Shadow Religion or Reality Relationship?

“In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year. “The Lord’s Passover begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the next day, the fifteenth day of the month, you must begin celebrating the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival to the Lord continues for seven days, and during that time the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, all the people must stop their ordinary work and observe an official day for holy assembly. For seven days you must present special gifts to the Lord. On the seventh day the people must again stop all their ordinary work to observe an official day for holy assembly.” [Leviticus 23.4-8] 

The days and festivals described above are only a representative portion of many such days and festivals described not only in Leviticus but elsewhere in the Old Testament. Observers of these days and festivals who try to follow these instructions as closely as possible but do not come to the reality of Christ in them have missed the point altogether.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

People get caught up in the 2D shadow missing the 3D reality of Jesus Christ. It's just silly to attempt to imitate the shadow when we have the actual living reality described in the New Testament! One of the Apostle Paul's prayers for the believers in Ephesus reveals the 3D reality of Jesus:

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. [Ephesians 3.16-19]

Observance of the shadow does not reveal the reality. Only the observance of the reality - living in Christ and Christ living in us - is fullness of life and power. The observance of "Jesus" is salvation. Jesus said it like this:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

To give up our own way is to proactively turn from (repent of) any and every way of our own that does not look like Jesus. Jesus described His way this way:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” [Luke 4.18-19]

And, Jesus directly said His way is to be our way:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

So complete was Jesus demand that our lives mirror His that He included take up your cross in the qualifications for following Him. Following Him is discussed in greater detail in  John 15.

While it seems noble to observe "shadow" days and festivals, it is only actually scripturally right to observe the "reality" of Jesus. To observe the "shadow" is to relish (idolize) the box instead of the "real gift" it contains. 

To observe the shadow is religion.

To observe the reality is relationship.

Shadow Religion is not complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God and, consequently segues to eternal damnation.

Reality Relationship with Jesus is indeed complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God and, segues to eternal life in heaven.

The Light of God's Word leaves no shadows - it completely illuminates the reality of Jesus Christ. All that are found in the shadows are idols.

Father, may we all live in the fullness of life and power that is the reality of Jesus. So be it.

The Implications Of This Are Huge!

“You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from all other people. “You must therefore make a distinction between ceremonially clean and unclean animals, and between clean and unclean birds. You must not defile yourselves by eating any unclean animal or bird or creature that scurries along the ground. I have identified them as being unclean for you. You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. [Leviticus 20.22-26] 

To understand this passage, we must fast-forward to Acts 10:

The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.” But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven. [Acts 10.9-16]

Then, after Peter went to Cornelius' home, he told Cornelius and his family: 

“You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. [Acts 10.28] 

The whole reason for ceremonial purity was to make a distinction between Israel and non-Israelites. Leviticus 20.26 confirms it:

You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. [Leviticus 20.26]

As the Jewish people were slowly learning in Peter's time, Jesus' Advent, life, death, burial and resurrection changed all that. Peter's experience recorded in Acts 10 confirms it. God's inclusion of every nation in His plan for salvation is made clear in His announced removal of the ceremonial purity rules to Peter. And then, God further confirmed His plan for all the world:

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days. [Acts 10.44-48]

Of all the books of the Bible, the book of Leviticus contains the most uses of the word ceremonial (73 times in the NLT). That's sixty-three percent of the word's usage in the entire Old Testament! Ceremonial cleanness or uncleanness of people and objects accounts for most (if not all) the uses of the word ceremonial in Leviticus (and the whole Bible).

Interestingly enough, the Gospel of John contains two uses of the word ceremonial. One of those is nothing short of explosive revelation surrounding Jesus' first recorded miracle!

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our  problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. [John 2.1-11]

Before God ever told Peter to "break ceremony" Jesus had completely already done so! Notice the word ceremonial in the passage above. Jesus made new wine in ceremonial washing water jars. What's amazingly more is that the new wine Jesus made was in fact old wine (aged to perfection, best, and expensive)! It should not be overlooked that that first miracle recorded of the Savior of the World occurred at a wedding ceremony!

And, in even more distinct "breaking ceremony" Jesus revealed His pivotal significance to another ceremonial observance: the Sabbath:

At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus. [Matthew 12.1-14]

There is simply not enough room to revel in the revelation of Jesus Christ here and now! Suffice it to say, in every place the word "ceremonial" is used in the Bible, we need to look for Jesus!

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

I realize the implications of this are huge! And so, I encourage every person reading this article to search the Scriptures for himself. You will find Jesus ...even in Leviticus!

Father, never have I been so overwhelmed with Jesus as I have today! Thank You! May I be faithful with what You have revealed to use it to do the work You have called me to do! So be it!

Out of God's Community - A Serious Indictment

“Give them this command as well. If any native Israelite or foreigner living among you offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice but does not bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to offer it to the LORD, that person will be cut off from the community. [Leviticus 17.8-9]

There was only one place a person could make a sacrifice. To get to God, one had to come to the Tabernacle.

When Jesus died on the Cross, the Bible makes very clear that the veil in the Temple (permanent Tabernacle) was torn from the top to bottom.

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. [Matthew 27.50-52]

So, here is a question to ponder: When the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, did that signify that man could get to God, or that God could get to man? 

It could be understood that the torn curtain in the Temple, because it was torn from top to bottom, would reveal that God did the tearing from His position "above all things." And, as the "Tear-er" in this circumstance, it should furthermore be understood that God was making a move to get to man and not the other way around. 

The subject passage above from Leviticus 17.8-9 reveals that God is very exclusive. This is no less obvious in the first three of the Ten Commandments. As "God in the flesh" on the Cross, Jesus' earlier words resonate:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

Wait! Jesus' words in John 14.6 reveal that a person cannot get to God the Father except through Him (Jesus). So, when the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom, it would appear God was approaching man. But, Jesus said man would approach God - albeit only through Himself, Jesus. In this way, God's approach to man AND man's approach to God are consummated in the person of Jesus Christ.

Leviticus 17.8-9 reveals that the Tabernacle was initially the only place God and man could interact. Matthew 27.50-52 reveals that Jesus is now the only place God and man can interact. Jesus spoke it in John 14.6, then God made it happen. Interestingly enough, that interaction, in context, yielded people being miraculously raised from the dead confirming the miraculous nature of God-to-man, man-to-God union (as opposed to what "dead religion" makes it look like).

Here, we should consider that Leviticus 17 reveals that any person attempting relationship with God anywhere besides God's designated place would be "cut off from the community." That person would not enjoy all the benefits of the community. So it is with any person who attempts to get to God by any means other than Jesus - he is cut off from every benefit of the community - the blessings of God (see Deuteronomy 28.1-14). In application, this means any other "way" to God does not yield blessings, but instead yields curses (see Deuteronomy 28.15-68).

The implications of this upon "the Church" today are alarmingly serious! The obvious benefits (blessings) of being in community with God through Jesus are largely non-existent in the modern Church today. The only conclusion that may be scripturally drawn from this observation is that the modern Church today is, in fact, not in community with Jesus. Jesus' words ring hauntingly true:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Jesus did not hold back on what being in community with God through Him looks like:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

The solution is to believe in Jesus.

Believing in Jesus, however, cannot exclude repentance:

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” [Mark 1.15] 

Faith in Jesus is a lifestyle, not a single event. Repentance is the beginning and continuation of that lifestyle. Any "faith in Jesus" that does not include repentance is a farce. Likewise, any "faith in Jesus" that does not include His works is a lie. This is what God's Word (and Jesus Himself) says, and, it dates back as far as Leviticus 17.8-9!

Father, the miracle-less community most of us live in today reveals that we are not in community with You through Jesus Christ, but, in fact, are outside - having been cut off - from that community. May we be found genuinely repentant (giving up our own ways that clearly are not revealing Jesus in us), genuinely believing (taking up our cross that reveals Jesus - even to the point of death), and following Jesus. So be it.

Got Mildew?

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew. [Leviticus 14.33-34] 

To say God randomly does something opens Pandora's Box of doubt about God and the entire Bible.

This is how it begins... Our educated minds immediately conclude that mildew is an "uh-oh" associated with moisture and therefore reasonably conclude that the solution is to simply get rid of the water and mildew will take care of itself. There is no need to repent - just stop the water.

Next problem?

We could go on to address financial uh-oh's, uh-oh's from natural disasters, accidents, theft, or loss, health uh-oh's, and just uh-oh's in general. Down the list, man's knowledge and ingenuity have formed or formulated solutions that don't require repentance - just get the solution! And yet, every "uh-oh" in this list (including mildew) is detailed as a curse for disobedience found in Deuteronomy 28.15-68.

In a strategic move to counteract frivolous religious nonsense, I want to open a different Pandora's Box to elicit doubts about the man-made solutions today we so quickly turn to to remediate the "oh-oh's" detailed above...

What if our man-made solutions are nothing but distractions to keep us from repenting? What if our man-made solutions that keep us from repenting therefore prevent us from witnessing the miraculous, unexplainable, irrefutable power of God? What if we attempt then to religiously justify that our man-made solutions are from God ignoring that fact that Godless people claim these same solutions are purely the evolution of man's intellect? What if we just stop thinking or talking about this because it raises questions we have no answers for except that we are in need of repentance? What if, because we have man-made solutions for nearly everything, we see no need for God and certainly no need for Jesus (except to maintain some religious facade)? 

What if our man-made solutions are not the result of Godly advancement (evolution) of man's ingenuity, but are instead idols that infuriate God and enrage His jealousy? 

What if our man-made solutions merely shape-shift curses from one form into another - let's say into expensive monthly payments or up-front costs? What if our man-made solutions effectively, one interest payment, one premium payment, one prescription or procedure payment, or one gadget purchase at a time, make money our god (that insatiably consumes all our time and efforts)?

What if?

What if our wonderful man-made solutions (our own ways) are nothing but suicidal extended curses upon our disobedience? Who would do such a thing?

There were man-made solutions in Jesus' day. If God indeed uses man-made solutions to solve man's problems (as misguidedly suggested by some), why did Jesus instead miraculously, unexplainably, and irrefutably solve those problems without aid from man's solutions? Why the distinction? Why did Jesus use only God's ways (miracles) instead of incorporating man's ways (calling it miracles)? Why did Jesus tell at least one person, "Go, and sin no more!"?

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” [Mark 1.15]

The Good News is:

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

Repentance and faith are required to enjoy the benefit(s) of Jesus' rescue - Redemption - the Good News. Whether it is mildew or sickness or lack, these curses indicate the need for repentance and faith in Christ. Sounds silly, right? Not if you read the Bible for what it actually says (instead of what religion has made it out to be!).

Jesus resorted to the miraculous, unexplainable and irrefutable power of God to prove that man-made solutions are not the answer. Jesus presented Himself as the solution to every progressive curse of death upon man. Jesus presented Himself instead of man-made ways:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

To give up your own way is to repent. To take up your cross is to believe the Good News that is, Jesus. To follow Jesus is to repent and believe God's solution for the curses upon man and the world instead of man's solution.

Got mildew? Got need? Got tragedy? Got sickness? Got trouble?

Follow Jesus (repent and believe)! Intentionally give up on man-made solutions. Intentionally take up the way of faith (even to the point of death on your cross) in following Jesus, walking in the pure, miraculous power of God.

Father, Your Word is clear: curses point us to repentance, not man-made solutions. It is overwhelming to consider how far away from this truth the modern Church has wandered. Oh, we know "Jesus is the answer," but we refuse to acknowledge the question, "why are we experiencing curses?" Consequently, we faithfully 'worship' man-made idols (debt, insurance, medicine and technology to name a few) with our time and energy in flagrant defiance of Your jealous demand to trust You alone. Forgive us! But find our repentance with feet and hands to intentionally give up our ways of idolatry and intentionally take up the way of faith in Jesus alone - our cross, following Him in miraculous, unexplainable, and irrefutable demonstration of Your power! So be it.

Gender, Confusion, and Order

The LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. On the eighth day the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised. After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. During this time of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy. And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over. If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period. After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth. [Leviticus 12.1-5] 

In my years of writing resultant to reading the One Year Bible and then the One Year Chronological Bible, I know of at least six other times I have written on the passage of Scripture above from Leviticus. I want to list those times here as links in hopes that anyone who reads this will take the time to read each one in chronological order.

The reason for asking readers to read these past six articles is not to confirm my knowledge, but to document my journey dealing with this particular confusing passage from the Bible. Here are those past articles:

• Rights, 2014
• Discrimination Or A Picture Of Christ?, 2015
• A Sign Of Covenant, 2018
• No Foul - Just Covenant, 2019
• Infinite Wisdom, 2023
• Why Ask Why?, 2025

Because this year (2026) I have been attuned to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden (referring many times to the "Has God really said...?" question Satan asked Eve), I am compelled this time around to see Leviticus 12.1-5 in that same light. Ready?

Regardless what modern Equal Rights ideology presents, it cannot change Bible history. Satan approached Eve with his enticement to rebel against God. For whatever reason Satan chose to entice the woman, the Bible records that Eve first partook of the forbidden fruit.

What happens when God came walking through the Garden sheds light on the Leviticus passage:

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” [Genesis 3.8-10]

Adam and Eve both hid from God, but God addressed only Adam and only Adam responded, "I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked." Adam, in the order and responsibility assigned him from God as God's first-created human, singularly owned the shame both he and Eve were experiencing. God established the precedent of gender order: first, by creating man first, and then with His address above only to Adam that was then furthermore reflected in Adam's response.

As sin does however, Adam's God-assigned order and responsibility became tainted.

“Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” [Genesis 3.11-12]

The authority and responsibility Adam demonstrated in his "I" heard you... "I" hid... "I" was afraid... "I" was naked... response quickly disintegrated when God called him to reckoning! Instead of "being the man," Adam immediately threw his beautiful, previously cherished and perfect bride under the bus!

The rest is history... which directly relates to Leviticus 12.1-5!

Then the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” [Genesis 3.14-15]

God's mention of "offspring" has everything to do with childbirth just like Leviticus 12.1-5. God also foretells of Jesus here and those of His time blind with demonic religion (John 8.44).

Look then at what God said to the woman:

Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” [Genesis 3.16] 

Again, childbirth is mentioned. And again, this ties right into Leviticus 12.1-5. The curse God pronounced upon Eve was a curse upon the entire female gender (don't worry, man will get his...). With every child born, woman's desire to control her husband is effectively warned against in the amount of time God assigned for purification based on the child's gender. While there is this perceived "preference" for male children, the male child, in the "order of gender," has this to look forward to (not):

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” [Genesis 3.17-19]

We must notice and understand  that for Adam, eating the forbidden fruit was a secondary sin. The primary sin God scolded Adam for was listening to his wife that resulted in eating the forbidden fruit!

If we can and will see it, the rule of a woman's purification period for male or female children, serves as a reminder of God's order not only for the woman, but also for the man who, in God's order of things, is woman's' protector.

Likewise, the curse upon man (to scratch a living for the cursed ground) reminds not only the man of God's order, but also the woman who, in God's order of things, is protected by the man.

God is a God of order. We can fuss and complain all we want, but, as Job found out, it is best to just let Him be God.

Thank God that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law, right?

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

So then, the question looms... how does Jesus affect the gender issue at hand in Leviticus 12.1-5? In Christ, all is fulfilled! However, just like the Ten Commandments provide timeless insight into God's order now in Christ, so, Leviticus 12.1-5 also serves to remind us of God's order in Christ. Again, God is a God of order. Jesus did not redeem us from order, but from the penalty for breaking order. The order still remains!

To everyone who reads this article, male and female alike, please understand that in Christ, all are free: free to live in God's order without condemnation. The respective responsibility upon male and female alike is paramount.

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. [1 Peter 3.7]

We must all remember that Eve would have had no sin had Adam not disorderly followed her lead. It would seem Satan approached the woman the same way nature teaches us that predators go for the weak and vulnerable. The primary responsibility was upon the man, for himself and for his wife, to obey God. Adam failed miserably in protecting his wife - just as men have been failing miserably increasingly more ever since. It is no wonder today that "gender" is embroiled in such a "hot topic" power struggle!

In the New King James Version, 1 Peter 3.7 gives a beautiful word picture of gender roles:

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. [1 Peter 3.7 NKJV]

The complexity of the gender topic is undeniable in today's society. Is there any hope of getting it right? Is it any wonder that gender confusion is a real thing today?

Father, I can only trust that Your Holy Spirit brought Your light through the words written here as they relate to Your Word. May every man who reads my thoughts here be convicted, as I am, to be highly protective of women in general, starting with the women in their own home. May every woman who reads my thoughts here be convicted to follow Your order in men in general, starting with the men in their own home. May Your Word be our guide irrespective of popular societal norms. So be it. 

The New Distinction (Christ In You)

For I, the LORD, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy. [Leviticus 11.45] 

Where else have we heard part of the verse above? It was the opening line before the Ten Commandments.

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. [Exodus 20.2]

The interesting thing about both these passages is that God's declaration of being the One Who rescued Israel out of Egypt had everything to do with God making a distinction between those who were His and those who were not. The Leviticus passage is in regard to what God's people eat and the Exodus passage is in regard to love for God (alone), the Sabbath, and love for others.

Jesus re-defined holiness regarding what we eat in this way:

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” [Matthew 15.10-11]

Naturally, as Jesus came to reveal God's love for the entire population of the world, the distinction of certain foods would no longer be required to differentiate between those who are God's and those who are not. This was born out in the Holy Spirit's revelation to Peter:

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. [Acts 10.28]

So also, Jesus re-defined holiness regarding the Ten Commandments as the distinction of the Sabbath was fulfilled in Him. Jesus didn't "break" the Sabbath as His contemporary religious people supposed because He came "as" the Sabbath. Unsurprisingly, in the Ten Commandments, the distinction of holiness is only mentioned regarding the Sabbath!

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. [Exodus 20.8-11]

The distinguishing "holiness" not mentioned in the other nine Commandments, is fulfilled in the Sabbath - in Christ. Remember what Jesus said about the Law (Commandments) and the Prophets?

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. [Matthew 5.17]

The New Testament distinction of holiness then is not achieved in food or observance of days, but in Jesus:

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

 As the Sabbath was made for man...

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. [Mark 2.27]

Because God so loved the world...

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3.16]

Jesus came to make the new distinction between those who are God's and those who are not:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6] 

This new distinction begins not by eating certain foods (It’s not what goes into your mouth), but by confessing Jesus (by the words that come out of your mouth):

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. [Romans 10.9-10]

The new distinction is not the LORD Who brought us out of Egypt, but Jesus Christ Who died for us on the cross:

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

The new distinction is made by following the resurrected Christ:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

It is not difficult to find how religious observances and food factor into the new distinction Jesus laid out in Matthew 6 (they don't). The new distinction is simply Jesus:

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [Colossians 1.27]

Yes, the new distinction is Jesus. Holding to the observance of certain days and foods (not just certain foods, but all food) is not required in Jesus, but instead, giving it all up, taking up our cross, and following Him.

Please pray this prayer with me:

Father, thank You for Jesus. I see that religion and food are not my concern as I first "confess" Him and then obediently follow Him. I do believe and I do "confess" Jesus; save me! Let Jesus be the distinction in me as I do His work from this point forward... Wherever I go and whatever I do, I want Jesus to be the "words" and the "works" proving His presence. So be it (Amen).

(If you prayed this prayer and mean it, tell someone. Join in with others of the same confession. It's what Jesus distinctly does in you.)

The Old Testament, Jesus, And The Progression Of All Things

Now stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days, and do everything the LORD requires. If you fail to do this, you will die, for this is what the LORD has commanded.” [Leviticus 8.35] 

On this date in 2025, I wrote the article Dive In The Deep End. It is  good start to understanding what is presented here today.

When Jesus died on the cross, why was only the veil (curtain) in the Temple torn? If we follow the "Age of Grace" ideology today, the entire Temple should have been destroyed, correct? Oh wait, Jesus in fact predicted the Temple's entire destruction (Matthew 24.2, Mark 13.2, and Luke 21.6) and, in fact, history reveals that it was completely destroyed in 70 AD at the hands of Roman forces led by Titus (Wikipedia).

So, why the progression? Why was not the destruction of the Temple completed when the veil was supernaturally torn?

First, let us consider what Jesus said about the Law:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven! [Matthew 5.17-20]

Now why would Jesus say this? Does this not completely go against everything our popular "Age of Grace" teaching promotes? In fact it does except if we consider it in the understanding of progression.

When a child grows up and leaves home, parents often lament that their child "forgets everything they learned" when that child makes some wayward choices. Sadly, the problem is not so much that the child "forgets" as it is that the child "never learned." The Bible actually bears this out:

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. [Proverbs 22.6]

If we can see it, what Jesus said about the Law is not optional. Understanding the Law is part of the progression of Kingdom citizenship.

Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. [Galatians 4.1-5 NKJV]

To "stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle day and night for seven days" provides insight that there is indeed something to the idea of progression. Seven days represents completion which is the outcome of progression. The Leviticus passage above also provides insight into the gravity of following the progression: "If you fail to do this, you will die."

The unlearned wayward child is proof that the guardianship and stewardship of the Law is every bit as necessary as Jesus said it was. There is indeed a progression to Grace. That progression teaches God's children that life hangs in the balance of Jesus Who accomplished the purpose of the Law and the Prophets.  What is the opposite of life that hangs in the balance of Jesus? Death. Jesus spoke of life in sober terms:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law and Prophets, but to accomplish their purpose. There can be no understanding of Christ for salvation apart from understanding His relationship to the Law and the Prophets. Salvation is based on faith in Christ Jesus Who, accomplished the purpose of the Law and the Prophets. Faith in any other "Jesus" is the "broad way" Jesus warned against. If Jesus is indeed part of our lives, the Law and the Prophets are part of our lives. Passages like the subject passage above from Leviticus have great meaning to us. While we are not constrained by the Law and the Prophets, we are constrained by Jesus (Who is constrained by the Law and the Prophets).

Although by our inherent sinful nature at birth we are destined to die, the progression to that day of death is supernaturally altered for those who are in Christ (John 10.10). It is their earthly distinction as children of God. But God's children will never know or understand this unless they know and understand the Law and the Prophets and Jesus as their fulfillment. In fact, the "Jesus" known by those ignorant of the Law and the Prophets (wayward sons and daughters) is not Jesus of the Bible, the eternal Son of God.

Too harsh? Jesus didn't think so (see Matthew 7.13-14 above) and Leviticus gave us insight that failure to do what the LORD has commanded launches a death sentence. Oh yeah, every detail of the Tabernacle (and eventually the Temple) points man to God through Jesus Christ. 

Father, I am amazed how Your Word fits together so completely. Help me to see that maturity in Christ is a progressive process. Help me also see that failure to progress in Christ is deadly (just as You warned Adam and Eve of death - that was a progression itself). Help Christians today understand that the progression of death they experience today is not the distinction You desire for Your children. Show us more... And may Your glory be seen in us as we are in Christ. So be it.