Something that made me think a lot...

Something that had never occurred to me really made me stop and think this Easter weekend.  
 
In Israel, on Passover, the high priest, the person appointed by God to make the atoning sacrifice of a spotless lamb in the temple.

To outline his job for the day of atonement, which completed the Passover feast, what Christians refer to as Good Friday, the day that Christ died on the cross, I will give you the outline from bible.org.

"From all appearances, the rituals outlined in our text do not begin the day’s activities for Aaron, but come after the exercise of some of his regular duties. The day would seem to begin as usual with the offering of the morning sacrifice, the burnt offering of a one year old lamb (cf. Exod. 29:38-42; Num. 28:3-6). After these duties were performed, the High Priest would commence the ceremonies of the Day of Atonement, as prescribed in our text:⁷⁰

(1) Aaron was to take off his normal priestly garments, wash, and then put on the special garments which were prescribed for the sacrifices which took him into the holy of holies (v. 4; cf. Exod. 28; 39).

(2) Aaron secured the necessary sacrificial animals: a bull for his own sin offering and two male goats for the people’s sin offering; two rams, one for Aaron’s and the other for the people’s burnt offering (vv. 3, 5).

(3) Aaron slaughtered the bull for his own sin offering (vv. 6, 11).

(4) Before entering into the Holy of Holies with the blood of the bull, Aaron had to create a “cloud” of incense in the Holy of Holies, covering the mercy seat, to “veil” the glory of God so that he could enter in (vv. 12-13). The best approximation to this in my experience is what a bee-keeper does, smoking the hive of the bees, before he begins to remove the honey. In the case of Aaron, he was to offer only the prescribed incense so as to create an obscuring veil of smoke, thus dimming the glory of God’s presence and sparing his life.

(5) Aaron then took some of the blood of the bull and sprinkled it on the mercy seat seven times (v. 14).

(6) Lots were then cast for the two goats, to determine which would be slaughtered and which would be driven away (vv. 7-8).

(7) The goat for slaughter, the goat of the people’s sin offering, was sacrificed, and its blood was taken into the Holy of Holies and applied to the mercy seat, as the bull’s blood had been (v. 15).

(8) Cleansing was then made for the holy place (v. 16), seemingly by the sprinkling of the blood of both the bull and the goat. The atonement of the holy place is done alone, without anyone present to help, or to watch (v. 17).

(9) Next, outside the tent, Aaron was to make atonement for the altar of burnt offering,⁷¹ using, it would seem, the blood of both the bull and the goat (vv. 18-19).

(10) Now the second goat, the one which was kept alive, had the sins of the nation symbolically laid on its head, and was driven from the camp to a desolate place, from which it must never return (vv. 20-22).

(11) Aaron then entered the tent of meeting, removed his linen garments, washed, and put on his normal priestly garments

(12) The burnt offerings of rams, one for Aaron and his family and the other for the people, was now offered (v. 24)

(13) The earlier sacrifices of the bull and the goat were completed. The fat of the sin offering was burned on the altar (v. 25), and the remains of the bull and the goat were taken outside the camp, where they were burned (v. 27).

(14) Those who had been rendered unclean by handling the animals on which the sins of Aaron or the people were laid were to wash themselves and then return to camp (vv. 26, 28)."

The problem on the day that Christ died, is that Caiaphas the high priest that year is that instead of being at the temple performing the duties of a high priest, he spent most of the day with Pilate, the Roman governor, to ensure the death of Jesus, a man he saw as being a blasphemer, claiming to be equal with God.  Instead of overseeing the sacrifices of that sacred day-the bulls, goats, and lambs that covered the sins of the people, he was overseeing the death of the Lamb of God, the perfect, spotless Lamb.  While appearing to neglect his God-given responsibilities, he was actually overseeing the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb whose blood would totally take away sins.

Just a thought from a poor beggar.
http://bible.org/seriespage/day-atonement-leviticus-16 

 

What does the shield of faith really mean?

Something that has been dwelling on my mind quite a lot recently is the question: what is the armor of God; in particular what is the shield of faith?

 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Ephesians 6:10-17

When we people of 21st century western culture think of the Christian armor, he thinks of the knight in shining armor, riding in on his white steed, or standing alone on a hill, wielding his mighty sword.

This just isn't the case.  When Paul wrote the verses describing the armor, in particular the shield, both he and his reader would have had a very different mental picture.  The reader in Paul's day would have pictured one of two things: the Greek phalanx,

or the Roman legion.

These units find their strength in their unity.  They are strong because they fight as one. 
I know this is the idea that Paul is trying to convey for the Christian for a few reasons. 
1. Because of what has been mentioned, the historical context of the Greek and Roman armies. 
2. Because Paul speaks on the armor of God right after speaking on unity in the church and working together as members of the body, as slaves and masters (employees and bosses in our context), husbands and wives, and children and parents.  He goes straight from that discussion to the discussion on spiritual warfare and the armor of God.
3. Because of a principle taught in Ecclesiastes 4

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.   
¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  
¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?  
¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
  
So what is the point?  We must learn that when Paul is talking about the armor of God, he isn't talking about individuals fighting sin as is so often proclaimed from pulpits across America today.  The preachers say that, "You have been called to fight sin," or, "You need to take up the whole armor of God."  When in all reality, they should be crying out: "We must take up the armor of God.  We must fight sin together."  It is our unity that gives us strength.