Leviticus 1-8 - Week 9

The introduction to Leviticus in the Renovare Spiritual Transformation Bible says this..."Leviticus is tough sledding for contemporary readers. It requires us to dive into a document far removed from our culture." My reply - "No kidding!" Al l this instruction on how to handle sacrifices for burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings makes my head dizzy. So what is the point to us in the 21st century?

Leviticus reminds us that as His people, we live differently. God has order. God requires the best of us. God demands confession of sin and reconciliation of broken relationships. In the Old Testament context, Leviticus records God's instructions. The instructions are direct from God to Moses..."The Lord summoned Moses and spoke to him..." (chap 1:1) Before Jesus, there is animal sacrifice. (Do you remember your reading in Hebrews about this? Hebrews 7:27) So in Leviticus we must remember it is God, again, revealing to His people ways to be in relationship with Him.

So, my friends...be tough. Read Leviticus and ask God to show you some wisdom from this book. Here are a couple questions for your personal reflection:

1. Think about sacrifice. What does it mean to you? to you as a Christian? to you as a family member? When the Hebrews are ordered to bring their animals for a sacrifice, it would have been costly to them. When was the last time you did something for God that was sacrificial?

2. I noticed as I read these chapters, God wanted perfect animals for the offerings. I believe God wants our best too. Instead of our leftovers - you know "if I have time" or "when the kids are bigger" or "soon my job won't demand so much of me" type of excuses for our lack of commitment to Him, He wants to be first. He demands to be first. Following God, is a difficult task. Not following God is personal disaster. What is God asking of you? What keeps you for giving it?

3. There is a lot of blood in Leviticus. In our media culture, we think of CSI or NCIS dealing with splatterings of blood. It is not usually a good thing. However, in Leviticus, we must remember blood is the cleansing agent for our sin. Jesus offers the ultimate sacrifice as the "perfect lamb." I am grateful. Aren't you? What does Jesus dying for you really mean to you?

Remember: Pray before you study these scriptures. Ask for direction. Use these questions to help you take the scriptures into your heart, not just your head.

Blessings....