Week 48, Day 1: Cleansing
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33
Some thoughts from the reading..
These chapters layout for us what a person was supposed to do after being cleansed from leprosy and after having bodily discharges. One thing that stands out to me from this section is the way God wanted Israel take very seriously being unclean. As best as I can tell when a person was unclean it limited their contact with others and caused some lifestyle changes. But most importantly it affected their ability to enter into the tabernacle (15:31). They were not to enter into the tabernacle while unclean. To disregard this would result in death.
Question: A breakout of leprosy is mentioned as happening inside a house, in the structure itself. Explain what you think this condition is referring to? Is it talking about a flesh eating disease or is it used here as a broader term?
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Week 47, Day 5: Leprosy
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 12:1 – 13:59
Some thoughts from the reading..
We begin to have instructions regarding another function of the priests. The priests were responsible for helping to keep the people of Israel clean. This included identifying conditions that would make a person unclean. In this case it is cases of leprosy that caused the person to be unclean. So we have an extensive account of how the priest is to identify when a condition is leprosy or not. What that unclean, leprous, person is supposed to then do is only addressed here in 2 verses (13:45-46). There will be more given on this subject in upcoming chapters.
I am not familiar with leprosy. It sounds like it was more common a long time ago or in third world countries. Does anyone know why we do not have more cases of it today?
Question: Why do you think the role of pronouncing something or someone unclean would fall to the priests? What does this indicate about the role that the priests had in Israel?
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Week 47, Day 4: Not Treated as Holy
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 10:1 – 11:47
Some thoughts from the reading..
Chapter 10 is mainly devoted to events related to the sin of Nadab & Abihu. They offer “strange fire”. This is fire that God had not given them instruction to give. It has been suggested that perhaps this means that they obtained the fire from a different location than where they were supposed to. It is not specified exactly what this phrase means other than they had not been commanded to do so. This keeps with the repeated “theme” of stating things were done just as God had instructed them.
This event is recorded just after Aaron and his sons had been consecrated to be priests. No exact timing is given for how long it was between their consecration and this event but it seems noteworthy to say that they should have known better. They had obviously been instructed on what to do, how to do it and here they are already deviating from God’s commands. We can see from this that God regarded this deviation with contempt. The Lord had told them that He was to be treated as Holy and to be honored before all the people. This action of disobedience was a mark of not treating God as holy and as not honoring Him. Disobedience shows a disrespect for God. We may think it is nothign big to alter things but keep this account in mind. Are we “splitting hairs” as some would accuse today to say that we need to find our guidance for worship and service to God within the scriptures? Or is it a manner of treating God as holy and showing Him honor.
Question: Why were Aaron and his sons not allowed to mourn over the loss of Nadab & Abihu?
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Week 47, Day 3: The Priest begin serving
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 8:1 – 9:24
Some thoughts from the reading..
In these chapters we have the beginning of the service of Aaron and his sons as priest in the tabernacle. Moses is instructed to serve in the role of “presiding” over things. There is a process of sacrifices through which Aaron and his sons are consecrated for their service as priests. This is a great moment for Israel. They will now be able to begin offering sacrifices in order to obtain forgiveness of their sins. How important this step was for them. Once again God has provided a way for man to obtain forgiveness and to be able to worship Him.
Question: Why did Aaron and his sons present their offering first (9:7) before presenting the people’s offering (9:15)?
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Week 47, Day 2: Null & Void
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 6:1 – 7:38
Some thoughts from the reading..
We have seen already in the instructions given to Moses at Sinai an emphasis placed on the need to do things just as they were instructed. Complete the tabernacle just as instructed. Give heed to the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain. When it comes to the sacrifices we see the same emphasis expressed. Chapter 7 tells us about what portions the priest can eat from the sacrifices. The part of the text that emphasizes the importance of following exactly the instructions is seen in verses 15-18. Here we are told that the one offering the thanksgiving peace offering is permitted to also eat of the sacrifice (as best as I can tell it is speaking of the one offering the sacrifice: “his offering” vs. 15). We are told with this offering that it can be eaten that day only. But if the offering is a freewill or a votive offfering then it can be eaten on the second day also. But if the people eat the offering on the third day then the person offering the sacrifice will not be accepted nor will the sacrifice be to his benefit. He will be guilty of sin, vs. 18. So if someone treated these regulations lightly they could end up causing a detriment to themselves and their sacrifices would be null & void of any value.
Try to go through and outline which sacrifice required what to be done. You have the following types of offerings: guilt, sin, peace, votive, freewill, waive, thanksgiving peace offerings. A concordance would aid you well in such a research effort.
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Week 47, Day 1: Guilty
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 4:1 – 5:19
Some thoughts from the reading..
I would like for us to continue to read two chapters a day through the book of Leviticus. Chapters 4 & 5 cover guilt and sin offerings. I find it very interesting that God specifically addresses when someone sins but does not know they were doing wrong. They are still guilty. Often people want to act like ignorance should excuse them from being responsible for what they did. Someone who violates God’s laws are still guilty even though they were not aware they were doing wrong. There is not one standard for some and another for someone else. All men are to be judged according to whether or not they obeyed God’s commands. We read recently in Hosea 4:6 that the people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. But the people had also rejected knowledge. Are we lacking knowledge? Are we diligently seeking to find out what is pleasing to God. Or do we simply say I hope that God won’t judge me too strictly or will be merciful because I chose not to know what He desires.
Question: Leviticus 5 tells us about how a person will need to offer the guilt offering when they find out about their wrong doing. We have a responsibility to make corrections and changes whenever we find out about our sin. Under the Law of Moses an offering was required to make things right. What would a Christian need to do whenever they find out that they sinned, even in ignorance?
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Week 46, Day 5: Grain offerings
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 2:1 – 3:17
Some thoughts from the reading..
We are told about the grain offerings that were to be given by the Israelites. Notice that only a memorial portion of the offering was actually burnt on the altar, Lev 2:2. The rest was to go to the priest. By doing so God had provided a way in which the priests would be provided for through the sacrifices. The offering would be given and the priests serving would have food. We are told several different ways that the grain offering could be prepared. This could be to provide variety of foods for the priests or it could be for a convenience to the people. Either way, God stated what He expected. We also see that salt was to be included in the offering. I suspect that salt was a valuable commodity. During the days of the Roman empire, the Roman soldiers are said to have been paid with salt. This could be where the phrase comes from of saying, “any man worth his salt will do…”. Salt was a valuable additive to foods. This may be the case here, in which case the people would be adding into this simple offering something very valuable to them.
Question: Why do you think God commanded Israel not to eat the fat or the blood (Lev 3:17). Does it matter if the reason is given?
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Week 46, Day 4: Just as the Lord had commanded
Today’s Reading: Exodus 40:1-37 through Leviticus 1:17
Some thoughts from the reading..
We are going to be doing things a little differently for the next few days. Since I did not do the post Monday through Wednesday, we are going to double up today, Friday and Monday. So we will be reading two chapters a day. Today’s chapters had some very interesting concepts. I will not comment on all of the points that could be made, feel free though to comment on the other points that could be made. What stands out to me from the text is the way God gave specific instructions for what they were to do in the sacrifices in order for the offering to be a “soothing arome to the Lord”. Why was the entrails and legs before burning them? Why does it matter that the animal is slain on the north side of the altar? Why tear the bird but not sever it? I was filled with a lot of questions and curiosity about the instructions given by God. Why do it this way? Was there something special about these practices? We are not told and it really doesn’t matter if the Israelites understood why they were to do it this way. But in order for the offering to be a soothing aroma before God it needed to be done the way He commanded. I just find this very interesting when considering the attitude that many have today when it comes to worshipping God. They have a very laid back attitude towards God. They almost act like if they met God they would go up and give Him a high five. Do whatever, act however, practice whatever, worship in whatever manner you choose and God will be happy with you. God will not be pleased with such things. Where is there an indication in the scriptures that God is honored and glorified when man elects to do things his own way?
Question: Exodus 40 tells us that the cloud and fire rested over the tabernacle after it was completed. Giving Israel a very visual confirmation of God’s presence. How then could Israel not enter into the promise land because of unbelief? What warnings can we gather to apply to our own lives about not understanding or “seeing” that God is with us?
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