OneLife Nashville: Rare but vital conversations about Jesus

In this episode we start a new series from the book of Leviticus about the Year of Jubilee. Every 50 years (after seven sabbatical years mentioned in Leviticus 25:1-7) Israel was to celebrate the Year of Jubilee starting on the Day of Atonement. That 50th year, much like the Day of Atonement, was like a reset button for the Israelite economy. For example, those who had sold their property - or the...

In this episode we continue exploring how the writer of Hebrews applies the Day of Atonement to the work of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In the Day of Atonement, the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies, with the blood from the sacrificial offering of a bull and a goat, to cleanse the Holy of Holies of the impurities caused by the sins of Israel. This was done once a...

In this episode we look at how Jesus fulfills the Day of Atonement in offering his life-giving blood to cleanse and purify us of all our sins. The writer of Hebrews maps what Jesus did for us in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension onto the Day of Atonement and says that Jesus has done what other priests have never been able to do - offer one sacrifice that provides cleansing for past, pre...

In this episode we continue to look at the Day of Atonement as a modified version of the purification offering. Specifically, we look at how the second goat - the so-called scapegoat - plays a part in the Day of Atonement. What's interesting is that Jesus is never identified by any of the New Testament writers with the "scapegoat". Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is never said to f...

In this episode we explore how the purification offering is used during the Day of Atonement, as well as the additional azazel goat - often called the scapegoat - in Leviticus 16. The Day of Atonement happened once a year, and it was an intensified version of the purification offering. Only this time, instead of the High Priest stopping at the altar of incense, they went directly into the presence...

In this episode we fast forward to Leviticus to look at a cryptic story of the purification offering where Aaron's sons get in trouble with Moses for not eating the flesh of the purification offering. The eating of the flesh of the animal was a significant part of the purification offering because it was directly connected to the process of making atonement. When the priests ate the flesh of t...

In this episode we look at the four different types of the purification offering in Leviticus 4 for different classifications of people. There's a purification offering for 1) The High Priest, 2) The Whole Assembly of Israel, 3) A Leader, and 4) a Common Person. We talk about why there are different purification offerings for the different categories of people, and what the different kinds of...

In this episode we begin a short series on the Purification Offering in Leviticus 4. Now that God is dwelling among his people, the Source of Life is now being "exposed" to death in more practical ways. The system of clean and unclean really points to a distinction between life and death, so that cleanness somehow points to and symbolizes life, and uncleanness points to and symbolizes de...

In this episode we dig into the nature and function of the Whole Burnt Offering in Leviticus 1. This is the only animal offering that is completely burned up on the altar to God. This offering is unique among all the offerings, and has a special function of allowing the worshipper to draw near and restore their devotion to God. As a voluntary offering, it was not required for any particular sin, b...

In this episode we provide some clarity around two sets of binaries in Leviticus: holy and unholy, pure and impure. Understanding these two sets of binaries is absolutely essential to understanding Leviticus, the sacrificial system, and the entire cultural environment in which Israel lived. Every Israelite, at all times and in all places, would have been categorized by one of the two sets binaries...

In this episode we explore the transformation of Moses' appearance from the glory of the Lord, and how Paul uses this story in the New Testament to contrast the way the Old and New Covenant bring about transformations, and the corresponding styles of leadership between himself and the false, super-apostles in the Corinthian church. Paul says that genuine leadership in the way of the New Covena...

In this episode we explore Moses' conversation with the Lord where he asks to see the glory of the Lord. The Lord tells Moses that he cannot see the Lord's face, or he would die. Equally interesting is that the Lord says when he passes by Moses to expose his backside to him, he will "proclaim the name of the Lord." And what does the Lord proclaim? He says he is gracious, merciful...

In this episode we continue to explore the garments of the High Priest, specifically, the breast plate, the turban, and the gold plate that says HOLINESS TO THE LORD. This golden plate gives us a picture of how atonement works in the sacrificial system because it says the gold plate bears the iniquity of the offerings the Israelites bring to God. The idea is that the warped condition of the offeri...

In this episode we explore the connection between the Glory-Presence of God, Mt. Sinai, The Tabernacle of Meeting, and the High Priest Garments, as well as the function and role of the High Priest as a reflection and representative of God to the Israelites, and of the Israelites to God. All of the colors overlap, and are tied to the colors one would have seen in God's Glory-Presence on Mt. Sin...

In this episode we keep exploring the furniture of the Tabernacle of Meeting, but the primary focus is on the Altar of Burnt Offering. This altar was a box like object that had horns on the top four corners of the box. Those four corners of the altar can symbolize the totality of any territory or domain. For example, the phrase "four corners of the earth" imply not only the outer limits...

In this episode we start exploring how the Tabernacle of Meeting - its design and architecture, the materials, and the pieces of furniture within and around it - point to significant aspects of atonement. The very first object God instructs Moses about is the Ark of the Covenant, which was a gold covered wooden box, with a gold covered wooden lid to cover the box. Inside the box were placed the Te...

In this episode we explore the encounter between God, Moses, Aaaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel in Exodus 24. The nature of the Mosiac Covenant is framed around four important symbols: altar of sacrifice, the burnt and peace offering, the sprinkling of blood, and eating a meal with God. Each one of these symbols tells us something about the kind of relationship God wants to have wit...

In this episode we look at the contrast between the Israelites' Old Covenant encounter with God at Mount Sinai, and our New Covenant encouter with Jesus at "Mount Zion". The overriding theme in both encounters, though, is God's desire to father us into maturity. As his sons and daughters, we are called to receive him and the words he speaks to us so that he not only fill us up in...

In this episode we look at God's presence on Mt. Sinai and how this event was intedned to shape the roles and expectations of the developing relationship between God and Israel. God wants to establish himself as their Father so that they will respect him and follow his leadership. Ultimately, God wants to Father them into the fullness of who he created them to be. However, in order for them to...

In this episode we return to the story of Israel's exodus from Egypt and arrival at Mt. Sinai where God reveals the kind of relationship he wants to have with Israel, and the kind of relationship Israel is to have with God. God wants to bring them to himself so that he can Father them into maturity, training and developing them to be a kingdom of priests and holy nation. The amazing thing is t...

In this episode we keep exploring how we can participate in the life-giving relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus said that the words that he speaks to us are spirit and life, which means there is something about his words spoken to us that can bring us to share in the life he receives from the Father.  We talk about why Jesus would speak to us, what he would say, how he would say it,...

In this episode we continue to explore Jesus' teaching in John 6 about him being the bread of life. Specifically, we focus on Jesus identifying his flesh and blood as a source of life, and how that life is not only located in Jesus' own humanity, but ultimately flows from the Father into Jesus' flesh and blood. Jesus in turn invites us to abide in him so that we can participate in his...

In this episode we go deeper into the story of Jesus identifying himself as the bread that came down from heaven, and why Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life. We're all seeking something, but the question we have to ask ourselves is: what are we seeking instead of Jesus? Our desires for products, people, places, and purposes are really pointing us to our deeper desire for sustainable, more l...

In this episode we move with the Israelites into the wilderness where they are complaining against Moses and Aaron about not having any meat or bread to eat. God responds by giving them quail for meat, but he surprises them in the way he gives them bread. He miraculously provides "manna" which in Hebrew means "What is it?" However, there's more going on in this story than G...

In this episode we go deeper into Israel's journey through the "Sea of Reeds" and how it was a reenactment of the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15. In the same way that Abraham cut animals in half, with God passing through those animals in a smoking pot of fire, God cuts the sea serpent "Apep" aka. Rahab or Leviathan, in half and passes through - with the Israelites - in a...