On Psalm 51

"Wash me, cleanse me, purge me, create me a clean heart, renew my spirit, restore joy to me, deliver me."  

The imperative verbs fly fast and furiously in this Psalm of repentance.  David knows he has deeply offended God with Bathsheba (vs 4).  But he also knows he can't let that offense keep him at a distance from God.  He needs to come and ask God to do MORE things for him.  This is hard, but necessary.  When we sin against someone, our natural reaction is to avoid them, and hope time makes it fade away.

Better to go to God first.  Whoever else you have hurt, you've offended God by failing to love your neighbor, made in His image.  Think of what you did.  Agree with God that it was wrong and is against His will.  Ask Him not just for forgiveness (David never uses that word), but for cleansing, purging away of the sin (vss 2, 7), and renewal in righteousness (vs 10).  

David repented well to God, we see in Psalm 51.  Interestingly, it is less clear that David repents well to others.  He may have, but it isn't in the story (2 Samuel 12 ff.).  Instead, we see things get worse with Joab, Amnon and Tamar, and Absalom.

Major sins multiply troubles, even if the sin doesn't directly cause the trouble.

David's life shows us that God usually mixes mercy with discipline, in response to our sin.  Bathsheba's first child dies in judgment.  But Solomon is born.  His name is simplistically translated peace, but "shalom" has a deeper meaning of being made complete or whole.

May God grant you the mercy of repentance when you sin, of having both the guilt and the presence of the sin purged from you, and the mercy of restored relationships where that is possible.

Leviticus 5-8; Hebrews 3-4

Leviticus 5 - for certain sins of omission or unknown sins when realized, bring a female goat or lamb, or 2 doves or pigeons, or flour.  For unintentional sins, bring a ram, and restitution plus one fifth of it.

6 - for intentional sins, bring a ram, and restore the loss plus one fifth.  Rules for priests handling and eating the offerings, offering their own sacrifice of flour/oil.

7 - the guilt offering is to be eaten by the priest who offers it.  The peace offering must be offered with leavened bread, one loaf for the priest - the sacrifice must be eaten the same day.  Keep unclean items separate from sacrifices.  Don't eat fat or blood.  For peace offerings, burn the fat, give the breast and right thigh to the priest.

8 - Moses ordains the priests, putting on the clothes, anointing with oil, offering a bull (for sin), ram (for consecration), and ram (for ordination), wiping blood on their earlobe, thumb and toe, waving and burning the fat and bread.  They stay in the tent of meeting for 7 days, eating the sacrificed meat and bread.

Hebrews 3 - Jesus is greater than Moses.  Moses built God's house, but Jesus is over the house as a Son.  Don't rebel against Jesus as Israel did against Moses.

4 - We enter God's rest by faith in Christ, as God rested in His own work on the 7th day.  We can still enter that rest by faith, but God knows our hearts, if we really trust Him.  Jesus is our high priest, ascended to God, knowing our weaknesses, so draw near to Him.

Leviticus 1-4; Hebrews 1-2

Leviticus 1 - burnt offerings must be a male bull, sheep or goat.  Lay hands on it, kill it, throw the blood on the side of the altar, and burn all the rest on the altar.  A dove or pigeon is also an option.

2 - grain offerings must be unleavened flour, with oil and frankincense on it.  The priest burns a handful, and the rest is for the priests to eat.  All grain offerings should be offered with salt.

3 - peace offerings are like burnt offerings, except it may also be female.  Burn only the fat and organs.

4 - sin offerings.  If the priest or congregation sins, he brings a bull, sprinkles some blood before the veil, wipes some on the horns of the incense altar, and pours the rest at the base of the altar of sacrifice.  Burn the fat and organs on the altar.  Burn the skin and meat outside the camp.  If it's a lay leader who sins, take a male goat, wipe some blood on the altar of sacrifice - do all else the same.  If it's a normal person who sins, do the same with a female goat or lamb.

Hebrews 1 - God has spoken finally, definitively, in His Son, who has His exact image.  As the Son of the Father, He is far greater than the angels.

2 - Jesus was put under the angels for a time, but is now over them.  He was made like men to help men, not angels.