LEVITICUS 10
There is a little mystery in this chapter of Leviticus, and I think it points out something interesting about how we read the Bible. There is a "scandal" in this chapter, but when we get so focused on the fact that Nadab and Abihu "died before the Lord," we could possibly miss something very interesting.
LEVITICUS 9
I think it’s hard for us to relate to the Israelites and what was going on in the wilderness. We don’t live out in the desert, exposed to the harsh elements, wondering where our next meal is coming from. We live very cultivated lives in sanitized conditions. You have a computer connected to the internet — that’s how you’re reading this blog right now!
LEVITICUS 8
So now we come to the point where all the sacrifices God has described in preceding chapters begin to take place. And, as Leviticus 8 describes one sacrifice after another offered during the ordination of Aaron and his sons, this was my thought: The sanctuary system was devised so that the Israelites would know that dealing with sin involves sacrifice.
LEVITICUS 7
In this chapter, I was struck with the provisions God made for the priests in the sanctuary system. For each of the offerings and sacrifices mentioned, there was a portion which was specifically reserved for the priests. This means that, as the Israelites brought meat and grain into the sanctuary and offered it to God, the priests would be sustained in their work.
Photo © Unsplash/Ricardo Viana
Abram couldn't wait on God,
but listened to his wife,
who suggested a surrogate with a working womb,
and together, they foisted Plan B on the Almighty.
That's how Hagar became
the mistress of her mistress' husband,
and that never has a happy ending.
Hagar was destined for a rock and a hard place—
punishment if she refused,
punishment because she obeyed.
Hagar could stomach the morning sickness,
but she'd had it with the abuse
and ran away, determined to die in the desert
rather than spend one more day
as a pawn in a power play.
God could have let Plan B die right along with her
and the unsanctioned baby hiding inside.
Instead, he gave birth to Plan C,
and it's been hard labor ever since.
Abram couldn't wait on God,
but God has enough forbearance
to deal with all our impatient messes—
even if it takes an eternity to clean them up.
LEVITICUS 6
What is the big deal with yeast? I wondered that again as I read Leviticus 6. During the Passover in Egypt, the Israelites were strictly warned to eat bread prepared without yeast (Ex 12:20). And now, in the instructions for the sanctuary system, the priests are warned that none of the bread brought to the sanctuary as an offering is to be baked with yeast. In the New Testament, Jesus continues to bang that particular drum, warning people to be on guard against the "yeast of the Pharisees" (Mk 8:15).
LEVITICUS 3
Have you ever thought about God as a guy who just wants to hang out with His friends? Perhaps it’s not our usual picture of God. It’s easier to think about Him doing big things, like creating planets or running the universe. But, in Leviticus 3, we get a glimpse of a God who has (among other things) set up a local hangout in the sanctuary.
LEVITICUS 2
As the instructions about offerings continue, God’s assurances of acceptance switch to assurances of pleasure. "Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord; present it to the priest, who shall take it to the altar. He shall take out the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." (vs 8-9)
LEVITICUS 1
In the book of Leviticus, God begins laying out instructions for the Israelites so they would know how to bring offerings to the sanctuary. There was a specific reason for this: so they would know that they were accepted by their God. "If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him." (vs 3-4)
Photo © Unsplash/Mohamed Nohassi
Abram was regarded as perfect because he
believed what God had said. He trusted in
the unbelievable promises the
Lord had made to him,
and he was set right with God
that very moment. The Creator who
made us wants only this: for us to know
him and to trust that he will always do
right by us. If we have that sort of friendship
with him, there's nothing our miracle-working
God can't accomplish in us.
EXODUS 39
If you have never seen Milos Forman’s Oscar-winning 1984 film, Amadeus, you really must. It is arguably one of the best films of all time. It is also (though I don’t know if the writer or director intended this) one of the best examples of the insanity and self-destructiveness of sin. If you have seen it, you will surely remember the scene where Mozart’s wife brings a portfolio of her husband’s music to Antonio Salieri for review.
EXODUS 38
Even in the instructions on how to build the sanctuary, God was trying to teach the Israelites that He is holy and precious. He wanted them to know that He was to be reverenced... not because His holy ego demands respect, but because as creatures, our best good comes when we respect our Creator.
EXODUS 37
Did we need to have an entire Bible chapter about the building of the sanctuary elements? Every little detail is mentioned — from the cups on the lampstand to the gold rings on the four corners of the ark. The description seems just as careful as the actual crafting probably was.
So why is this here, and more importantly, what does it communicate to us about God?
EXODUS 36
So the Israelites begin to build the sanctuary, God’s dwelling place. It’s a project God has specifically commissioned, and He has asked for their willingness to partner with Him in building a house for Him. And nestled in the description of all the building is this little piece of information: "And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work." (vs 6-7)
EXODUS 35
As God was contemplating the building of His holy temple, He gave this command to the Israelites: "From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be
mounted on the ephod and breastpiece." (vs 5-9)
Photo © Unsplash/Peter Hershey
I am progressing along the path of life in my ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition... when suddenly a stab of abdominal pain that threatens serious disease, or a headline in the newspapers that threatens us all with destruction, sends this whole pack of cards tumbling down. At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys.
Then, slowly and reluctantly, bit by bit, I try to bring myself into the frame of mind that I should be in at all times. I remind myself that all these toys were never intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ. And perhaps, by God’s grace, I succeed, and for a day or two become a creature consciously dependent on God and drawing its strength from the right sources.
But the moment the threat is withdrawn, my whole nature leaps back to the toys... And that is why tribulations will not cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is hopeless. —C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, p106
In a culture where
being gay
is a big deal,
Sodom has become a familiar word.
Even if you don't know anything else about the Bible
you've probably heard
the story of Sodom.
Some folks say
Sodom's sin was homosexuality.
Other folks say
it wasn't.
I say
the real shame is
nobody knows the other story of Sodom:
the one where they were
sodomized by a gang of neighboring kings
attacked and invaded and clobbered
overpowered and crushed and defiled—
the one where they were left
naked and helpless and defenseless
victimized and paralyzed and weak—
until God
rescued them
recovered their possessions
rebuilt their cities
and restored their fortunes.
Sodom's first encounter with God
did not end in
smoking ruin
but
stunning rescue.
In their calamity
(when all their broken toys were
momentarily swept aside
to reveal the One
on whom they unconsciously depended)
they met
a God who delivers, not destroys,
a God who heals, not hates.
Nice to meet you, they said
then quickly leapt back to the toys,
stubbornly clinging
till even their hearts were bound.
