Week 49, Day 2: The Blessings
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 26:1 – 27:34
Some thoughts from the reading..
Chapter 26 records again for us the blessings that God promised to Israel at Mount Sinai if they would be faithful to Him. In yesterday’s reading we were told that in the year before the Sabbath year, the seventh year in which the land was given rest, that God would cause the land to bring forth three times as much. It would be enough to feed them for that 6th year, the 7th year of rest and during the plowing time of the 8th year. I was impressed with this aspect that God would cause the ground to produce 3x as much as normal. And yet that is the kinds of things God promised to Israel if they were faithful. 26:6-9 gives some examples of these types of blessings. No harmful beasts in the land, no sword passing through, 5 men of Israel will put to flight 100 of their enemies men, 100 men of Israel will put to flight 10,000, an so God would be with them causing them to be fruitful and multiply. When Israel entered the land of Canaan we see these kinds of promises fulfilled. They won battles over stronger, more numerous people and yet they did not loose any in battle. Amazing blessings. God would reward them richly for being faithful.
Question: Are the blessings that God promises us more or less than such blessings given to Israel? In what ways are they different?
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Week 49, Day 1: Capital Punishment
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 24:1 – 25:55
Some thoughts from the reading..
We will continue to read two chapters a day until we finish this week with Leviticus, then we will go back to one chapter a day for the book of Numbers.
There are several things in these chapters to be able to make comments on. I am going to choose to make a short note regarding a statement made in 24:17-22. In these verse it is stated that anyone who kills a man shall be put to death. Also, any man who injures his neighbor, the same will be done to him. You may not have thought about the justice that is taught in this requirement. First, life is precious and should not be taken. A person who murders another should not be excused because of how they were raised (making excuses for their conduct) nor should a person be able to escape punishment because they are rich or famous. Verse 22 says there will be one standard for you. Everyone will be held to the same standard, no favortism. We have this concept reflected in the concept of “lady justice” being blind folded. It doesn’t matter what you statis is, you get a fair trial and the punishment under the law of Moses was to be the same for all. Second, the punishment was to match the crime. If you punched out your neighbor’s tooth then your tooth was to be knocked out. I think that this form of justice is actually better than what we have today. Today you have someone rape another person and they spend 5 to 7 years sitting in a jailhouse. How can you equate sitting in a jailhouse to such a violent act against a person. An act that they will most likely never fully recover from. So in these statutes we find justice was to be delivered without preference to one over another and that the punishment was supposed to match the crime committed.
Question: Under the Law of Moses, what punishment did God command to be done to the man who kidnapped someone? Why do you thinkt he punishment was to be so severe?
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Week 48, Day 5: Days to be observed
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 22:1 – 23:44
Some thoughts from the reading..
Chapter 23 lays out for us the festival days that Israel was to observe. I want to list a summary of what is mentioned in this chapter.
23:5-6 1st month at twilight on 14th day Passover
23:5-6 1st month, 15th day Feast of Unleavened bread – last for seven days
23:10 1st fruits of the harvest
23:15-16 Pentecost, new grain offering
23:24 7th month, 1st day Trumpets blown
23:27 7th month, 10th day Day of atonement
23:34 7th month, 15th day Feast of booth, after crops are gathered in (23:39) – last for seven days
These are the days that were to be observed by Israel.
Question: For Jews today, how can you live outside of Jerusalem and still observe these days according to God’s commands? For those Jews living in Jerusalem, how do they keep these commands without a temple to sacrifice in?
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Week 48, Day 4: Priestly requirements
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 20:1 – 21:24
Some thoughts from the reading..
Among the many things mentioned in today’s reading, there is a limitation for who can serve as a priest before the Lord. 21:16-24 tells us that no descendant of Aaron who has a defect may not serve as a priest in the tabernacle. Along with wanting sacrifies that are without defect God required that those who served as priest before Him be without defect. I believe this to be a continuation of the aspect of the best is given to God. Those who did not have any defect in them, those who were without blemish.
Question: Why do you think that it would be important for those who serve as priest be without any blemish? What message do you think would be presented if just anyone served?
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Week 48, Day 3: Immorality
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 18:1 – 19:37
Some thoughts from the reading..
Among the many things addressed in these two chapters there is a statement that refers to why the Canaanites were being expelled from the land before Israel. 18:24-25 mentions that all the nations being cast out before Israel had defiled themselves by the immoral practices mentioned earlier in the chapter. Among these practices were having sexual relations with animals. Because of such practices the land has “spewed out its inhabitants” (18:25). Some of the other practices mentioned are having intercourse with a neighbor’s wife, offerinng their children to Molech and also lying with a male as one does with a female. God tells Israel not to defile itself like these people have.
Question: Which of these practices do you hear of people defiling themselves by today? Do you think that God views these practices any differently now?
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