Leviticus – Page 6 – Be Still…

Leviticus 6:8-7:21 – More Details

Lest there be any questions about what Moses has already shared about offerings, God makes some quick clarifications. I do apologize for the longer reading than normal. It’s not my usual “Devotions on the Go!” style. But since offerings are not presented in this way anymore, I made an exception to move on. I may even do this in future readings because some of the laws we’ll encounter are not ones we practice as Christians.

It’s important for me at least to know all of the laws God felt were necessary for his people. We’ve already seen how they have been for the “good health” of his people. To have such rituals in place, God’s people would have to be active in their faith in ways we don’t have to. Continue reading “Leviticus 6:8-7:21 – More Details”

Leviticus 5:14-6:7 – Guilty!

Read Leviticus 5:14-6:7

My years as a paralegal taught me a couple things. People will claim they are “not guilty” or say, “it’s not my fault,” even when the opposite is completely true. Why do people want to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and blame other people? I think it’s part of the human condition.

This text dives into what the LORD prescribed for those “guilty” of sins against God, God’s commands, or harming other people. Not only are guilty supposed to present their own spotless ram, restitution and a penalty must be paid. These guilt offerings were serious business. Continue reading “Leviticus 5:14-6:7 – Guilty!”

Leviticus 5:1-13 – Sin

Read Leviticus 5:1-13

Why is it some preachers today don’t want to talk about sin? In our current culture, there is fear of offending or being “judgmental,” or simply wanting to be “welcoming.” To talk about sin is to point out behaviors people want to cling to rather than avoid. I’m sure Moses was experiencing similar struggles with his wayward crowd. The loving thing is to try to help people find their way out of sin.

Just as I was wondering what sins would necessitate the sin offering from our last reading, God reveals some of them in this passage. One common thread to these sins is recognition. “When you realize what you have done,” it says. Do you agree that sometimes we sin but don’t know we’re sinning? It’s because we don’t recognize that our actions or behaviors are driving a wedge between us and God. We aren’t familiar enough with what pleases and displeases God, only focused on pleasing our own selfish desires. Continue reading “Leviticus 5:1-13 – Sin”

Leviticus 4:1-35 – An Offering for Sin

Read Leviticus 4:1-35

People sin all the time and don’t realize it. Whether we know our sins or not, they are still sins, and we are still guilty. The LORD spoke through Moses about what should happen when someone discovers their sin. This chapter is the “how to” manual for priests and lay people who sin and need to be cleansed.

The process as described has similarities and differences to the instructions given for burnt offerings. I’m a bit confused at which sacrifice is appropriate when? Both sacrifice procedures cover sinfulness. Would the priests make that call? Continue reading “Leviticus 4:1-35 – An Offering for Sin”

Leviticus 3:1-17 – A Peace Offering

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This whole sacrifice system is quite interesting, probably because it is not familiar, and I like to learn new things. However, for people in Moses’ day, even people in other cultures, the idea of sacrifice would be common practice. The difference is critical, and that is that the Israelites were sacrificing to the LORD out of respect. It was also an act of communicating with the LORD, Creator of the universe.

It seems the peace offering was really another type of burnt offering. Things were getting burned with a pleasing aroma for God. The peace offering itself offered a variety of options. The bottom line was that a peace offering’s purpose was for peace and communion with God, not a cleansing of sin like the other burnt offerings of Chapter 1. Continue reading “Leviticus 3:1-17 – A Peace Offering”