Numbers 5-8
God spends a little time preparing the Israelites as they move into Canaan. He knew the land was dominated by pagans and that His people would be influenced by them. He demanded holiness, He wanted them to live in a completely different way....
He wanted them to stand out.
The "daily walk" bible explains by saying: "God's purpose is to insulate us from the influence of evil, not isolate us from the people to whom we can be a testimony."
Israel was to witness about the true God in the midst of corruption and they couldn't do that from the wilderness.
I know I'm certainly not hiding in the wilderness - I'm not isolated. But am I insulating myself as I rub shoulders with a decidedly impure world?
And more importantly are the people around me influenced by my distinctive lifestyle? or do I simply blend into the world around me....
Leviticus 21 - 27
In chapter 21:16-23, God commands Moses to tell Aaron that any descendants that have birth defects are disqualified from presenting offerings to God (being a priest).
What the heck? I thought God was all about "equal opportunity"? I don't understand that AT ALL. First of all, these are physical defects He's talking about - blind, lame, hump back, etc. - it's not even their fault!
It's not even that they are mentally disabled. They fully understand what's going on around them.
Even the way it's worded troubles me, "No one who has a defect can come near to me..." (vs 18)
I know God is God. He makes up the rules and He has reasons, I'm sure it has something to do with His holiness.
But it's those very people that Jesus is drawn to in the New Testament. It's these very contradictions that confuse me.
I turn to God's word to find out more about Him, who He is and often times I end up with more questions!
Lev 8-20
"If you obey my laws and regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord."
- Leviticus 18:5
My Daily Walk bibles asks, "Are you transformed by godliness or conformed to worldliness?"
I wondered, can you be both? Then I read the next sentence, "or are you deformed by trying to be both?
It went on to suggest a list of areas in my life in which I may be too much of a conformist so I did.
I ended up with a list that revealed just how deformed I am, most of which will remain in my personal journal. They ranged from the TV programs/movies that I watched to sacrificing my time with God for other activities.
Could my shirts be a little more modest?
What about the "questionable" jokes that I laugh at so I won't offend the person telling them?
Every single thing that was on that list, is something I can change NOW. They are actions - something I can do or control, myself, to be one step closer to being fully transformed into the likeness of Christ.
There are other things that take time to change - having more compassion, self-control, resisting thoughts of jealousy or judgment - those things will come through prayer, trials and practice. These are issues of the heart and mind.
How can I expect to be renewed in my heart and mind, if, by my actions I am conformed to the world?
The truth is, I can't. I can't walk in perfect harmony with the world and expect to be transformed into God's character. It can't be done.
I can pretend. But who wants to be deformed?
I heard a quote once and God brought it to mind today. I think it's very fitting.
"A person can't go anywhere while they are straddling a fence."
Leviticus 1-8
Leviticus. Even the name makes me yawn. I opened my bible this morning as though it was my first day working in a lawyer's office and I had to dissect an out-of-date legal document.
Remembering my journey with Exodus, however, I kept an open mind.
I began reading....
Yup. My initial opinion was pretty much correct. The book opens with a description (a VERY detailed description) of many different sacrifices. Burnt offerings, peace offerings, grain offerings, offerings of worship, offings of guilt....
Each offering was accompanied by a very specific ceremony - although very similar to the previous one. Then, if that wasn't enough, because everyone had a different financial situation, it goes on to explain what to do if your sacrifice is a bull, or if it's only a goat, or just a bird - which again...was usually quite similar.
Then, hold on to your hat! There's a review of it all....yay! I get to read it again.
Ouch.
Throughout the tediousness of these chapters, though, one verse kept ringing out.
"It was very pleasing to the Lord."
- Leviticus 1:17
As awful as it would have been to gain access and maintain fellowship with God through sacrifice...at least they had a tangible way to know they were restoring their fellowship with God and being forgiven.
As humans I think we have a natural tendency to feel like we have "to do" something in order "to get" something.
And, I guess we kind of do. Every new sin, even an unintentional one, demanded that another animal be slain. When an animal's life was given to pay the penalty of sin, the guilty person was cleansed. By placing their hands on the head of the animal (which is what they had to do), the worshippers identified with it. They clearly saw that the animal was dying for their sin as a substitute.
That made sense to me. But why couldn't God just forgive them if they asked? He's God - he can do anything he wants. I forgive people all the time, I don't make them kill something for me. (I might make them buy me lunch though...) I mean, He can see our heart. He knows if we are sincere.
So why can't He forgive us just simply because we ask?
I found the answer in my "Quest" bible, NIV version. There was a footnote that said,
"A just and holy God does not ignore sin, it has grave consequences. However, God mercifully allowed a substitute to take the place of the sinner. The substitute could suffer the consequences of sin, so the sinner would not have to die."
"God required such a gruesome payment because He did not want people to ignore the seriousness of sin. Anything less than blood would have devalued forgiveness in the eyes of the people."
"When a person heard the cries of an innocent lamb, saw it's blood spilled on the alter and smelled the smoke of it's burning flesh, he or she would be struck with a sobering thought: I deserved to die for my sin; that sheep died in my place."
Once again, as I devour a "boring ol' testament book", I'm awakened to the truth and goodness of the gospel in the New Testament - when Jesus comes!
God made it very clear that Jesus came to be to be the final sacrifice. We don't have "to do" anything but accept His gift, His innocent lamb.
