God loves us – Be Still…

Leviticus 13:47-59 – Contaminated Garments

Read Leviticus 13:47-59

What do you do when you see mold on your clothes? Maybe you’ve led a sheltered life and never experienced that. We had a problem in our last rental with a closet that held moisture – unbeknownst to me at least. Once I discovered my moldy clothes, they went immediately to the washing machine. Sadly, there were a few items that never came clean. I never thought to burn them!

When we come across passages like this, we can only marvel at how God thinks of everything. It opens our eyes to see the types of “issues” that people in Bible times had to deal with. If their climate was at all humid, it’s not surprising that mildew would set in. But I always picture the Promised land as dry and desert-like. Where did the mildew come from? Continue reading “Leviticus 13:47-59 – Contaminated Garments”

Leviticus 7:22-38 – Final Words

Read Leviticus 7:22-38

For now, our discussion about the sacrificial system has come to a close. I, for one, am breathing a sigh of relief. The book of Leviticus challenges readers today to whom these laws don’t seem relevant. Yet God still speaks to us through his word, even when we don’t understand how it can possibly apply to us.

These final two directions focus on fat consumption and the meat portions for priests. We’ve heard before how God wants us to avoid eating animal fat and how he cares for his servants, the priests. Through these practices, we see how much God cared for his people and wanted to be a good Father. Continue reading “Leviticus 7:22-38 – Final Words”

Ezekiel 43:13-27 – Sacrificial Lamb

Read Ezekiel 43:13-27

Ezekiel’s audience may not have been particularly familiar with the altar and sacrifice expectations God’s law had prescribed. Living in a foreign country without their temple would have made it difficult to keep up their obedience in that way.

However, we know that the returnees took reinstating the sacrificial requirements very seriously and building an altar was of utmost importance, even before the temple was rebuilt. The altar Ezekiel describes here is quite magnificent. Continue reading “Ezekiel 43:13-27 – Sacrificial Lamb”

Nahum 2:1-13 – Nineveh’s Demise

Read Nahum 2:1-13

It’s not easy to read about the destruction of human life, even when those humans had been oppressive enemies of God’s people. They had their triumphs in this world, but their time was done. Completely done.

Justice. The Assyrians who had been ruthless to Israel and Judah would now be silent. God allowed and orchestrated their demise at the hands of the Babylonians, the same empire who trampled on Judah. Such an interesting time in history with profound messages from our Creator.

Jeremiah 25:15-29 – A Cup of God’s Anger

Read Jeremiah 25:15-29

What a metaphor God uses here in this teachable moment: a cup filled with his wrath to be shared. His anger overflows to other nations, not just Judah! God directed Jeremiah to the nations sharing in this promise of doom. They were surrounding nations and those, like Egypt, who had done business or had association in some way with Judah.

I’m unsure how Jeremiah would “make” those other nations drink. What does that even mean exactly? But Jeremiah claims to have been successful on that mission. Can you imagine what the other nations thought after hearing the God of Israel was not only pouring out his wrath on his own people but on them, too! Whether they listened or not is unknown. The time was coming when they’d be “crazed by the warfare” God was sending their way.