Well, we are done with Leviticus. I was pleasantly surprised and I think there are things in there which are still really important today.
- I have a better concept of the holiness of God and how he calls us to live holy lives. The Israelites were his chosen people who he wanted to look different to show the rest of the world who He was. As Christ followers, he wants the same thing from us.
- I also have a better concept of God wanting our first and our best. As the sacrifices were described, I couldn't help but compare them to my "sacrifices." Though we no longer need to offer sacrifices in place of ourselves for our sin (thank you Jesus!), God still wants the best of our time and our money and our talents.
- I can also see how all the laws and rewards and consequences were not out of control or power, but out of God's love for the Israelites. He knew their hearts and their temptations and the direction they would naturally head without intervening and guiding them. What some people see as the angry, legalistic God of the Old Testament, I am beginning to see as the same God who has always been crazy about people, and this is just another part of one big story.
Thanks for reading with me!!
It took God so many fewer words to explain all the good things that would happen if they would obey God and His laws compared to going indepth into what the consequences of disobediance would be. God even explained their continued disobediance would bring seven times the destruction and difficulties. Even there we can see He gives people an opportunity to return to Him and repent when we are not obediant.
ReplyDeleteI think we don't focus enough energy on being obediant because the consequences are not as "in your face" as they were before Jesus. I think if every time I sinned, I had to bring a goat, calf, bird, etc to be sacrificed I would think twice about doing that sin. Now there are consequences of our sin, but it is not the same and Jesus was our sacrifice. If I think about the hurt that my sin causes Him and that I will have to give an account in the end, then that stops my sinning but if I don't take time to think, then I just do what I want, which often will result in me sinning. Don't know if that makes sense to anyone besided me, but that is how I have been looking at it.
I noticed in the last two books that the place where God rested in the temple was called the 'mercy seat.' That has really struck me more this time than in times past. We think of God in the OT as judging, harsh, unforgiving, uncompassionate, etc. But it is not true. What a thought, that God, even then sat at the seat of mercy and He was there to give mercy to His people. It is the same today. One day He will be on the judgement seat, but now He has mercy and I am so thankful for that saving mercy. You can see His mercy in the OT through his protection, leading, and saving of the Israelites.
Now, moving on to Numbers....
Jenn
Yes, it is March and I just finished Leviticus, but I haven't given up yet.
ReplyDeleteJenn what you said made a lot of sense to me. I still wouldn't be able to live a perfect life even if I did know the immediate consequences of my sin. I am sure that they tried. I try now, but am not successful.
God is good! My guess is nobody will read this, since it was like a month ago, but I still wanted to get on and read!