King James Daily Bible Study: Totally Devoted To God
Date: Tuesday February 08, 2011
Chapters: Leviticus 19-21
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-february-8
Details of Today's Reading: The laws concerning the ten commandments, God's people are to be holy, the laws against sacrificing children, cursing parents, and concerning the priests.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word was made 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 1:1-3,14. Before God made anything here on earth and before people made anything from the things that God made God's Word existed. If we never had the Bible to read, God's Word would still be in existence, The Word is God Himself and He made His Word become flesh, through Jesus Christ. So, how did people know that God existed when they did not have the Bible? That is where the Israelites came in. I do not know why God chose Israel to represent Him, but He had to chose one nation to represent Him first. Why? To show the rest of the world that there is a big difference between being a creation of God and being one of His very own people. It was important that God separate one nation to show the rest that God is not just something they made up, but a living God that truly exists, dwells among, and blesses those who realize that.

Many people read through these books and wonder why God was so cruel to kill a person over something that seemed like nothing. Well, it is nothing to God, it shows rebellion, not separation. God was adamant about the Israelites being separated from the worldly people. Why? It causes confusion and it really does cause people to live a pretty wicked life. God had to put fear in them to keep them from falling into the corruption that would be dwelling among them.

“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will...Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” - Leviticus 19:2-5, 31-34.

God is holy, meaning He is divine, faultless, good, perfect, and uncorrupted, His people are to be the same way. He does not force anyone to follow Him, but if they chose to He expects total devotion. The amazing thing here is that God did not just enforce these laws on the Israelites, but any foreigner that dwelt among them, in fact, if they were devoted to Him, they were no longer strangers, but adopted into the family. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him into their lives is adopted into God's family. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you...For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” - Romans 8:11,14-17.

Notice the caution against having anything to do with spiritism, we know them today as astrologers, physics, and spiritual healers. Spiritism is spiritual adultery, giving honor to the devil which is due to God. We are to never seek them or receive advice from them, it is an abomination to God. God addresses this issue even further.

“Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not: Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people...But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.” - Leviticus 20:2-5,24-27.

The key word here is separation, if we are going to be totally devoted to God we need to be separated from anything that the world has to offer. Molech was a bronze statue with a head of a calf or bull, and the base of a man and it was hollow. When a fire was built at the base, the fire would spew out its eyes, nose and mouth. Molech stood with outstretched hands, beckoning followers to come and the people would give their children to this statue as a sacrifice. God was commanding the Israelite's to stay away from this practice or they too would be put to death. Today, many of these gruesome practices still take place, while God may test our faith He will never cause us or anyone to become a human sacrifice, why do you think He used animals. God sent one person to become a human sacrifice in order to save His people from hell and that was Himself, through Jesus Christ. God gave Himself for us, He want us to be a living sacrifice not a dead one. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Romans 12:1,2.

As Christians we must set the example and abstain from any conduct that may influence others to be less than their best for Christ. We are children of God placed in a nation full of heathens and God is preparing us for the promised land. Although, Praise God, we can not get be put to death for doing some of the things we know are wrong today, we are to still think about what we are doing and make sure everything we do keeps us holy before God and shows Him that we are totally devoted to Him. Of course, God knows we are going to mess up from time to time, but God knows our heart, whether we are totally devoted to Him. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” - Revelation 21:3,4.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed as the source of true guidance, in contrast to evil guidance. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” - John 16:13.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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