He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. ⁷ And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field… Leviticus 14:6,7 (ESV)

I have to admit that I don’t draw too much inspiration from the Book of Leviticus. It shows the Lord’s precision in determining the conduct of sacrifices and what is acceptable to eat. God’s people were reminded that they were not determining what was and was not acceptable to God – God was!

I remember the man who told me how he had lived a good, honest life and done his best, and if that was not good enough for God, it was “too bad.” That is man determining what God should accept instead of us submitting to what God says.

Leprosy was a dreaded disease in both the Old and New Testaments. The condition gave the image of death. Paul the Apostle wrote, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins…” (Eph. 2:1) So each of us has a case of “spiritual leprosy.”

In Leviticus 14 are the instructions on how a leper who has recovered from his disease can be redeemed and enter again into the congregation of God’s people. What is striking is the ritual of these two birds.

One is killed over fresh water. The other bird, along with cedar, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, is dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird. That bird that has been covered in the blood of the sacrifice is let go and flies away.

What a significant image of what Christ accomplished on the cross when you look at this process. A sacrifice in which blood and water serve as the two cleansing agents. Then there is a bird covered in the blood of the sacrifice, set free to fly away into the country.

The one who conquers the world is the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the One who came by water and blood.He did not come by water only, but by water and blood…” (1 John 5:5,6)

When I picture the bird flying out of sight, I think of Psalms 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed your transgressions from you.”

I am also reminded of the words of hymns from the past. Ones that say things like,  “Keep me safe from day to day under the blood…”  “The blood of Jesus is washes white as snow.” “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” “Are you washed in the blood, the soul cleansing blood of the lamb?” “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the lamb!” While it may seem morbid in natural eyes, spiritually we see the lifeblood of Jesus shed for us is what gives us spiritual life.

John 5:39, we see the word of Jesus to the rule-keeping, Torah-focused Pharisees and read, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Do you think He was referring to Leviticus? I believe he could have. Especially since Jesus was willing to touch the leper. He told those He had healed to go show themselves to the priest and offer the required sacrifices.

Here is the rest of Ephesians 2 that I referenced at the beginning:…ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  (Eph. 2:4-6)

In scripture, we see these pictures from death to life. From lost to being found. In prison and set free. Outcasts, but brought near by the blood of Christ.

Just when you don’t believe a Book of the Bible has any application or inspiration, sometimes the Holy Spirit surprises you.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

          This verse from Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi has been a promise Christians have declared down through the ages. It is one that I often include when I autograph one of my testimony books.

          But the last time I was reading this book, during the third time I had read it in 2025, I finally connected the verse with the context. This verse is a response to the sacrificial final support the Church in Philippi had provided to Paul during his missionary travels.

          He begins in verse 10: “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.” How did they show their concern? By providing financial support to Paul. This is when no one else was doing so.

          He shows this in these verses:  “…it was good of you to share in my troubles….in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.”

          The Philippians were responsive even when Paul did not expect them to be. They gave and gave again when no one else did. The Philippians did not know this until Paul wrote this letter. This was not giving under compulsion. They did not think, “Well, no one else is supporting Paul, so I guess we should.”

          We see this in 2 Corinthians 9, where Paul says giving should not be done reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Cheerful giving is giving freely and gladly. It is viewed as a privilege. It is sowing into the lives of others and meeting needs so that the Lord will be praised.

          Read Paul’s words carefully, “Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.”(v. 17) Who was giving the Philippians account a credit? A credit is an addition; the Philippians were not the ones receiving, but the ones giving. Look back at Paul’s reference to giving as an issue of “giving and receiving.” When we give, we don’t lose, we gain. What we give financially, we receive in heaven’s bank account. We receive the reward of the gospel. The gifts that were sent to Paul were more than enough to meet his need.

          I am thankful for a God who is more than enough! He has more than enough grace to cover your sin. He has more than enough love to call the lost to Himself. He has more than enough power to bring healing. He has more than enough riches to meet every need.

          That is Paul’s reassurance to the Philippians financial support, “And my God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

          That’s the promise to the generous. Paul is telling the Church at Philippi, you have supplied my needs out of your limited riches, and now my God will supply all your needs out of His unlimited riches through Christ. That’s the theme of scripture.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

“…whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  2 Cor. 9:6 (NIV)

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”        2 Cor. 9:10 (NIV)

          We don’t give to get. We give to receive. We receive from the Lord out of His storehouse of blessings. Obedience is what matters. God is glorified. The lost are saved, and heaven becomes more crowded. The gospel continues to go throughout the world. We may track the outflow, but God will take care of the inflow into our lives. That is what Paul wanted the Philippians to know and us too.

Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Psalms 44:22 ESV

          Psalms 44 is one that certainly gets your attention and causes many questions to be asked. How can there be victory after victory in our lives and then find ourselves in a struggle, where it seems that God has abandoned us with cause?

          That is where David is at in this Psalm. The Psalm begins with a focus on God’s faithfulness in past generations:

O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old:  Psalms 44:1-3

          David also declares the Lord’s presence and intervention in the present:

But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us. Psalms 44:7

          Now there is a drastic and unexpected and unreasonable change. The God who was faithful to God’s people in the past and showed Himself powerful and fighting for His people in the present, seem to have abandon them.

But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations. Psalms 44:9-11

          The dire situation that God’s people find themselves in, is not due to sin and rebellion or a failure to keep God’s covenants.

All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way; Psalms 44:17, 18

          God’s people believe they have not changed, but God suddenly has. This is not like the sin of Achan after the defeat of Jericho, where there was sin in the camp. Why has God all of a sudden not come through with His part of the bargain?

          But the Psalm ends with David crying out to the Lord and seeking deliverance once again.

Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! Psalms 44:26

As I consider this Psalm, several thoughts come to mind. Why doesn’t the Lord always provide victory and never let us suffer hardship or defeat? Job faced a challenge when, as a righteous man, he suffered greatly. His response to his wife is telling.

Job said to her, “You’re talking like a foolish woman. Will we receive good from God but not also receive bad?” In all this, Job didn’t sin with his lips. Job 2:10 CEB

Perhaps David, like many of us today, believed that if we do our part, the Lord is committed to doing His part? It is easy to take the Lord’s provision for granted. Is there a reason for times of distress and testing? What can we learn when we are on the “losing side” for a season?

          I don’t know all that this Psalm has in mind, but we do see that David does not allow the present circumstances of his life to change his trust in the Lord, and he asks the Lord to change the circumstances that God’s people are facing.

          My takeaway from this Psalm is that we are reminded that times of difficulty will come. We are to remain faithful. We are to be reminded that God’s grace and favor are not to be taken for granted or to be confused with our spiritual commitment. We are called to remain faithful in times of victory and times of testing. We can pour out our hearts to the Lord and seek Him always. The challenge is not to always find out the “why” but to maintain our trust and faith.

Recently, in Jerusalem, a special ceremony was held commemorating the discovery and excavation of the original “pilgrimage road” from 2,000 years ago. This road is a series of steps that begin at the ancient Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount.

          The Pool of Siloam was a large pool where men would wash to prepare themselves to travel up to the Temple Mount. This video provides some details about the project and its significance.

https://www.ifcj.org/news/fellowship-blog/walk-the-pilgrims-road-that-led-to-the-jewish-temple-2000-years-ago

               The Psalms of Ascent are a collection of Psalms that were recited by Jewish pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem for the three annual feasts that all men were commanded to honor and celebrate. There have been many theories that have tied these Psalms found in Psalms 120 -134 to the place where they were cited.

          These Psalms were written by David and Solomon, so they were written prior to 2,000 years ago. The location where they were recited during the time of Jesus and even before is certainly brought to light with this recent discovery.

               The Psalms ascent begins with the pilgrims in a place of distress. As we move through the series, there is a recognition of “Our help comes from the Lord the Maker of Heaven and Earth.” (Psalms 121)

          Our trust must be in the Lord and Him alone. That is what makes us secure. (Psalms 125) There is a plea for the Lord to bring restoration. (Psalms 126). It is the Lord who provides safety and security. He builds the house. He guarantees our future through children. (Psalm 127)

          There is recognition of the historic assault on those who have been against God’s people and pleading for the Lord’s judgment on them. (Psalms 129) There are cries for the Lord’s mercies and waiting patiently while our eyes are on Him. (Psalms 130, 131) As God’s people gather together in Jerusalem, there is a declaration of the blessings of the Lord in unity. (Psalms 133)

As the pilgrims are in Jerusalem, the collection of Psalms ends with these words of praise.

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
    who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the Lord!

May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who made heaven and earth! (Psalms 134)

          What a great picture of the spiritual life we have through Jesus Christ. We begin in the distress of sin and distant from the Lord’s presence, and we end in the place where God’s presence dwells and where there is perpetual worship.

          We are being constantly reminded in our present day of the faithfulness of God’s Word and that what the Lord has promised will come true. We wait patiently and in hope as we journey to the New Jerusalem.

That is the question that came to my mind when Debbie and I visited there on a group tour in 2000. We had an opportunity to stay in Cairo and then travel south. We stayed at a hotel on the Nile. To my surprise, instead of the murky waters of the Nile in Cairo, the river was a pristine blue, something you would expect to see in the Caribbean. It made me wonder if that is what the Nile looked like during the time of Moses.

          We saw the ancient pyramids and rode camels. We saw the incredible ancient temples and structures. These feats of engineering are still a marvel and a mystery to this day.

          When we read the Old Testament and look at recorded history, Egypt was at one time the most powerful nation in the world. It was a place of refuge for Abraham and Jesus. Although it was the place of slavery for God’s people for 400 years, it became the place where some of the remnant of the Hebrews during the Babylonian captivity tried to flee to escape the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

          Egypt was known as having a formidable army. One that was often a threat to the security of Israel and other nations. They were known as the possessors of other nations and victorious in battle.

          However, as we viewed the condition of Egypt today, it is only a shell of that former great empire. History will account for this by looking at the historical record and pointing to the world dominance of the Babylonian Empire and the succeeding world powers. History shows world powers come and go.

          However, the Bible is a predictor of history. We see this in the words of the Old Testament prophets. We see it in the Book of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar’s statue of gold.

          But when we read the Bible, we see the prophets speaking to the nations of the world on God’s behalf. The Lord, through these prophets, spoke words of warning and rebuke and spoke of their destiny.

          My moment of insight came when I was reading Ezekiel 29. This is what we find. Then God said,

“Because you said that the Nile is yours and you made it, I am your enemy and the enemy of your Nile. I will make all of Egypt an empty wasteland, from the city of Migdol in the north to the city of Aswan in the south, all the way to the Ethiopianborder.”  Ezekiel 29:9,10 (GNT)

But as the Lord often promised, devastation was not the end of the nation.

“The Sovereign Lord says, “After forty years, I will bring the Egyptians back from the nations where I have scattered them, and I will let them live in southern Egypt, their original home. There, they will be a weak kingdom,the weakest kingdom of all, and they will never again rule other nations. I will make them so unimportant that they will not be able to bend any other nation to their will.” Ezekiel 29:13-15 (GNT)

What we see is that the Lord God is not a regional god or a god of just a nation. He is the creator of the world and ruler overall. He raises up and puts down. We don’t always understand all that has happened in history and why the Lord allowed the wars and devastation that have taken place. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

          We are certain we serve a God who knows the beginning from the end. He is working out His purposes and eternal plan. Our call is to trust in Him. To be diligent in serving His purposes in the world. To be diligent in our study of scripture and anticipate the future God has for those who belong to Him.

Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it…even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 14:13,14 (ESV)

 Background  

  In Ezekiel 14, the Lord is pronouncing four judgments on Jerusalem for their idolatry. The Lord announces “four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from [Jerusalem] man and beast!” With each one as He declares the pending doom, He states that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the city, they would save only themselves.

          We certainly see how seriously the Lord takes idolatry, especially from His people who are blessed with His promises, law, and presence. Through hundreds of years, the Lord has been patient. He has sent His prophets to declare His words and to call His people back to Him. But the hearts of the people were like stone. They refused to make any lasting change in their behavior and devotion.

          One observation is that they deluded themselves by thinking that they could give lip service to the Lord. Like in any group or nation, there were those who rejected the Lord, there were those who maintained loyalty to the Lord, and there were those who tried to have it both ways. They gave lip service to the Jehovah, but their hearts had turned away. The annual feasts were put on the shelf. It is only during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah that any reference is made to the Passover during the rule of the Kings after the death of Solomon.

          Now the Lord is taking action and sending His people into Babylonian captivity until their hearts of stone become hearts of flesh. He was going to let them see what life was like under the rule of the Kings who worshipped the idols they adopted into their lives.

          The downfall began with Israel wanting to be like other nations in having a King to rule over them. To lead them into battle. It ended with them desiring to worship the gods of those nations that continue to occupy the land. Those nations were left to test their hearts, and they failed the test. God’s patience has come to an end, and He is acting. He acts through natural events, famine, pestilence, wild beasts and war.

 Noah, Daniel and Job

As these judgments are pronounced, the Lord makes reference to three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, saying, even if they lived at this time, they would save only themselves. Why these three?

          First, it is interesting that many dismiss Noah and Job as fictional characters. I believe the Lord points to them, along with Daniel, to show they were real men facing real circumstances.

          Each of these faced severe hardships. Each maintained their faith and devotion to the Lord. Noah obeyed the Lord and risked ridicule, so did Daniel and Job. Our faith must stand in the face of opposition and ridicule in the world,

          Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

          Noah, Daniel, and Job distinguished themselves in their devotion to the Lord. Noah was declared righteous in his generation. Daniel refused to compromise by eating the king’s food and refusing to pray to the golden image of the king. Job was known as a righteous man, and his three comforters used his sufferings to cause more torment, trying to make him believe his suffering was due to his sin.

          All three of these received the reward of their righteousness. Noah saved his life and the lives of his family. Daniel was promoted to a position of influence in his land of captivity, and Job was rewarded at the end of his life with a double portion of blessing.

          Jesus told His disciples about all that would take place before He returns and closed the telling them, “But the one who [stays faithful] endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:13 (NIV) Several of the messages to the Churches of Asia Minor in Revelation close with the words, “To him who is victorious I will give…” (Revelation 2)

          Be like Noah, Daniel and Job. Allow the example of these three to encourage you as we live in this present age and as the coming of the Lord draws near. The old hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”, contains the words, “Though none go with me, yet I will follow…” Let’s be faithful and follow Christ fully.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.“You shall have no other gods beforeme. Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:10 (ESV)

          There is an interesting similarity between the giving of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. It is seen in the structure and priority of these two well-known verses. It is seen in the focus on our vertical relationship with the Lord before our relationships with others and our own needs.

          In the Ten Commandments, our setting aside the Lord first and foremost takes place before the commands that focus on our horizontal relationships with others.

          In the Lord’s prayer, our worship and the desire for the Lord’s Kingdom and will to be done come before expressing our needs and desires. Our prayers too often begin by jumping into what we need from the Lord. It is when we begin with a focus on the Lord, His presence will guide what we ask for, and we will align our lives with the faith and will to do what we desire from Him.

          Consider this priority in other Bible passages. Psalms 16:8 (ESV) I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. In the following verses, David states that the Lord will provide safety, stability, and joy in his life.

          Consider 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. If Christ is not honored as Lord in our lives, our faith just becomes a philosophical argument. This is how Charlie Kirk approached his dialogue with college students. He was first and foremost a believer in Jesus Christ.

          It is often pointed out that a cross is the intersection of two lines. One vertical and the other horizontal. Through the cross, we are reconciled to God, and through the cross, we can be reconciled with others.

          I am reminded of the story of a father who was trying to occupy a small child. He tore a page from a magazine with a picture of the world and told the child to put it together. The child came back way sooner than the dad anticipated. “How did you do this so quickly?” he asked. The child responded, “On the back was a picture of a man. When I put the man together, the world came together.”

          Henry Varlie, a British Revivalist, once told a young D.L. Moody, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”

          That is a commitment to always put Christ first and foremost. It is what gives the Ten Commandments meaning, it is the foundation of the Lord’s Prayer, and it is what enables us to live our lives rightly ordered in this present age.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

the name of the LORD is to be praised. Psa. 113:3 NIV

          I thought of this verse that reveals the Lord’s praise across the nations last Sunday during our worship service. My pastor referred to how worship was taking place that was moving across time zones as people gathered for worship around the world.

          It made me think of the “wave” that can be viewed at football games as the crowd begins to lift their arms, section by section, and the cheers circle the stadium. What a tremendous view from the heights of heaven as God’s people worship the Lord across the international timeline and across time zones in a continual wave of praise and worship.

          This perspective is a foretaste of what is described in Revelation 7.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 7:9-12 (ESV)

          Remember, when you worship and lift your voice in praise to the Lord, you are not alone. Your church gathering is not alone. See heaven’s view of God’s people across a city, across a state, a nation, and the world, lifting their voices and hands to the Lord. So, join in and be a part of a great multitude of worshippers.