Leviticus 23, Psalm 30, Ecclesiastes 6, 2 Timothy 2

Date	Version	Reading Plan
@April 19, 2024	ESV (2016)	M’Cheyne Plan 2024

Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23:3 (ESV) 3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.

The command of Moses by the LORD to do no work (or no ordinary work) on the Sabbath and during the appointed feasts is repeated 7x in this chapter, making it a significant theme. During these times, the people were to be entirely dedicated to resting and celebrating the Lord; who He is and what He had done for them. Looking on this from our modern context and our collective inclination toward achievement, it is evident that we have largely jettisoned the concept of God-honoring rest. While we no longer are held to the requisite feasts of the Israelites, we should take from this the need to Sabbath well, to rest and be refreshed in the faithfulness of our Lord.

Psalm 30

Psalm 30:11–12 (ESV) 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

David’s song at the dedication of the temple is heartwarming. He acknowledges that it was by the Lord that his mourning was turned into dancing. In this he rejoices, having been loosed from sackcloth and clothed with gladness. With what joy should address the Lord as well. May David’s words be for us that that we would dance and sing loudly the praises of our God through every circumstance, giving thanks to Him forever.

Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6:1–2 (ESV) There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.

Continuing from the previous chapter, the author further unpacks the notion that it is not the possessions that matters but the power from God to enjoy them. The lack of this ability is described as “an evil” that “lies heavy on mankind”. The weightiness of this should shape our perspective, that we would plead with the Lord to help us enjoy all that He has given and to live as kingdom-minded sojourners in this materialistic age.

2 Timothy 2

2 Timothy 2:20–21 (ESV) 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Paul speaks to Timothy regarding a great house that contains vessels of honorable and honorable use. The “great house” is to be understood as Christendom itself with gold and silver vessels relating to genuine believers and wood and clay relating to unbelievers, workers of evil and false teachers. What is particularly striking about Paul’s words is that anyone who cleanses himself of dishonor can become a vessel of honorable use. This is a work of the Spirit who does the work of cleansing a heart from within and, through the process of sanctification, brings one to a place of honor and ready for every good work.

Carson on Leviticus 23

…no festival of thanksgiving can be more valuable than the quality and extent of the thankfulness of the people who participate…How should the people of the new covenant remember and commemorate the provisions of our great covenantal God?

Carson further explores what was I mentioned above regarding the thankfulness among the people who participate in celebratory rest and festivals. Carson leaves us with a penetrating question that we would do well to prayerfully consider. To each regenerated soul is given the life-changing awareness of Christ’s atoning and wrath-absorbing work on the cross. We are a people most to be thankful and should thus be intentional in our commemoration of all He has done.

Justin Houtz