Seder 80: 1 John 2:18-27---Anointed Followers of the Anointed One

 In his first epistle, John wrote to a community that was experiencing division.  Some people had left them.  John describes them as "antichrists"---opponents of Christ.  

John recognized this kind of opposition as characteristic of the "last hour"---i.e., the time after Christ's resurrection and before his return(1 Jn 2:18).  Jesus had predicted in his Olivet Discourse that such conflict would occur  (Mt 24; Mk 13; Lk 21), and so the apostles were not surprised by it (e.g., 1 Ti 4:1; 2 Pe 3:3-7; Jude 18).   

John describes some of the beliefs of those who are antichrists.  They deny that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Anointed One or Messiah (2:22-23).  In particular, they do not believe that Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:1-18; 1 Jn 4:2-3; 2 Jn 7).  

Those who do believe in the Jesus the Messiah as portrayed in John's Gospel "have an anointing from the Holy One," John says (1 Jn 2:20).  Believers are themselves "anointed ones."  They have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides believers into all truth (Jn 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13), and so they have no need for some alleged "new truth" that their opponents might be offering.  

Seder 80: Lev 8---Ordination of Aaron and his Sons

 After laying out the details of the sacrificial system in chapters 1-7, the book of Leviticus describes the initialization of that system in chapter 8.  Moses officiates, carrying out the ordination of Aaron and his sons. 

Moses received instructions for the ordination from God (Ex 29), and these instructions were carried out carefully.  Seven times in Lev 8 it is mentioned that things were done just as God had told Moses to do them.  

The ceremony included a covenant meal, a special kind of fellowship offering (vv 22-29), with Moses receiving the priest's portion and Aaron and his sons the offerer's portion.

Rob Wilson gave a sermon on Seder 80 at Church of the Messiah on Nov 20, 2021.  He discussed the ordination of the priests and the commissioning of the New Testament royal priesthood.

Seder 80: Psalm 65---A Thanksgiving Hymn

 Delitzsch suggested that this psalm might have originally been prompted by the retreat of the Assyrians after the prayer of Hezekiah (2 Kings 19).  Since the psalm speaks of Israel coming to worship God at Zion, it could have been associated with worship at a pilgrim festival.

Van Gemeren notes that verses 1-4 of this psalm speak of the blessedness of God's presence, while verses 5-13 speak of the blessedness of God's rule as King over all.  

In verses 1-4, God's people come to worship thankfully, expressing gratitude for God's forgiveness and answers to prayer.  Those brought near in verse 4 include priests and, more broadly, God's kingdom of priests (Ex 19:6).

The rest of the psalm pictures God as not just the hope of Israel, but the creator and ruler of all the earth.  Verse 7 ("who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves") reminds us of Jesus stilling the waters of the Sea of Galilee (Matt 8:26; 14:32).