Malcom: welcome to immerse: the daily bible reading experience.
day 100 and 22
Immersed in Leviticus.
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites traveled from Egypt to Mount Sinai where
the Tabernacle was created and set up.
The book of Leviticus continues the story as it records the instructions God
gives to Moses on Mount Sinai before the people continue their journey to Canaan.
Many of these instructions may seem strange because the ancient
cultures to which they belong are so different from our own.
We must be careful to read these instructions to Israel in
the context of their own time, not as written directly to us.
Within the context of Israel's covenant, these laws provided cleansing and
restoration for the people, allowing them to remain in a close relationship
with God in order to fulfill their calling as a light to the world.
The instructions are based on careful distinctions between what
is clean and unclean and between what is common and holy unclean
here does not mean dirty or bad.
But rather that something has been compromised or tainted in some way.
As long as something remains clean, it may be set apart for a special
purpose and thus become holy.
The Israelites are to observe these distinctions, to demonstrate how they
have been set apart for a special purpose by God to live out the life he
intends, as an example to all nations.
The laws collected here distinguish God's people from the surrounding cultures
and move the story forward closer to God's ultimate vision for humanity.
Leviticus presents four major groups of instructions.
The first gives direction for the various types of offerings that
will be used to cleanse people and objects that have become unclean
and to set apart common people and common objects to make them holy.
The second section of the book explains what can cause a person or
thing to lose its state of cleanness.
These laws express a specific concern for an unclean person to be restored to
physical integrity and then to community.
In its third section of laws, Leviticus describes how the Israelites are to
pursue holiness in their everyday lives and in their worship of God.
The various regulations pertaining to holiness, including issues related
to blood celebrating festivals, and even the holy bread in the tabernacle,
all represent how God has designated the people of Israel to be holy
set apart for a special purpose.
Central to this section on holiness is a collection of ethical commands.
These commands embody the essence of why the Israelites have been set apart.
To demonstrate the just and compassionate character of God.
This collection includes commands on showing generosity to the poor,
treating the elderly, and handicapped with dignity, paying fair wages, and on
time, freeing people from exploitation, caring for foreigners, and so forth.
These practices would identify the covenant community as
God's new model for humanity.
They are meant to overcome the exhibitions of pride and selfishness
that so often mark human rebellion.
The fourth and final section of Leviticus explores a process known as redemption,
which means buying back redemption addresses the critical issue of recovering
something that has lost its holy status.
If something that was supposed to be set apart has been treated as common, can
it be reclaimed for its special purpose?
The answer is yes.
Ancestral land, for example, can be reclaimed during a special time of
freedom called the Year of Jubilee.
A possession given to God in a vow may be repurchased.
Israelites who were sold into slavery can obtain their
release at the end of the book.
An important question is raised with regard to the issue of redemption.
If the Israelites forfeit their role as a holy people through disobedience and
are exiled from the land of promise, can they ever be brought back again?
We find that restoration is possible.
God declares that Israel can and will be brought back from punishment and exile.
This final section of Leviticus assures the nation that God would
never forget his covenant with them.
Repeatedly in Leviticus, God tells his people, you must be holy
because I the Lord your God am holy.
Just as God is set apart, high above anything in creation, he calls his
people to be set apart in this world.
He chooses to accomplish his purposes for the world through his people, and if
necessary, God himself will redeem his.
People so they can complete their work.
The Book of Leviticus,
the Lord called to Moses from the tabernacle and said to him,
give the following instructions to the people of Israel.
When you present an animal as an offering to the Lord, you may
take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats.
If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd,
you must be a male with no defects.
Bring it to the entrance of the tabernacle so you may be accepted by the Lord.
Lay your hand on the animal's head and the Lord will accept its death in your place
to purify you, making you right with him.
Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord's presence and Aaron's sons.
The priests will present the animal's blood by splattering it against all
sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the tabernacle, then skin
the animal and cut it into pieces.
The sons of Aaron, the priest, will build a wood fire on the altar.
They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat
on the wood burning on the altar.
But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water.
Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the
altar as a burnt offering.
It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the flock, it may
be either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a male with no defects.
Slaughter the animal on the north side of the altar in the Lord's presence, and
Aaron's sons, the priests will splatter its blood against all sides of the
altar, then cut the animal in pieces, and the priests will arrange the pieces
of the offering, including the head and fat on the wood burning on the altar.
But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water.
Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the
altar as a burnt offering.
It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
If you present a bird as a burnt offering to the Lord, choose either
a turtle, dove, or a young pigeon.
The priest will take the bird to the altar, ring off its
head, and burn it on the altar.
But first he must drain its blood against the side of the altar.
The priest must also remove the crop and the feathers and throw them in the
ashes on the east side of the altar.
Then grasping the bird by its wings.
The priest will tear the bird open, but without tearing it apart.
Then he will burn it as a burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar.
It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
When you present grain as an offering to the Lord, the offering
must consist of choice flour.
You are to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense
and bring it to Aaron's sons.
The priests.
The priest will scoop out a handful of the flour moistened with oil, together
with all the frankincense and burn this representative portion on the altar.
It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons.
This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special
gifts presented to the Lord.
If your offering is a grain offering baked in an oven, it must be made of
choice flour, but without any yeast.
It may be presented in the form of thin cakes mixed with olive oil
or wafers spread with olive oil.
If your grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must be made of
choice flour mixed with olive oil, but without any yeast, break it in
pieces and pour olive oil on it.
It is a grain offering.
If your grain offering is prepared in a pan, it must be made of
choice, flour and olive oil.
No matter how a grain offering for the Lord has been prepared, bring it to the
priest who will present it at the altar.
The priest will take a representative portion of the grain offering
and burn it on the altar.
It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron
and his sons as their food.
This offering will be considered a most holy part of the special
gifts presented to the Lord.
Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the Lord
because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the Lord.
You may add yeast and honey to an offering of the first crops of your harvest,
but these must never be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God's eternal covenant.
Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.
If you present a grain offering to the Lord from the first portion of your
harvest, bring fresh grain that is coarsely ground and roast it on a fire.
Put olive oil on this grain offering and sprinkle it with frankincense.
The priest will take a representative portion of the grain moistened
with oil, together with all the frankincense and burn it as a
special gift presented to the Lord.
If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to
the Lord, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects.
Lay your hand on the animal's head and slaughter it at the
entrance of the tabernacle.
Then Aaron's sons, the priests will splatter its blood
against all sides of the altar.
The priest must present part of this peace offering as a special gift to the Lord.
This includes all the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys
and the fat around them, near the loins and the long lobe of the liver.
These must be removed with the kidneys and Aaron's sons will burn
them on top of the burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar.
It is a special gift.
A pleasing aroma to the Lord.
If you present an animal from the flock as a peace offering to
the Lord, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects.
If you present a sheep as your offering, bring it to the Lord.
Lay your hand on its head and slaughter it in front of the tabernacle.
Aaron's sons will then splatter the sheep's blood against
all sides of the altar.
The priest must present the fat of this peace offering as
a special gift to the Lord.
This includes the fat of the broad tail cut off near the backbone, all the fat
around the internal organs, the two kidneys and the fat around them, near
the loins and the long lobe of the liver.
These must be removed with the kidneys and the priest will burn them on the altar.
It is a special gift of food presented to the Lord.
If you present a goat as your offering, bring it to the Lord.
Lay your hand on its head.
And slaughter it in front of the tabernacle.
Aaron's sons will then splatter the goat's blood against all sides of the altar.
The priest must present part of this offering as a special gift to the Lord.
This includes all the fat around the internal organs, the two kidneys,
and the fat around them, near the loins and the long lobe of the liver.
These must be removed with the kidneys and the priest will burn them on the altar.
It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
All the fat belongs to the Lord.
You must never eat any fat or blood.
This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation
to generation, wherever you live.
This concludes today's reading experience.
Thank you for joining us.