Bible Reading Reflection from Leviticus 1-10

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟙:𝟛

"If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD."

God demands the best and the choicest offering. King David was right to not offer unto God that didn't cost him anything!

I know many people who have the habit of giving their best currency note on Sunday Offering. Whenever they encounter a clean note, they would often say, "Oh! This one is for offering" and they would save it!

Apart from money, I am thinking about other things. Well, going to church should cost me (stretching David's philosophy): maybe an auto fare, my time, my energy to lay chairs, my vulnerabilities to open up, my comfort to get along with others, etc.

Worshipping God must cost us something. The choicest of the herd, the best of livestock given to God.

It costs the life of His most beloved Son for God to accept our worship!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟚:𝟙𝟛

"You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt."

Salt is that important, nay, necessary! Salt preserves, endures.

Maybe I should start enriching my vocabulary with this word. The covenant of salt!

"Is your relationship with God salted?" Something like that! 😅

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟛:𝟝

"Then Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD."

Sacrifices are to please God. It matters what and how offerings are made. God accepted Abel, but rejected Cain.

But what matters more than what one offers, is the theology behind the offering.

Well, I can think of three essential elements to make a right offering:

1. Right Material (goat, sheep, pigeon, etc.)

2. Right Theology behind the offering.

3. Right Attitude. It's thankfulness to God for His grace and mercy. Psalm 50 is rich in the doctrine of offering and sacrifice, BTW!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟜:𝟚

"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the LORD's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them.’"

The Mosaic Law has two categories of sin: Intentional and Unintentional. In New Testament, Jesus talked about Unpardonable Sin and Pardonable Sin. Apostle John talks about Sin that leads to death and sin that doesn't lead to death. Interesting. They are different and similar in many ways.

But one thing is clear. God regards all sin to be serious. We can't afford to be self-righteous. The good news is that God offers forgiveness for all sins to those who would call upon His name!

If this is not a sobering yet comforting truth, I don't know what is!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟝:𝟙𝟙

"But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering."

The God of the Old Testament is a Gracious God. It's a false dichotomy to say that the Old Testament is Law and the New Testament is Grace. Everyone that is saved is saved by Grace both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, Now, and also in the Age to come.

Noah found Grace in the sight of God, remember?

If they couldn't afford a lamb for a sin offering, God allowed them two pigeons. If they can't afford even those, then a portion of flour.

Abraham tried to bargain with the Angel of the Lord not to destroy Sodom-Gomorrah. God was gracious to accept his bargain, except that there were none righteous. Abraham gave up!

Gracious God is Yahweh!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟞:𝟝

"Or anything about which he has sworn falsely, he shall restore it in full and shall add a fifth to it, and give it to him to whom it belongs on the day he realizes his guilt."

Not just simply returning, but with a fine/interest of 20%

Zacchaeus’ restitution was 400%

Repentance changes from stealing to giving. Bad deeds to good deeds.

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟟:𝟚𝟘

"But the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD's peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people."

Should we read this verse before the Lord's Table (Communion)? Should a person avoid Communion if he is convicted of any sin in his life?

Well, this is not about Christian Communion, but the principles are identical!

God is God; He is not a man. We can't treat God like us. I hate people who treated me like them. Years ago, I went to a high school reunion, and they expected (actually mandated) me to behave like them, take a bottle and drink like them. Well, I wasn't like them. They can berate me, undermine me, mock me, or hold me in contempt, I am not going to be like them.

I have another friend in Seminary, a godly man. One of our professors required us to read 7 books in a week and to write a review for each of them. He could have told us in advance. So, most of us decided to not comply and lose our grades. We thought my friend would also join us. He was not like us. He finished his assignments without a word of complaint. And it was stupid of me to consider him that he was just like me. He was not.

The book of Leviticus shows how God is holy. He is different. He is other. He must be treated, worshipped, adored, obeyed differently. So, it is full of regulations.

May we never bring God down to our casual level! He is holy, and demands holiness from every creature!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟠:𝟞

"And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water."

Priests are set apart from the congregation. High Priest is set apart even from the Priests.

Man always loves to rebel, to disregard authorities. Man wants to treat everyone as his equal at his best and abuse at other times! But we must be reminded that there's such thing as sacred and others as common. Some [stupid] person will say Monday to Saturday is as sacred as Sunday. If so, no day is sacred. Every day is common. Even a non-Christian psychologist, Jordan Peterson knows that well. If everything is valuable, nothing is valuable. If coal is as valuable as gold, there's no value of gold!

Even among people of God, the LORD demands that some people must be set apart among all!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟡:𝟞

"And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you."

Moses prayed, "Show me Your Glory" and God showed him the back part of God.

Aaron needed to see the glory of God, Moses instructed him carefully. We all need to see the glory of God. Isaiah, a young boy saw the glory of God and his life was never the same anymore.

We see the glory of God in His Son. We see the Son in His words and in the inner testimony of the Spirit. We see the glory of God in the fellowship of the saints.

It's there, we just need to see. Sometimes, we must pray like Moses!

 

𝕃𝔼𝕍𝕀𝕋𝕀ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝟙𝟘:𝟛

"Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying, 'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept silent."

God cares that people worship Him rightly, with honor and reverence, for He is a holy God. He struck the sons of Aaron dead. Aaron was told to not mourn but to live normal as a high priest.

Later on, God would strike Uzzah dead, David was afraid.

Centuries later, God would strike a couple dead, Ananias and Saphira.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty🎼