Thoughts on the readings for February 27th (Leviticus 1, 2, Psalm 103, 1 Corinthians 11).

In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul proves that our Almighty Sovereign’s purpose is evident in the creative work of His angels and the hierarchy that this established. God is supreme, a theme that will be expanded in chapter 15; under Him is His Divine Son – who stands as the head and archetype of the entire creation. Next, in the creative order comes the man, then the woman. Paul points out that there is a mutually dependent relationship in Christ between husband and wife. However, as an acknowledgment of the creative order in the work of the angels, it’s important for the women to worship acknowledging the principle that women should worship with their heads covered. The Apostle then speaks of practices that were incongruous in the context of the celebration of the Lord’s memorial supper of bread and wine. He urges that self examination is imperative to the receiving of the emblems of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. And so the great Apostle declares that before we take the bread we need to scrutinise ourselves. None of us take the emblems with a sense of worthiness – we acknowledge that we are weak, erring and struggling with our mortality and the ravages that sin has brought on our fallen condition and our proneness to sin with which we wrestle on a daily basis. But the important thing is that we continue to strive against sin relentlessly. This we do in remembering our Lord’s offering: Hebrews 12:1-11. Surely those who have given up fighting against sin will be condemned with the world. Brother Thomas exquisitely says of the breaking of the bread on page 296 of Elpis Israel: “for to eat his flesh is to digest, and make a part of our mental selves, the truth concerning the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ.”