Remove Not the Ancient Landmarks

"You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess." (Deuteronomy 19:14; NKJV)

Landmark – a boundary, a border

Physical Landmarks

1. Real Estate – boundaries of an individual’s property.

2. Stop Signs – bring order to our traffic system – if removed confusion results.

Spiritual Landmarks - serve to help one distinguish between right/wrong – if removed confusion results.

If the landmarks are removed:

1. Physical – lose land, life

2. Spiritual – lose soul…

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15; NKJV)

Jason Cicero

Cities of Refuge

During the days of the nation of Israel the six cities of refuge provided protection to those seeking to avoid the death penalty (Numbers 35:9-34).

A person had to make it to the city first in order to be safe. It was not enough to know about the city or to want to go there. It was not enough to pitch a tent just outside the gates. A person had to be within the city walls in order to be protected.

In the same way, it's not enough to know about Jesus or to want to meet Him. It's not enough to be near faith in Him. We must choose to be "in Christ" in order to be rescued from the death penalty: "that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and Solomon

Jehovah declared in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 that the kings of Israel should not:

1. Multiply Horses

2. Multiply Wives

3. Multiply Silver and Gold

Solomon did all three. His days were not prolonged in his kingdom. His children's days were cut short too. (See 1 Kings 4:26; 10:26-29; 11:1-3; 10:21-29)

"Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20; NKJV).

Read Jehovah's book. Learn to fear Him. Be careful to observe all that He has spoken and be blessed.

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17; NKJV)

Jubilee

"The crowning feature, though, was the full restitution of all real property in the Jubilee Year. The primary object of this regulation was, of course, the reversion of all hereditary property to the family which originally possessed it, and the reestablishment of the original arrangement regarding the division of the land. But that was not all; for this legal disposition and regulation of external matters was closely connected with the high calling of the Jewish people. It was a part of the Divine plan looking forward to the salvation of mankind. "The deepest meaning of it (the Jubilee Year) is to be found in the apokatastasis tes basileias tou theou, i.e. in the restoring of all that which in the course of time was perverted by man's sin, in the removing of all slavery of sin, in the establishing of the true liberty of the children of God, and in the delivering of the creation from the bondage of corruption to which it was subjected on account of man's depravity" (Romans 8:19 ff) (compare Keil, Manual of Biblical Archaeology). In the Year of Jubilee a great future era of Yahweh's favor is foreshadowed, that period which, according to Isaiah 61:1-3, shall be ushered in to all those that labor and are heavy laden, by Him who was anointed by the spirit of the Lord Yahweh." (from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

A New Covenant Prayer

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, "Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, 'On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel: ye shall say unto them, Jehovah bless thee, and keep thee: Jehovah make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: Jehovah lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.' So shall they put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them." (Numbers 6:22-27; ASV).

Father, bless us and keep us in your Son and Holy Spirit. Make your face shine upon us. Be gracious to us. Lift your countenance upon us and give us peace. In Christ's name, Amen.

Jason Cicero

The Lord's Supper: Our Peace Offering

Each kind of OT sacrifice had its own specific purpose and each sacrifice was handled differently. The two kinds of sacrifices offered at Mount Sinai were burnt offerings and peace offerings. The burnt offerings were completely burned up, and no one ate any of the flesh (Leviticus 1:8-9). In the case of the peace offerings, a portion was given to the priests (Leviticus 7:31-34), and the rest was eaten by the worshiper (Leviticus 7:11-21). What they ate was the flesh of the peace offerings (Exodus 24:5; Leviticus 7:11-21). The eating of the peace offering served to seal (to close securely, to certify as correct) the covenant (Exodus 24:11). Jeremiah confirms that the covenant at Sinai was made after the ancient manner in Jeremiah 34:18. What does this have to do with the Lord’s Supper? Notice the similarity between the words of Moses and the words of Christ. Moses: “This is the blood of the covenant” (Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:20). Jesus: “This is My blood of the new covenant” (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25; NKJV). Notice the parallel between the making of the covenants. Moses: “This is the blood of the covenant” (Exodus 24:8)

Jesus: “This is My blood of the new covenant” (Matthew 26:28). The blood of Jesus that dedicated His covenant was His literal blood that was shed in His death. The “blood” of Jesus in Matthew 26:28 was a symbol of His blood, the fruit of the vine. In the OT, the sacrifice was an animal, and the portion eaten was from the animal. In the case of Jesus, the sacrifice could not be eaten by the participants because Jesus was the sacrifice. An even greater reason why our covenant sacrifice could not be eaten in ratification of the covenant was that our sacrifice was raised from the dead. Jesus, knowing these things beforehand, ordained a symbolic peace offering of His body and blood, the eating of which seals the covenant between God and His people. Thus the eating of the Lord’s Supper constitutes a weekly affirmation of our covenant with God. In Christ, all the sacrifices of the Law of Moses are combined and fulfilled. He is the sacrifice whereby we are completely dedicated to God (burnt offering). He is the sacrifice by which we are forgiven of sin (sin offering). He is the sacrifice by which we are cleansed from specific sins (trespass offering). He is our peace offering. Thus the Lord’s Supper is a symbol of Christ, our complete sacrifice, including our peace offering!

Jason Cicero