worshipping Him so that God’s people are rightly focused on Him. And He wants only men – not all, but some – to carry out the rites and sacrifices appropriate to their Office as priests.

To be sure, the rites and sacrifices given to and carried out by the OT priests all pointed to and were fulfilled by Christ Himself as the Great High Priest through His Passion, suffering, death, and resurrection as He atoned for the sins of the world. Hebrews 9:11 states, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.”  Christ continues to serve you through your pastor/priest in pronouncing forgiveness in Holy Absolution, washing you clean in Holy Baptism, proclaiming Christ crucified for you in the preaching, and delivering His own body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine in the Supper

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for your sacrifice for my sins. Strengthen my faith in You alone. Amen.

Leviticus 8:1-17 NKJV

8 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, a bull as the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; ³ and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”

⁴ So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. And the congregation was gathered together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁵ And Moses said to the congregation, “This is what the Lord commanded to be done.”

⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. ⁷ And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and with it tied the ephod on him. ⁸ Then he put the breastplate on him, and he put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate. ⁹ And he put the turban on his head. Also on the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁰ Also Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. ¹¹ He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its base, to consecrate them. ¹² And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

¹³ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons and put tunics on them, girded them with sashes, and put hats on them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

¹⁴ And he brought the bull for the sin offering. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering, ¹⁵ and Moses killed it. Then he took the blood, and put some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and purified the altar. And he poured the blood at the base of the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. ¹⁶ Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar. ¹⁷ But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its offal, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The next few days of readings focus on the ordination of the Old Testament priests. As the divinely appointed founder of the OT divine service, Moses conducted the inaugural rite of ordination for Aaron and his sons. Moses’ instructions are from God Himself. Even though he was not a priest, Moses officiated in this rite as the divine lawgiver and so established the priesthood as an institution in Israel. Even though he did all this only once, his actions set a precedent for all subsequent rites of ordination.

The members of the congregation were present for the ordination because the priests were ordained to represent them before God. God is the most important agent because He ultimately is the one who ordained the priestly candidates. He gave the instructions that are carried out in the ordination rite. He authorized the priests to minister on His behalf to Israel, and to represent them to Him.

Dr. John Kleinig, in his Leviticus commentary, writes: “Through his anointing, the high priest received the right of access to the tabernacle, the altar, and the basin. Through the anointing of their vestments, the priests received their right of access to the altar and the food from the altar. Hence, each day during the week of ordination, the daily ritual for their ordination ended with a sacred meal in the sanctuary” (pp. 201-202).

God still calls a man to the Office of the Holy Ministry through the means of a congregation of His people. No Call, no Office. When a man has been put into the Office, he is therefore obligated to speak and act for God – He must preach God’s Word rightly and administer the Sacraments faithfully, so that God can gift and bless His people. The Office of the Holy Ministry, therefore, is Christ Himself coming to you to forgive the sins you repent of, and to strengthen your faith by virtue of your Baptism as well as His body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for the pastoral Office through which You work and by which You bless Your people. Amen.

Leviticus 7:22-38 NKJV

²² And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²³ “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘You shall not eat any fat, of ox or sheep or goat. ²⁴ And the fat of an animal that dies naturally, and the fat of what is torn by wild beasts, may be used in any other way; but you shall by no means eat it. ²⁵ For whoever eats the fat of the animal of which men offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, the person who eats it shall be cut off from his people. ²⁶ Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast. ²⁷ Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

²⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁹ “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offering. ³⁰ His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the Lord. The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. ³¹ And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. ³² Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings. ³³ He among the sons of Aaron, who offers the blood of the peace offering and the fat, shall have the right thigh for his part. ³⁴ For the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering I have taken from the children of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons from the children of Israel by a statute forever.’ ”

³⁵ This is the consecrated portion for Aaron and his sons, from the offerings made by fire to the Lord, on the day when Moses presented them to minister to the Lord as priests. ³⁶ The Lord commanded this to be given to them by the children of Israel, on the day that He anointed them, by a statute forever throughout their generations.

³⁷ This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offering, ³⁸ which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day when He commanded the children of Israel to offer their offerings to the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai.

Though we are not told why, the consumption of fat from a sacrificed animal was an offense against God which, along with the consumption of blood, resulted in divine excommunication of the offender from the people of Israel and life with God. The phrase, “and shall be cut off” refers to what amounts to divine excommunication of the offender from the people of Israel, for God Himself enacts this punishment. It also implies that the “life” of that person will come to an end, for the “life” of an animal, as it is with humans, is the blood. No blood, no life.

The priests were the keepers of God’s house, and the administrators of His affairs; thus they received their livelihood directly from God rather than the land. He assigned certain portions of the offerings to them and their families so they could devote themselves fully to God’s service, without working the land or seeking other supplementary employment.

This reminds us at the very least that your faithful pastor also receives his livelihood from his faithful preaching and administration of God’s gifts to you. Even though some congregations are not big enough to support a pastor fully, they should do everything in their power to take care of his and his family’s needs.

When Jesus sent out His apostles, He decreed that they were to receive food and other necessities as a free gift from those who heard the Gospel (Mt 10:8-10). Those ministers of the Gospel were entitled to receive their livelihood from it (I Cor 9:13-14). Since they were involved in God’s holy work, they got their living from the holy offerings that were offered to God in the Divine Service and consecrated for sacred use. The ministers of the Word therefore depend on God for their living. He supports them through the sacred gifts that He receives as an offering from the congregation.

Let us pray: Thank You, Lord, for my faithful pastor, and help me to provide for his needs as He faithfully delivers Your gifts. Amen.

Leviticus 5:1-19; 6:1-7 NKJV

5 ‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

² ‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. ³ Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.

⁴ ‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

⁵ ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing; ⁶ and he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

⁷ ‘If he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord, for his trespass which he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons: one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. ⁸ And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it completely. ⁹ Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ And he shall offer the second as a burnt offering according to the prescribed manner. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹¹ ‘But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. ¹² Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord. It is a sin offering. ¹³ The priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in any of these matters; and it shall be forgiven him. The rest shall be the priest’s as a grain offering.’ ”

¹⁴ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁵ “If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering. ¹⁶ And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹⁷ “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity. ¹⁸ And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him. ¹⁹ It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”

6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “If a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by lying to his neighbor about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor, ³ or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely—in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins: ⁴ then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found, ⁵ or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering. ⁶ And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering, to the priest. ⁷ So the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things that he may have done in which he trespasses.”

Sin is sin, whether or not you are aware of your wrongdoing. In God’s eyes, ignorance of sin doesn’t get you off the hook, so to speak. In the first part of today’s reading, an interesting phrase is repeated: “when he realizes it.” In these instances, recorded in Lev. 5, one way or another, a person is brought to realize his offense, and he is guilty. However, as mentioned before, a sin is still a sin whether or not you know that it is. The important thing to remember here is that when the person is brought to realize his sin, that also brings the knowledge to that person that he needs to do something about it. In other words, he now realizes his error personally; it was a real sin anyway, but now the person knows it without a doubt and the appropriate restitution was to be made.

In Leviticus 6, it’s important to realize that any sin against your neighbor is a sin also against God. And here restoration to the one sinned against is to be made, and then the appropriate offering and/or sacrifice is to be brought to the temple for the priest to present on the person’s behalf. This teaches us that all sin has an effect on your neighbor and on God.

You, dear saint, are a sinner from conception; you inherited that nature from your parents and they from theirs, all the way back to Adam and Eve. Whether or not you have committed a particular sin or know that you have, your very nature is corrupt. Repent. Repent in faith and run to your pastor for Absolution, remember your baptism, and run to Holy Communion. Believe by faith that Christ is your Great High Priest who’s suffering, death, and resurrection paid for all your sins. He offered His life for you, and His work is accepted by the Father on your behalf.

Christ is the fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifices and offerings; everything recorded there points forward to Christ. Your faithful pastor delivers Christ to you in the Word and Sacraments rightly preached and delivered. Everything you need is right there in God’s Divine Service.

 Let us pray: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your work on the cross to pay for my sins. Grant me faith always to believe and never waver. Amen.

Psalm 82:1-8 NKJV

82 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
² How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
³ Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
⁴ Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.

⁵ They do not know, nor do they understand;
They walk about in darkness;
All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

⁶ I said, “You are gods,
And all of you are children of the Most High.
⁷ But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.”

⁸ Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For You shall inherit all nations.

The Holy Spirit through the psalmist opens with a bold and true statement that God Himself “judges among the gods.” It’s basically a First Commandment statement which gives us comfort knowing that our God, the only true God, knows, judges, and rules all things for His glory and our good. The psalmist then chastises the false gods for judging unjustly and showing favoritism to the wicked. Then at the end the psalmist prays and knows that God Himself will judge the earth.

These are comforting truths, dear saints, for they teach you not to fret about earthly authorities. By faith you know and believe that not only does God have everything in control and that He alone orders and allows all things, even wicked rulers, to reign, but that God Himself will bring everything to a glorious end for His people, and He will impose an eternally destructive end for those who stand against Him. 

In the kingdom of Christ, of which you are a part by virtue of your baptism, there is strength and victory, even when it seems as though earthly kingdoms reign supreme and wickedly mistreat you and the rest of God’s people. They will be brought to nothing in the end, and you will stand with Christ as you are now strengthened by His Gospel rightly preached and His Sacraments rightly administered.

As today the Church celebrates The Transfiguration of Our Lord, remember that Moses and Elijah spoke of Jesus’ death; it was a death which paid for the sins of the world – your sins. Rejoice in Christ and trust His love for you in spite of earthly tyranny.

Let us pray: O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your only begotten Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the fathers. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed the adoption of sons. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the enjoyment of the same; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 80:8-19 NKJV

⁸ You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
⁹ You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
¹⁰ The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
¹¹ She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.

¹² Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
¹³ The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.

¹⁴ Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine
¹⁵ And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
¹⁶ It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
¹⁷ Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
¹⁸ Then we will not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

¹⁹ Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved!

On several occasions in Scripture the Lord likens His people to a vine. Israel is compared to a vineyard in which God planted the choicest vine (Isaiah 5). Ezekiel compares the inhabitants of Jerusalem to wood from a vine that has grown worthless and is only good for the fire (Ezekiel 15). By comparing God’s people to a vine, He teaches how He plants, cultivates, and prunes His people so that they might bear fruit.

In Psalm 80, the vine which God had prepared room for, planted, and made grow, is devastated. As punishment for its repeated sins and impenitence, God allowed the vine’s hedges to be broken down. Without divine protection, God’s people are easy pickings and her enemies uproot her. Asaph prays for God to cease to look upon them with a rebuking countenance and send the Son of Man, the one who sits at God’s right hand. When the Son of Man comes, God will cause His face to shine upon them, for when God looks favorably upon His people they are restored and saved.

God answers Asaph’s prayer when He sends His only begotten Son to take upon Himself human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the Son of Man whom God has made strong for Himself, that is, for His saving purpose. Jesus calls Himself the “true vine” (Jn 15:1), God’s perfect planting which gives forgiveness of sins and life to the branches grafted into Him. Branches are granted into Him by believing and remaining in His word. Grafted to Christ, receiving His life through His word, we bear good fruit. The fruit is faith amid trials, prayer, and the desire to hear and learn God’s word. The fruit is love for one’s neighbor, diligence in one’s callings, and all the fruits of the Spirit Paul mentions in Galatians 5. The branch that does not bear fruit will be taken away, just as the Jews were taken away at the time of the exile. Jesus also tells us that every branch that bears fruit, God the Father prunes, that it may bear more fruit (Jn 15:2). God planted His vine—Christ Jesus—and grafts believers to the vine so that they might have life and bear fruit.

Let us pray: Grant us steadfast faith, dear Father, so that we may continually abide in Christ, enjoy His blessings, and bear God-pleasing fruit today. Amen.