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God’s power is perfected in our weakness…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 23:19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 

I googled to try to figure out how long from the time these events in Leviticus 23 happened until they were written down, and AI tells me that, depending whether I’m using a traditional religious timeline or modern historical-critical timeline, the span could be anywhere from less than a year to as many as 900 years.

Leviticus 23:20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. 

As someone who often can’t remember something right after it happened, I see lots of problems with taking every single word here as God’s fact. God is infallible. The humans who wrote all this down? Not so much. And if up to 900 years passed between the original happening, the oral passing of the traditions, and the writing, the possibility for human error is astronomical. 

Leviticus 23:21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Precious Savior, I am so very thankful that Your word is alive and active (Heb 4:12), that You can and will and do use fallible people in Your kingdom work, that we don’t have to be perfect because You are perfect (Ps 18:30) and that Your power is perfected in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 23:22 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”

Have a blessed day. 

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On broken records and potential connections…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 23:15 “ ‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks.

I feel like a bit of a broken record, saying yet again that this is what the Israelites needed on the heels of 400 years of captivity in Egypt. They needed rituals and routines to honor and draw them closer to their God, not the Egyptian gods and goddesses they had known all their lives.

Leviticus 23:16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.

But I can’t help seeing a bit of a connection to our Thanksgiving traditions, too, foods that make us think of those who were once around our table but are no longer. Foods prepared to honor our past and our traditions. Maybe I’m completely off-base with this analogy, but it brings me comfort.

Leviticus 23:17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord.

Precious Savior, I love when I see connections in Your Word to things that I see in my day and age. I’m not sure if there is harm in misaligned connections. If so, help me to see the pitfalls. And, as always, please draw me closer to You. Amen.

Leviticus 23:18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.

Have a blessed day.

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The promises of God…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 23:11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 

In verse 10 yesterday, the Lord says to Moses, “When you enter the land I am going to give you…,” which speaks of the promises of God, promises that the Israelites can’t see yet, but blessings that God is declaring will be fulfilled. 

Leviticus 23:12 On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect, 

This brings to mind 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.” God’s promises are not empty. He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:21). He loves us fiercely. He is with us. He has great plans for us.

Leviticus 23:13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. 

Precious Savior, Sometimes, when our plans have gone so far off the rails that we can’t even fathom a way forward, it is all too easy to forget Your promises. Forgive us. Help us remember that You are making a way in our wilderness (Is 43:19), a way that is better than we can hope or imagine. Help us to trust You. Always. Amen.

Leviticus 23:14 You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.

Have a blessed day. 

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Holidays and traditions…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 23:6 On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 

Today’s verses have me thinking about holidays and traditions. There is something special about gathering and remembering, about celebrating with traditions that are much older than we are. There can be a connection and sense of belonging and peace that is hard to find in any other way. 

Leviticus 23:7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 

At the same time, we must be careful of blind adherence to tradition for tradition’s sake and for those who go to very dark places because of repetition and tradition. Tradition can be a dark and slippery slope. But for many, it can be a beautiful way to honor and remember. 

Leviticus 23:8 For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’ ”

Precious Savior, Thank You for holidays and traditions, especially when they bring peace and remembrances that are good for the soul. Thank You also for the reminder that those same traditions can be incredibly difficult for some. Help us to honor You while being mindful of the needs of our fellow travelers as we walk together through this life. Amen.

Leviticus 23:9-10 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.

Have a blessed day. 

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Seeking without twisting…. (devo reflection)

Leviticus 23:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.

Commentary finally admits, when discussing today’s scripture, that these festivals are specifically for “the Children of Israel,” though commentary says there are many things that Christians can learn. 

Leviticus 23:3 “ ‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.

Honestly, that these chapters are specifically for the Children of Israel is an important distinction. It goes back to the idea of context that I’ve been harping on for a while–this scripture was written to a very specific audience, at a very specific time, for a very specific purpose. It’s not that we can’t learn from it, it’s that it wasn’t meant for us in the first place.

Leviticus 23:4 “ ‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 

Precious Savior, Part of my frustration is that so often Your Word is cherry picked, verses selected and touted as the rule for all instead of Your reminders and guidance to a specific population during a specific situation. I think we all come to Your Word with a heart for You. Help us to seek You with all our hearts and not twist Your word for our purposes. Amen. 

Leviticus 23:5 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.

Have a blessed day. 

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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.