--personal thoughts--
i really have felt inspired as i have read through leviticus. i have just kept thinking that God truly does speak to us through His Word...all of His Word...even the texts about the laws given to the israelites that can seem tedious. reading through...i have just had a very real sense of His presence and lovingkindness in all of the law and have had an overwhelming thanksgiving in me somehow for His care for His people...establishing all of this for their well-being, their protection...and of course, their covenant with Him.
i want to walk through leviticus kind of chapter by chapter as i did for exodus as well as providing some historical facts and background for this book...to be posted tomorrow. hoping for a restful weekend for each of you....
.....continued.......................................................................................
in chapters 1-7, laws about the offerings are outlined, including the law of burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, the law of sin offerings and guilt offerings....note that throughout chapter 4, the idea of atonement and forgiveness is repeated. when the priest made atonement, the law said that they would be forgiven. (i am so thankful for the once-and-for-all atonement of Christ for our sins and the forgiveness that is ours following confession....) chapter 8 records the consecration of aaron and his sons for service, and chapter 9 illustrates aaron's offering of the sacrifices followed by the picture of the fire of the Lord which came out of heaven...consuming the burnt offering. from verses 23 and 24: "when they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces." wow.... then, chapter 10 records the death of nadab and abihu, aaron's sons who did not follow the instructions of the Lord, offering "strange fire"...and lost their lives. this is sobering and i'm sure much much more than that for aaron and the people. in chapter 11, we learn of God's law for the use of animals for food and in chapter 12, His laws about motherhood (including infant circumcision on the eighth day). in these sections of text, we are reminded again of God's protection and care for His people. there were health reasons for these statutes.... seen again in chapters 13 through 15 concerning the test for leprosy, cleansing of the leper and his home, and cleansing of other unhealthiness. i think the picture of the scapegoat is beautiful as explained in chapter 16...a visual of the iniquities being kind of carried far away from them. significant and notable in chapter 17 is the idea that blood represents life...verse 11: "for the life of the flesh is in the blood...for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." and in verse 14: "for as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life...for the life of all flesh is its blood." this idea makes the whole concept of the need for the shedding of blood for the atonement make sense! it is needed because it represents life. chapters 18-22 record necessary laws on immoral relations, on idolatry, laws concerning many other aspects of life and relations between men and between God and men/also regulations concerning priests. note chapter 20, verse 26, "thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine." chapter 23 outlines laws for religious festivals to be observed and the day of atonement. i love the idea of the feast of booths...such a cool remembrance...they actually lived in booths for seven days to physically remember their time in the desert and how they were brought out of the land of egypt. i love how they were instructed to take the foliage of beautiful trees and to rejoice before the Lord in this way. this just seems glorious to me...i've never waved branches and boughs of leafy trees before the Lord in worship (except maybe as a kid in a staged palm sunday service?)...this is beautiful! then, chapters 24-25 record instructions about the lamp and the bread of the sanctuary...other laws and practices (here we see the "eye for an eye" mandate)...instructions about the sabbatic year and the 50th celebration year/the year of jubilee...very cool! also, we see the laws of redemption for the poor.... chapter 26 gives a very clear outline of the blessings of obedience and penalties of disobedience of these laws set forth. He is to be their God...He is the Lord. and chapter 27 records rules concerning valuations....and the chapter (and the book of leviticus) ends with verse 34, stating, "these are the commandments which the Lord commanded moses for the sons of israel at mount sinai."
--personal thoughts--
as i have been studying leviticus, there is really more regarding history and background...um...chapter divisions and themes/the message of this book...than i am able to cover in this post. i want to come back to it, though it is a diversion from my plan for the weekend.... :) i am going to be able to begin posting daily along with the daily reading as i had hoped, but will come back to leviticus as well...because there's more to write. ;)....
No comments:
Post a Comment