Leviticus 9:4 “‘…For today the LORD will appear to you.’”
Lord, This is the day that You have made. Help me to rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) Help me to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and to run with perseverance the race marked out for me. (Hebrews 12:1)
Leviticus 9:23 … and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
Lord, Your love is better than life. Help me never to lose sight of that fact. Let my lips glorify Your name always. (Psalm 63:3) I want to praise Your name as long as I live, to lift up Your name in praise. (Psalm 63:4) I cling to You because I know Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8)
Leviticus 9:24a Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the alter…
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this opportunity to spend time with You, to praise You. Thank You for loving me so deeply, for writing my name in the palm of Your hand (Isaiah 49:16), for making a way in my wilderness, even when I cannot yet perceive it (Isaiah 43:19). Thank You, Lord, for Your love, Your grace, Your mercy, Your hope. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 9:24b … And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Have a great day.
Living differently…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 8:22 He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
Commentary explained verses 23-24 in the following way: “They should hear differently because the blood was on their ear. They should work differently because the blood was on their thumb. They should walk differently because the blood was on their toe.” This idea really struck me and put me in mind of the mindfulness and intentionality I wrote about yesterday.
Leviticus 8:23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of His right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
My relationship with Christ should change me in the best possible way. It should cause me to think of my life, my interactions, in terms of His will—What would Jesus do? How would Jesus act in this situation?How can I walk in such a way that others can see Him, His love, through me?
Leviticus 8:24a Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this perspective. Help me to live differently because of my relationship with You. Help me to be mindful and intentional and to listen, work, and walk in Your love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 8:24b … Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.
Have a blessed day.
Intentionality and mindfulness…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 7:1 “‘These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy….’”
These verses, to me, speak to intentionality and mindfulness. Paying attention. Being aware. Cultivating purposeful and deliberate practices instead of mindlessly going through the motions. Intentionality and mindfulness are important practices today when it comes to our relationship with our Savior.
Leviticus 7:11 “‘These are the regulations for the fellowship offering anyone may present to the LORD….’”
I used to have an index card on my desk at school which said: My goal for today…to abide with Christ. Even that little physical reminder helped me to remember to be intentional about staying mindful of His presence. It is so easy for the world’s noise and chaos to creep in if we don’t remain mindfully vigilant.
Leviticus 7:37 These, then, are the regulations for the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering and the fellowship offering…..
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of the importance of being intentional and mindful when it comes to our relationship with You. Help us to abide in You today and every day, Lord. Keep us mindful. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 7:38 … which the LORD gave Moses at Mount Sinai in the Desert of Sinai on the day He commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
Living the claim…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 6:2a “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving a neighbor about something entrusted to them or left in their care or about something stolen….”
Much of Leviticus seems so foreign in that we do not observe these types of atonement offerings in our worship today. With Jesus’s death and resurrection, He finished the work of all these guilt and sin offerings. Yet as I read Leviticus 6, I am struck with by how these verses, especially Leviticus 6:2-3, describe so many today.
Leviticus 6:2b “…or if they cheat their neighbor….”
While Christ’s work on the cross has taken the place of all the sacrificial offerings of Leviticus, recognizing His sovereignty, for me, is not a “one and done” prospect. I can’t just claim Him as my Savior, I’ve got to LIVE that claim. And while that no longer involves taking sacrifices to priests, I think it does involve looking at how I live and how I treat people and how I honor my Savior and making amends and corrections when I fall short.
Leviticus 6:3a “or if they find lost property and lie about it….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your fierce love. You want us to love You and love others. You want us to shine Your light and encourage Your people. You want us to draw closer to You each day. Help us, Lord, to throw off every sin that entangles us and every weight that hinders us from that goal (Hebrews 12:1). Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 6:3b “…or if they swear falsely about any such sin that people may commit….”
Have a blessed day.
Know better; do better…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 5:1 “If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about….”
The Israelites were in Egypt for hundreds of years, living as slaves, but soaking up Egyptian culture nonetheless. When Moses went up on Mt Sinai for 40 days and nights, the Israelites were afraid he would not return. They pleaded with Aaron to make them a golden calf to go before them (Exodus 32). These were a struggling people, trying to get their feet under them, trying to figure out who they were outside of Egypt.
Leviticus 5:2 “If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty….”
I think that’s what all the rules, all the laws, all the specifications are about in Exodus and Leviticus—giving the Israelites specifics so that they can know better who they are and therefore do better as a people of faith. As Maya Angelou once said, “…when you know better, do better.”
Leviticus 5:17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we are Yours. Help us to know better what it means to be Your beloved so that we can do better in that role. Help us to shine Your light for all to see. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 5:18 …”In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven.”
Have a blessed day.
The process of atonement…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 4:2 …’When anyone sins unintentionally…’”
Commentary states “The idea is not so much an accidental sin, but a sin committed by a person who basically loves God” as opposed to flagrant and intentional sinning. Regardless, these chapters show that atonement for sin was a bloody business with utterly no profit, and for the tender-hearted, also a sad one.
Leviticus 4:4 He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD.
Any sacrifice had to be from the first-fruits of the livestock—without blemish. No part of the sacrifice could be used by the one offering it for any other purpose. You couldn’t keep the hide or any of the meat. There was a lot of blood—to cover the sin. And before the process began, you had to lay your hands on the animal’s head to identify with it, to transfer your guilt to the animal taking your place.
Leviticus 4:5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this understanding of the process of atonement. Thank You for sending Your Son, Yourself, as the ultimate sacrifice, so that we always have a way back to You. Thank You for loving us enough that You willingly paid the price for our sins, so that we could be restored to You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 4:11-12 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh…he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean…and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap.
Have a blessed day.
A fellowship offering…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 3:1 “If your offering is a fellowship offering….”
Today’s scripture put me in mind of all the ways we can give to God of our time and talents. Money is certainly one way, but there are so many others. I love this idea of friendship, of fellowship, as an offering to God. It puts me in mind of “Buddy Benches” on elementary playgrounds and the idea of befriending others, especially those who are outcast or on the fringes, as an extension of God’s love.
Leviticus 3:3 “From the fellowship offering you are to bring a food offering to the LORD….”
It also puts me in mind of the cooking and baking I do for those who are sick or have had babies. It’s such a small thing to cook a meal, but it can be a tremendous gift for someone who is struggling or exhausted. And I always pray for those who will receive it as I’m putting it together. I think that extension of friendship and fellowship makes God smile.
Leviticus 3:5 …”it is a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the myriad ways we can offer ourselves to You and Your people. Help me to make a habit daily of extending a friendship offering to You, to Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 3:16 …a pleasing aroma…
Have a blessed day.
God’s immersive, all-encompassing love…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 2:2 …an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
I am struck this morning by the sensory nature of this experience. I don’t think it is by accident. The rich visual details of the wood, the metal, and the linens in Exodus and the details about the aromas and tastes in Leviticus tell me that God wants our time with Him to be a rich, immersive experience.
Leviticus 2:9 …an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
And for some reason, the level of detail in His instruction now makes me chuckle because I know He’s talking to me and those like me who want to be sure we dot every i and cross every t because we love Him so deeply and we just want to do things right so He understands the level of our feelings.
Leviticus 2:13a Season all your grain offerings with salt….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the nature of Your immersive, all-encompassing love for us. Thank You for Your detailed instructions for those of us who need them and for calling us to Yourself, even though we fall so very short. Thank You for this gift that is a life lived in You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 2:13b …add salt to all your offerings.
Have a blessed day.
Overwhelming love…. (devo reflection)
Leviticus 1:2 …”When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or flock.”
The idea of animal sacrifice is difficult for me. I understand the rationale—if God’s laws were broken, reparation must be made by the one who broke them. I understand that the sinner, the one who broke the law, had to kill the sacrifice. I understand the sacrifice had to be from the first fruits of the sinner’s stock—a choice animal without blemish. All of these things were so that the price for sin cost the sinner something personal.
Leviticus 1:9 …It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
But I’m just not sure I could do what was to be done. I don’t think my heart could handle taking that innocent life, even the life of an animal, especially if it was because of my own wrongdoings. Then I think of what Jesus did for me. He offered Himself in my place—innocent, blameless, undefiled. He took my punishment so that I could have a restored relationship with God. I am awed and humbled.
Leviticus 1:13 …It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your overwhelming love of me. Thank You that You want so much for me to be restored to You that You paid the ultimate price for my sins. I don’t deserve that gift, but You give it freely anyway because of Your deep love. Thank You. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 1:17 …It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
Have a blessed day.
Infinite, steadfast, and true…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 32:4a He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool….
Today’s reading and Aaron’s anointing as a priest of God reminds me of a saying I’ve seen on social media: “If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this: You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.” (~ Lisa Bevere) Aaron, who made a golden idol at the Israelites request back in chapter 32, is consecrated as a priest in chapter 40, along with his sons, continuing throughout their generations.
Exodus 40:13 “Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest.”
God loves us. He has a plan for us. He wants us to have a hand in His kingdom work. But even if we do everything wrong, He will not forsake us. He can redeem us. He can still use us in a powerful way. We can’t ruin His plans. We can’t outrun His love. We can’t make Him turn His back on us. But He will never ever force Himself on us. He waits for us to realize our need for Him and invite Him in, but He will never decline our invitation. Thank You, Jesus.
Exodus 40:14 “Bring his sons and dress them in tunics.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that Your love is infinite, steadfast, and true. Thank You that our stubborn, pig-headed actions, our bone-headed mistakes, our gross overconfidence in ourselves cannot ruin Your love for us. Thank You for pursuing us relentlessly and for loving us fiercely. Thank You for allowing us to choose you. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 40:15 “Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.”
Have a blessed day.