In the next message we shall cover the second part of the word of warning in Leviticus 26. In this message I would like to give a further word on what was covered in the previous message.
In 26:1-20 we are given a basis for our obedience, and this basis includes three matters. First, we should not have idols (v. 1). This signifies that besides God we should have no other goals that we are seeking after, so that we may not lose the position to enjoy our divine possession. Second, we should keep God’s sabbaths (v. 2a). This signifies that we should know that the work of God was done entirely by Himself that we might enjoy it, and that there is no need for us to do any work. Third, we need to reverence God’s sanctuary (v. 2b). This signifies that we should regard with reverence all that God is and has accomplished in Christ as God’s dwelling, embodiment, and expression (John 1:14; Col. 2:9), and in the church as the enlargement of Christ for God’s dwelling and eternal manifestation (Eph. 2:22; Rev. 21:10). We need not only to understand these points in letter but also to see their intrinsic significance.
God Himself must be our unique goal. As His creatures and especially as His children, we should not seek anything other than Him. He should be the unique goal after which we are seeking.
Our God today is the processed Triune God. As such, He is not the same as He was in Genesis 1. God has been processed. This means that He has passed through many processes. He has passed through incarnation, through human living, through an all-inclusive death, and through a wonderful resurrection. Furthermore, He has entered into ascension. He has also descended to gain us and to enable us to gain Him, making Himself one with us and making us one with Him and constituting us with Him. This is a matter of the mingling of the processed Triune God with us. Today this processed Triune God should be our unique goal.
The second item in the basis of our obedience is realizing what God has done. This means that we should take God’s work and rest because of it. However, most people neglect God’s work and, instead, try to do something for themselves and by themselves. This is the situation among believers as well as unbelievers. Many believers ignore what God’s work has accomplished for them and work by themselves to accomplish something for themselves. But it is an insult to God to ignore what He has done for us that we may rest in Him and in His work. To rest in God and in His work is to keep His sabbath.
We may ignore God’s work and seek to do something for ourselves and by ourselves under the cloak of doing something for God. Such a thing may have a good appearance, but it is actually an insult to God, for it ignores what He has done for us that we may rest in Him and enjoy what He has done for us. Instead of ignoring what God has done, we should deny what we can do or want to do. We need to deny our work but honor God’s work and rest in Him.
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