Month: February 2020

Leviticus 18:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the LORD your God.’”
Commentary states that at that time, Israel was “the only kingdom that specifically recognized Yahweh as their King and Covenant God.” They had just left hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, and they were headed to Canaan, and God wanted to be sure they knew how to act as His people. The golden calf incident showed that they clearly needed a refresher.
Leviticus 18:3 ‘“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.’”
At this point, I feel like a bit of a broken record, but the whole of Leviticus seems to be God saying to the Israelites, “This is who You are in me. You need to reclaim that identity. You need to live that truth. The world will try to pull You from me. You MUST know who you are in Me so that You don’t let that happen.” I know that I, personally, can definitely benefit from that same message today. Thank You, Jesus.
Leviticus 18:4 “‘You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the LORD your God.’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of my identity in You. Help me to never forget that I am Your deeply loved child. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 18:5 “‘Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.’”
Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 17:1 The LORD said to Moses….

These chapters still seem to be about establishing the Israelites identity in God. He wants them to put aside pagan ways and be in relationship with only Him. The human side of me wants to sigh and roll my eyes, wondering when in the world they will finally get it.

Leviticus 17:2a …”Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the people of Israel…”

But deep inside, I recognize myself and my own actions in the fickle Israelites. When I am left to wait and hope, I worry and fret, seeking assurance from man when God seems silent. Jesus, help me.

Leviticus 17:2b “Tell them: ‘This is what the LORD has commanded.”

Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I need to root myself deeply in You. It’s easy to judge the Israelites, but in the stillness of my heart, I see I need to build the same sense of identity in You to keep me steady in the waiting. Help me define myself only in You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Leviticus 17:5 “This rule is so people will bring their sacrifices, which they have been sacrificing in the open fields, to the LORD.”

Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 16:2 The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place ….”
I feel the sting of Aaron’s separation from God. He was only allowed in God’s presence once a year, and stringent preparations had to be completed first. Then I think with some guilt on my own open invitation to the foot of my Savior’s throne. Jesus finished the work of atonement, leaving me with unrestricted access to God.
Leviticus 16:34a. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you….”
That access is a gift, but do I treat it as such? That’s where the aforementioned guilt comes in. Do I treat my open communication with God as the sacred gift it is? I don’t have to wait for a once-a-year invitation. I don’t have to go through atonement rituals. I can and do sit at His feet every morning in earnest conversation. What a precious gift. Thank You, Jesus.
Leviticus 16:34b “…Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that my relationship with You is a gift. Thank You for sitting with me every morning, for drawing me closer, for helping me understand more of You. Help me never to lose sight of what a precious gift this time with You is. Amen.
Leviticus 16:34c And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 15:2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has an unusual discharge, such a discharge is unclean.’”
Commentary was very helpful in my quest to understand today’s scripture. There was a distinction that discharge of this kind from man or woman didn’t make them sinful, only unclean. Semen and menstruation specifically “were so regarded…because the two are connected with symbols of life and redemption.”
Leviticus 15:16 “‘When a man has an emission of semen, he must bathe his whole body with water, and he will be unclean till evening.’”
Background in commentary also mentioned that “…in the ancient world it was common to worship the gods by having sex with temple prostitutes.” This scripture helped remind the Israelites that this behavior was not proper worship for the one true God. 
Leviticus 15:18 “When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this opportunity to learn more about You and the Israelites. Thank You that we understand basic hygiene and proper church etiquette, that You know our hearts. Thank You for the rich diversity of Your word and the layers of knowledge and understanding that I gain as I continue to study it. Draw me closer. Amen.
Acts 15:8 “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 13:2 “When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a shiny spot on their skin that may be a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to a Aaron the priest….”
This chapter causes me great conflict. I see the public health aspect of the inspection and isolation of those with contagious skin diseases. In light of the fact that at their heart, all of Leviticus’s rules seem to be aimed at keeping the Jewish people healthy so they could stay in communion with God, that isolation makes sense.
Leviticus 13:9 “When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest.”
But humans usually take things too far. And by the time Jesus walked among them, lepers had become a living parable of what sin does to a person. “…many Jews thought two things about a leper: You are the walking dead and you deserve this because this is the punishment of God against you.” Such attitudes, both then and now, can be incredibly dangerous.
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!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your overwhelming love and mercy. You gave us laws to allow us communion with You. You gave us Jesus to show us perfect love, grace, and mercy. Help us to love You and love others with that same depth of compassion as Jesus exemplified. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 13:46 As long as they have disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
Have a blessed day. 

Leviticus 12:2 …A women who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
Many of the things that I have read about Leviticus talks about how the laws in this book helped the Jewish people to be healthier than other cultures, allowing them to live longer lives. Commentary on Leviticus 12 suggests similar benefits from the imposed isolation of mother and child after birth. There was also mention of the benefit of the bonding time that that isolation allows the new family.
Leviticus 12:3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.
There are wide opinions, however, about the requirement for the sin offering at the end of the days of purification. One source says the sin offering was required because God wanted all to remember “that with every birth another sinner was brought into the world.” Another source very clearly delineates evidence as to why the sin offering is required simply because of the issuance of blood during birth. Quite a range of opinions on the matter.
Leviticus 12:4 Then the women must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your desire to have Your people healthy and in communion with You. Continue to give me wisdom and understanding as I seek a closer relationship with You through Your word. Draw me closer. Amen.
Leviticus 12:5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.
Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 11:43a Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures….
Once again with this chapter I was struck with the thought that there are So. Many. Rules. Commentary, however, reminded me that “God was not making up new rules for Israel….God was simply codifying what was already in the traditions of Israel.” They had been slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. He wanted to remind them of what to do so that He could be in relationship with them.
Leviticus 11:43b … Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them.
Leviticus 11:44-45 reminds them of the fact that God is holy, and for Him to be able to be in relationship with them, they have to be holy as well. Suddenly, all those rules and regulations become a loving reminder from their God, a God of relationship. He wants to be with them. Following these rules will allow them that opportunity. 
Leviticus 11:44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You love us deeply and want to be in relationship with us. Help us to be ever mindful of Leviticus 10:3 in our relationship with You—to regard You as holy and to seek to glorify You when we come near. Draw us closer. Amen.
Leviticus 11:45 I am the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
Have a blessed day.

Leviticus 10:1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
When I read the beginning of this chapter, my first thought was that I am so glad that we CAN approach God on our own because of Jesus’s sacrifice. But commentary gave me pause with the comment: “Whatever their exact motivation, it wasn’t holiness unto the LORD.”
Leviticus 10:2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Yes, we can approach God without the aid of intercessors, but the purpose must be to glorify God, to draw closer to Him. You might wonder what other purpose there could be, or like me, you might instantly be put in mind of people who try to use God as a weapon, people who try to put God in their back pocket, people who claim intimate knowledge of the mind of God and condemn and judge in His name because of it. Glory to God does not come from such behavior.
Leviticus 10:3a And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’” 
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we CAN come to You but that our hearts must be in the right place, our purpose must be pure—we must regard You as holy and seek to glorify You. Draw us closer. Help us shine Your light. Amen.
Leviticus 10:3b So Aaron held his peace.
Have a blessed day.