Let's turn to Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26. Just hold your hands there and listen
carefully for me. Our God is ever gracious, ever
merciful. Constantly he displays himself
as a God unlike all the imaginary gods men have invented. as a
God who delighteth in mercy. He declares himself to be a God
ready to pardon. We see this even in that which
we have been taught by the religious world to think of as the most
unlikely place. We see it even at Mount Sinai,
when God gave his holy law to Moses. The giving of the law
was as much an act of grace as the giving of his son to satisfy
the law. Now I want you to see this. Remember
that what we have before us in these last three chapters of
the book of Leviticus are commandments given by God at the foot of Mount
Sinai at the very time when God gave his law to Moses. Now from
chapter 1 through chapter 24, The laws and instructions that
are given are given at the door of the tabernacle. The Lord speaks
to Moses as it were through the sacrifices and gives these instructions
at the door of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Their commands
spoken in mercy, their commands that speak of redemption and
grace and salvation by Christ the Lord. But we're specifically
told in these last three chapters, in each of them, that the Lord
spoke these words to Moses in Mount Sinai. Look at chapter
25, verse 1. The Lord spake unto Moses in
Mount Sinai, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them. And then he gives these commands
with regard to the sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee, and
those things that related to the kinsman redeemment. He speaks
of these things specifically now. The year of Jubilee that
they observed every 50 years. The sabbatical year they were
required to observe every seventh year. And the law concerning
the kinsman redeemer. All speaking of redemption by
Christ, salvation by God's grace, and the glorious liberty that
is ours in Christ Jesus. Then in chapter 26, He declares
both the blessing he promises to all who keep his statutes
and the curse that shall fall upon all those who despise them. Be sure you keep this in its
context. The Lord is talking here specifically about those
statutes relating to the Sabbath year, the year of Jubilee, and
the kinsman redeemer. He's talking about statutes by
which he reveals the gospel of his grace, by which he reveals
salvation by Christ. And it tells us that all this
was written, given to Moses, and now written because it was
given to Moses at the very giving of the law in Mount Sinai. Look
at verse 46. Leviticus 26, 46. These are the
statutes and judgments and laws which the Lord made between him
and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. And then in chapter 27 he summarizes
the whole book of Leviticus. He summarizes this Levitical
law. Now the Levitical law was specifically
the law of God relating to the work of the Levitical priesthood. It was specifically the law of
God relating to the worship of God, relating to the ordinances
of divine worship, relating to cleanness and uncleanness, acceptance
before God through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus portrayed
in all the sacrifices in the altar and in the mercy seat and
in the priesthood. And it tells us that these specific
commands that are given are given at the law of God at Mount Sinai,
verse 34, Leviticus 27, 34. Though the specific commands
given in verses chapters 1 through 24 were given in the wilderness,
he summarizes all those things while they're still on Mount
Sinai. These are the commandments which
the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount
Sinai. Pastor, why are you pressing
this? Because the voice of mercy sounds
throughout the book of Leviticus and sounds even in the giving
of God's holy law. What is mercy but God's remedy
for our woes? At the very foot of Mount Sinai,
grace sweetly smiles from the throne of God. What is grace
but the recovery of lost sinners? Even here, as God gives his holy
law, the very law that condemns our race, the gospel shines brightly. What is the gospel? Except God's
scheme whereby he has determined to save his people. While justice
remains just, truth remains true, holiness remains pure, and honor
refuses to bend from its highest throne. In these things, We've
seen in the book of Leviticus a long parade of types and shadows
picturing redemption by Christ, picturing the glory of God in
Christ. And as we walk through these
hallowed chapters, these 27 chapters, we begin to see something of
the depths and wonder of redemption. Here we drink from the cup of
God's wisdom, and we see clearly that where sin abounded, Grace
did much more abound. Here we see grace reigning through
righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord unto eternal life. Here
we see how it is in all this parade of pictures. We see how
it is that God can indeed be what he declares himself to be,
a just God and a Savior. You see, there is no conflict
between the law of God and the grace of God. No conflict between
the law of God and the gospel of God. There's a great conflict
when you start trying to use the law as a point of obedience
for you, by which you, through your works, make yourself righteous,
because that's another denial of the grace of God and of the
law of God. But God's law makes the way whereby
he will redeem his people in justice and in truth and show
forth his glory in the saving of our souls. So long we see
God showing his grace long, long before ever the Lord Jesus Christ
physically came into this world at the very giving of his law.
before the children of Israel moved one step away from Sinai. God graciously impressed upon
them not only the perfections and strictness of his law, the
law that they had broken, the law we had broken from our youth
up, but impressed upon them the method of his grace and salvation
by Christ Jesus. The method by which he would
deliver his people from the tyranny of Satan, and the bondage of
sin, and the curse of the law. So that even at Mount Sinai,
as the Lord speaks those words that condemn our race by nature,
he says, wait now! Lord, I have found a ransom,
and here he is. His name is Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. Hear me, you who rush headlong
to hell. You who seem bent upon your destruction. If you go to hell, are you listening
to me? If you go to hell, you will go
to hell as it were pushing God out of your way. Bending your stiff neck and your
proud heart, Say no to God, sticking your fingers in your ears, refusing
to hear his word, setting your face like a flint, covering your
eyes, willfully choosing death instead of life, wrath instead
of mercy, perdition instead of pardon. You see, God sets himself
in front of you by his word and by the gospel in such a way as
to make you totally responsible for your eternal ruin. Oh, how I wish God would let
me speak in such a way as to impress that on your soul. I hear from preachers all the
time, arguing and debating about responsibility and sovereignty.
Would the God folks just stand up on their hind legs and preach
God's word just like it is? you are totally responsible to
God for your soul totally responsible if you go to hell it will be
your fault and the great agony of your soul forever will be
the fact that you will be made to know it's totally your fault
your fault these last chapters of Leviticus are full of instruction
to eternity bound sinners Hear and heed the message of God in
these chapters. Oh, may God write it on our hearts. Read these first 14 chapters
of Leviticus 26. Here we're given the commands
of God. The sovereign, holy Lord God. He gives a command. And when
God gives a command, you're responsible to obey the command. But don't
ever Try to fit God in your little box. He won't fit. Folks argue
about, well, is the gospel a command or is it an offer? Is it a command
or is it an invitation? Well, these commands come from
the lofty throne of God Almighty as absolute commands of an absolute
sovereign to whom we are answerable, against whom we have incessantly
sinned from our youth up. And yet, they're given in the
tender words and phrases of tender, loving compassion as the words
of a caring father's counsel to his erring child. You who have been fathers long
enough to have raised sons and daughters to maturity, you exercise
authority over them. And if you're smart, you tell
them what to do. Just tell them what to do. And
if you want to, you can explain why. But you don't ever give
them the option of saying, I want to know why. You just tell them
what to do. It's called being a father. Well,
what about the child's right? A child has a right to be told
what to do. That's all. That's all. That's
what a father's love does. But as he grows and matures,
and rebellion pops up. And he just seems determined
to cast off every restraint. You've given him every command,
every word of instruction, and you've exercised proper parental
discipline to keep him in restraint, but he will not hear. I can't wait to get out from
under your rule. He will not hear. You speak to him with tender,
bleeding heart. Son, listen to me. I've been
where you're going. Pay attention to me. Pay attention
to me. And the same father who gives
a command that he insists on the son obeying, speaks in tender,
loving compassion to his erring child. And he speaks with great
mercy. And so the Lord God speaks to
us here. In these 14 verses, he shows
what great blessings of grace he will bestow upon all who obey
his word, upon all who believe on the Lord Jesus. And what great
temporal and eternal miseries shall befall those who refuse. Emphatic pictures are drawn to
deter rebellion and to woo us to reconciliation. He sets up
here two signposts. They meet us and raise before
our eyes and one points to peace and urges us to follow the way
of peace. The other warns of misery, wrath,
everlasting destruction, eternal woe, and cries, flee! Flee! Flee for your life! Don't go this way! Flee, lest
you perish forever. The chapter begins then in verse
1, by telling us that we must call upon the Lord. We must call
upon the name of the Lord. When the scripture says, whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's talking
about worship. The first time the word is used,
back in Genesis, then men began to call on the name of the Lord.
To call on His name is not just to cry out in desperation, but
it is to worship Him. And here we're told that we must
call upon the name of the Lord, that is, we must worship God
alone, acknowledging Him as the Lord our God, finding rest in
Him. Ye shall make you no idols, nor
grave an image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither
shall you set up any image of stone in your land. Now that's
a pretty good, clear denunciation of idolatry, physical idolatry
particularly. You're not to have pictures of
Jesus hanging on your wall, or crosses hanging around your neck,
or your ears, or hanging in the church building. Not to have
those images of angels and all that nonsense. That's just idolatry. Just crass idolatry. But there's
more than one form of idolatry. You must not make a god for yourself. And the whole religious world
does. They take the name God and stick
it on what they want God to be and say he is God! And they make
him just like themselves. But rather we are to worship
the Lord our God. Look what he says. For I am the
Lord your God. You shall keep my Sabbaths. You
shall rest in me. Reverence my sanctuary. Worship
me. I am the Lord. And then in verse
3, he gives us promises. Oh, what promises of grace. Dear
God Almighty, can I use this kind of language?
stoops to woo sinners to himself. If a man is smart and he's looking
for a wife, he constantly woos her. He courts her. And after
he gets her, if he's smart, he keeps on courting her. He woos
her. Constantly drawing her into His
arms. Constantly making it so she just
can't resist loving Him. So she just can't resist being
embraced of Him and embracing Him. He constantly woos her. Hear the Son of God woos His
bride to Himself in great promises of grace and goodness. If you
walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments and do them,
then will I give you rain in the season, and the land shall
yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their
fruit, and your threshing shall reach into the vintage, and the
vintage shall reach into the sowing time, and you shall eat
of your bread to the full. and dwell in your land safely,
and I will give peace in the land. And you shall lie down,
and none shall make you afraid. And I will rid evil beasts out
of the land, neither shall a sword go through your land. And you
shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by
the sword. And five of you shall chase a
hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight,
and your enemy shall fall before your face, before you by the
sword. For I will have respect to you,
and I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish
my covenant with you. And you shall eat the old store,
and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my
tabernacle among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and
will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your
God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, and
knew that you should not be their bondman. And I have broken the
bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. Oh, what rich
clusters here. Look at this promise in the land.
And you look at the trees just bending over with fruit. The
vines just falling to the ground with heavy clusters of grapes. But there's more than that here.
There's more than that here. This is not just a promise of
temporal good, but rather of eternal good. It is not just
a promise concerning physical things given to the physical
nation, but rather of spiritual things given to God's holy nation
Israel, his people whom he's chosen. These promises are given
in earthly language, but they're given only to convey spiritual
blessedness, spiritual delights for our souls. spiritual delights
scattered upon people throughout the world by the hand of God's
infinite bounty. These bounties of grace are promised
to all who walk in God's statutes. These promises of grace are promised
to every sinner who keeps God's commands. Well, what does that
mean, preacher? That sounds like works to me.
Oh, not at all. But rather, these promises of
grace are given to all who believe on his son. And that's exactly
what the text means. That's exactly what it means.
And that's not a fanciful stretch of my imagination. I'll show
you from the word of God that's what it means. Hold your hands
here and turn to the book of Romans. I want you to see it
for yourself. Romans chapter 3. What? How can a man How can a sinful
man, a sinful woman with polluted heart, polluted mind, polluted
hands, a polluted life, keep God's holy law? How can you keep
his commands? How can you do his statutes?
There's not but one way, and that's by believing on his soul.
That's the only way. That's the end of the commandment.
Look at Romans 3, verse 31. After declaring how that we're
freely justified by the grace of God through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus, justified and receiving that justification
by faith in Christ. Paul says, do we then make void
the law through faith? Is that how you understand this?
Well, preachers, you say we're saved by grace without the works
of the law, and we have no connection with God's holy law in the point
of obedience on our part. Then you're saying the law of
God's void. Oh, no! God forbid! Yea, by believing
in Christ, we establish the law. Yea, we establish the law. Look
in chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. In chapter 9, the Lord tells
us that the Jews stumbled at the stumbling stone. Christ is
sent before them, and they tripped over him and went to hell, because
they sought to do the righteousness that's in the law by their own
works, and didn't understand it can't be done except by faith.
And so they go about to establish their own righteousness, and
being ignorant of God's righteousness, perish in their efforts. Look
here in chapter 10, verse 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God, have not trusted Christ. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Look in Galatians
3. When the Lord promises all these
bounties to those who keep his commands, to interpret the thing
as merely a carnal promise to a carnal people, in a carnal
sense, is to declare that God makes a promise and sets forth
a command that is absolutely meaningless because no man could
keep his commandments. Could not be done. Just can't
be done, not by a sinful man. But these things are spiritual.
They're the calling you and me to believe on Christ. That's
what the law is for. Look in Galatians 3.19. Wherefore
then serveth the law. It was added because of transgressions.
To the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and it
was ordained by angels in the hands of the mediator. Look at
verse 24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Do you see that? Turn to 1 John, one more time.
Look at 1 John. You turn to chapter 5. In chapter
3, in verse 23, we read, This is his commandment, that we should
believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. Now look at chapter
5, verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. And every one that loveth him
that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we
know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep
His commandments. Now watch it. And this is the
love of God. That we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not grievous. His commandments are
not grievous. Now listen. Listen to me. And let nobody misunderstand
what I'm saying or misinterpret what I'm saying. To read the
law of God apart from the fulfillment of the law by Christ is grievous
to you. Is it not? When God threatens
death for you who take his name in vain? Who speak his name without the
intent of reverencing him? That's grievous. When God threatens
death to anybody who picks up sticks on the Sabbath day? To
anybody who does any work at all on the Sabbath day? Anybody yet fulfilled it? That's
grievous, because the law is a minister of death. Ah, but
to hear the commandment. and see God's perfect purity
in all the commandments, His justice and truth fulfilled and
established by Christ, my representative. And now I see in Him that which
God has made me to be and that which God shall yet make me to
be and all are blessed God, one day I shall have exactly what
I want. Everything revealed in this book
concerning the will and glory of God in the perfection of resurrection
glory. Now, His commandments are no
longer grievous. The Lord promises us many, many
bounties of grace in these verses. Let me just point them out to
you. First in verse 4. He promises
that he will send his rain in due season. Pour out my rain
from heaven. In this book, the rain portrays and symbolizes constantly
three things. The word of God, the spirit of
God, and the grace of God. And there's a time appointed.
for every chosen sinner, a time called due season, a due time,
a time of love, when God Almighty will pour out his word from heaven
on your soul and pour out his spirit to you, the spirit of
grace and supplications, and he will call his grace to be
yours. I had a letter this week. Someone
asked me, they were concerned, had been listening to messages
and reading things. Their sister was disturbed and
concerned about her soul. This person duped in religion. He said, I led her in the sinner's
prayer, but I feel guilt about that. What should I do? I told him to repeat after me.
Jesus saved me. I confessed my sin. You came
to save me. What should you do? Nothing. Nothing. We preach the gospel
to sinners and wait for God to pour out His rain from heaven.
And I'll tell you what's going to happen when God pours out
His rain on you. Suddenly you're going to find
yourself believing on Christ. Suddenly you're going to find
yourself trusting God's Son. What's happened to me? I now
believe. I place my soul on Christ. He poured out His rain from heaven
on earth. And believing on the Son of God
is evidence of His grace. Then in verses 4 and 5, He promises
that He will give us constant, constant, constant unceasing
bounty. Constantly satisfying our soul. He says in verse 4, I'll give
you the rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase,
and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and your threshing
shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto
the sowing time, and you shall eat your bread to the full. What on earth is that talking
about? Turn to Isaiah 55, I'll show you. Kind of reminds me of the promise
God made in Hosea 2, verse 18, where Hosea speaks to Gomer,
where God speaks to his people. And he said, I'll make a covenant
with the earth for you, with the beast of the field, so that the whole earth serves
you. The whole world serves you and
nothing hurts you. Remind me of Romans 8.28. All
things work together for good to you. Look here in Isaiah 55. I'm going to call the earth Constantly,
that is all your experience is in this earth, constantly to
bring forth fruit to the satisfying of your soul. Ho, everyone that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters. He that hath no money, come ye
and buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do you spend your money
for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
satisfyeth not? You spend your life, you waste
your soul, seeking after vanity. Come to me, come to me, hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your
soul delight itself in fat. All the bounty of God's grace
in Christ Jesus is ours, and all the bounty of God's providence
in Christ Jesus is ours. So that he says to his disciples,
like ye anything? And they say, oh no Lord, we
never like to think, never. And look at verse 5, next line
he says, and dwell in your land safely. All God promises to you
who believe on his son. I'll give you eternal life and
you'll never perish. Read on. In verse 6 he says, I'll give
you peace. I'll give you peace. Peace in your land. Peace, constant
abiding peace. Being justified by His grace
through the redemption that's in Christ. Now we have peace. I've been reconciled to God.
God Almighty been reconciled to me. We're at peace one with
another through the blood of Christ. I've been reconciled
to God's rule and dominion. Now I'm at peace with Him. Let
Him do what He will. I bow to His providence. I'm
at peace with Him. Even my enemies shall do me no
harm. I'll chase them away. God said
so. Then he says in verses 7 and 8 that he'll give us that blessed
triumph over all our enemies. We'll prevail and triumph over
them. He says you'll chase your enemies
and they'll fall before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred,
a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand. Put ten thousand
to flight and your enemies, all of them gonna fall. Oh preacher, where can, how far
can we apply that? Just as far as you can find an
enemy. Just as far. I find enemies against
my soul in hell. And soon, the God of peace will
trample the serpent under my heels. I find enemies around
me, and God Almighty will vindicate me before them in His day. And
I find enemies within me. My God. What enemies within me? And soon, I'm going to conquer
them as well. Go on. Look at verse 9. Here
God promises us His favor. He says, I will have respect
unto you. Oh, God has no respect to a person.
But here he says, I'm going to respect you. What's he talking
about? God Almighty will respect you.
What he's saying is, God will never respect all that which
men applaud in Merle Hart. Above that which they despise
in Don Fortner. That'll never happen. Ah, but
he puts Merle Hart and Don Fortner in Christ. And he says, I respect
you. I respect you. You're the object
to my favor. I will have respect unto you
and make you fruitful and multiply you and establish my covenant
with you. This is what the Lord said. I'll look upon you with
delight and pleasure. Oh, I can't tell you. I can't tell you. the blessedness of having my conscience screaming
in my soul, tormenting me day and night,
relentlessly tormenting my soul. And then, like that, believing
on his side, God Almighty looks upon me and makes me to know
He looks upon me with delight. Smiles at me because of His Son. He says, My eye will be upon
you to care for you, watching over you to do you good and nothing
but good, to protect you all the days of your life from all
evil. I'll turn myself from all others to you, having distinct
Peculiar regard for you. He says, cast your care on me
and I'll care for you forever. And then he promises to make
us fruitful. I'll make you fruitful. I'll
cause you to bring forth fruit unto me. Fruit of the Spirit,
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,
those things, I'll make you fruitful. It's not something you're going
to produce, I'll make you fruitful. And he says concerning all these
who believe him, they shall still bring forth fruit in their old
age. They shall be fat and flourishing. I've chosen you that you should
go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit will abound. And then
he says he'll multiply us. He said, I will multiply you.
Let me just give you a reference. You turn to it and read it. Isaiah 54, verses 1-5. God says, Rejoice! The barren
shall bring forth more children than the married wife. Spread
out the tents. Spread out your borders. Spread
them on out. Spread them around. I'm going
to give you children around the world. The Gentiles shall inherit
my grace and my mercy. The Gentiles shall come to me.
I'll multiply you. And then the Lord promises to
establish His covenant. He says, I'll have respect to
you. I'll make you fruitful. I'll multiply you. And I'll establish
my covenant with you. Well, what does that mean? Incline
your ear and come to me, and your soul shall live. And I will
make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies
of David. You've heard me talk about God's
covenant. You've heard these other preachers
preach about it. You hear God's people discussing it and the
blessings of it. Come to Christ right now. And
God will establish his covenant to you. What's that? I'll give you a new heart. I'll
write my law in your heart. I'll cause you to know me. I'll
forgive you all your sins. Your iniquities I'll remember
no more forever. I'll give you one heart and one
way and you'll fear me forever. And I'll never turn away from
you to do you good. And I'll fix it so you won't
turn away from me. I will declare to you, you are
my son. This day have I begotten you. And then the Lord promises us
something more. All these boons and something
more. Look at verse 10. You shall eat old store. and bring forth the
old because of the new. Now I've been studying that for
weeks. What on earth does that mean? You shall eat the old store
and bring forth the old because of the new. He's telling us that
there shall be granted to every believing sinner by God. an unbroken
continuity of grace for our souls. Grace sufficient to meet our
every need all the time forever. His supplies of love, mercy,
goodness, grace, power to our souls are always enough and more
than enough so that whenever we complain How often? Of languishing in our hearts,
deadness in our souls. Whenever we complain that there's
no food for our souls and there's a famine in the city of Mansoul,
whenever we complain that there's a lack of vitality within us,
The fault is altogether ours and never his. It is not his
doing if times of stupor alternate with seasons of vitality. If times of deadness alternate
with seasons of joy. You see, so far as he's concerned,
the flow of his grace is constantly uninterrupted. If it comes in spurts and spasms,
it's because we put some obstacle in the way to choke up the channel
and to quench His Spirit. Our Father, the God of all grace,
is ever pouring forth His bounty upon His people. There is in
Him no lack of goodness, no limit to our reception, no limit to
our enjoyment of His goodness, except the limit of our capacity
or our desire. If I lack His fullness in the blessed experience
of grace. It's because I had decided to
take my little empty cup out from under the Niagara that flows
from heaven for needy sinners. He says you shall eat the old
store and bring forth the old because of the new. There's something
more there than that. You bring in grain, and the crops
are just bountiful. You gather up the grain. Where
are you going to put it? Let's throw it over here. Let's throw it over here. We've
got an empty spot over here in this bar. After a while, you're
still gathering in the grain. Where are you going to put it?
With enough of one thing to do. Go get the old stuff out of the
barn and throw it away. Make room for the new. Now there
is a sense in which we must do exactly that in the constant
experience of God's grace. Forget those things which are
behind. Oh, we thank God for his works, and we cry unto him,
O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them
that fear thee, which thou hast wrought for them that trust in
thee, before the sons of men. but we don't live on the past.