I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
Today’s passage gives a detailed account of the ceremony to ordain a priest. They were to bring a young bull and two rams to the tent of meeting along with several loaves of bread made without yeast. Then the men who were about to be ordained as priests were brought there as well. The men were washed and dressed in the priestly garments. The men were then anointed with oil. Then according to specific instructions the bull and each of the rams were sacrificed. A portion of each of the sacrifices was to be reserved for the priests to eat. The process of ordination was to take seven days with detailed instructions about the sacrifices to be conducted on the days following the first. Are there benefits to going through such a ritual of consecration? Do we have such rituals? Should we?
My answer to that question is that we would be well served to develop rituals that we undertake to consecrate ourselves to God, not because such rituals have any value towards our salvation but because they can help us focus our minds upon God. A carefully designed ritual can help us to fully internalize our attempts to dedicate our lives to serving God. However, we must be careful because a ritual can replace God as the object of our worship.
Today’s passage begins with the account of Judas Iscariot going to the chief priests and agreeing to help them arrest Jesus away from the crowds. There is one question that none of these accounts can answer, why did Judas offer to betray Jesus? Did he do it for the money? Was he trying to force Jesus hand to overthrow Roman rule? Did he think that he was serving Jesus’ purposes? Whatever his motives, Judas chose to betray Jesus.
The disciples then asked Jesus where they should eat the Passover feast. He gave them instructions which they followed. While they were eating Jesus told them that one of them was going to betray him. One after another they asked Him if they were the one that was going to betray Him until. Jesus answered that one who had dipped into the bowl with Him would betray Him. It is possible that this passage meant that Judas had dipped into the bowl at the same time as Jesus. However, it seems to my to be more likely an account of the level of Judas’ betrayal. Judas had shared a meal with Jesus. In many societies betraying someone who you had shared a meal with was considered among the lowest of possible actions.
After this, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks for it and breaks it, giving pieces to His disciples. He tells them to take it and eat it, it is His body. He then does the same with the wine, except that in this case he says that it is His blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of many. Looking back the significance of this act is very clear, but it seems likely that it had much less, or at least different, meaning for the disciples who were present. When we partake of this ritual do we see it as a consecration like the one that the priests under went in today’s Exodus passage?
After this, they left there and went out to the Mount of Olives (at some point here Judas left them and went to the priests). Jesus told them that they would fall away and be scattered. Peter avows that even if everyone else abandons Jesus, he will stand by His side. Jesus replies that not only would Peter fall away like the others, but he, Peter, would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed to announce the next morning. To which Peter avowed that he would die with Jesus before he would deny Him (a statement which the other disciples quickly echoed). I am sure that Jesus’ statement cut Peter to the quick and that he was determined to prove Him wrong on this.
Jesus then asked His disciples to keep watch with Him as He prayed. Jesus prayed that He not have to go through with the suffering He knew was coming. He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. He awakens them and points out to Peter that despite his bravado he is unable to even stay awake. This scene is repeated two more times. I cannot find reference at this time, but I read at some point in the past that there was a rabbinical tradition that the new day did not begin until one had slept a certain amount. The article implied that the new day, the day of Jesus’ betrayal, did not begin until the disciples fell asleep the third time. I do not know if that is true, but it puts an interesting light on the situation. How often are we like the disciples, sure that we can stand against persecution for our faith, but unable to stay awake through the night?
The psalmist tells us that God has stored up an abundance of good things for those who fear and obey Him. If we turn to Him ,He will hide and shelter us from those who set out to destroy us. When we feel cut off and separated from God, He will still hear us when we cry out and come to our rescue. Do not allow the trials and tribulations that you face get you down, God will come and redeem you. No matter how bad it seems at the moment have faith and God will come to your rescue.
The writer tells us that wisdom is available to all who search for it. The rewards for following the path of wisdom are worth more than any amount of money. Wisdom is the foundation of everything worth doing, even the creation of the universe. Do I seek wisdom with all of my being? When I find it, do I follow the paths it lays out for me?