Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Peter Ill, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 22:1-33. The LORD continues to provide for holy priests to serve in His presence. The priests who would partake of the holy food needed to be clean, lest they profane the name of the LORD. Because the food had come from the LORD’s table, which He extended to the priests’ tables, His...

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 21:1-24. The LORD lays out requirements for priests who will serve in His presence. Because they draw near to God’s presence, they must take great care lest any uncleanness from death upon them profane God’s holiness. Requirements for a potential wife for a priest further emphasiz...

Rev. David Boisclair, interim pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 20:1-27. The LORD continues to outline the ways that His holiness will be manifest in Israel. The worship of Molech and the accompanying child sacrifice must never be practiced in Israel; this is an abomination that must be cut off from Israel. Seeking after medium...

Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 19:1-37. Because the LORD is holy, He gives holiness to His people for their day-to-day life. That holiness manifests itself as they seek after a life according to the Ten Commandments, beginning with the right worship of the one true God. This love of God leads to a love for...

Rev. Dr. Rick Marrs, senior professor of practical theology and pastoral counseling at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 18:1-30. Because the LORD is God for His people Israel, they are not to follow the wicked examples of Egypt or Canaan in matters of marriage and sexuality. Instead, His people should live in the holiness that He has given them...

Rev. Joshua Haller, pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairgrove, MI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 17:1-16. The LORD instructs His people concerning the proper place for worship. Their sacrifices are not to be made wherever they want, but in the place that He has directed. In this way, they will not bear the guilt of their sins, but their guilt will be taken away. S...

Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 16:1-34. The Day of Atonement is central to Leviticus, not only structurally, but especially theologically. In the rites for the Day of Atonement, the LORD provides cleansing for the sins of His people, so that they do not die like Nadab and Abihu, and He provides cleansing for the tabernac...

Rev. Chris Hull, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Tomball, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 15:1-33. Although the LORD’s teaching concerning bodily discharges may strike modern readers as unusual, the LORD’s concern is revealed in the structure of the chapter. At the center is the relationship between the husband and the wife. Though the consummation of their relationship is n...

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 14:1-57. The LORD teaches His priests how those who have been healed from various skin diseases can be made clean and restored to the full fellowship of the people of Israel. The LORD provided for bathing and sacrifices by which His gift of restoration could be received, culminatin...

Rev. Dr. Brian Kachelmeier, teacher for Wittenberg Academy, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 13:1-59. The LORD provides instructions for His priests to distinguish between clean and unclean in various skin diseases. A skin disease that makes an Israelite unclean is one that shows decay and death on the way. Because this is a reminder of the effects of original sin, it is not approp...

Rev. Jason Schockman, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 11:1-12:8. In the wake of the death of Nadab and Abihu, the LORD makes plain the distinction between clean and unclean. He starts with the matter of Israelite diet. That which is sacrificed at the LORD’s altar makes the difference. That food which is fit for the LORD’s tab...

Rev. Stephen Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vinton, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 10:1-20. The euphoria of the initial Divine Service is replaced by the horror of the death of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu. Because they attempted to approach the LORD’s holiness on their own terms, His holiness consumes them in their sin. The LORD provides for their uncleanness t...

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 9:1-24.  Having come to the eighth day of Aaron’s consecration, the LORD gives instructions for the high priest to begin his role among the people. The LORD’s purpose is realized when His glory appears to all the people at the conclusion of the Divine Service and His fire consum...

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, pastor and evangelist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Denver, CO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 8:1-36.  The book of Leviticus begins a narrative section as the LORD instructs Moses how to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests. The vestments they are given to wear and the sacrifices that are made serve to set them apart for their holy work. At the same tim...

Rev. Rick Jones, Chaplain and Vice-President of Spiritual Life at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Minot, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 7:1-38. The LORD continues to give more explicit instructions to His priests for the way they will carry out the sacrifices for the people of Israel. The details remind us both of the seriousness and the gift of encountering God’s holiness...

Rev. Caleb Adams, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bend, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 5:14-6:30. The LORD speaks to Moses concerning guilt offerings that the people of Israel could bring especially in cases of sin in which restitution toward God or a neighbor would be made. Through the guilt offering, the LORD restored not only His holiness to His people, but also brought r...

Rev. John Bussman, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, AL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 4:1-5:13. The LORD details the sacrifices that would be brought before Him in the case of unintentional sins. The fact that the LORD provides sacrifices for unintentional sins shows the deadly serious nature of all sin as well as the LORD’s concern for the consolation of conscie...

Rev. Vance Becker, LCMS missionary serving as a theological education at Neema Lutheran College in Matongo, Kenya, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 3:1-17. The LORD describes the peace offerings that His people could bring before Him. As in other sacrifices, the fat belonged solely to the LORD. The most important feature of the peace offerings was the ability of the worshiper to pa...

Rev. Andy Wright, pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Topeka, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 2:1-16. The LORD describes grain offerings that His people may bring before Him. Unlike the burnt offering in which the entire sacrifice was consumed on the altar, part of the grain offerings are to be eaten by the priests. Neither leaven nor honey is to be burned with the grain o...

Rev. Dr. Adam Hensley, associate professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Leviticus 1:1-17. Although the book of Leviticus is unfamiliar to many Christians today, it occupies a key place within the Holy Scriptures. The people of God are encamped at Mt. Sinai, and the LORD has taken up residence among them in the tabernacle. How...

“The Holiness of God” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Leviticus. Because God desired to dwell among His sinful people for their blessing rather than their destruction, He gave them the sacrifices and regulations of Leviticus to bestow His holiness upon them. In this way, the book of Leviticus points us to Christ who is our great High Priest who offered Himself as the perf...

Rev. Mark Squire, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ecclesiastes 12:9-14. Solomon brings the book of Ecclesiastes to a beautiful conclusion. He has studied and taught with diligence; the words of delight that he has found are the words of truth. Such truth is assured because it is not human wisdom; it comes from God alone. His wisdom is to...

Rev. Andrew Jagow, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. Solomon commands those who are young to remember their Creator now, before old age comes. Using a variety of poetic images, Solomon describes both the reality that death will come to all and the reality that all will stand before God on the Last Day. Even as he restat...

Rev. Ian Kinney, pastor at First Lutheran Church in Sabetha, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ecclesiastes 11:1-10. With the image of casting bread upon waters, Solomon commends generosity. Not only does this serve the neighbor in need, but it helps us to fight against materialism. Humility is needed, for God’s work and will is over all things. Although we do not know what the future hol...

Rev. David Boisclair, interim pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ecclesiastes 10:8-20. Though our work may have useful intentions, that does not guarantee safe outcomes; the logs we intend to use to build houses may end up bringing harm to us. Still, Solomon commends wisdom for the sake of bringing success to work. Fools may speak many wo...