Genesis 4:3-7 – “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.  Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it…’”

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Leviticus 8:22-24  - ”He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.  Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.  Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood against the altar on all sides.”

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Exodus 10:23 - “…Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.”

God’s plan is not just for us to have traditional or conventional family units or roles within the household, but to have the church members have their household indwelt with the Light, the Holy Spirit’s revelation. Our relationship with God should permeate our entire household and bring his light to our family members. continue

Deuteronomy 30:19 - “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

Deuteronomy 30 is part of Moses’ “farewell address” to the Israelites. As God’s prophet, he brought an important message to the people for that moment.  Israel was completing a period of wandering in the wilderness.  At that moment, they were finally preparing to enter the Promised Land.  Most of the original generation that left Egypt in the Exodus was now dead – they had died in the wilderness due to their disobedience.  A new generation had arisen, those who were children at the time of the Exodus.

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Joshua 2:18 – “…unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.”

The blood of Jesus is a like a scarlet cord that connects us to eternity. It is a continuous line that reaches from our existing in this present world to the life and light found in eternity. It is through this line, the blood, that we receive salvation and eternal life.   continue

Leviticus 14:49-53 - ”To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop. He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. He shall purify the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn.  Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

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Exodus 27:1-3  - “Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits high; it is to be square, five cubits wide.  Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.  Make all its utensils of bronze-its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. “

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Psalm 74:2 - ”Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed – Mount Zion, where you dwelt.”

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2 Kings 22:8-10 - Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”  He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.  Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.”  Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.”  And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

Josiah was one of the few righteous kings in the Old Testament.  He ruled in Jerusalem over the Kingdom of Judah new the end of the Old Testament era.  He followed two generations of wicked kings and spiritual backsliding.  Josiah was different – in fact, he is the only person that the Bible describes as turning to God with “all his heart, all his soul, and all his strength” (verse 25), which Jesus later told us all to do (Matthew 22:37).   continue

Judges 6:11-12 - “The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.  When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’”

These events happened some time after the death of Joshua.  The Israelites were supposed to be God’s chosen people, but great difficulties befell them whenever they disobeyed the Lord.  In this case, the Midianites, a large tribe of roving bandits and traders, were oppressing the Israelites.  The Midianites would confiscate their entire harvest of wheat.  At each harvest time, the Midianites knew to go and get the wheat.  There was no way out for the Israelites; they were impoverished.  They cried out to the Lord for a deliverance from their oppressors.  The Israelites did not deserve God’s protection, of course, because they had completely ignored the Lord for a long time up to that point.  Even so, God had mercy and raised up a deliverer to save them.   continue