The Savior in you liver & kidneys

Right now I am so blessed to be traveling through Leviticus with our Lord. I do believe I heard a groan from many of you as I even mention any of the books of the Law. Truly, truly I say unto you this study has been wonderful and transformational as the Lord has been so kind to me and has revealed so much to me in his word. As I've been able to use it in my parenting and to grow my relationship with Him. I hope to share a few of my thoughts on Leviticus with you.

One of the reoccurring themes in Leviticus are the sacrifice of the kidneys and the livers of animals (also fat tails but I'm not there yet!). In the class living by the book the I learned its really important to pay attention to reoccurring words, phrases and themes.

"All its fat shall be offered: the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner parts, 4 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys." Lev 7:3-4 (guilt offering) 

More References: Lev 3:4-11 (fellowship offering), Lev 4:9-11 (sin offering), Lev. 8:25 (consecrating the priest)

According to http://www.mamashealth.com/ : " They kidneys have a couple of different functions. The main purpose of the kidney is to separate urea, mineral salts, toxins, and other waste products from the blood. The kidneys also conserve water, salts, and electrolytes. At least one kidney must function properly for life to be maintained."

So kidneys separate toxins and waste from the water, salt and electrolytes that we need. My observation is that kidneys wash the blood. 

Mamas Health says the following about the liver: "The liver has many functions. Some of the functions are: to produce substances that break down fats, convert glucose to glycogen, produce urea (the main substance of urine), make certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), filter harmful substances from the blood (such as alcohol), storage of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, D, K and B12) and maintain a proper level or glucose in the blood. The liver is also responsible for producing cholesterol. It produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body."

So the Liver is also involved in the washing of the blood and also in the removal of harmful substances from our body.

Both of these organs work on cleaning the blood of the animal. They also separate what is good and needed from what is harmful.

1 John 1:6-8 says "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

verses on blood from Biblegateway: Jesus & blood

 
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9


That our God requires atonement for sin through blood and that the blood is required to return to fellowship. My little observation is that the sacrifice of the liver and the kidneys is reflective of Jesus death on the cross for our sin. That the first part of this book has been revealing the need and  foreshadowing  Jeusus' sacrifice for me(us) on the cross.
 
For me I think that the application is found said by  Paul in Romans 6:1-10
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.


If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God."

Just as the kidneys and the livers work to remove the impurities from physical body that I (under the power of the Holy Spirit) work to remove impurities from my spiritual life. I too must hold onto the the salt and the water (Heb 10:22) but the toxins & impurities need to be released back to the devil.

From Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible in regards to the second half of Leviticus 8: The offerings of consecration. "In these types we see our great High Priest, even Christ Jesus, solemnly appointed, anointed, and invested with his sacred office, by his own blood, and the influences of his Holy Spirit. He sanctifies the ordinances of religion, to the benefit of his people and the honour of God the Father; who for his sake accepts our worship, though it is polluted with sin. We may also rejoice, that he is a merciful and faithful High Priest, full of compassion to the feeble-minded and tempest-tossed soul. All true Christians are consecrated to be spiritual priests. We should seriously ask ourselves, whether in our daily walk we study to maintain this character? and abound in spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ? If so, still there is no cause for boasting. Let us not despise our fellow-sinners; but remembering what we have done, and how we are saved, let us seek and pray for their salvation."


 I would encourage y'all to stay in the word and wash yourself with the word and see what the Lord has written within its sweet sweet pages to as Matthew Henry said to"maintain this character ...[and do we abound] in spiritual sacrifices?" This is work to be done, it's like training for a game let's play to win! Thank the Lord for opening my eyes to the lessons of Leviticus and that the word does not return void! I love the Old Testament how it constantly brings me full circle and how I get an opportunity to find Risen savior in my liver & kidney!