A Work in Progress….

Leviticus 14:26-27 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the Lord. 

Again we get into the same-y-ness of Leviticus. The purification rituals are the same here as earlier in the chapter. When you get into repetition like this, especially when it comes on the heels of the tabernacle construction repetition, it is easy to skip ahead without paying much attention.

Leviticus 14:28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering—on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. 

But I wonder what would happen if I intentionally slow myself down, if I dwell, linger, persist. The idea makes me think of poets studying nature. The longer you sit, the more you see, the more you notice, the more reveals itself. May it be so with God’s word. 

Leviticus 14:29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for them before the Lord. 

Precious Savior, We live in a fast paced world. Slowing down is not our default. Help me to linger, to dwell, to persist in Your word. Unfold Your goodness around me as I abide intentionally. Amen.

Leviticus 14:30-31 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, such as the person can afford, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed.”

Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 14:21-22 “If, however, they are poor and cannot afford these, they must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for them, together with a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, and two doves or two young pigeons, such as they can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

It frustrates me as a Christian that there often seems to be conditions put on God’s love and forgiveness. There often appears to be this idea that “We are loved and forgiven. You (whoever is not part of “we”) are clearly outside of God’s love and need to get your act together. We’ll pray for you (and judge you) while you do.” 

Leviticus 14:23 “On the eighth day they must bring them for their cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. 

And while I’m sure I’ve applied my own healthy dose of judgement in that idea, today’s scripture is a reminder that God wants our hearts and that His love is not just for those with money and means. He actively makes a way for those who need/want His love, grace, compassion, and forgiveness.

Leviticus 14:24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. 

Precious Savior, It is so easy to adopt an “Us vs Them” mentality, and it’s not ok. Thank You for the reminder that anytime we separate people into groups, we cause a division and that anywhere we have set up division, You are separated from us. I want You with me. Always. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 14:25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.

Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 14:15-16 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the Lord seven times. 

Take a moment to read verse 18 below. The mention of putting oil on the head of the one being cleansed didn’t really jump out to me until I read in commentary that that is the same way that priests and kings are anointed. What?!?

Leviticus 14:17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 

As with yesterday’s reflection, we once again have a cleansing ritual that is identical to something that is done when priests are consecrated. Now we have oil being administered to the cleansed leper in the same way as priests and kings are consecrated. That feels really profound to me.

Leviticus 14:18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for them before the Lord.

Precious Savior, Thank You for showing me again and again that when we turn our hearts to You, we become like priests and kings, not only welcomed home, but given a place of honor. I am awed by Your mercy and grace. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 14:19-20 “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from their uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for them, and they will be clean.

Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 14:11 The priest who pronounces them clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and their offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

Commentary says of verse 14’s placement of the blood of the guilt offering that it is “To signify that all Christ’s sanctified ones have a hearing ear, an active hand, a nimble foot to walk in the way that is called holy.” 

Leviticus 14:12 “Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. 

If verse 14 sounds familiar, it is because it is the same process priests go through when they are consecrated, which I find really interesting. Priests and recovered/clean lepers go through the same consecration process. That kind of blows my mind.

Leviticus 14:13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 

Precious Savior, At our most basic level, we are all Your deeply loved children. Thank You for the reminder that the consecration process for priests and lepers is exactly the same. Help me to remember that when I am tempted to judge. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 14:14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot.

Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 14:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest:

The logistics of this cleansing is a bit mind-boggling for me, mostly because it involves dipping a live bird into fresh water mixed with the blood of a newly killed clean bird. Seven times.

Leviticus 14:3-4 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed.

The inclusion of these pieces, though–the blood, the water, the sacrifice–underscores how important those elements were to the ancient church, and it is interesting to me to see the symbolism that still exists today based on these same elements.

Leviticus 14:5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot.

Precious Savior, Thank You for allowing me to see the roots of modern religion within the Old Testament. Sometimes it just all seems so foreign to what I know, so I find it fascinating when I can glimpse the connections of what is in what was so very long ago. Draw me closer. Amen.

Leviticus 14:6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.

Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 13:55 After the article has been washed, the priest is to examine it again, and if the mold has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it, no matter which side of the fabric has been spoiled. 

Even after yesterday’s meditation on waiting, I find myself again today impatient to move on. We’ve plowed this ground. Let’s go!

Leviticus 13:56 If, when the priest examines it, the mold has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the spoiled part out of the fabric, the leather, or the woven or knitted material. 

And perhaps that impatience is part of what God is calling me to work through as I read through Leviticus this go round. Not my will, but His. Not my timeline, but His. 

Leviticus 13:57 But if it reappears in the fabric, in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is a spreading mold; whatever has the mold must be burned. 

Precious Savior, You know that patience is difficult for me. When I think I’ve sufficiently understood the point, I’m ready to move forward. Thank You for calling me to slow down, to be patient, to linger with You, even though I am ready to move. Calm my spirit. Draw me closer. Amen.

Leviticus 13:58-59 Any fabric, woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mold, must be washed again. Then it will be clean.” These are the regulations concerning defiling molds in woolen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material, or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean.

Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 13:43-44 The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like a defiling skin disease, the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.

Being a priest during the time of Leviticus was definitely not a glamorous job. It was bloody and physical and demanded a lot of killing of sacrifices, splashing of blood, and examining of disease. I wonder if all of that unpleasantness was balanced by the holy parts of the priest’s connection with God. 

Leviticus 13:45 “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 

The other thing that strikes me today is the isolation and loneliness of those deemed unclean. God created us for community, to need interaction with and support from others. Those deemed unclean not only had to live in isolation, they had to clearly announce the fact through both their physical separation and their crying out. What did that do to their relationship with God?

Leviticus 13:46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Precious Savior, Thank You for allowing me to go beyond the surface of scripture to wonder about the people underneath. I’m not sure that I will ever know the answers to my questions, but I appreciate the ability to think about what’s happening in the Bible in a new way. Help me to always seek to draw closer to You as I read Your word. Amen.

Leviticus 13:47-49 “As for any fabric that is spoiled with a defiling mold—any woolen or linen clothing, any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather— if the affected area in the fabric, the leather, the woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a defiling mold and must be shown to the priest.

Have a blessed day.