Leviticus Study List
Introduction
Good day, everyone! Today, we will be studying Leviticus Chapter 2. This chapter is closely related to our healing and deliverance because diseases are often linked to offerings.
If you think about it carefully, it is detrimental if one frequently skimps on offerings. This act is intimately tied to whether we receive healing. In this life, offering to God is the most worthwhile thing to do. The God I am referring to is the Creator of the universe.
If you understand this, you will willingly and gladly offer all that you have to God. By doing so, you will save yourself a lot of trouble. In today's society, there are too many cases of cancer, diabetes, femoral head necrosis, joint pain, and so on! A small thing like COVID-19 can wreak havoc on a country's economy. Humans cannot withstand such afflictions!
There are not many things that humans can truly comprehend or control. Therefore, it is best to have a heart of reverence and acknowledge that there is a God in this world. Why am I studying Leviticus? Because this chapter is closely related to healing and deliverance. To those of you suffering from wasting diseases, I offer this encouragement: Listen carefully to the matter of offerings, as illnesses are often connected to them. You can choose to believe this or not.
During dinner earlier, a brother asked me about cases in his area involving someone with ankylosing spondylitis and another with femoral head necrosis. I said that both individuals were very selfish and harbored much hatred within. The brother countered that they no longer held hatred. I told him that these people once had love, hatred, and a strong desire for things. However, during their growth, they realized that they could not obtain what they desired, leading them to develop a loser mentality, appearing nonchalant.
It's not that they don't care anymore; it's that caring is futile. Eventually, they become losers. Years later, conditions like ankylosing spondylitis and femoral head necrosis, which are joint-related, still find their way to such individuals. This is because the hatred and jealousy we once harbored have a profound impact on us. Although our dreams and expectations have completely shattered, we still yearn for these things, which leads to developing loser habits.
The spiritual realm sees you quite accurately because the loser mentality in your bones has not changed. Although you lack the ability or qualification, the desire to obtain certain things continues to fester, and then the demons allow you to experience diseases like ankylosing spondylitis. Over the years, I have ministered to many people suffering from such debilitating diseases. Almost all of these individuals have something inherently detestable at their core.
My assessment is not to withhold service but to help you emerge from your illness. Therefore, offerings are related to whether a person is selfish and whether they see things appropriately, in a balanced way. People do not realize their limitations, nor do they understand that by not offering, they can retain nothing. In reality, they can retain nothing at all.
Acceptable Offerings are Related to the Thoughts, Intentions, and Inherent Character of the Offeror
The practice of offering began with Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd. Cain's offering was not accepted, while Abel's was. After listening to some theologians’ sharing, I found it quite interesting that they said Cain's offering was not accepted because he offered plants, while Abel's was accepted because he offered animals, suggesting that God prefers meat!
Leviticus Chapter 2 begins with the offering of grain. The grain offering consists of rice, flour, plants, and fruits. The grain offering is also a sacrifice, so whether an offering is accepted is not about whether you offer animals or plants. It is about the thoughts, intentions, and inherent character of the offeror. Cain had a very bad attitude, feeling that his produce was the result of his own labor, so why should he offer it to God? Our God is also very powerful and questioned Cain: Why should I accept your offering?
As a result, Cain became angry, realizing that his farming was neither accepted nor protected. On the other hand, Abel offered the best of his flock to God, and his livestock were accepted and flourished increasingly. You can ponder this matter on your own. Later, Cain was distressed because what he did was not blessed. Today, we must understand that the problem lay in Cain's attitude. When interacting with God today, we need to have the right concept, right thoughts and intentions, and the right attitude towards offering.
Recently, a couple came to me. They had spent a lot of money buying a house and found the renovation costs very high, which led them to think of me. I can save money on renovations because I do everything myself. The husband is not a believer, but after seeing me do the renovations, he began to wonder: How is this person so capable? Because I offer to God, I am accepted, and therefore what I do is quite good.
In Singapore, a simple renovation can cost twenty thousand Singapore dollars, and a slightly better one can cost fifty thousand. A well-done renovation can cost seventy to eighty thousand. Is that worth it? Do not think that offering to God is not worthwhile. If it were not worthwhile, why offer at all? God does not really need our offerings to begin with. Therefore, being accepted or not is related to our inner character.
Salt is the Character of Our Covenant with God
You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13)
The salt here represents the character of our covenant with God. We lack a certain character and concept, which is why many people face many problems today. Those of us with serious illnesses have improved after prayer; otherwise, they would not have stayed with us. However, when it comes to giving, their attitude is very evil.
I do not understand why these people are so foolish. They have lived selfishly and still think they are not selfish. It is one thing to be selfish with people, but to be selfish with God is just asking for trouble. They lack a correct attitude and character regarding offerings.
Why do those of us with serious illnesses not ponder why we have ended up in this situation? If you continue down this path, as the days, months, and years pass, what will your future be like? Let me give you a fortune reading: If you are unwilling to become a person who offers, you will suffer. Suffering is easy; just live according to your own desires, and it will happen. But if you live according to God's desires, you will live well.
Leviticus sounds like one offering after another, doing this and doing that, but these things are closely related to us. What is written here is closely related to whether we are holy or unholy, accepted or not accepted. Today, we must know that as humans, we must realize that we are just human beings and that we desperately need God and should know that we ought to offer to God.
Some people say that offering to God is okay, but offering to the church is not. You can understand it however you want. We will see what the final outcome is. I have never seen a generous person live poorly, nor have I ever seen a stingy person live well. These are things I have seen from the people around me.
“If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the Lord, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears roasted in fire, grain crushed from the fresh ears. And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. Then the priest shall burn the memorial portion of it—some of the crushed grain with its oil and all its frankincense—as an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma to the Lord. What is left of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire. (Leviticus 2:14-3)
This is very interesting. The previous chapter talked about offering burnt offerings, burning everything. This chapter talks about taking a handful and burning it on the altar, and it says that what is left is for the descendants of Aaron. So many Israelites are offering sacrifices. I think Aaron's family must not be short of food.
Should not all these be offered to God? Why leave some for Aaron and his descendants? Because this is God's rule. This is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire. This phrase is repeated twice in this chapter. What does most holy mean? How can one become most holy? The large portion left over is for Aaron and his descendants. The grain offering is burned away by taking a handful, while the cattle and sheep burned before are offered to the Lord as a pleasing aroma.
Taking a handful makes it most holy. Let me casually share my view on this because once this handful is offered, the entire batch becomes holy. In other words, the handful that makes the entire batch holy must become most holy! You can offer it to the Lord, but only a handful is offered to God, and the rest is taken by Aaron and his descendants, who serve as priests. In the twelve tribes of Israel, only the Aaron family of the Levite tribe served as priests for generations in the temple. Is this a blessing or a hardship? Actually, this is offered to the Lord as most holy.
Among the entire twelve tribes of Israel, only one tribe is taken out and dedicated to God. Then the other eleven tribes, because of the service of this one tribe, receive God's grace and acceptance. That is to say, in the entire service, those who are served and those who serve become holy, all becoming most holy because of those who serve.
What is the key to making the entire batch holy through a small handful? The key lies in this group of people who are completely dedicated to God. Today, as Christians, do not think that we are fine just as we are. That is because we do not have high expectations for ourselves because we do not know that becoming most holy is a great grace.
Some people take a small piece of gold and run away, not knowing that there is a gold mine underneath. Today, if we find a treasure, we must learn to continue to strive, and God will bless many people because of you. For example, in the grain offering, if a portion becomes holy, the entire batch becomes holy. If I had the choice, I would definitely strive to become most holy and become a blessing to others. This is Mingding Destiny!
If becoming a blessing to others is our Mingding Destiny, Genesis 12:1-3 says that Abraham was a man with Mingding Destiny. Abraham became a blessing to all nations on earth, and all the families on earth would be blessed through him. That is Mingding Destiny! As a result, Abraham was blessed by God. Those who bless him would be blessed, and those who curse him would be cursed.
Let us think carefully. Many who were close to Abraham were blessed. Jacob was also blessed. Jacob herded sheep at his uncle's house, and God blessed his uncle because of Jacob. Joseph went to Egypt as a slave, and God blessed his master, Potiphar, the captain of the guard, because of Joseph.
Our God cares about this kind of relationship. Because of this relationship, God blessed these people. Today, do we desire to have a Mingding Destiny, to become most holy in God's eyes? Obtaining this Mingding Destiny and desiring to become a blessing to others is not just about desiring to receive blessings. There are two types of people in the church: one type makes others blessed, and the other type makes themselves blessed. Which type becomes most holy in God's eyes? It is the person who makes others blessed. Others can become holy and receive grace because of them.
Desiring to Become Most Holy
We must begin to yearn to completely burn ourselves and return to God. This is most holy! This is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire! In the future, we may use the same logic to look at other things that can be used as memorials. As long as they are offered to God, they become most holy. We have indeed read in the Bible that if this altar is holy, whoever touches the altar becomes most holy.
Becoming holy is not too complicated. Becoming holy is being holy. It is not that we can become holy, but that God counts us as holy. This is called faith. The greatest benefit for people is to touch God's altar and become most holy. The altar is made holy by blood because someone is completely offered to God and becomes holy. When a person becomes holy, they receive healing. People are controlled by demons because they are not holy. Filth and impurity bring many problems.
We have talked about the victorious church in the past. The victorious church is the foundation of healing and deliverance. We have shared many of these views. Today, the victorious church is because of a small group of people. They are the handful that is grasped, completely offering themselves and burning for God. The apostle Paul in the New Testament was a person who completely offered himself. Today, I encourage everyone to completely offer yourself to God. This is a great grace. We should strive for holiness, and each of us should strive to become most holy.
Completely offering oneself to God and becoming most holy in God's eyes in the offerings made to the Lord by fire, this is the grain offering. The grain offering becomes a memorial to God. Because of this small group of people, God remembers the others. For example, God remembered Lot because of Abraham, saving Lot from the city of Sodom, which was about to be destroyed. This is a great grace. God remembers my family and the people around me because of me. I think this is also a great grace.
It is right and proper for us to desire to become most holy. But there are always some people who believe in the Lord with selfish motives, always thinking that they must gain this benefit and that benefit in God's presence. In fact, the greatest benefit is to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, completely offered on God's altar. This is holy and pleasing to God. Such service is our reasonable service, because are we not the ones who receive the benefit? Therefore, what is offered to God becomes most holy.
It is mentioned here that all grain offerings must not have yeast. Yeast added to the dough can make the dough rise, such as making steamed buns and flatbreads. Grain offerings cannot have yeast. Why not? Imagine, just a small piece of dough, and then you add some yeast and steam such a big steamed bun, a very thin layer, and then you make a very large piece. Yeast is not good in God's eyes.
Our God does not need leavened dough. God needs unleavened dough, and unleavened dough is very honest. Honest means real, and it is as much as it is. Also, you cannot add honey, because honey makes it sweet; sweet talk and hypocrisy are all words invented by the Chinese. What is said is better than anything, but there is a knife in the belly.
I want to say that people must be genuine with God. Never put yeast in the grain offering, because once you put yeast in, it will rise very large. We must know that yeast is not good in God's eyes, and hypocrisy and self-righteousness are the most obvious signs of the Pharisees!
If you want to become most holy today, you must completely remove the knowledge of good and evil and hypocrisy from our bodies. The habit of valuing face is not good. Many people have the habit of valuing face, which makes them miserable, because valuing face makes them like to play fake in many times.
Today, we must worship God in spirit and truth. Do not add yeast or honey, thinking that it will be sweeter. Today, we must offer the first fruits to the Lord God in their original flavor. All the grain offerings must be seasoned with salt, and you cannot use yeast and honey, but you must use salt in the grain offering, and you must not leave out the salt of the covenant of your God. We need to use salt to make a covenant with God. We are not able to understand this in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, Jesus said:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (Matthew 5:13)
When we make a covenant with God, the salt of the covenant is the attitude and character in our bones. Of course, this is my personal interpretation, and you can also have your interpretation. You can understand it as a person's good deeds, but where do good deeds come from? They come from a person's thoughts. Some people come up with hypocrisy, yeast, or honey, which is not the salt that God wants, and the salt that God wants is real.
The most important thing in our covenant with God is attitude and character. If we truly know God and know God's grace, how can you not choose to become most holy? In the process of offering, the highest level is to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. Some people are very interesting, and they also answer like this: I offer myself as a living sacrifice to God. But if you ask him to do some work, it is very hard. Because he did not offer a sacrifice to God at all, it is just talking, according to our northeastern saying, it is just a two-cent teapot, only the mouth is good.
The grain offerings must be seasoned with salt, and we must have the correct attitude and character when offering sacrifices. Because God chooses us, God looks at whether this person is a treasure, which depends on the attitude and character in this person’s bones. But some people say that I am like this, I just do not have a personality. That is okay, you can do whatever you want, the key is whether God likes you. God is pleased with those who strive to become most holy, because the righteous shall live by faith, and become holy by faith. If we become holy in God's eyes, and many people are blessed because of us, how great is the blessing we receive!
I am very touched that many people are not able to establish a good attitude and good character, but they are very good at developing bad habits. For example, there is a young man among us who borrows money from Huabei at every turn. If you borrow money, you have to pay it back, but he just does not want to pay it back. Why does he still borrow money from Huabei? Because he wants to buy delicious takeout.
But do you not have to pay it back after borrowing it? In the end, he looks for his mother, and his mother pays it back for him. What this young man lacks most in the process of growing up is character. The character in his bones is to care for his own feelings and feelings. If a person never deals with their inner preferences, they lack a certain character.
A person's value in God's eyes is character and attitude, and the core of character is faith. If in a person's bones, there is a force of faith, that is, I must become most holy in any case, then in God's eyes, they become a treasure, and God will make a covenant with you, and you will have the salt of the covenant.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob recorded in the Bible are all people with character, so our God is also the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Everyone should deeply engrave these words in their bones. We must imitate Abraham, imitate Isaac, imitate Jacob, and imitate Joseph, and become a person with a very strong personality.
Was Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt? He had a very strong personality; Jacob herded sheep at his uncle Laban's house, which was very miserable and hard, but he had a very strong personality. Ancient China was also not lacking in people with personality, such as Goujian, the King of Yue, who slept on brushwood and tasted gall, and finally took revenge and killed the King of Wu.
Today, we need to constantly understand in our minds what kind of people God likes. God likes the most holy. What kind of people become most holy? It is those who are completely dedicated to God and desire to become a blessing to others. Many of our brothers and sisters imitate me in serving God. Why am I like this in front of them? Because I am in contact with them, they know that I am completely dedicated to serving God. What I desire is to become a blessing to many people. I desire that many brothers and sisters be released from bondage.
If we examine the Bible, do we have a lot of worldly desires in us? What are we worried about? If we are worried about God's family, you will definitely choose to completely dedicate yourself. We do more work than others and eat less than others. This is not called hardship. It is such a joy for people to become a blessing to others, but what we lack is this kind of character.
If we are people with character, we will not borrow money to buy good food and then let your mother pay it back. This situation is also common among young people today, but parents are also willing to do so, which spoils the children and does not train the children to develop the right character from an early age. From the mother's side, there is a lack of character, so what to do on the son's side? To be honest, I am also worried.
I want to shape a person and make them a person of faith. Sometimes, when I am serving, my heart is very sad, especially when I am serving stupid people. So I often deal with my own preferences. My own preferences are not important. The most important thing is to please God. Every time that force comes up, I press it down, because many brothers and sisters’ words are very hurtful, especially in close contact.
There are bad habits in them, and you have to deal with the bad habits in them, but the other person does not let you solve them, and as a result, they will give you some color, a look, and a stimulating taste in their words. Originally, people do not like to offer, and according to my own preferences, I do not like it, and there are these verbal conflicts, which I dislike even more. But I am determined to become most holy in God's presence. My personal preferences are not important. I am often criticized, but because I have a Mingding Destiny in me, I am not pursuing whether I feel good or bad, which is not important.
Do you want to make a covenant with God? Do you want to have God's measure? Do you want to have God's heart and God's ability? If you want to, set yourself apart and become most holy in God's eyes. Because God values you, God will bless many people through you as this vessel, and then you will become most holy in God's eyes, which is to be remembered. Because of you, God will remember your family and God will remember you brothers and sisters; because of you, God will remember you.
翻译后的文本