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.
The little things…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 38:1 He made the alter of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.
Exodus 38 and 39 is a continuation of Exodus 37–the people are building and creating all that the LORD had commanded Moses, according to His exact specifications. Exodus 39:26 even talks about the decorations on the hem of the robe. This says to me that God absolutely cares about the details of our lives.
Exodus 39:5 And the skillfully woven band on it was of one piece with it and made like it, of gold, blue, and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Again, as in Exodus 36, I find this incredibly comforting instead of overwhelming. God cares about the details. He cares about the little things like bells and pomegranates around the hem of a robe. He cares about where I go, what I do, what I say, the choices I make. They matter. I matter. The details are important.
Exodus 39:26 …a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate around the hem of the robe for ministering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are a part of every aspect of my life, even the seemingly insignificant details. Thank You for that level of loving care. Help me, especially during those times where I feel insignificant myself, to remember that You care deeply about the details. The little things matter a great deal to You. I matter a great deal to You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 39:32 Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished, and the people of Israel did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses; so they did.
Have a blessed day.
The beautiful fierceness of His love…. (devo reflection)
Eph 3:16 I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being….
One of the reflections I read in the mornings led me back to Eph 3 this morning, and I was struck with the beauty that is the prayer in Eph 3:16-21.
Eph 3:17a …so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
May Christ strengthen you with the power of His Spirit through your inner being. May you, rooted and established in love, have the ability to grasp the magnitude and the depth and the beautiful fierceness of His love for you—no matter what.
Eph 3:17b And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder of Your all-encompassing, over-flowing, never-ending love for us. May we understand that nothing we can ever do will sever Your love for us, that You provided a way back to You through Your Son, that You will welcome us with open arms. Be our compass, our shield, our refuge. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Eph 3:18 …may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ….
Have a blessed day. I love you.
A matter of perspective…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 37:1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood.
I find it incredibly interesting that I read all the specifics today with a sense of comfort instead of the overwhelm I felt when God was giving the instructions and dimensions to Moses. Bezalel knew exactly how to build everything because God had been incredibly specific about how He wanted it.
Exodus 37:10 He also made the table of acacia wood.
Perhaps it has to do with my own personal comfort level. If you give me specifics about how you want something done, I can amaze you in the doing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I’ve wrapped up first semester and that stress is no longer wearing on me. Regardless, it is a much needed reminder that my feelings are fickle and I should not trust them.
Exodus 37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are outside of my fickle feelings, that You care deeply about the details of my life, that Your care is a comfort and not a restriction. Thank You for pursuing me with Your steadfast love. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 37:25 He made the alter of incense of acacia wood.
Have a blessed day. I love you.
The spirit of giving…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 36:3a And they received from Moses all the contributions that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary.
This past Christmas season, my church did something called “Live simply so that others may simply live.” We had the opportunity to “adopt” residents at a local memory care facility, donate sleeping bags and air mattresses for homeless youth in our area, and buy farm animals to send to those in foreign countries. So many ways to help others.
Exodus 36:3b They still kept bringing him freewill offerings every morning.
One of the neatest things to come from it, besides the overwhelming involvement and outpouring from our church community, was the stories of folks who talked to others about the opportunities. Many folks ended up bringing in donations that coworkers had given or talked about how others took the idea back to their own churches. It was definitely a season of giving.
Exodus 36:5 …”The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the freewill offerings that come pouring out when we align ourselves with Your will. Thank You for allowing us to live simply so that others may simply live. Draw us closer. Amen.
Exodus 36:7 …for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.
Have a blessed day. I love you.
Giving willingly…. (devo reflection)
Exodus 35:21 …and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the LORD….
God knows the difference between a cheerful giver and a grudging one. He understands our thoughts and motivations. Even if we fool the world with our actions, God understands our motives. And He wants us to give willingly, whether we are giving of our time, our resources, or our talents.
Exodus 35:22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds….
Sadly, this is an area where I struggle mightily at times, mostly in the giving of my time. I am an extreme introvert. People often exhaust me, and I find renewal in solitude, so when an obligation—even the name bespeaks grudgingness—necessitates my time, I can often be quite grumpy about it. Jesus, Help me.
Exodus 35:26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun goat hair.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You have work for me to do, and that You call for me to give of my time, talents, and resources cheerfully. Help me to be a cheerful giver, LORD. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Exodus 35:29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
Have a blessed day.