JustJeff

The covenant with Israel was ratified by the sprinkling of the blood on the altar and on the people. In two instances, vs. 3 and7, the people of Israel promise to be obedient to God's word. An oxen was sacrificed and it's blood was used to ratify the covenant. Nothing specific is stated in these verses as to what was eaten but traditionally that part of the sacrifice that was not burnt was given over to the priests for their portion. It would seem appropriate then that the elders would have eaten the remaining oxen.

Nehemiah speaks to the king without an invitation by the king to do so. He is out of order and in danger of fatal punishment. The situatuion that Nehemiah was in did not allow for consideration or deliberation. He had to make a spontaneous request to Yahweh as things developed, thus an "arrow prayer". This quick prayer came as God responded to Nehemiah by giving him an opening before the king, the result of 4 months of prayer to help restore the wall at Jerusalem and eventually, the temple.

Both Esther and Daniel, as well as Nehemiah were all captive yet had been given close contact and relationships with their respective rulers. Persons in these positions, placed by God, are there to fulfill His purposes which will be revealed as He dictates. The responsibility of these individuals is to obey, no matter what the clear and present danger to themselves may be. I can't say that I have ever been in a position as these have been in but I would pray according to God's word as it befits the situation.

Nehemiah appealed to God with the understanding that Yahweh had told Moses that He would restore that nation and it's scattered people at the time of their return to Him as their God. Like Daniel, Nehemiah repents on behalf of the people reminding God that they would be returned to the place of His name, for His glory. As we intercede for people we need to approach Jesus with a knowing spirit, that is praying to His will according to the given circumstances, doing so with a repentant heart. Effective intercession depends upon knowledge of God's character and nature found only in His word.

As David taught in Psalm 51:17, the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit. Nehemiah illustrates this by fasting and weeping. Along with a continual prayer for the stated 4 month period he is praying without ceasing, just as the Lord taught us in Luke 18:1-8 and reiterated by Paul in 1 Thes 5:17. This is a great test of our faith and a certain way to build it. We can never talk to the Lord enough so no, it is not excessive.

Daniel is asking God for mercy and to restore His people to their home which is His namesake, to a degree appealing to God's vanity. Daniel humbles himself by calling out the unworthyness of a sinful nation, acknowledging their transgressions and as intercessor, taking them upon himself. In verse 23 Gabriel tells Daniel that he has been heard and that he is greatly beloved. Daniel's prayer was received and would be acted upon, though not in his lifetime.

When one forgives, all bitterness and anger disappear from the inner man and leave ground of good soil for the planting of the fullness of the Word. As we are forgiven by God, so must we forgive those who transgress against us. Those who come to the Lord's table must ask for forgiveness and have a willingness to repent of their sins as God does not hear sinners. It would be somewhat hypocritical to take of the communion which represents the Lord's sacrifice to save us from our sin while we are yet sinners.

A righteous person is such because that person can see and deal with their sin. Daniel was such a person, a man of prayer who sought to be a friend of God. He realized that his people were not in a position to deal with their sin and he was simply because he could admit that it existed. Daniel knew what it would take to have God move on the prophecy of the restoration of the Hebrews to their homeland and he was willing to take upon him the humility and deprivation necessary to accomplish the task. Our Lord Jesus knew that for us to be forgiven He has to offer Himself as our sacrifice. There is similarity here but no comparison.

Jesus sought to show His disciples that the scriptures about Him were fulfilled and that He indeed was the Messiah. The scriptures in Isaiah 53 detail His sacrificial death. The Father illustrates the extraordinary suffering that would be done by His righteous servant so that many would be justified. Of note: To this day Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is not read during the normal cycle of scripture reading in synagogues.

Daniel takes on the appearance and mindset of a man who has lost someone very dear to him. By putting on sack cloth and ashes he goes into mourning and expresses great sadness for his tremendous loss, his homeland and freedom. In order to have God move on a situation it is necessary for us to approach Him clear of sin and in complete humility. It never hurts to fast to have Yahweh respond to us which Daniel did as part of his preparation to offer his petition to Adonai. While the tradition of sack cloth and ashes is archaic it is important that we come before the Lord clear of sin and with a humble spirit. We should also come boldly to His throne knowing that if we ask anything according to His will, He will do it.

The Pesach Lamb was given, as were all sacrificial animals, as a blood offering to the Lord to cover sin. Their death was indeed violent and necessary to spare man from death by sin. Jesus became our Pesach Lamb, a final sacrifice, a blood offering to cover our sin. His violent death gave us life and by always remembering His passion by the horrible image of Christ crucified we have a memorial, indelibly etched in our minds. At the time the disciples were in confusion as they did not understand the meaning and timing of His death. As they learned of and accepted His resurrection they came to correlate the significance of His Passover sacrifice with that of the Lamb, His shed blood for the remission of sin and His words at the last Seder which have been written down for us to follow until the end of this age wherein we will then join Him for the marriage supper of the Lamb. Hallelujah!

Daniel, understood by studying the word through the writings of Jeremiah that Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years. He therefore rightly knew that the time of captivity was drawing to a close and that God would call His people back to their home. By being a broken and contrite spirit, humble before Adonai, Daniel knew that a gracious and merciful God would be moved to honor His word.

By allowing His people to sacrifice animals He gave them a provision to atone for their sins with the animal's blood, the only way one could be washed and made clean. He didn't have to make a way but He did, because of His grace and mercy.

It may be difficult to pray the prayer of surrender when you really don't want to give it all up to begin with. We all want to cling to some fleshly, worldly desires. Some special **** or a secret sin. When it comes time to toe the line we pull the reigns on complete surrender. It's when we cross over, then and only then are we His, completely. The first time I prayed this type of prayer was when I discovered Psalm 19:12-13. I asked Adonai to reveal my secret sins and my presumptuous sins. The result? Ugly. He's been doing it to me forever (it seems) and it really is a gut check, especially when I am judgemental of others. I don't think that you can be any kind of disciple at all without surrendering all, period.

I don't think that encourage is sufficient to describe what the Savior's sacrifice does for me. I mean, sure, I am encouraged to live each day for Him, to do the best that I am able to do for Him but, His sacrifice gave me life where I was dead. He gave me hope when I had none. He set me free when I was in bondage. My gosh! By His sacrifice He gave me His Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God within for without, I would have absolutely no chance of eternity with Him. Encouraged, yes and more, much more. Now I know that I am of great value to someone, God, the Creator of all things. There is nothing that man values to compare and as such I am inspired to give Him my life.

How wonderful it is to know that I was fashioned by God! He made me as He wanted me to be and no man can take that from me. As God's creation I strive to grow in Him, to be like Him as His son knowing that my Father is the God of all creation. I would think that a young woman, with this knowledge would be extremely careful of the gift within her and that he father would likewise care for the mother of his child. Why is this too wonderful for us? Who can understand the ways or thoughts of Yahweh. Who can see the love which He gives to create each of us. Who can see His plan for us. There would be no abortions if this were at all possible.

I am a sinner. I am with spot and blemish and therefore, I am an unacceptable sacrifice. Jesus, Our Lord, is the Lamb of God. Perfect, sinless. There are no spots or blemishes on His perfect body. Only this sacrifice is acceptable to Our Holy Father, the One Holy Father. Jesus gave himself for me, for us, in our place.

As the Great Shepherd, Yahweh has made His presence a spiritual fence around David, opening the gate and leading him as he should go, using His staff to bring David back into line while being watchful over him at all times. God's hand has always been on me, it just took me 43 years to figure it out. Now that I have, and have submitted myself to Him (albeit sometimes relunctantly), I am being cared for as was David so my life is special, with the Father's loving hand on me. There is no doubt that this has been for my good, rather my greatest good, for without His hand I would have long ago been in Sh'ol, the place of the dead. In short, the Kingdom of God is with me. It doesn't get any better than this!

I like the following scriptures in answer to part 1 of this question: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Phil 2:6-8 "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb 4:15 Christ, as we, has proved that as He went, so can we. Had Our Lord not manifested Himself physically our faith would be intangible, without substance.

I have often fled from God for a variety of reasons. Sometime I simply do not want to obey. I may not think that I am strong enough to obey. I have felt that I am not worthy to be in His presence. I too, have found myself acting stupid, pretending that I am ignorant of His omnipresence. People are often shocked when the many scriptures about Yahweh as a discerner of the hearts and thoughts are brought forth. As best as I can see I feel that this is too deep, too wonderful for the weak in faith to comprehend, or accept. And yes, I have felt this way, before I came to the full knowledge of the truth on this subject. Sadly, I still forget at times.

Perhaps if we simply look at the Lord on the cross in a distant, spiritual sense, bearing the burdens of a sinful world, the enormity of His sacrifice seems small. If, however, we see Jesus like us and we remember how difficult and painful it is to bear our own sins, then we may truly appreciate the great pain He bore in His body. As He hung on the cross that day can we see the weight of His own body causing tremendous pain? Can we see the weight of our sin adding to the tremendous pressure and then, multiply that by billions? I believe Peter remembered very well that Last Supper. He gives us vivid imagery of the Lord's command to remember His broken body by keeping the event in the real, physical world.

For me the implication as a sharer in the Lord's sacrifice on the cross, and the constant reminder made by partaking in the communion, is that because of me He hung there. I am empathetic to the point of spiritually feeling His suffering and even more so when I realize I crucify Him all over again everytime I mess up. The effect of this is frequent humility ( I'm constantly fighting my pride and, sadly, lose too often) along with the sense that I am not worthy of His great love for me. This is the second extensive study that I have done on the Lord's Supper. This particular study has caused me to take the subject in a very personal way as the first concentrated on the body as a whole. This has made me realize that Yeshua did this for me and that I should be just as committed to Him in my life as He was to me in His death (and resurrection).

From the Complete Jewish Bible:"The cohen (priest) who offers it for sin is to eat it-it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. Whatever touches it's flesh will become holy;" Vayikra (Leviticus) 6:26-27a. By eating of the sacrifice, the priests were made holy, as the sacrifice itself. Again, from the CJB, B'rit Hadashah (New Testament) "Look at physical Isra'el: don't those who eat the sacrifices partcipate in the altar?" 1 Cor 10:26. By taking of the communion we become part of the Lord's sacrifice. We should feel His passion, His love, His death and resurrection. We become one with Him and with each other. This is a deeply spiritual and emotional time, for us as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Koinonia, as defined in this study is sharing, participating. To do this together by drinking of the cup filled with His "blood" is the act of the participants sharing in the New Testament. Our Saviors blood was shed for us that we would have the New Covenant to live by, free from the sin of the old and the death of the law. Together, we share the freedom He gave and His love for His own, which we have, joined together by the communion.

The church at Corinth was vulnerable to demonic activity as babies in Christ. They had become born again and yet were in the center of a pagan society replete with all of it's offerings. Add to that that Corinth was a crossover between two bodies of water and a major trade route, the new converts were exposed to all manner of filth. Young converts are susceptible to old desires. The Corinthians were still adapting to a new life in Christ yet had not learned to deal with some of their old sins in paricular, fornication. Paul knew the weakness of the flesh and how, if unchallenged, it's desires would quickly polute not only those directly involved, but the entire church as well. He was well aware that the Corinthians could return to their evil ways.