Category: Leviticus Devotions

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Leviticus Devotions

Made holy

Leviticus

Yes, it’s been a while since I blogged here. I’ve been working on a message for next Sunday. And I’ve been meditating a lot on Leviticus 18-19 and the laws there.

I won’t get into it here, but I think it’s instructive as you go through those passages to underline in different colors words like “unclean,” “perversion”, “abomination,” and “depravity.” (That’s the ESV version. The words may be slightly different in your translation).

Look at what are listed under those categories, and how the punishments are different for those categories.

There are a lot of arguments nowadays on how we as Christians should view these things and how consistent we are on those views.

The main thing that I will point out here is that there does seem to be a fundamental difference between what is listed as merely “unclean,” and what is listed as “perversion,” “abomination,” and “depravity.”

There is of course, overlap. What is perversion, abomination, and depravity all make you unclean. But it seems to me that not all that were unclean for the Jews, are “perversion,” “abomination,” and “depravity” in God’s sight.

Other words to look at are “iniquity,” “whoring,” “profane,” and “disgrace.”

But what strikes me is that time and again in chapters 20-22, God says, “I am Yahweh who sets you apart.”

Often times, he couples that with another thought: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy.”

Sometimes that is explicitly said, other times, it’s said in slightly different ways.

“Don’t profane…”

“Keep my instruction…”

“Keep my commands.”

In short, there are two things to note:

  1. We have already been set apart by God and for God. He has saved us and made us his own.
  2. As people that have been set apart, we are to live that way. We are not to go back to our old way of life, doing things our way, but doing things his.

But it’s that first point that drives the second, not the reverse.

We don’t live differently from the world so that God accepts us. Rather, we live differently because God has already chosen us.

We have tasted his love for us. We know that we he has adopted us as his children. And in response, out of our love for him, we live like his children.

Reversing that order leads to legalism and frustration.

Keeping that order leads to a life lived by grace.

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Leviticus Devotions

A God who understands

Leviticus

Last Sunday, one of our preachers was giving a message on Mark 1:40-42, in which Jesus healed a leper.

And since I was going through Leviticus anyway, I decided to look again at the passages on the lepers. And in chapter 13, verses 45-46, it says something very disturbing.

The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’

He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp. (Leviticus 13:45-46)

Granted, for health reasons, this was undoubtedly necessary for the sake of the community.

But to a person seeing this for the first time, it would be easy to think, “This is so heartless. To be outcast, living alone, treated as unclean, totally despised. How could a loving God allow for this? Doesn’t he understand the devastation it would cause to the one with the disease?”

But as I read another passage the preacher brought up in the message, something profound hit me. It was Isaiah 53.

Talking of Jesus, it says,

He was despised and rejected by men (as was the leper),
a man of suffering who knew what sickness was (as the leper did).
He was like someone people turned away from (as they did the leper);
he was despised, and we didn’t value him (as was the leper).

Yet he himself bore our sicknesses,
and he carried our pains;
but we in turn regarded him stricken, (as was the leper)
struck down by God, and afflicted (as was the leper). (Isaiah 53:3-4)

In short, when Jesus came, he experienced all the pain and hurt that the leper did. But more than that,

he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.

We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6)

In Mark, the man said, “Jesus, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus said, “I am willing, be clean.”

In the same way, to a world crying out in desperation, “If you are willing, you can make us clean,” Jesus said, “I am willing.”

And he went to the cross, paying the price for our sin.

That is truly amazing grace.

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Leviticus Devotions

Atonement

Leviticus

Some things strike me here as I read this passage.

First, the Holy Place, the tabernacle, and the altar were considered stained by the sin of the people.

Some people wonder why God can’t just allow anyone into heaven. The reason is that sin stains whatever it touches. That’s how powerful it is.

But the blood of Jesus is even more powerful, purging away even the deepest sin.

Second, the High Priest had to be specially clothed when bringing the blood into the tabernacle. On his turban, was written, “Holy to the Lord,” as he took the guilt of the people upon himself (Exodus 28:36-38).

And on his shoulders and over his heart, he wore the names of the people whose guilt he bore (Exodus 28:9-21).

In the same way, Jesus, when he entered the true tabernacle in heaven, was Holy to the Lord, set apart for his Father’s purpose, taking our guilt upon himself.

On his shoulders and over his heart, he bore the names of all he died for. And his was a perfect sacrifice. As such, it was never to be repeated again. As Peter puts it, it was a “once-for-all” sacrifice. (1 Peter 3:18)

And our atonement, the purging of all our sin, was all accomplished by him.

We don’t atone for ourselves. Atonement is made for us. Our high priest goes into the Most Holy Place, and does all the work for us. All we can do is rest in the work Jesus has already done for us.

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Leviticus Devotions

Pictures of sin

Leviticus

This is one of those passages that make a lot of people go, “Huh?”

To be honest, probably most of the Israelites themselves said, “Huh?” when they heard these commands.

Looking at these commands, they can seem so anal. Why would God command all that he did concerning “clean” and “unclean” things?

I think that essentially, God was teaching the Israelites to think as he did. Namely, that despite what the world thinks, there are things that are unclean and unclean.

There are things that we must despise as God’s holy people. And if touched by these things, we must be cleansed and atoned for.

And to drill that idea into their heads, God put the concept into their everyday lives. Into what they ate. Into normal bodily functions. And into skin diseases that could strike anyone. Into mold that could invade clothing or house walls.

All these were daily reminders to the Israelites: “You are different. You are not to think as others think. There are things you must despise, because if they touch you, they can make you unclean, and separate you from your God.”

And so God, for example, told the Israelites to avoid eating or even touching certain animals. He said, “They are to be abhorrent…to you. They are unclean…to you.” (Count or underline how many times this is said).

In short, God was saying, “To others, these things might not be abhorrent. To some, these things might be attractive. To some, these things might be delicious. But to you, they are to be abhorrent.”

In this world, there are sins that are attractive to the people around us. Extra-marital sex and porn for example. And when people see our reaction to these things, they can’t understand it. “Why are you disgusted by these things? They are so delicious!”

But they are things that make us unclean in the eyes of God. And they cut us off from a relationship with him. And because we love God so much, the things that are abhorrent to him, also become abhorrent to us. They become disgusting in our eyes. At least…they should.

And as God told the Israelites not to be contaminated and defiled by these foods, he tells us that as his people, we are not to be contaminated and defiled by the sins this world treats as normal, or even delightful.

Time and again, the words, “washing” and “atonement” are mentioned in this passage. (Try counting or underlining these words too). And this was just for contact with animals, for diseases, and bodily functions.

How much more are washing and atonement needed for our sin which truly makes us unclean before God?

Some contaminated things could be washed with no lasting effects. Others, however, were considered to be forever stained and were broken forever as a result. (Leviticus 11:31-35, 14:33-48).

Sin is the same way. Some effects of sin can cause temporary damage, but by God’s grace, those effects are taken away and forgotten.

Others sins, however, cause permanent damage that cannot be simply washed away. People’s bodies have been permanently damaged by drugs, for example. Marriages and families have been destroyed by adultery.

Other times, sin leaves scars, although the people themselves have been cleansed. (13:23, 13:28)

Ultimately, though, the point of these things is found in chapter 11:44-45.

Do not become contaminated…do not become unclean or defiled by [unclean things]. For I am the Lord your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy. Do not defile yourselves…

For I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy.

Do you consecrate yourselves daily to the Lord? Or do you let yourself be defiled by what the world calls normal or even delightful?

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Leviticus Devotions

How we regard God

Leviticus

Yes, I know I’m going backward. Actually this year, I’m reading through each book of the Bible at least twice, using two different translations.

I’ve been thinking about leadership in the church, and how we are to be held to a higher standard. And this passage shows that in no uncertain terms.

It’s interesting to me that in chapters 9 and 10, the exact same words are used, “Fire came from the Lord and consumed…”

In the first case, it consumed the burnt offering, and all the people stood in awe of God’s glory and were blessed.

In the second case, it consumed two of Aaron’s sons, because unlike in chapter 9 where you repeatedly see them and Aaron doing things as the Lord commanded, these two sons offered “unauthorized fire” in contradiction to what the Lord commanded (Leviticus 10:1).

And as a result, the people stood in fear as God’s glory was displayed in his judgment of these two men.

And God told Aaron,

I will demonstrate my holiness
to those who are near me,
and I will reveal my glory
before all the people. (10:3)

The ESV shows another possible reading of the Hebrew.

Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.

If we take the ESV reading, God is saying this:

“I will be treated as holy by those who would draw near to me. I will not be treated as some common or unholy thing. And I will be glorified before all the people by those who draw near me. You cannot just take me lightly and expect me to stand by and do nothing.”

The CSB reading makes it even stronger.

“If you will not treat me as holy, I will demonstrate my holiness such that you will never make that mistake again. If you will not glorify me before the people by the way you treat me, I will glorify myself so that they will know who I am.”

Either way, as a leader in the church, it gives me pause. How do I treat God? In my actions, do I display his holiness to those around me? Do I glorify him in what I do?

Will God display his glory in my life in such a way that people stand in awe of him, and be blessed?

Or will God display his glory in my life in judgment, causing people to fear?

Both are possible. It happened in the New Testament days as well. Just look at the story of Barnabas, and Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 4:34-5:11).

God will not be treated lightly, especially by those who are supposed to lead. One way or the other, God will display his holiness and glory in my life.

I prefer that it be in a way that people see it and are blessed, not see it and fear.

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Leviticus Devotions

“I am Yahweh”

Leviticus

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD (Yahweh) your God… (Leviticus 26:12-13)

I wrote about this a couple of days ago, but as I read Leviticus 22-27 again, those words continue to ring in my mind.

He is God. He is the Lord. More than that, he is my God. He is my Lord.

But how often do my decisions fail to take that into account?

When I face difficult decisions, and I wrestle with what is right to do, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When  I wrestle with what I know is right, and yet I continue to flirt with going in a different direction because it is the easier path, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When God confronts me with my sin, and I try to make excuses, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

When God shows me a path I don’t want to take, and I start to argue, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

And yet there is grace in that name.

When I fall, but turn to him in repentance, he says in love and forgiveness, “I am Yahweh.”

When life is hard, when I am broken and I feel I simply can’t go on, he says, “I am Yahweh.”

These are words I need to meditate a lot more on throughout the day.

“I am Yahweh.”

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Leviticus Devotions

How we see sin

Leviticus

It strikes me here how God sees sin.

It is perverse. (Leviticus 20:12)

It is detestable. (13)

It is depraved. (14)

It is a disgrace. (17)

It is impure. (21)

Do we see sin, the same way God does? Or do we take it lightly?

This world laughs us off when we talk about sin. They call us narrow and bigoted.

But we can’t afford to see sin as this world does.

God said,

I am the LORD your God who set you apart from the peoples. Therefore you are to distinguish the clean…from the unclean… (25)

Yes, I know verse 25 is specifically talking about “clean” and “unclean” foods, and that Jesus has since proclaimed all foods clean. But the principle holds.

Because we are set apart from the world, we are to distinguish between clean and unclean, between what is good and what is evil in God’s sight.

So let us remember who we are and what kind of people we are called to be.

You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be mine. (26)

As God’s people, holy to him, let us have the same view of sin that he does.

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Leviticus Devotions

Contemplating God

Leviticus

As I read these passages, the same words are repeated again and again: “I am the LORD (Yahweh) your God.”

“Worship me alone. I am Yahweh your God.” (Leviticus 19:4)

“Set aside time for me. I am Yahweh your God.” (19:3)

“Honor my name. I am Yahweh your God.” (19:12)

“Do not follow the practices of your old life and of the people around you. Do not defile yourself with sinful practices. I am Yahweh your God.” (18:3, 24-30)

“Flee from sexual sin. I am Yahweh your God.” (18:6-20)

“Do not lie, spread slander, or curse others. I am Yahweh your God.” (19:11, 14, 16)

“Do not harbor hatred against your brother or sister. I am Yahweh your God.” (19:17)

“Love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh your God.” (19:18)

How often do we contemplate God in our lives?

Why do we set aside time for him? Simply because he is God and he is worthy of our time and praise.

Why are we to be people of integrity? Because he is the God of truth.

Why do we flee from things that would defile us? From sexual sin? From filth and lies that come from our mouths? Because he himself is holy.

Why do we love others as we love ourselves. Because he himself is love.

Why do we forgive others that have hurt us? Because he forgave us.

How often do we contemplate God and who he is? How would it change our lives if we contemplated him more?