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Grace, compassion, and love…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:29 “When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.

Remember that the context of this scripture is right after the Israelites are released from 400 years of captivity. None of the released Israelites knew life outside of Egyptian influence.

Leviticus 22:30 It must be eaten that same day; leave none of it till morning. I am the Lord.

Yet God does not approve of Egyptian practices to other deities, and now that the Israelites are free of their influence, God wants to be sure the Israelites understand what is acceptable to Him. Why? Because He is the Lord.

Leviticus 22:31 “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Your sovereign grace and compassion for Your deeply loved children. Thank You that You love and care for us today just as faithfully as You did the Israelites. Amen.

Leviticus 22:32-33 Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”

Have a blessed day. 

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Context matters…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:24–25a You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land, and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God.

Again, I think it’s extremely important to look at the “Why” behind the scripture: Why was this said at this time in this way? Who needed to hear it and for what purpose? Answering those questions allows us to keep scripture in context.

Leviticus 22:25b They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.’ ”

Commentary says of today’s scripture, “In ancient Israel, these physical rules were meant to teach reverence, moral distinction, and the gravity of approaching a holy God.” It goes on to say that in the New Testament, Jesus is both the purest sacrifice and the most holy priest.

Leviticus 22:26-27 The Lord said to Moses, “When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as a food offering presented to the Lord.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that Your Word has history, background, and context. We can absolutely learn from it today, but that context is also important. Thank You. Amen.

Leviticus 22:28 Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.

Have a blessed day. 

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The best of me, from me, and for me…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:20 Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

It would be fairly easy to interpret today’s scripture in all kinds of inappropriate ways if one is looking to keep down those who are less than perfect. But that’s not what God is saying. God is saying that when it comes to what we give Him, He wants our best, not our castoffs.

Leviticus 22:21 When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.

God doesn’t want us to think, “I can do without this, it’s not that important to me, so this is what I’ll offer to God.” He wants all of us, the best parts, so that He can use us well in His service.

Leviticus 22:22 Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as a food offering presented to the Lord.

Precious Savior, I feel like I have done a wholly inadequate job of saying what’s in my head and in my heart about today’s verses. Thank You that You know my heart (1 Sam 16:7), that You understand what I’m trying to say. Thank You that You want the best of me, from me, and for me. Help me to always give You my best. Amen.

Leviticus 22:23 You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow.

Have a blessed day.

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On human nature, interpretation, and personal bias…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:14 “ ‘Anyone who eats a sacred offering by mistake must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it.

Commentary talks about how, in Jesus’s time, the corrupt priests used verse 19 for their gain, declaring proffered sacrifices as impure so the offeror had to purchase an approved sacrifice at an exorbitant price.

Leviticus 22:15-16 The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’ ”

Honestly, that is my fear with how some use God’s word: They get so comfortable that they use it for personal gain or to push personal agendas instead of to learn more about God, His love, His character, HIs ways. They interpret passages based on their ways and not God’s ways. That’s not what God wants from us or for us.

Leviticus 22:17-18 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you—whether an Israelite or a foreigner residing in Israel—presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,

Precious Savior, Interpretation is human nature, but inherent bias is, too. We interpret things based on our personal views and biases. Help us to draw closer to You and shine Your light, leaving our personal biases as far away as possible. Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 22:19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.

Have a blessed day.

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My specially designed plan…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:10 “ ‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.

Today’s verses put me in mind of the idea that God has something set aside for each of us, something that He has planned and designed especially for us to do or create or contribute. Will the world collapse if we don’t contribute that thing? Of course not, but I think we will feel a missing piece of ourselves if that’s the case.

Leviticus 22:11 But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if slaves are born in his household, they may eat his food.

This idea, in my mind, goes hand-in-hand with Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” He can use us, wherever we land, but He has a plan designed especially for us, too.

Leviticus 22:12 If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions.

Precious Savior, Thank You for this reminder that we are Your deeply loved children, that You know us, inside and out, that You can use us always, in every situation, but that You have a plan especially designed for each of us. Help me to fulfill Your plans for my life. Amen.

Leviticus 22:13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s household as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat it.

Have a blessed day.

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Our old nonsense…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:6 The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. 

Verse 7 reminds me of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.”

Leviticus 22:7 When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food. 

This idea also echoes Lamentations 3:23 about God’s faithfulness being new every morning. God doesn’t want us to stew in our mistakes and missteps. To do so would cause us to take our eyes off of Him, putting us–instead of God–in the center, which can be dangerous.

Leviticus 22:8 He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.

Precious Savior, You know I get in my own head, especially when I perceive that I have messed up. You know my inner critic can be caustic, lambasting me for my failings and completely causing me to take my eyes off of You. Help me to keep You in the center of my life and to begin each day aware and in awe of Your mercies and Your blessings. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 22:9 “ ‘The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.

Have a blessed day. 

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On context and character…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 22:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.

Once again I have had to go back and review the history of all that came before this chapter. Joseph’s connections allowed the Israelites to escape famine, but that escape came at the cost of 400 years of captivity in a land that allowed and encouraged ways of worship and deities of worship that God was not ok with.  

Leviticus 22:3 “Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.

Now that the Israelites are no longer in that state of captivity, God wants to reestablish what is allowed and acceptable in worship of Him, which is vastly different than what any of these Israelites would have been familiar with as they all have been in Egypt and around Egyptian custom.

Leviticus 22:4a “ ‘If a descendant of Aaron has a defiling skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. 

Precious Savior, It feels very important to remember that this book was written at a very specific time for a very specific reason. That’s not to say we can’t learn about who You are as the sovereign God and who You are to Your people from reading it, but context is important. Thank You for drawing me closer. Amen.

Leviticus 22:4b-5 He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be.

Have a blessed day. 

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Just love everyone…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 21:18-20 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; no man with a crippled foot or hand, or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 

Once again, today’s scripture sent me to Google to try to get to the bottom of what feels like “God doesn’t want anyone less than perfect to serve Him,” which is, of course, a disturbing message. Commentary says that this Old Testament mandate of priestly perfection points to Jesus.  

Leviticus 21:21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 

I just don’t think God makes mistakes, and I don’t think He is mean or cruel. I cannot imagine Him excluding anyone whose heart is for Him. And I think He calls us to love everyone, regardless of physical, mental, emotional anomalies. 

Leviticus 21:22-23 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’ ”

Precious Savior, I think You call me to “just love everyone” and let You sort them out later. Help me to be Your hands and feet and heart in this world. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 21:24 So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

Have a blessed day. 

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In this family…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 21:11-12 He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.

Again, I am reminded that God is dealing with a very specific people (the Israelites) in a very specific position (just released from 400 years of captivity) in a very specific location (surrounded by many peoples who worshipped gods in ways that God did not want His people worshipping).

Leviticus 21:13 “ ‘The woman he marries must be a virgin.

It makes me think of the phrase “We don’t act like that in this family,” a spirit and idea I totally understand. Our actions reflect not only the way we were raised but also what we believe and hold dear. God wants us to reflect Him–His love, His compassion, His mercy–through our actions.

Leviticus 21:14-15 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’ ”

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that we are Your deeply loved children. Help us to act in a manner that will allow You to say to us when we meet You face to face, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23). Help us, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 21:16-17 The Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God.

Have a blessed day.

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The call to fellowship…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 21:7 “ ‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. 

Verses 6 and 8 both discuss the “food of your God,” described in commentary as “a picture of fellowship,” leading us to assume a connection between “holiness and fellowship.” I love this idea, this connection.    

Leviticus 21:8 Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy.

I think God created us for community, for fellowship, and I say that as a strong introvert who is easily overwhelmed and exhausted by too many people. I recognize, however, that I need people, that people need each other, that fellowship with His people is an important part of my relationship with God.

Leviticus 21:9 “ ‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.

Precious Savior, Thank You for this need for fellowship, even if my introverted self can only handle it in small doses. Thank You that the ability to gather and break bread and be with Your people is an important part of nurturing my relationship with You. Help me never to take the call to fellowship for granted. Amen.

Leviticus 21:10 “ ‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt b or tear his clothes.

Have a blessed day.