By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Leviticus 26:3-16, 40-45

The primary goal of the Old Testament (and really, all the Bible) is not to give us moral examples or heroes, but to confront us with the holiness, grace, and the majesty of God. Leviticus 26 records a covenant agreement that the Lord made with the Israelites when He brought them out of slavery in Egypt. He identifies Himself as “the Lord your God” five times (Leviticus 26:1, 2, 13, 44, 45). Our passage challenges us to consider the blessings of a holy God, the punishments of a holy God, and the grace of a holy God. [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Leviticus 16:3-10, 29-30

The great day has arrived! Ever since the blowing of the trumpets 10 days earlier, Israel has been in a state of preparation and anticipation. They wake up on this morning knowing that it is the most holy day in their calendar. The high priest probably had trouble sleeping the night before. As thousands of Israelites stand near the tabernacle, one child asks his parents about the meaning of the two goats. Another is scared and asks whether Aaron is going to die like Nadab and Abihu. Ultimately, everything about the Day of Atonement points to a far greater reality in Christ.

Leviticus 16:3-4 reminds us that we have a glorious high priest. Aaron’s demeanor teaches that even the holiest of men must come before the holy Lord as humble sinners. If the high priest must wash and make atonement for his own sins, how much more are you and I defiled and in need of cleansing. We need a high priest who is holy, without sin, and unlike Aaron, who cannot die. According to Hebrews 7:23-28, this last qualification makes Jesus’ sacrifice eternal. He is our perfect high priest!

Leviticus 16:5-9 reminds us that Jesus is also our slain substitute. After introducing us to two goats, we read that the first one is slain as a sin offering for the people (vv. 15-16). The shedding of blood is the only way that sinners can be forgiven and atonement can be made (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). Just as this animal dies the death penalty for others, Christ “appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26b). He shed His blood in our place, making atonement for our sins so that God himself might dwell among a sinful people.

Jesus Christ is not only our slain substitute, but also our scapegoat (Leviticus 16:10). A scapegoat is one who takes the blame for the actions of others. After confessing the sins of the people over the live goat, Aaron performs a very powerful, visual lesson by sending the goat away into the wilderness (vv. 21-22). It’s no surprise that our Savior suffered outside the camp at Golgotha, surrounded by darkness and filth, and alienated from God (Hebrews 13:11-12). He cried the cry of the condemned as our ultimate scapegoat: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus became unclean and was made sin so that we might become righteous of God and be made clean in His sight (II Corinthians 5:21). If the slain goat teaches that we are forgiven by God in Christ, the scapegoat teaches that our sin is forgotten by God in Christ (Isaiah 43:25; Psalm 103:10-12; Micah 7:19; Romans 8:1).

Finally, Jesus Christ is our purification. The washing that occurs throughout the Day of Atonement symbolizes that we need to be cleansed (Leviticus 16:24, 26, 28). We are unclean and need not only forgiveness of our sins but purification from our sins (Hebrews 1:3). There is no stain of sin too dark to be purified in Christ; his blood is sufficient to cleanse us of all unrighteousness (I John 1:7). Leviticus 16:30 summarizes it so perfectly: “You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins” (Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:21-22).

The hymn “Hallelujah! What A Savior” reminds us:

“Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

‘Full atonement!’ can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior.”

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Leviticus 9:15-24; 10:1-3

The book of Leviticus presents us with a vision of the holiness of God that we so desperately need in our day. To see God for who He is will sustain us in suffering, transform us in holiness, and ignite our hearts in worship. After a seven-day ordination ceremony of the priesthood, Leviticus 9 records the first service in the tabernacle. If you’ve ever been part of a special ceremony or meeting of God’s people, think about the mood of that extraordinary moment. Nothing is more satisfying than the presence of an approving God and nothing is more terrifying than the presence of a holy God. [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Leviticus 1:3-9; 2:1-3; 3:1-5

How do unholy people approach a holy God? The book of Leviticus is God’s answer to that question. In Exodus, He revealed Himself as both personal and fearsome, a God who tolerates no rivals (Exodus 3:1-12; 19:21-25; 20:18-21; Exodus 12:12). Now that the tabernacle is finished and filled with “the glory of the Lord” (Exodus 40:34), God’s people need to know how to approach Him. The Lord provides a way for individual sinners to be accepted into His holy presence through an atoning sacrifice.  [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 39:42-43; 40:1-4, 34-38

Toddlers are completely dependent on their parents to supply all that they need. But if you want a lesson in futility, try to convince them of that. They will squirm and push away from your grip only to fall flat on their faces and cry for you to pick them back up. Every parent knows that small children are some of the most self-deceived creatures on the face of the earth! But we can also be very self-deceived when it comes to our dependence on God’s presence for every need in our lives. [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 32:1-6, 11-14

What are you living for? To put it another way: When people are at your funeral, what will they say? I don’t know if they had a funeral or not, but when 3,000  people die on the same day that’s not a happy event. Maybe those still living had a celebration of life for the deceased, but everyone knew the truth: They worshiped the golden calf and were struck down by God. Anytime worship is given to something or someone other than God idolatry and death are always the result. You might not be struck down with a sword, but at the very least your desire for the things of God will die a slow, silent death while your hunger for things of the world continues to increase.  [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 25:1-9; 31:1-6

God’s heart is to dwell with His people. The storyline of the Bible starts with God creating man and woman and placing them in a garden. Adam and Eve had perfect fellowship with God and they walked with Him in the cool of the evening. But sin broke that fellowship and they were cast out of the garden. From Genesis 3 to Revelation 22, the Bible is the story of how God restores that relationship. When we last left the Israelites, they were at Sinai where they received the law. God descended on top of the mountain, engulfing it with smoke, thunder, and fire. The people were forbidden to come near. But now, God is saying something different: “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). He redeemed Israel out of bondage in order that He might dwell with them.  [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 20:1-17

After rescuing His people out of slavery in Egypt through great signs and wonders, God brings the nation of Israel to the mountain of the burning bush, which is now completely encompassed by smoke, thunder, and lightning (Exodus 19:16). Moses has warned that anyone who touches this mountain will die and boundaries have been set up (Exodus 19:21-25). In this climactic moment, God speaks: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:1-2). Having purchased and claimed His people as His own, this is how He wants them to live.  [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 16:1-5, 11-20

Whether we realize it or not, most of us are grumblers. We grumble about work, school, the weather, and sports teams. We grumble about nearly everything. As it turns out, we’re not the only people who are experienced at grumbling (Exodus 14:11-12; 15:22-24). In Exodus 16, the entire congregation of Israel grumbles against Moses and Aaron, wishing they were dead (v. 2). According to their awful memories, the grass was greener in Egypt where they “sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full” (v. 3). Have you ever stopped to consider why grumbling is wrong? [Read more…]

By Ben W. Curtis
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tracy City

Focal Passage: Exodus 14:13-28

Sometimes when we obey the Lord, things get worse before they get better. Israel has stepped out in obedient faith, following every one of the Lord’s commands. But after listening to Moses and God about a change of direction (Exodus 14:1-2), they now have the world’s greatest army in front of them and a very large body of water behind them. Israel is not exactly battle ready and they are carrying most of Egypt’s wealth. Realizing that there is simply no way to save themselves, they panic and quit trusting God. Moses hears words that will be repeated many times over the next forty years: “It would’ve been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:12).  [Read more…]