Everyday Should Be Thanksgiving!

Did you know that many countries around the world celebrate a holiday called Thanksgiving? It may not be exactly the same or even on the same date, but according to a quick Google search there were at least seventeen countries listed. Generally the celebration centers around the fall harvest season in some way. I’m sure originally the farmers were thanking God for a good crop, the right amount of rainfall, good market prices, etc.

That’s the right idea. Thanking God, that is. Isn’t honoring God with our gratitude something we do every day? Maybe even countless moments in a day? So whether you’re celebrating a holiday of Thanksgiving as you read this reflection or not, remember it’s a daily thing to give thanks to God. We should include thanksgiving in all our prayers. Continue reading “Everyday Should Be Thanksgiving!”

Leviticus 21:1-22:16 – The Holiness of Priests

Read Leviticus 21:1-22:16

The priests were called on by God and set apart for God’s purposes. So that a priest could be as holy as possible, God gave them these instructions and expectations. The priests receiving these decrees are in the line of Aaron, and they held their positions until the temple was destroyed and the sacrificial system came to an end. What wisdom can we glean from these rules?

For hundreds of years, these instructions would have been followed to the letter by priests wanting to be deemed holy in God’s eyes. It was in their job description to be holy. Because priests were also human, the tendency toward sin and selfishness was probably also very much real for them. Can you imagine the mindset of a priest in those days called to be a representative of God? Continue reading “Leviticus 21:1-22:16 – The Holiness of Priests”

Leviticus 20:1-27 – Punishments

Read Leviticus 20:1-27

Our last reading laid out the practices that were detestable and against God’s desire for his people to be holy. This reading prescribes the punishments for breaking those holiness codes. Most of those penalties are severe, including death, and clearly reveal the seriousness of God’s instructions.

I recognized several of those rules as they show up in the New Testament. The one about adultery made me think of Jesus and how his grace showed up the day a woman was about to be stoned for breaking this law of holiness. The law calls for both individuals to be killed, but in our story from John 8:1-11, only the woman is called out. I’ve always wondered where the man was! Continue reading “Leviticus 20:1-27 – Punishments”

Leviticus 19:1-37 – What Holiness Looks Like

Read Leviticus 19:1-37

What a list! On the whole, these instructions seem wise and beneficial to maintaining a right relationship with God. Just because Jesus came, I don’t think we should overlook God’s desire for his people to be holy. For he says, “You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” In the New Testament, 1 Peter 1:15-16 reaffirms this command.

Several times, we read this exclamation, “I AM the LORD your God.” As if God’s message needed emphasis or the people needed to be reminded who was speaking. If God speaks, we certainly want to be listening. Even if the original audience of these words isn’t us directly, we can and should open our ears and our minds to reflect on God’s message. Continue reading “Leviticus 19:1-37 – What Holiness Looks Like”

Leviticus 18:1-30 – Prohibited Sex

Read Leviticus 18:1-30

Do you think it helped that God reminded them more than once that he was the LORD, their God? Why such emphasis? I imagine it was because he wanted their attention because he was going to start talking about sex. That was a hot button topic then as well, especially considering the fact God wanted them to be set apart from the culture they had left (Egypt) and the one they would soon enter (Canaan).

God knew that his model for sex was different than the world’s view and practice. You may notice right off the bat that God speaks of multiple partners. He thought of everything, certainly, but in that culture it was not uncommon for men to have multiple wives. This is known as polygamy, and according to Google it is illegal in most countries and is the practice of only about 2% of the global population. In our day, with the prevalence of divorce, people will often have more than one spouse during a lifetime, just not at the same time. Continue reading “Leviticus 18:1-30 – Prohibited Sex”