Leviticus 17: Offerings to the Lord and the Blood for Atonement

Leviticus 17

New International Version (NIV)

Eating Blood Forbidden

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: ³ Any Israelite who sacrifices an ox,^[a] a lamb or a goat in the camp or outside of it ⁴ instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the LORD in front of the tabernacle of the LORD—that person shall be considered guilty of bloodshed; they have shed blood and must be cut off from their people. ⁵ This is so the Israelites will bring to the LORD the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the LORD, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings. ⁶ The priest is to splash the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. ⁷ They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols^[b] to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’ ⁸ “Say to them: ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice ⁹ and does not bring it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to sacrifice it to the LORD must be cut off from the people of Israel.

 ¹⁰ “‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. ¹¹ For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.^[c] 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.”


...

Daniel’s Thoughts:

We like the Israelites are to bring our offerings to the Lord. I think often we give to many other things and then to the Lord. Sometimes we do so joyfully, but often grudgingly. I am not just referring to money I think this is especially true of our time. I know for me I say my priorities are God first and I want to spend time in the word and prayer. Yet I look at my schedule and see bible study way down and some days I don’t “get around to it” and prayer is last minute and I am just asking for God to do this list of things.

You may be thinking what I often think: great another guilt trip. Maybe you are thinking yes I want to put God first and prayer and reading the bible is great, but how I am busy. How I am supposed to do all the other things that are good and spend a significant time in those things? I don’t really know, but I am trying to work that out in my heart and life. I don’t think that means hours reading and prayer and giving up sleep. I do think it takes time but also a change of heart. For me I think it means reading the word and posting on this blog daily, then spending time in prayer writing in my prayer journal. But those are just tools and not obligations. Instead I want to do those for God alone and out of love and joy not obligation. I think the big thing is not doing those at the last moment, but early on and then pondering the word, listening to the Holy Spirit and praying in small ways throughout the day.

For the second part:

Blood is the life of God’s creation. God has given it to us as a gift for atonement. For Israel God commanded respect for this gift by not eating blood. For us as Christians I think this means taking seriously the sacrifice of Christ and his blood on the Cross. In communion and in daily life we are receiving the greatest gift ever given. Our lives were bought at a great price in the blood and suffering of Christ. Let us take seriously God’s commands and our sin.  Let us live to Christ and serve him! For his blood has washed us clean completely once and for all!

Hebrews 9:11-14 The Blood of Christ

 ¹¹ But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,^[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining^[b] eternal redemption. ¹³ The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴ How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,^[c] so that we may serve the living God!

Daniel’s Prayer:

Father

Everything I have is yours

Everything I have is a gift from you

Given to me to take care of it for a time

Let me give joyfully not out of guilt or obligation

But joyfully and faithfully in recognition and gratitude

I am sorry that I often put other things first before you

I am sorry that I give first to school or InterVarsity or selfishness

God you have bought us at a price

In the blood of Christ

I am redeemed forever and washed as white as snow.

Let us live to Christ and serve him

Everything to your glory!

Amen

Leviticus 16: The Day Atonement Hebrews 7: In Christ Complete

Leviticus 16

New International Version (NIV)

The Day of Atonement

 ¹ The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. ² The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.

 ⁶ “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. 

 ¹⁸ “Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. ¹⁹ He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

 ²⁰ “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. ²¹ He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. ²² The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

 ²⁹ “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves^[c] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you— ³⁰ because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. ³¹ It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. ³² The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments ³³ and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community.

 ³⁴ “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.”

   And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

If you struggle as I have with the meaning and significance  of the law, Leviticus and sometimes the Old Testament then I encourage you and myself to study this chapter. For Leviticus 16 is central to understanding Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross.

In Leviticus instructions are given here for the day of atonement where the high priest of Israel made atonement by sacrifice first for himself and then for this sins of the people of Israel. This is a very serious day for Israel. The beginning of the chapter starts out remembering how two of Aarons sons were struck down for not taking their responsibilities seriously and approached the Lord carelessly. Aaron and the high priests to follow are at risk of death constantly in this holy place. Yet they are also called to minister there.

These sacrifices were necessary to redeem and atone for the sins of the people. The blood of these animals atoned for the sin of the people. Yet these sacrifices of animals made by human high priests were temporal and not complete. They were ordained by God, but they were required each year and the high priest himself had sinned and had to atone for himself before offering for the sins of the people. This was a lasting ordinance for the people, there sins were never cleansed and removed completely for they kept sinning and the sacrifices had to be made again and again.

I am so thankful to live in your new covenant and be free from this cycle of sin and atonement. God you intervened and sent your Son!

Hebrews 7:26-28

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Christ is our one and only high priest forever and he has offered himself on the cross as the eternal sacrifice that has atoned for sin once and for all! There is no need for yearly atonement or a high priest from men. And the curtain has been torn and God you are present with us in all places and in our hearts. Praise be to you Lord!

Daniel’s Prayer:

Lord

Thank you for teaching me and us your ways.

All of scripture is valuable for us

Give us a heart to love scripture especially the Old Testament

And to understand the story is complete together

God you are one and the old and new testament and covenant are one in you!

Thank you for this chapter in Leviticus

For using this scripture to reveal the full extent of

Your wisdom and love in sending your Son

Christ as our merciful high priest

To sacrifice himself on the cross for our sins once and for all.

Let us now live to you!

Amen

Leviticus 15: It is getting messy here in the Law - Discharges causing Uncleanness

Leviticus 15

New International Version (NIV)

Leviticus 15

Discharges Causing Uncleanness

³¹ “‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place,^[b] which is among them.’”

 ³² These are the regulations for a man with a discharge, for anyone made unclean by an emission of semen, ³³ for a woman in her monthly period, for a man or a woman with a discharge, and for a man who has sexual relations with a woman who is ceremonially unclean.

Daniel’s Thoughts:

Honestly this is not going to be my favorite Blog post ever. Also I left out all of the details on what makes a person unclean due to a discharge and how to cleanse and give offerings to make atonement before the Lord. Ok, so yeah apparently discharges both natural and due to sicknesses make people ceremonially unclean. I think this is an important distinction: there is ceremonial uncleanness and then moral uncleanness. The past several chapters in Leviticus have dealt with ceremonial uncleanness. God cares about his people. He desires them to be clean in their heart: morally and clean physically – their health. God is pure and holy and so are his dwelling places. As a place of congregation and meeting with God, God has set regulations to keep people who are sick and could make others sick away from these holy places.

Coming from a modern day and age of disinfectants and sterilized public places makes all of this seem insignificant. Additionally because of my Christian background rooted in grace where we are washed clean by Jesus’ blood I have a hard time relating to the laws in Leviticus.

I think of Jesus healing of the woman who had been unclean and isolated for twelve years: Jesus did not allow this woman to be isolated and suffer. Jesus even thought he is on his way to heal a dying girl stops and does not let this woman who was healed go without speaking to her. Considering Leviticus 15 and the law this woman just made all she touched in the crowd and Jesus unclean. Yet Jesus speaks to her with love calling her daughter. This woman had likely been alone and isolated for these 12 years. Here God you showed her abundant love and not only healed her but also spoke to her with love and comfort. God how can you allow people to be isolated and suffer like this? For not all were healed in the past and many people in the world still live lives of suffering and isolation.

Luke 8: 40-48.

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

   As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[c] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

   ⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

 ⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her,“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Daniel’s Prayer:

God

You are holy and pure

You call us to be clean and holy

Yet I believe that it is what comes from the heart

That makes us unclean

Help me to understand your law and the significance to us under grace 

and in modern society

Thank you God for showing your love to us and to this woman.

Create in me a pure heart God.

Teach me what it means to be clean and to honor you.

Amen

Leviticus 14: Cleansing Personally and Communally

Leviticus 14

New International Version (NIV)

Cleansing From Defiling Skin Diseases

¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest: ³ The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease,^[a] 

...

³¹ one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed.”

³² These are the regulations for anyone who has a defiling skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for their cleansing.

Cleansing From Defiling Molds

³³ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ³⁴ “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land, ...

⁵⁴ These are the regulations for any defiling skin disease, for a sore, ⁵⁵ for defiling molds in fabric or in a house, ⁵⁶and for a swelling, a rash or a shiny spot, ⁵⁷ to determine when something is clean or unclean.These are the regulations for defiling skin diseases and defiling molds.

Daniel's Thoughts:


After chapter 13 explains all the regulations for determining if a person is clean or still sick, now God instructs Moses and the Israelites what to do when a person is healed how to cleanse them. This is something that is hard for me to understand why these people are not only sick but also ceremonially unclean and in need of atonement. To help myself I compare it to guilt and sin and how we are washed as white as snow through the sacrifice of Christ.

God cares about these people and when it is safe for them to return to their people and they are no longer infectious God has a plan for them. They were to make an offering and God's priests would make atonement for them. Then they would be completely clean and accepted. They could reenter society. People would know they are clean. After years of isolation God makes it abundantly clear to others they can no longer isolate the healed person. They are completely clean and the Israelite community must accept them back joyfully because one who was lost has been able to return. They no longer needed to yell unclean wherever they went. They could be touched and welcomed with loving embraces.

Verse 34 sticks out to me because God says when I give you this land and put this spreading disease in your house. Why would God do that? Why would God make a house he has given to his people unclean? It hits home the fact that there is disease, famine and other natural disasters in the world. God created all things good, yet he allows and even sends these things into our world and our lives.

Again I have to come back to I trust you God, I don't understand but I trust you are good and you love us. Somehow this is all for your glory and brings about good.

Daniel's Prayer:

Loving Father

I know your love for people.

Thank you for cleansing your people.

Thank you for not being satisfied with that,

but also removing guilt and social barriers. 

You heal us personally and communally. 

God I thank you that in Christ our high priest

the sacrifice for our sin is complete

 and we are washed completely clean.

Amen

Leviticus 13: Regulations about Skin Disease: Why God?

Leviticus 13

New International Version (NIV)

Regulations About Defiling Skin Diseases

¹ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 
 . . . .
¹⁷ On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious skin disease. 
. . . 
⁴⁵ “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt,^[c] cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Daniel Thought's:

Honestly reading through Leviticus has been a challenge. I sually love reading the word of God, but not always. Sometimes I am up really late or just tired and I have not done the reading for the day on my year bible plan. Sometimes I just go to bed, sometimes I read it and fall asleep while reading and sometimes I get really into it and I am able to really listen to God and wake up. Sometimes even when I am not tired I am just not excited about reading the word. Honestly where I am at in the 1 year plan to read the bible I have just gotten bogged down and not found joy in reading the word. Actually that is one of the reasons I started writing this blog. 

The question I ask as I read Leviticus and other passages that I struggle with is Why does God care? Really why is cleanliness like this so important to God? 

I don't have the whole answer, but I do know that God works through all things and uses them for our good as it says in Romans 8:28. I also know that all scripture has a purpose for us in bringing us closer to God our Father as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16. 

Romans 8:28

New International Version (NIV)

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So then I trust that God has a purpose in Leviticus 13 and in me reading this chapter. God is holy and cleanliness is important to God and his people. It is so important that God gave commands to Israel in the law about who or what is unclean and how Priests can examine them to determine if they are unclean.

The question I have is 
Why does God isolate these people? 
I believe that God still loves the unclean, yet his law requires that they be outcast and isolated from society.


Yet it is by the very hand of God that they are unclean and have a skin disease or whatever uncleaness and disease. How could God allow this and yet punish them for it. I think I can understand why people thought that the people must have committed a sin to be deserving of this punishment. They were asking the same question of God I think. How can you do this God? This doesn't make sense that you would do this to people. So they tried to justify and explain why God would do this. Based on my reading of the Gospels I get a completely different sense of God's love for people especially the diseased, sick, unclean and outcast people.

Matthew 8

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

 ¹ When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. ² A man with leprosy^[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” ³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. ⁴ Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus constantly interacts with the outcast, the sinner and the unclean. He loves them, reaches out to touch them both to comfort and heal. It is interesting in this verse that Jesus instructs the healed man to fulfill the command of the law about cleansing as described in Leviticus 14. It almost seems like God has two hearts here. How could God both allow the man to have this disease and command him to be labeled unclean and outcast? Yet God in the form of Jesus heals this man and has compassion on him, so much so that he reaches out and touches the man, making himself unclean.

Yet as I look back in Leviticus I realize how detailed the law is with instructions for the Priests to examine unclean people again and again to test if they are healthy now and no longer infectious. God puts his holy priests at risk to be unclean and catch these infectious diseases. But, God also has these laws in place to protect his people from the diseases.

As I read both Leviticus and the Gospels my heart breaks for these people. And I realize that this does not only happen in the history of Israel, but also here and now. A major example I can think of is people with AIDS and how destructive and isolating that disease is. I don't understand how our loving God can allow these people to suffer, be sick and above all be isolated. God you have the power to heal all people, so why don't you?

I wish I had any answer for you or myself, but I don't. I simply have to trust that God loves all people and somehow his love is at work even in this brokenness.

Daniel's Prayer:

Loving God

I don't understand your ways. 

My heart breaks for the sick and diseased

and the isolation and loneliness that also comes. 

I wish you would heal all people. 

I know you love each person deeply

so much so that Jesus reached out and touched the Leper and said I am willing.

God why don't you heal all people?

Reveal your love and truth to me, but especially to the sick and lonely.

God I trust in you even when I don't understand.

Amen

Leviticus 12: Purification and more Cleanliness-Why? Be Holy like God

Leviticus 12

New International Version (NIV)

Purification After Childbirth

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. ³ On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. ⁴ Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. ⁵ If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

 ⁶ “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.^[a] 7 He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

   “‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

Daniel's Thoughts:

Why does giving birth make a mother unclean? God you created us this way for women to give life in this way and to give birth. How can something you designed be unclean? I guess some living creatures are also  unclean. They are not evil or poorly designed but they are not designed for people at least at that time to touch or eat. 

This passage is very confusing to me, but I think again a post-Christ understanding in grace helps me to wrap my my around the fact that the heart of the issue is what matters. Being holy like God is what matters. 

1 Peter 1

New International Version (NIV)

Be Holy

 ¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”<sup>[a]


[a] Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2</sup>

Daniel's Prayer:

^Lord

^{Help me to desire to be righteous and holy like you.}

^Amen