Diving Deep

“If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the LORD, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community. [Leviticus 17.3-4]

I am sensing something very deep in this passage and verses 8-9 following. Let's see if I can communicate it here...

What does it mean to be "cut off from the community"? Who does the cutting off from the community?

In other places (like Leviticus 17.16, the sentence, "they will be punished" is used. Who does that punishing? And, what is the punishment?

Hang on here, we are diving deep...

Punishment and being "cut off" are the results of disobedience in the context of the passages of today's OYCB reading. Deuteronomy 28.15-68 defines all the punishments for disobedience that are executed by God. The curses found therein define "punishment" and being "cut off" in great detail in that the disobedient person is, in every way, cut off from the blessings of God in health, wealth, and peace of mind.

Now, relative to the subject passage of this writing, the person who does not "make their sacrifice" in the proper place - at the Tabernacle entrance - at the place that points to faith in Jesus Christ (and was confirmed when the veil was torn at His death on the Cross), is cut off from the community. They are cut off from God and every blessing afforded through fellowship with, and obedience to, Him.

What does this tell us? It tells us that anything defined in Deuteronomy 28.15-68 is the direct result of improper placement and execution of our faith/obedience. It tells us that physical, material, and emotional loss, in every manifestation, reveals the displeasure of God upon a faith/obedience failure. It tells us that faith and obedience, obedience and faith, are inseparable!

We cannot simply dismiss this as "Old Testament." Why? Because Jesus Himself said in John 5.39:

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

It is absolute and universal truth throughout the entire Bible that obedience is faith and faith is obedience. Just because we have a logical secular explanation nowadays for nearly every physical, material, and emotional loss does not disprove the origin of each as sin (including "whatsoever is not of faith is sin).

We simply must worship God with our sacrifice of faith/obedience - on His terms - at His place - at the "entrance of His Tabernacle" - at Jesus Christ.

Father, I do not want to be cut off from the community of faith/obedience! May I be found faithful (obedient) in every circumstance! May I have the sense to understand that physical, material, and emotional loss are indicators that I have wandered away from "Your Tabernacle" of Christ... and may I be quick to repent and return to You.