Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy: Jesus Made a Surety of a Better Testament

Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy:  Jesus Made a Surety of a Better Testament

There will not be quick preview videos on Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy (but I will be sharing my artwork) Here is why (There are a lot of scriptures to read, but I wanted to make sure you can see these are not my theories, but the Word of God).

Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy are all difficult books to journal.  I had planned on having every margin of my Bible full of journaling and/or artwork.  However, these next three Old Testament books will be lacking.  

I have either read or had read to me every single word of the Bible many times in my 52 years (probably even before I was born), and I can say with confidence, based on scripture not my theory, that these books are full of unnecessary ritual as Jesus Christ is the only sacrifice worth honoring and High Priest worth following.  He is the New Covenant in the New Testament.

(Hebrews 8:6-7 & 12-13) But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

"For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." In that he saith. A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

(Hebrews 12:24) And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenan

In the New Testament, Jesus continually tells His listeners that he has come to teach them a new way to live (I will show more comparisons in Deuteronomy). Following the ways of Jesus Christ is the True way to live.  

We do not need to slaughter animals to show we are sorry for our sins, but we do still need to repent of our sins and strive for holiness.  (Luke 12:25 - Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.) Jesus' death on the cross made the way for us to live eternally with the Holy Trinity as they bridged the gap for us.  But it does not end there.  We must accept Jesus as our Savior by accepting His free gift of salvation and make certain we do not abuse the gift of grace lest we lose it. (Revelation 2:5 - Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.)  We can enjoy eternal life in heaven when we live a clean life, and repent when we make mistakes, because we will make them.

I believe the Bible is a great history book, and I accept it as a book of fact.  The chapters of history that involves God's people before the time of Christ's redemption are still meant for us to read and learn from.  We see the powerful and miraculous power of God many times over and it is a great reminder of such.  

Reading the Old Testament also gives us another reason to appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.  Many animals had to die, and the rituals that were performed because they did not yet know God's Son or His Holy Spirit.  They still thought they had to earn their way to Heaven.  They believed that breaking even one of the more than 600 laws would send them to Hell. 

Even Samuel on the Old Testament somehow understood God wants our sincere obedience, not empty ritual:

(1 Samuel 15:22) "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."  

Rituals are spiritual death.  King David, Solomon, and Hosea also understood this. Psalm 40:6 (Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.), Psalm 51:16 (For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.) , Proverbs 15:8 (The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.), Proverbs 21:3 (To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.), and Hosea 6:6 (For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.)  all show God wants our sincere love for Him more than anything.

Romans 12:1 says we are to make our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God."  Our actions of self-denial to sin and pure lives are the sacrifices God requires.  Giving up all forms of ungodly entertainment, staying sexually pure, not getting drunk, treating each other with love and kindness (see Galatians 5 below), these are the ways to please the Lord!

(Hebrews 10:1-20) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered?... For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure..." 

He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God... For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified...

Saith the Lord, "I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh."

(Hebrews 7:11-28) If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise... For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 

And it is yet far more evident... Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath He was made priest... By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament... But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 

Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people's: for this He did once, when he offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore

These powerful portions in Hebrews remind us that Jesus' amazing act of love with His death on the cross is the only sacrifice that ever mattered, and no more blood needs to be shed.  I especially love this phrase in Hebrews 7:22 (here is the Amplified version), "And so [because of the oath’s greater strength and force] Jesus has become the certain guarantee of a better covenant [a more excellent and more advantageous agreement; one that will never be replaced or annulled].  In Hebrews 7:22 the KJV the word surety is used. The dictionary definition of surety explains Jesus' death on the cross beautifully: "a formal engagement (such as a pledge) given for the fulfillment of an undertaking : one who has become legally liable for the debt, default, or failure in duty of another."  Jesus paid our debts for our sins!  

Jesus Christ's own words sum up what I am trying to say.  It is not manmade laws or rituals that please God, but we still need to follow the laws of God to stay pure. Remember, religion is dead ritual, but a relationship with Jesus Christ, son of the Living God, is life!

(Matthew 15:7-11 & 16-20) "Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'"

And He called the multitude, and said unto them, "Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

For more on understanding what rules we should follow:

(Matthew 19:16-21) And, behold, one came and said unto [Jesus], "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

And He said unto him, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

He saith unto Him, "Which?"

Jesus said, "Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

The young man saith unto Him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"

Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

(Galatians 5:18-25) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

(Revelation 21:7-8) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.