Lasso of Truth

Leviticus 26-27

Chapter 26
I love the way, in verses 4-5, that God promises to order the seasons and the weather for the benefit of His obedient people.  The blessings of obedience continue through verse 13, and then there is an abrupt change in tone. 

God says, But if you DON'T follow my laws, this is what you should expect.  And the following verses show a very different side of God.  One that sinners don't really like to think about. But why would He do these things if He's supposed to be a loving God?  The answer is in verse 18 AND 21 AND 23 AND 27.  The purpose for the punishment is ultimately to get their attention. To say, "Hey, you have forgotten why you are here.  You may think you are living it up now, but your way only leads to death.  Wake up!  Look at me,  My way is the only way.  In those four verses, you can see God's heart reaching out to His people.  He proves this in verses 41-42: He is waiting for the chance to forgive His people.

Chapter 27
The tithe to the Lord seems to be a sort of tax in the land--to help run the nation.  Don't you wish our nation could run on only 10% of our incomes?!

Well, here we are at the end of Leviticus.  I must say that there were days when I thought I would not get through this one.  This month has been full of schedule changes, sickness, making new friends, and trying to keep up with the old ones--and it is very easy for our Bible studies to slip through the cracks.  I am so grateful to those of you who have held me accountable and shared your own struggles with time management.  When you get to this point, click on the comment section and give me a high-five, so I know you're still with me.  (I don't care if you are getting to this part a year behind me--I still want to know.)

So, let's use this sense of accomplishment to spur us on toward Numbers.  I'll be here next time with Numbers 1-3.  Now, there are a lot of "numbers" in these chapters, but don't let your eyes glaze over them.  God has something to show you here, too!
--Anna

Leviticus 23-25

Chapter 23
I thought the list of the feasts was really interesting.  I wish I had a Jewish friend who could tell me what they are called today, if they are still observed.
1) Passover, verse 2
2) Celebration of the Promised Land, verse 10
3) The Day of Atonement, verse 24
4) Feast of Booths, verse 34
This last one was unusual, because they were required to "live in booths for 7 days."  What is a booth?

Curiosity got the better of me, and I looked it up.  It's a hut, and it represents the pilgrimage.  Here's more about that.

Chapter 24
Wow, wasn't the description of the stoning of the blasphemous man shocking?  In a country where "freedom of speech" means that we have the right to say anything to anyone at anytime, this reminds us that the "right" to free speech may have gotten a little confused over the years.

Chapter 25
This was my favorite chapter this time around.  The years of sabbatical and the year of jubilee are so cool.  Can you imagine trusting God enough to not plant your crops for a whole year?  And on top of that--anything that did grow was to be left untouched.  God wanted to provide for them in advance, so they would have stored up enough food to get through year 7, and year 8, when the harvest had not yet come in.  Amazing!

There are so many laws in these chapters--too many for us to retain in one dose.  But this was their life.  Just like we are taught the boundaries of the American law from a young age, so were they.  But still, the intricacies of the property laws probably weren't known by the common man.  This is what the priests were for.  They acted as "lawyers" because they had access to the written Law.  If someone was selling his land, he might consult a priest to make sure that the deal was legal.

Look at verse 36 with me.  Several times in this chapter (and the whole book) God has made the connection between fearing God and respecting your neighbor.  He does it again in verse 43.  If we treat people in a way that reflects our love of God, then their actions or their attitudes shouldn't even enter into the equation.

Next time: Leviticus 26-27  WE CAN SEE THE FINISH LINE.  DON'T GIVE UP NOW!

Leviticus 19-22

I didn't want to admit it, but here it is:  Leviticus is kicking my butt.  I know I'm not the only one, though.  So, here I am, admitting my shortcomings, so that you too will know that you are not the only one.  Let's power through this book and on to greener (and more narrative) pastures. And please, PLEASE!  If God is showing you something from these chapters that I didn't notice, please share it with the rest of us.  Remember, I'm not some super-spiritual, insight-laden person.  Everything that I mention here has been shown to me by the Holy Spirit--the same Spirit that resides in you.  This Bible Study goes both ways.  It just happens to be on MY blog.

Chapter 19
I noticed that in verses 9-10 God makes a provision for the poor, through the rich.  God never promised any of us that we would have wealth.  He did promise that we would have everything that we NEED, though.  But some of our needs may not be met through our line of work.  I think that these verses support that God wants us to provide the needs of others through any surplus income that we may have.  This is what I'm reading into this section:
1. Give to God your first fruits.
2. Take care of your family's needs.
3. Give to the needy.

Notice that this comes before savings for college, retirement, or investments.  I've been noticing lately that the idea of a retirement or investment account is not a Biblical principle.  I'm not saying that it is wrong, but if we believe that are needs will be met by God, we could spare some of our funds for tomorrow to help those who don't even have funds for today.  Just an idea.

I was also moved by verse 17.  I think that this shows the difference between being "judgmental" and "using good judgment."  There is nothing wrong with acknowledging your neighbor's sin for what it is.  That is good judgment.  But when it crosses into hate, you have crossed into sin.

Starting at verse 19, the chapter changes to list some unusual laws.  I don't understand the point of many of them, except that maybe this is a way of further setting the Israelites apart from other nations, that were likely doing these things.

Chapter 20
The Consequences of Sin
In verse 26, God mentions again that He is setting His people apart from other nations.  This is an idea that we should remember for ourselves as part of the Body of Christ.  We should stand out from the world in every aspect of life: appearance, character, attitude, stewardship, etc.  Try to think of a way that you can do that this week.

Chapter 21
There were so many rules for the priests, weren't there!  In 18-20 are the kinds of men in Aaron's family who can't be priests.

Chapter 22
Verse 14--Only certain people, under certain circumstances were allowed to eat the offerings.  If anyone else did, it was considered stealing.

The animals for the sacrifices must be perfect (just as Christ would be perfect.)  This stresses further that God is perfect, and cannot be around imperfection.  That is why, if we were to have a relationship with Him, He had to send Jesus.  In His perfection, we are made perfect before God.

Next time: Leviticus 23-25

Leviticus 16-18

Chapter 16
Verse 8 mentions "casting lots" for something, which is used a lot in the Old Testament to find out what God's will is in a situation.  I wish God still used this as a way to communicate.  Although, if we want to know God's will now, we must have a close relationship with Him through prayer, scripture, church, and meditation.  I guess I prefer the relationship way.

Chapter 17
Obviously Israel is still struggling with the desire to worship pagan gods.  It's sad that God can bring us through the impossible, reveal incredible miracles to us, heap blessings into our lives, and we still respond with, "Yeah, but I can't see you!"  This sin of idol worship was serious enough to warrant excommunication.

Chapter 18
It is important to God that His people stand out from other nations. (Verse 3) In this chapter He gives His people boundaries for moral relationships.  I thought it was interesting that in the middle of all this, he mentions offering babies to Molech, a false god.  God is constantly drawing a connection between unfaithfulness in marriage and unfaithfulness to God.

In case anyone was looking for it, verse 22 is the homosexuality verse.

Starting in verse 24, God gives a little bit of the reasoning behind these laws.  Other nations have engaged in these behaviors, and met their destruction.  In verse 27, He tells them that sin affects the very land that they live in.  He's not giving them these boundaries to keep them from having fun.  These laws are in place to ensure that they have the best life possible.  The Hebrews are His People.  He can't stand the idea of them in pain and destruction.

Next time: Leviticus 19-22

Leviticus 14-15

Chapter 14
In this chapter we see how people with leprosy were entered back into society.  This was no light matter.  They had to be tested and retested.  I think the ceremony in verse 7 is really neat.  The live bird is set free.  I don't know what the symbolism is here, but it is really a beautiful picture.  Can you imagine how the leper must have felt, watching that bird fly away?  He was almost free.  He was almost home. 

Chapter 15
This chapter talks about a lot of gross stuff that I don't really want to think about.  But it made me think of something that I do want to share.  The physical cleanliness is important for two (at least!) reasons: 1) To prevent the spread of illness.  We established that already.  But at the end of the chapter, God tells us the other reason.  2)To keep impurities away from the tabernacle--where the very presence of God was living.  God can't be near sin, so these things must be a result of sin in the world.  (Does this mean Eve didn't have a period at the beginning?)  If these conditions are part of our sinful bodies, how great will our resurrected bodies be?

Next time: Leviticus 16-18

Leviticus 11-13

Chapter 11
I thought this was a very interesting chapter.  We can be sure that God's commands have more value than just "sin" or "not sin".  The moral commands have practical social value.  When they are obeyed, the person is trusted and respected. 

The food commands have practical health value.  A couple years ago I read "The Maker's Diet."  The author suggests that the foods provided by God are the absolute healthiest, and that many diseases can be avoided and even cured by rejecting foods that were forbidden by God in the Old Testament.  Really cool book, and while I still enjoy the occasional shrimp or crab dinner, I have been pork-free for over two years.  I recommend the book.

Another way that God protected his people through His commandments was in reference to cleanliness.  Anything that touched a dead body was unclean.  They didn't have anti-bacterial soap back then, so disease could spread easily.  Imagine how different the plagues of the dark ages would have been if the people known these laws.

Chapter 12
This is another interesting tidbit in scripture.  We certainly don't rely on the gender of our babies to tell us when we've recovered from childbirth.  But at the same time, I am really curious as to the practical reason for this law.  I wonder if there is are different hormone levels that are released with different genders, and whether if takes mothers of girls longer to normalize.  Just a thought, but wouldn't this make a cool study?  Science is always proving what God has already told us is true.

Chapter 13
Again, God uses His ingenious system of "clean" and "unclean" to protect the people...this time from contagious disease.  I don't mean to ruin the serious mood, but sometimes I think the wording in the Bible is funny.  For example: verse 31 "Isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days."  Ick.

The rest of the chapter underlines how dangerous were the germs related to leprosy.  It could be spread through clothing and even within a house.  This is not the only disease like that, either.  I've heard of people even in the 19th century who slept in the beds of people who had just died from a deadly fever!  Again, the laws of God are there not only to establish what is sin, but to protect us from pain and suffering.

Next time:  Leviticus 14-15

Leviticus 8-10

Chapter 8
Notice that in verse 33 it took seven days for the priests to complete their ordination.  This is a little more serious than what we think of as becoming ordained today.  You can do that over the internet!

At this point, the priests are doing everything ordered by God according to what Moses tells them.  There is no doubt that what Moses says is from God.  He has proven himself to be a faithful leader.  This kind of integrity is rare.

Chapter 9

Look what happens in verse 8.  Even though Aaron has just gone through this rigorous ordination, this act proves that he is still a sinful being, and must perform the sin offering for himself.  I like that this is a public act, so he could not be thought of as god-like and sinless.

In verses 23-24, God responds to the offerings.  It says that the glory of the Lord appeared to the people.  The fire came out from the Lord...When all the people saw it they shouted for joy and fell on their faces. This is a response to the true nature of God.  I don't think that any somber response is possible when you truly understand who God is.

Chapter 10
At the beginning of this chapter, Aaron's sons try to offer God some incense that was not part of the original plan.  My guess is that these guys had seen this done in Egypt or some other pagan land, and were showing just how "pious" they were.   God responds by taking their lives and saying, "By those who come near me I will be treated as holy, and before all people I will be honored."  God isn't stating His preference here.  He's letting them no that there is no other option.  This is how He WILL be treated. Not like some pagan god.

Verses 9-11.  This shows how important the jobs of the priests were.  They had to keep a clear head, because the fate and judgement of the nation was within their responsibility.  I don't think that this proves that drinking is wrong, but it definitely shows that there are times when it is not okay. 

Next time: Leviticus 11-13

Leviticus 4-7

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to stay in the Word when your earthly relationships aren't going so well?  It has been a fight here this week, but one that I am determined to win.  We must be doing some good if the Enemy is trying to keep us apart, right?  Let's keep the faith and finish this race.

Chapter 4
Did you notice in this chapter that every time there was a sacrifice made, the guilty party would lay his hand on the head of the animal?  Atonement is not automatic.  Just because Christ gave His life for you, doesn't mean that you are saved.  You have to lay your hand on His head (figuratively) and claim salvation through His blood.  This happens in verses 4, 15, 24, 29, and 33.

Chapter 5
Under the law of the guilt offerings, God has made a provision for all different income levels to make the offering.  It requires the sacrifice of a female sheep or goat, but if you can't afford that, then use a pair of doves or pigeons.  And if you can't afford those, then you are allowed to use grain as your offering.  But, I don't think that God would allow a rich goat herder to give a pair of pigeons or an ephah of flour.  How would this apply to our modern lives, with church offering, for example?

Chapter 6
I found the penalty for theft really interesting.  The thief must return what he stole, plus 1/5 of it's value as restitution.  But even after he pays it back, he is still guilty before God and must be redeemed.

Verse 21  God loves the smell of bread baking and meat cooking.  Really, is there anything we cook that smells better than these? 

Chapter 7
God divined that Aaron and his sons would live on a portion of the sacrifices made for the sin and guilt offerings.  You'd think that the priests would hope for a sinful nation, so they wouldn't go hungry, right? 

On the other hand, if the Israelites were able to attain a guiltless lifestyle, I'm sure that their un-broken relationship with God would compel them to offer a peace offering for thanksgiving, and this of course would feed Aaron's family as well.  Aaron might not have gotten a big inheritance of land and wealth, but he will never go hungry.

Next time:8-10

Leviticus 1-3

Thanks to all of you who have waited patiently for this post.  I thought I could go to Dallas, visit family, fly home, and recover into our routine without anyone noticing that I was gone.  But I was wrong.  Thanks for sticking with me, y'all!

This entry, as many others are bound to be will be a little different than the others.  Instead of going verse-by-verse, I'll be taking each chapter as a whole, just reflecting on what I learned, or what insight I gained from the chapter.

Chapter 1 starts us in on a series of offering how-to.  The details of the offerings are brutal and bloody.  This is a side of God that we tend to forget about in our clean, tidy, American lives.  It seems barbaric--something almost heathen.  But the idea of a blood sacrifice is from God, and something he required from the beginning for continued fellowship between Himself and His sinful people.

Chapter 2 is about the grain offering.  This reminds me of our modern offerings of money, because there isn't blood involved.  In verse 1 God required that the grain offering be fine flour.  God wants our best and our first--not our last and our worst.  I also see a hint of the modern church in verse 3.  The priests had no other livelihood than serving God, so part of the offering to God was permitted for use by Aaron and his sons.  Like a salary.

The only way to present an offering to God was through a mediator.  The people gave the offering to the priest, and he would present it to God, in their place.  Christ is our mediator.  He paved the way through his death and resurrection so that we can go directly to God.

While I was reading chapter 3, I was struck once again by the detail and care that went into the different offering rituals.  That was a lot of work!  It makes me all the more grateful that we now have salvation in Christ alone. His one sacrifice covers all of our sins, past and present.

But it also caused me to wonder if the simplicity of our salvation makes it easy to forget how detestable sin is to God.  So often we live with the idea that we can do anything during our lives, because we've already been forgiven.  But sin is nothing to be flippant about.  It destroys lives--saved and unsaved.  The fact that salvation is simple does not mean that sin is no big deal.  It is a HUGE deal.  The reason salvation is simple is that the sacrifice of Christ was EVEN MORE HUGE.  As much as it might have strained the people of Israel to give over valuable assets, imagine the emotional sacrifice of the Father who willingly gave His Son--a sacrifice so huge that no other would ever be necessary.  Reading about the Hebrew offering rituals reminds me of that.

It feels good to be back on here again.  Let's get back together tomorrow and chat about Leviticus 4-7