THROUGH THE BIBLE (Leviticus)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

LESSON NOTES:

I.                  THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE BIBLE. If you understand that the Bible is written to show us how humanity was created for God, fell into sin, was reconciled through Christ (who was the product of a family) and God will restore everything through His sacrifice on the Cross; then you have the message of the entire Bible.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

II.                  THE AUTHOR OF LEVITICUS.

It is commonly believed that Moses was the author of Exodus. That is the only way that pre-historic information could have been received and transmitted. Moses received this information when he went to the top of Mount Sinai and heard from the LORD.

Exodus 19:20 ²⁰The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

Exodus 24:15 ¹⁵When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it,

Exodus 24:18 ¹⁸Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 24:12-13 12The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction." 13Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God.

Exodus 34:2 2Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain.

Exodus 19:3 3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:

III.            THE PURPOSE OF LEVITICUS. The Israelites had been living in Egypt for 400 years. The concept of one, holy God was new to them. Leviticus was to provide instruction and laws to guide this sinful, yet redeemed people in their relationship with a holy God. Leviticus emphasizes the need for personal holiness in response to a holy God. Sin had to be atoned for, or covered, through the offering of sacrifices.

IV.            PRIESTS WERE TO SERVE IN A SANCTUARY THAT REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST.

Leviticus 19:30 ³⁰Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

                         A.            THE ITEMS IN THE TABERNACLE REPRESENT CHRIST. Up to this point, the Israelites had only known God to speak to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai. The Tabernacle (a portable throne room for God) was a constant reminder, that God now dwelled among His people. The Presence was present.

Leviticus 6:8-13King James Version (KJV)

8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering:

It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto

the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.

10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall

he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed

with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry

forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.

12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out:

and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt

offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace

offerings.

13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

1.               THE ITEMS IN THE TABERNACLE. It all symbolizes Jesus.

a.               Altar of Burnt Offering. He's the ultimate sacrifice.

                                                                           b.            Laver. He washed us from sin.

                                                                            c.            Table of Showbread. He's The Bread of Life.

                                                                           d.            Lamp-stand. He's the Light of the World

                                                                            e.            Altar of Incense. He's our Intercessor.

                                                                              f.            Ark of the Covenant. He took us behind the veil into God’s Presence.

2.               THE ALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING.

a.            FINE ACACIA WOOD. Symbolizing Jesus’ humanity.

                                                                           b.            BRASS COVERED. Judgment against sin. Jesus took all of it for us.

3.               THE BURNT OFFERING. An entire animal was burnt up; symbolizing total consecration. After emptying the blood of the of the animal around the base of the Altar, the animal itself was entirely consumed by fire, leaving behind only a pile of ashes. It was the priests' responsibility to remove the ashes to a clean place outside the camp (Leviticus 6:6-13). Basically Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice and took our sins away.

4.               THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR. Really the fire was the most important thing in the building. No fire. No sacrifice. No sacrifice. No access to God.

 V.            THE PRIESTHOOD WAS ESTALBISHED IN EXODUS; BUT THEIR JOB WAS DESCRIBED IN LEVITICUS. They were consecrated by blood; which of course points to the benefits of the blood of Christ.

Exodus 29:19-21 ¹⁹"Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. ²⁰Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar. ²¹And take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

A.             LEVITICUS TEACHES THAT THOSE IN MINISTRY COULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE WITHOUT BLOOD; BECAUSE LIFE WAS IN THE BLOOD. Salvation is in the blood of Jesus.

Leviticus 17:11 ¹¹For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

1.               EVEN JESUS HAD TO BE CONSECRATED WITH BLOOD. Jesus was our great High Priest; even He had to be consecrated with blood? Yes, even for Jesus a sacrifice had to be made - NOT for any sins that He would do; because He never did sin (1 Peter 2:22) – but to cleanse His mother and dedicate Him to God’s service!

1 Peter 2:22 ²²"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."

Hebrews 4:15 ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.

Leviticus 12:6-7 ⁶"'When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. ⁷He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement FOR HER, and then SHE will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood. "'These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl.

Luke 2:21-24 ²¹On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. ²²When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the LORD ²³(as it is written in the Law of the LORD, "Every firstborn male is to be CONSECRATED to the LORD"), ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the LORD: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

VI.            THE REASON LEVITICUS WAS AUTHORED.

                 I.                        TO SHOW THE JOB OF THE RECENTLY ESTABLISHED AARONIC PRIESTHOOD.

Exodus 28:1-3 ¹"Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. ²Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. ³Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

                                     A.                        AARON’S PRIESTHOOD WAS TEMPORARY; BUT CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD IS FOREVER.

a.               JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK!

Hebrews 5:1-9 ¹Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. ³This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. ⁴And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." ⁶And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." ⁷During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. ⁸Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered ⁹and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

                                                                           b.            WHO WAS MELCHIZEDEK? And why was he so significant to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Melchizedek was symbolic of Jesus Christ for the following reasons:

i.                  HE WAS A KING.

Genesis 14:18 ¹⁸Then Melchizedek king of Salem

ii.              HE WAS A PRIEST OF GOD.

Genesis 14:18 ¹⁸Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,

iii.           HE WAS CONSIDERED GREATER THAN ABRAHAM.

Genesis 14:18-20 ¹⁸Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, ¹⁹and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. ²⁰And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Hebrews 7:7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

iv.            HE WAS CONSIDERED ETERNAL.

Hebrews 7 New International Version (NIV)

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! ⁵ Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. ⁹ One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

¹¹ If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³ He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵ And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”

¹⁸ The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless ¹⁹ (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:
    ‘You are a priest forever.’”

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

            II.                        TO SHOW GOD’S PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE HOLY.

                                                 A.            IT WAS THE PRIEST’S JOB TO TEACH THE PEOPLE HOW TO LIVE HOLY.

Leviticus 10:10 ¹⁰And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Leviticus 10:11 ¹¹And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

Leviticus 11:44 ⁴⁴For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Ezekiel 22:26 26Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 44:23 23They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.

                                                 B.            NO STRANGE FIRE COULD STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

Leviticus 10:1-3 ¹And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. ²And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. ³Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

        III.                        TO SHOW A HOLY PEOPLE HOW TO WORSHIP AND APPROACH A HOLY GOD. You could not come before God without sacrifice.

                                                 A.            SACRIFICES REQURIED.

1.               BURNT OFFERING. This was dealt with earlier in the notes.

2.               CEREAL OFFERING. This was a praise and thanksgiving offering.

Leviticus 6:14-15 ¹⁴"'These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron's sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar. ¹⁵The priest is to take a handful of the finest flour and some olive oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

3.               SIN OFFERING. This was to atone for sin.

Leviticus 6:24-25 ²⁴The LORD said to Moses, ²⁵"Say to Aaron and his sons: 'These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy.

4.               TRESPASS OFFERING. This was for the sins that the person committed.

Leviticus 7:1-2 ¹"'These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy: ²The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be splashed against the sides of the altar.

5.               PEACE OFFERING. Reconciliation between the worshipper and God.

Leviticus 7:11-12 ¹¹"'These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the LORD: ¹²"'If they offer it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in.

6.               DAY OF ATONEMENT.

 

Leviticus 16:6-16 New International Version (NIV)

⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. ⁷ Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ⁸ He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the Lord and the other for the scapegoat. ⁹ Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the Lord and sacrifice it for a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

¹¹ “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. ¹² He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. ¹³ He is to put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die. ¹⁴ He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.

¹⁵ “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. ¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

                                                 B.            CHRIST’S ONE SACRIFICE MADE ALL THESE NULL AND VOID.

Hebrews 10:10 ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 9:24-28 ²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. ²⁵Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

  IV.      THE ENTIRE SACRED YEAR POINTED TO CHRIST.

                         B.            SCHEDULED WORSHIP.

1.               SABBATH. This ceasing from labor is symbolic of the rest from sin that Jesus gives.

Leviticus 23:3 ³"'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.

Hebrews 4:9-10 ⁹There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; ¹⁰for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Matthew 11:28-30 ²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

2.               PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD. As the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and the deliverance was so swift that there was not time to wait for dough to rise; Jesus delivers us from sin.

Leviticus 23:5-8 ⁵The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. ⁶On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. ⁷On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. ⁸For seven days present a food offering to the LORD. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'"

1 Corinthians 5:7

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

John 1:29 

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Isaiah 53:7 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

John 1:36  

And he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

1 Peter 1:19  

But with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Luke 22:15     

And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

3.               FESTIVAL OF WEEKS OR PENTECOST. Just as there was rejoicing at this harvest festival; we rejoice in the harvest of souls as a result of Christ pouring out His Spirit upon believers.

Leviticus 23:15-17 ¹⁵"'From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. ¹⁶Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. ¹⁷From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD.

John 1:33 ³³And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

4.               FEAST OF TRUMPETS OR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL. Many people know this as Rosh Hashanah or head of the year. The blowing of the trumpets signifies the return of Christ.

Leviticus 23:23-25 ²³The LORD said to Moses, ²⁴"Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. ²⁵Do no regular work, but present a food offering to the LORD.'"

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 16For the LORD himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever.

1 Corinthians 15:52 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Matthew 24:31 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

5.               TABERNACLES. As the Israelites dwelt in tents following their exodus from Egypt and establishment as a new nation; we will rejoice in Spirit filled living under the Kingdom that Jesus will establish on Earth at His return.

Leviticus 23:33-34 ³³The LORD said to Moses, ³⁴"Say to the Israelites: 'On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the LORD's Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days.

John 7:37-39 ³⁷On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." ³⁹By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

6.               JUBILEE. Just as in Jubilee the captives are set free, debt is released and property returned to its original owner; JESUS IS THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR JUBILEE. DO YOU KNOW HIM?

 

Leviticus 25:8-10 New International Version (NIV)

⁸ “‘Count off seven Sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven Sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. ⁹ Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. ¹⁰ Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan.

Luke 4:16-20 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him.

 V.            PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."