The portion for our daily reading during the present month is the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, the gospel of Mark and the epistle to the Hebrews in the New. As Exodus gave us the great truth of redemption and relationship to God, so Leviticus shows us how that relationship is to be maintained. Its prominent features are the sacrifice and priesthood, with the sanctification in both people and priest without which it would be impossible to enjoy intercourse with God. Its main divisions will bring this out more clearly:
1. (Chaps. 1:-7:) We have here the varied sacrifices -the burnt-offering, type of the death of Christ in His devotedness to God; the meat-offering, the Person of Christ as exhibited in His life. It will be noted that the meat offering always accompanies the burnt-offering. We have then the peace-offering, Christ's death as the basis of communion between the soul and God. The sin-offering and trespass-offering show respectively how the sacrifice of Christ meets sin, which is the root, and trespass which is the fruit.
2. (Chaps. 8:-15:) Here we have the consecration of the priest, and the association with him of the priestly family, beautifully exemplifying the relationship between Christ and His saved people.
3. (Chaps. xvi, 17:) The great Day of Atonement, whose services beautifully show the way into the sanctuary.
4. Chaps. 18:-22:) Daily walk of priests and people in consistency with the principles of God's holiness.
5. (Chaps. 23:-27:) God's ways with His people as seen in the feasts of Jehovah, the restoration of the year of jubilee, and prophetic warning as to disobedience.
Passing first to the epistle to the Hebrews, which should be read in conjunction with the book of Leviticus, we have the inspired explanation of the meaning of that Old Testament book. Christ is the subject throughout, and, in the glory of His Person and the efficacy of His finished work, displaces, as He has exemplified, that law which could only be a "shadow of good things to come."
The epistle divides into five parts:
1. (Chaps. 1:-2:4.) Christ in His peerless glory as Son of God become Man.
2. (Chap. 2:5-4:13.) Christ in His humiliation, the Author of salvation for " His brethren."
3. (Chap. 4:14-10:)Christ our great High Priest and perfect Sacrifice, the Mediator of the new covenant, who has entered into heaven itself and opened the way for us to enter into the holiest.
4. (Chap. 11:) The walk of faith upon earth as exemplified in Old Testament history.
5. (Chaps. 12:and 13:) Exhortations and warnings to the Jewish professors to hold fast to Christ and to " go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach."
It is well to remember in reading this wonderful epistle that its theme is not eternal life (for that we turn to John's writings), but the basis of relationship with God. It is written especially for Hebrew professors, whether true or false, and this accounts for the solemn warnings as to apostasy. It need hardly be said that no true child of God can ever perish, nor is there a shred of Scripture in this epistle or anywhere else to intimate such a possibility.
The last portion for the month is the gospel of Mark. Here we have to do with the person of our blessed Lord, seen as the Servant of man's need and the Prophet to declare the mind of God. There are three main divisions:
1. (Chaps. 1:-5:) Our Lord's ministry in healing. This part is filled with acts of mercy upon the needy.
2. (Chaps. 6:-10:45.) Opposition and rejection. Here we see how the enmity of Judaism will not allow His healing service to go on unchecked, and this occasions many a faithful testimony by the One who is already being rejected by Israel. It furnishes-the occasion for brighter revelations of Himself and clearer teaching than even the former period of unchecked activity.
3. (Chaps. 10:46-16:) Man's heart of enmity fully brought out in the death of Christ, His resurrection fully manifesting God's acceptance of His work. Here all leads up to the cross and from the cross up to the throne. If man rejects, God glorifies Him.