Humble Your Souls.

Leviticus 15-16

This shall be a permanent statute for you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you. for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. – Leviticus 16:30-31 NASB

There are two interesting chapters to read together. One has to do with uncleanness due to different kinds of bodily emissions or discharges. Not exactly the kind of thing you want to read before breakfast. But then the following chapter outlines the Day of Atonement, the one day each year when the High Priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of the people. Chapter 15 describes the uncleanness of the people. It seems that there were all kinds of things that could make them unclean and separate them from fellowship with God. In fact, the word "unclean" appears at least 32 times in chapter 15 alone. God seems to be contrasting His own holiness and man's inherent unholiness. The Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary on Leviticus says this:

Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness--The divine wisdom was manifested in inspiring the Israelites with a profound reverence for holy things; and nothing was more suited to this purpose than to debar from the tabernacle all who were polluted by any kind of uncleanness, ceremonial as well as natural, mental as well as physical. The better to mark out that people as His family, His servants and priests, dwelling in the camp as in a holy place, consecrated by His presence and His tabernacle, He required of them complete purity, and did not allow them to come before Him when defiled, even by involuntary or secret impurities, as a want of respect due to His majesty. And when we bear in mind that God was training a people to live in His presence in some measure as priests devoted to His service, we shall not consider these rules for the maintenance of personal purity either too stringent or too minute.

Over in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul reminds us that God's requirement of holiness still stands: "For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to possess his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NET). Impurity marked the lives of the people of God. Natural acts and bodily functions could render them unclean, because of the very presence of sin in their lives. They were surrounded by sin and, in essence, infected by sin. So there was a constant need for purification. But one day a year, God provided for a way to have their sins atoned or paid for. It was the Day of Atonement. But in order for that day to take place, even the High Priest, the Tabernacle, the altar, and the Holy of Holies itself all had to be cleansed and atoned for. Why? Because it was surrounded by sin. It existed in the midst of sin. "He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities" (Leviticus 16:16 NASB). Even the dwelling place of God Himself had to be cleansed because of the contaminating effects of sin. Sin is pervasive. It spreads. It contaminates.

Which is why we should come into the presence of God humbly. God tells the people that on the Day of Atonement, they were to humble their souls. This refers to not only the humiliation of the heart for sin and by repentance of it, but includes fasting as well. They were to literally "bow down" their soul before God. They were to admit their sinfulness and come to Him for cleansing. They were to acknowledge their need for His sacrifice and cleansing. Chapter 15 reminds them that even natural bodily functions that they could not control could render them unclean before God. They could not more stop those things from happening as to stop breathing. It pictures the pervasiveness of sin. We sin without even knowing it. We become unclean without even being aware of it. Which is why we should humbly come before God – admitting our constant need for Him and the cleansing work of His Son on the cross. Like the Tabernacle, we are set apart by God, but we are still surrounded by sin. We are still influenced by sin. We still commit sin. So we need to humble our souls daily and come before Him for cleansing, as we admit our sins and confess them to Him. We humble our souls and He faithfully forgives and cleanses us from all our unrighteousness.

Father, thank You for always being faithful to forgive. Thank You that sin, while pervasive, is not permanent. It can't keep me from You. If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. All I have to do is humble my soul before You and admit that I need You. Amen

Infection in the Camp.

Leviticus 13-14

The whole time he has the infection he will be continually unclean. He must live in isolation, and his place of residence must be outside the camp. – Leviticus 13:46 NET

Chapters 13-14 are some of the most detailed portions of the book of Leviticus and they deal solely with the disease of leprosy. At first glance, it appears to be a topic that has little to do with us today. Evidently, it was a huge problem in their day. Due to the nature of their time spent wandering in the wilderness, exposed to all kinds of heat, infection, insects, and skin disorders, it was very important that they be able to spot infectious diseases promptly. The last thing they needed was for a disease to spread throughout the camp. It could be devastating. Leprosy was greatly feared. It was an infectious disease characterized by disfiguring skin sores, nerve damage, and progressive debilitation. People usually didn't die from leprosy, but from other diseases contracted as a result of it. Because it attacked the nerves, people infected by leprosy were prone to burning themselves in fires or cutting themselves and not knowing it. Those wounds would then get infected leading to further issues. All forms of the disease eventually cause nerve damage in the arms and legs, which causes sensory loss in the skin and muscle weakness. People with long-term leprosy may lose the use of their hands or feet due to repeated injury resulting from lack of sensation.

So you can see why this was serious. And why God has Moses spend so much time warning the people about it. They were not to take the presence of this disease in their midst lightly. Which makes me think that leprosy is representative of the sin that so often exists in our lives and in our faith communities. It begins subtly. Like leprosy, it starts small and inauspiciously. But it is no less dangerous. Even small sins usually lead to more significant ones. Leprosy spread. So does sin. The Israelites were to take it seriously. We are to take sin seriously.

These instructions regarding leprosy given to Moses by God Himself are full of details regarding not only the identification of the disease, but for the cleansing of it. As long as someone had the disease they were to remain apart from the rest of the camp. They were separated, living in isolation and outside the rest of the community. Leprosy separated. So does sin. It is a serious, spreading infection that takes its toll not just on the individual, but on the community at large. Paul took sin seriously and warned about it. "If anyone is causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with that person" (Titus 3:10 NLT). "And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things that are contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people" (Romans 16:17-18 NLT). In regards to the Corinthians believers, Paul was pretty blunt. "I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you, something so evil that even the pagans don’t do it. I am told that you have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father’s wife. And you are so proud of yourselves! Why aren’t you mourning in sorrow and shame? And why haven’t you removed this man from your fellowship?" (1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NLT). Sin was serious to Paul. He knew how to spot it and he knew how to deal with it. Because he knew how dangerous it was to the body of Christ. Just as leprosy was dangerous to the people of God in Moses day. It could spread. It could wreak havoc. It could destroy from within. So it had to be dealt with. Just as sin should be dealt with today. In our individual lives and within the faith community. We are not to tolerate it or take it lightly. It is dangerous. We are to lovingly confront the sin in our camp. "My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins" (James 5:19-20 NLT).

Father, help us to fear sin just as much as the Israelites feared leprosy. Help us to take it seriously and see it as dangerous in our midst. Give us a boldness to confront one another lovingly, but persistently about the presence of sin in our lives. So that we can enjoy forgiveness and cleansing. Amen

In Need Of Purification.

Leviticus 12

When the time of purification is completed for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a year–old lamb for a whole burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtledove for a purification offering. She must take her offerings to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle. – Leviticus 12:6 NLT

We would all agree that the birth of a child is a happy occasion that usually brings joy with it. But in this twelfth chapter we see an interesting illustration played out for us. In chapter 11, God spent a great deal of time talking about unclean versus clean, holy verses unholy – when it comes to animals. Now He switches and begins addressing this issue in regards to human beings. And He starts with childbirth. God tells the people that when a woman gives birth, she is to be considered unclean because of her contact with blood. She would be required to go through purification. Until she did, she could not enter the Tabernacle. And the child born to her, if a male, was not to be circumcised until the eighth day, one day after she would have been pronounced clean. Why? The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary On the Whole Bible says this,

"This ceremonial uncleanness which the law laid women in child-bed under was to signify the pollution of sin which we are all conceived and born in (Psalms 51:5). For, if the root be impure, so is the branch, Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? If sin had not entered, nothing but purity and honour had attended all the productions of that great blessing, Be fruitful and multiply; but now that the nature of man is degenerated the propagation of that nature is laid under these marks of disgrace, because of the sin and corruption that are propagated with it, and in remembrance of the curse upon the woman that was first in the transgression. That in sorrow (to which it is here further added in shame) she should bring forth children. And the exclusion of the woman for so many days from the sanctuary, and all participation of the holy things, signified that our original corruption (that sinning sin which we brought into the world with us) would have excluded us for ever from the enjoyment of God and his favours if he had not graciously provided for our purifying.

The mother had to be purified before the child could be circumcised. The mother had to bring a burnt offering and a sin offering. These were not-so-subtle reminders to the parents that there is such a thing as original sin, and that the child born to them had inherited a fallen and sinful nature. The sin nature of man is passed down from one generation to the next. Our kids are born with sin natures. And it doesn't take long before it becomes apparent.

Sin is significant in God's eyes. Purity is serious to Him. Sin always separates us from God and His desire is that we would be pure. And thankfully God came up with a once-for-all way to solve this dilemma through Jesus Christ's death on the cross. He paid for our sins once and for all. He offers us a way to stand as clean before the Father without the need for further sacrifices or rituals of purification. Our children, though born into sin, still have a hope, because there is still a Savior. "He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right" (Titus 2:14 NLT).

Father, You take sin seriously. Help me to do the same. I know I am forgiven and have been cleansed from all unrighteousness, but I still sin – daily. And my sin must be confessed. You are faithful and just to forgive my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness, but I still need to confess it. Thank You for sending Your Son to make this all possible. No more sacrifices. No more rituals for purification. Just forgiveness freely given. Amen

Disobedient Sacrifice.

Leviticus 10-11

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. – Leviticus 10:1 NLT

It didn't take long. It seems that immediately after the whole sacrificial system got started, it got messed up by two of the very people who were responsible for it – Nadab and Abihu – the two sons of Aaron. These two guys had been consecrated by Moses as priests to serve with their father in the Tabernacle. But it seems that they were unqualified for their role. They may have been set apart in terms of their role, but they were far from set apart in their hearts. Because we are told they offered "strange fire" on the altar. That word "strange" means foreign of loathsome. They burned something they were not supposed to burn. They disobeyed the specific commands of God and did things their own way. Some believe they may have even been drunk, because a prohibition against drinking immediately follows their punishment (Leviticus 10:9). But irregardless of whether they were drunk or sober, they were disobedient, and the result was their deaths. Moses tells us that fire came out from the presence of God Himself and consumed them. On other words, God Himself killed them. They "died before the Lord" (Leviticus 10:2).

God reminds Moses and all the people, "By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored" (Leviticus 10:3 NASB). The crime of these two men was so serious that Aaron and his family were not allowed to go through the normal mourning process. The holiness of God was to trump their heartache and loss. What Nadab and Abihu had done was an affront to the Holy God of Israel. It reminds me of what happened to Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts 5. They are the ones who gave money to the church from land they had sold, but lied about how much they had made off of the sale. Their deception resulted in their deaths. And we're told, "By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with" (Acts 5:11 MSG).

God is holy. He is to be honored and respected. He is not to be trifled with. Yet we so often take Him lightly. We do not show Him the honor and respect He deserves. We come before Him flippantly and casually. In many ways we offer our own brand of "strange fire." We do things our way and on our own terms. And while our actions may not result in physical death, it does often lead to dead-like faith, lacking in power and vitality. God says,"I will be treated as holy." He demands it. He expects it. Just going through the motions of sacrifice was not enough for Nadab and Abihu. They thought they could do the sacrifice their way and get away with it. They thought they could ignore God's commands and live to talk about it. But they were wrong. I really believe that these two guys were drunk on the job. Listen to what God tells Aaron: "You and your descendants must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink before going into the Tabernacle. You are to distinguish between what is holy and what is ordinary, what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean" (Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT). They were impaired by alcohol. They were unable to discern clean from unclean, holy from unholy. They offered to God a sacrifice that was unholy and unclean. They offended a holy God by their ineptitude and died because of it. How often do we let our senses become dulled by the things of this world. We get "drunk" on the ways of the world and then try to offer God sacrifices that are unholy and contaminated by our constant time spent in the world. We are told to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God, but how often are we unclean because we have allowed ourselves to be made that way by our constant contact with the world. We come before God and attempt to serve Him without even confessing our sins. Paul says, "Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1 NET). We are to be holy and pleasing to God. That requires confession and cleansing. To not do so is to offer "strange fire" before God. It is to take God lightly and offer Him acts of service that are unclean and unholy. God demands holiness. He is serious about it. Are we?

Father, forgive me for the many times I take my times with you for granted and offer you "strange fire." You are a holy God who demands holy sacrifice from Your people. Help me to take that seriously. Amen

Acceptable Sacrifice.

Leviticus 8-9

Next Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community. Fire blazed forth from the LORD’s presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw all this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground. – Leviticus 9:23-24 NLT

Wow! What a show! Can you imagine what that scene must have been like. For seven days Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons have been going through the ordination process to prepare them to serve as priests before the Lord and on behalf of the people. Each day they have slaughtered a bull and two rams and offered them up as sin offerings, burnt offerings and an offering of ordination. That's seven bulls and 14 rams – just for Aaron and his sons. Then on the eighth day they did it again. This time it was a calf, a bull, and a ram. Then it was time for the people to get involved. They were instructed to bring a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering, an ox and a ram for a peace offering, and grain for a peace offering. That is a lot of bulls, rams, goats, and sheep. What a noise they must have made. What a scene that must have been. And there was a purpose behind all their ritual. This was not just a religious ceremony – a going through the motions affair. They were hoping to see the glory of the Lord. Moses told them, "When you have followed these instructions from the LORD, the glorious presence of the LORD will appear to you" (Leviticus 9:6 NLT). Now that's motivation. What if we knew that our acts of sacrifice and obedience would guarantee that we would see God's glory? What it change our behavior? Would it alter how we respond? What if we came to our times of corporate worship with the expectancy that our obedience to worship Him would bring us into His glory?

Most of us don't expect to see God's glory. We don't anticipate an appearance from God when we serve faithfully and sacrifice willingly. For most of us it has become a religious ceremony with little or no fanfare and no anticipation of God showing up. But that day, Moses and the people saw something amazing as a result of their sacrifice. God was watching and God appeared to them in all His might and power. "…the glorious presence of the LORD appeared to the whole community" (Leviticus 9:23 NLT). They all got to see His glory. Not just Moses. Not just Aaron and his sons. Not just the elders. Not just the more religious among them. NO, everyone got to see God's glory. The whole community. And it made an impact. They knew they were in the presence of God. All this ritual was purposeful. Yes, it was for their atonement and the forgiveness of their sins. But more than that, it was so that they might stand in the presence of the Almighty God of the universe! That was the real purpose. And when we give away our lives in service and sacrifice, when we willingly do those things God has called us to do, we should do so with an anticipation of seeing God's glory revealed in our lives and in our community. We should desire to see His power on display among us. And when it happens we will react just as they did. "When the people saw all this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground" (Leviticus 9:24 NLT). The presence of God always brings about the worship of God. Do you long to see Him in all His glory? Do you long to experience His power in your life? Then faithfully sacrifice.

And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 2:5 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice––the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? – Romans 12:1 NLT

Father, may my life be a living sacrifice to you each day. May I obey You faithfully, serve You willingly, and please You always. May my life be pleasing to You. And as a result, may I see Your glory revealed in and around my life. Amen.

Unacceptable Sacrifice.

Leviticus 6-7

If any of the meat from this peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted by the LORD. It will have no value as a sacrifice, and you will receive no credit for bringing it as an offering. By then, the meat will be contaminated; if you eat it, you will have to answer for your sin. – Leviticus 7:18 NLT

After reading just seven chapters of the book of Leviticus, it should be painfully clear that God is serious about this stuff. He does not take the topic of sacrifice lightly. The level of detail and specification is amazing – almost confusing. There are so many different scenarios and situations to consider. There are so many different kinds of sacrifices and offerings with their own set of rules and requirements. But one requirement that I found extremely interesting concerned the eating of what was left over of a peace offering. You could make a peace offering as an act of thanksgiving, for deliverance, for answers to prayer, healing, and more. You could offer it as part of a vow or purely as a freewill or voluntary act. In other words, you could just decide to offer a peace offering to God on your own and not out of any sense of guilt or compulsion. But in all cases of the peace offering, the one making the offering could eat what was left over. In essence, God shared the sacrifice with the one making the sacrifice. But there were certain caveats. In the case of a thanksgiving peace offering, what was left over had to be eaten that same day. In the case of a vow or voluntary peace offering, you had to eat it that day or the day after, but you could not eat it on the third day. It had to be burned.

Why? What was God's intent? These "leftovers" could be taken home by the one making the offering. They could even share them with their family and friends. But they had to be eaten within the time frame allotted. It seems that God wanted His people to see that there was a difference between this meat and any other meat they might eat. This was meat that had been sacrificed to Him. He was sharing it with them. It was His gift to them and it was to be treated with a certain degree of honor and respect.

One of the reasons God may have wanted the meat eaten immediately was to prevent any kind of decay from setting in. Without refrigeration, the shelf life of meat was not long – unless of course you used salt as a preservative, which would have dried out the meat and changed both its texture and flavor. God did not want what had been dedicated to Him and shared by Him to become contaminated in any way, so it must be eaten quickly. Another reason for the command to eat it within the time frame given by God is so that the one who made the sacrifice would be more willing to share it with others in an attempt to ensure that it was all eaten. God seems to be encouraging hospitality. The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible says this, "The flesh of the peace-offerings was God’s treat, and therefore God would have the disposal of it; and he orders it to be used generously for the entertainment of their friends, and charitably for the relief of the poor, to show that he is a bountiful benefactor, giving us all things richly to enjoy, the bread of the day in its day."

There seems to be a degree to which God is teaching His people about His providence and provision. It reminds me of His commands concerning manna. They were to collect only enough for that day. If they attempted to collect more, any excess rotted. They were to trust God for each day's provision. It would have been easy for the people of Israel to attempt to hoard this meat for future use. After all, it was some of the finest meat available. But God wanted it used up and given out in acts of hospitality and generosity. In a similar way we have been given gifts by God. His Holy Spirit has assured that every child of God has been given a gift by God. As we give our lives to Him, He gives a part of Himself to us in the form of spiritual gifts. And those gifts are to be used up and given away to those around us. They are not to be hoarded or selfishly used for our own good. They are given to us to share with those around us. They are given to bless the entire body of Christ.

God is gracious enough to share with us. We in turn are to graciously share with others. In doing so, we are reminded that what we have comes from Him. It is not ours to keep, but to give away.

Father, You have given me so much. You have blessed me with eternal life and spiritual gifts. May I never take them for granted or hoard them. May I give my gifts away. May I use them up daily and not selfishly keep them to myself. It is the least I can do for all that You have done for me. Amen.

Guilt and Sin.

Leviticus 5

When you are guilty, immediately confess the sin that you've committed. and bring to the LORD as their penalty a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This will be a sin offering to remove their sin, and the priest will make atonement for them. – Leviticus 5:5-6 NLT

Guilt and sin. In our society, we try to ignore both. But in God's view, both are a daily reality and a constant source of the separation from Him that we endure. In the verses above we see that guilt is tied to sin and sin must be confessed. In that day, the guilt and sin required a sin offering in order for the sin to be removed. In verse 15 of the same chapter we read, "If any of the people sin by unintentionally defiling the LORD’s sacred property, they must bring to the LORD a ram from the flock as their guilt offering." In this case a person has sinned – unintentionally – not willfully. But irregardless, they were to bring a guilt offering to the Lord. They were to confess their guilt. Guilt and sin. They go hand in hand. Yet in our day and age, we try to justify sin and ignore guilt.

In God's economy, sin and guilt are inseparable. Look back at these two passages again. They tell us that if a person is guilty he is required to bring a sin offering. And if a person sins, he will need to bring a guilt offering. In God's mind guilt and sin go hand in hand. You can't sin and not experience guilt. And the presence of guilt is usually closely associated with sin. Sin leaves you guilty – legally. But it can also leave you guilty – emotionally. We have learned to ignore emotional guilt. We have learned to ignore the conviction that comes from the presence of sin in our lives. We rationalize, justify, excuse, and refuse to acknowledge our guilt – even though any sin in our lives makes us "surely guilty before the Lord" (Leviticus 5:19 NET).

But as Christians, what are we to do with guilt. Aren't we forgiven? Haven't all our sins been taken care of on the cross by Jesus? Doesn't the Bible teach us that there is now no condemnation for those of us in Christ? (Romans 8:1). It sounds like there is no place for guilt in the life of the believer. For the Christian, restitution and the death of Jesus Christ, our guilt offering (Isaiah 53:10) also absolves us of legal and moral debt. This statement is important because one of the reasons we carry our guilt is that we refuse to recognize that the debt has been paid.

But the truth is, you and I are guilty of violating the Lord’s holy things. We are guilty of unknown sins, and we regularly wrong our neighbors by both acts of commission and omission. But the prophet Isaiah reminds us:

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:10-11 NASB).

Here Isaiah is prophesying that Jesus will be our guilt offering. He will justify us, which means to declare us “not guilty.” He will pay the moral and legal debt. The debt owed for our sin will be canceled. The author of Hebrews wrote:

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts; and I will write them on their minds.” Then He adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:10-18 NASB).

Jesus Christ, our sin offering, is the eternal solution to our guilt. He offered Himself for your guilt, but you must acknowledge your guilt and accept this guilt offering He made for you. We must still acknowledge the guilt that comes from our sins. But we must remember that "if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong" (1 John 1:9 NLT). We still have sin natures. We will sin, and when we do, it will bring guilt. But because of what Jesus did on the cross, all we have to do is confess our sin, and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why? Because He has already paid the penalty for our sin. He has made it possible for us to to live without guilt. God still takes sin seriously. Sin still brings about guilt – guiltiness. But the penalty has been paid. The sins have been atoned for once and for all. All I have to do is confess my sin, own up to my guilt, and accept the forgiveness of God.

Father, thank You for forgiveness. But never let me become so comfortable with my forgiveness that I learn to live with my sinfulness. Help me to learn from the book of Leviticus just how serious You take sin. May I understand that sin in my life still leaves me guilty. As Your Holy Spirit makes me aware of it, help me to confess my sins immediately and gladly, because You offer complete forgiveness when I do. All because of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Forgiveness of Sin.

Leviticus 3-4

…and he shall be forgiven. – Leviticus 4:35 NASB

Reading through these chapters is always somewhat disconcerting to our western minds. We have a hard time relating to all the talk of animals being sacrificed, blood being poured out, fat and entrails being burned, and atonement being made. But the one thing we can all relate to is the need for forgiveness of sin – because we are all sinners. We were each born that way. We come out of the womb with sin natures, and we are born into a world filled with others just like us. Sin is a part of our natural habitat. It comes naturally to us – even at the earliest age. And no one knows that better than God. And when He called the descendants of Israel to be His chosen people, He called them to a life of holiness. They were to be set apart and distinct from the nations around them. They were to live lives marked by sin-less-ness, not sin-full-ness. But God knew that was an impossible task for them. He gave them rules and regulations to follow, fully knowing that they would not be able to do it in their own strength. So God devised a plan. Long before He had chosen them, God had a plan for their forgiveness in mind. Because God desires relationship. But sin makes fellowship with God impossible. Sin must be payed for. God wants to forgive sin, but He cannot simply overlook it. Sin is an affront to Him as a holy God and it must be either punished or paid for. What we read in chapter four of Leviticus is God's plan for the unintentional sins committed by the people of Israel. Sin, even unintentional sins committed in weakness or carelessness, must be atoned for. So God came up with an elaborate system of offerings and sacrifices to make forgiveness possible.

The altar of burnt offering played a major role in this process. It was one of the most well-used, highly-significant vessels in the Tabernacle. Morning and evening, every day of the year, sacrifices were made there. Burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings were all made there. "No sin could be atoned for, no praise or thanksgiving could ascend to God, without the intervention of this all-important vessel" (Henry W. Soltau, The Holy Vessels and Furniture of the Tabernacle). Each week the Sabbath was ushered in at this altar. Every feast and festival was begun at this altar with a sacrifice to God. "In fact, the very existence of Israel as a nation, and the life and history of each individual amongst them were in a certain sense linked on with this holy vessel…" (Henry W. Soltau, The Holy Vessels and Furniture of the Tabernacle).

But while the altar of burnt offering was the place where thanksgiving and gratitude was expressed to God, it's greatest significance was as the place where forgiveness of sin was received. Through the blood of an innocent, unblemished animal, the peoples' sins were paid for and forgiven by God. The life of a substitute was accepted as payment for their sins. But this sacrifice was an ongoing, perpetual one, because they were going to sin again and again. Tens of thousands of animals would be slaughtered in order to pay for the sins of the people. Thousands upon thousands of gallons of blood would be poured out as payment for their sins. Because while their sins could be forgiven, their hearts remained unchanged. They remained slaves to sin. Their forgiveness was temporary.

But God had another plan. The day would come when the need for ongoing sacrifice would end. He would send His Son as the final sacrifice for sin. The innocent Lamb of God would offer His own life as payment for our sin – once for all. "And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time" (Hebrews 10:10 NLT). Jesus paid for our sins. He was both the sacrifice and the High Priest – offering the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. "He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross" (Hebrews 7:26-27 NLT).

Because of what Christ has done, we have forgiveness of sin – permanently and completely. But more than that, we have a new capacity NOT to sin. We have been set free from slavery to sin. It is no longer our master (Romans 6:6). Rather than a list of laws written on tablets of stone, God has placed His law on our hearts and in our minds.

This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them. Then he adds, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds." Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life–giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. – Hebrews 10:16-20 NLT

We have forgiveness for our sins. But we also have the capacity to live free from sin. There is no longer a need for sacrifice to be made. My sins have been paid for in full. No more blood must flow. No more fires must be stoked. No more innocents must die. "For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins" (Colossians 1:13-14 NLT).

Father, sin is serious to You. It always has been. Leviticus gives me a glimpse into the tremendous cost of sin and the price necessary for men to have a restored relationship with You. But the greatest price was the one Your Son paid. He gave His life as payment for the sins of all men – once and for all. He exchanged His righteousness for my sinfulness. He paid the price I could not pay. He experienced death so that I might have life. And forgiveness of all my sins – for all time. Thank You. Amen.

An aroma pleasing to God!

Leviticus 1-2

…it is a burnt offering, a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.. – Leviticus 1:17 NET

OK, here we go. We're now launching into the book of Leviticus. This is the point at which many of us begin to waver in our determination to read through the Old Testament. As we attempt to read through all the details and descriptions related to the various sacrifices, we will be tempted to give up and give in to the idea that this book is unnecessary for us as 21st Century believers. But let me encourage us to stay determined and to wrestle with these texts. God inspired Moses to write down these words, not only for the benefit of the priests, but for ours as well. Paul reminds us that "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). This book is about holiness, the holiness of God. It is about sacrifice and, more importantly, atonement. It offers a picture of the requirements necessary for the people of God to remain in a right relationship with Him. That is what atonement is all about.  The NET Bible study notes describe atonement in this way:

“To make atonement” is the standard translation of the Hebrew term כִּפֶּר, (kipper). The English word derives from a combination of “at” plus Middle English “one[ment],” referring primarily to reconciliation or reparation that is made in order to accomplish reconciliation. The primary meaning of the Hebrew verb, however, is “to wipe [something off (or on)]”, but in some cases it refers metaphorically to “wiping away” anything that might stand in the way of good relations by bringing a gift, “to appease; to pacify.” The translation “make atonement” has been retained here because, ultimately, the goal of either purging or appeasing was to maintain a proper relationship between the Lord (who dwelt in the tabernacle) and Israelites in whose midst the tabernacle was pitched.

The book of Leviticus is all about how the people of God could maintain a right relationship with Him. Within the book are found all kinds of sacrifices – from the burnt offering designed to atone for the sins of the people to the peace offering, an expression of gratitude and desire for fellowship with God. As we read through these pages, may we be reminded that God still desires sacrifice today. But the sacrifice required to stand before Him as forgiven and cleansed from sin has been made once and for all. Our sins have been atoned for by Jesus. I no longer have to pay for my sins. They have been paid for in full on the cross of Calvary. But God does expect a sacrifice from me. David reminds us, "The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit – O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject" (Psalms 57:10 NLT). Paul echos those words when he says, "I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice––the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" (Romans 12:1 NLT). And Peter gives us our job description as priests of God. "And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5 NLT).

God is still interested in sacrifice. He still enjoys and finds pleasure in acts of sacrifice performed by His people. He finds them acceptable. He finds them a soothing aroma to His senses. They don't earn us favor with Him. They don't get us brownie points with Him. They don't buy our way into His good graces. Jesus did that with His death on the cross. Any sacrifices we make are simply expressions of our gratitude, love, and worship to Him. We are to daily present our bodies as living sacrifices to God. We are to give Him all that we have – out of love and a desire to serve Him. As we grow in our relationship with God, we grow in our understanding that this world is not all there is. Materialism and money are not the goal. Being in fellowship with Him is the goal. Living a life that is pleasing to Him is our goal. Paul tells us, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you, too" (Romans 14:17-18 NLT). Leviticus is all about God's holiness and man's sinfulness. It is about what God required of His people to remain in His good graces as His people. Just reading the first two chapters makes me eternally grateful that I am not held to those standards. I have a Great High Priest who has made the final sacrifice for my sins. But God is still asking me to live a life of sacrifice – as an offering to Him – and as an expression of my love and gratitude for all He has done for me. Is that too much to ask?

Father, may my life be a soothing aroma to You. May I live a life of sacrifice, gladly giving all that I have because of all that You have done for me through the death of Your Son. Help me to learn to live a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, so that I might bring pleasure to You. Amen.