law of Moses – Be Still…

Leviticus 24:10-23 – That’s Justice

Read Leviticus 24:10-23

Here, the LORD is giving Moses examples of what to do to punish certain sinful behaviors. Was it an honor or a curse that God gave Moses the authority to bring justice to the people? I can certainly see the “fairness” in these laws. I wonder what sort of pushback Moses got. I’m sure people today would revolt.

God felt it necessary to set guidelines and establish criteria for handling circumstances that he knew would come up. The example he gave first was about blasphemy, showing disrespect for God. Of course, that is the most personally hurtful to God, so I can understand why he addresses it first. Were you surprised at the punishment? What if that was a law in effect for us today? There might not be many people still alive! Continue reading “Leviticus 24:10-23 – That’s Justice”

Leviticus 17:1-16 – Life is in the Blood

Read Leviticus 17:1-16

Don’t drink blood–we’re not vampires! We know vampires aren’t real, but who else would be a fan of a blood cocktail? God’s intention here is to caution us from consuming something we shouldn’t. Our passage repeats the reason for refraining from ingesting blood, which is, the life is in the blood.

Of note, these regulations call out all native Israelites and foreigners living among them. This is a rule included in the Old Covenant. The restrictions set out here are not simply a suggestion either, are they? If someone ignores this counsel, they will be removed, “cut off from the community.” God’s message is to be taken seriously. Can you imagine being removed from everything you have ever known? Continue reading “Leviticus 17:1-16 – Life is in the Blood”

1 Chronicles 11:1-23 – Be Fortified!

Read 2 Chronicles 11:1-23

Our last reading had Rehoboam running for the safety of Jerusalem. We pick up here with what Rehoboam did when he got to Jerusalem. He got prepared for war, to defend his kingdom. Rehoboam must have had some idea he would be unpopular if he did what he threatened to do.

Rehoboam did what he thought was wise by fortifying certain cities and locations. He was cautioned against aggression against Jeroboam and the ten other tribes of his people. Thankfully, he listened, at least for now, and bloodshed was averted thanks to God’s message through the prophet, Shemaiah.

Nehemiah 9:4-37 – Prayer of Confession

Read Nehemiah 9:4-37

What a prayer! One of the elements we often forget in our prayer time is to give adoration to God. We do this when we tell him how great he is. The Levite leaders are showing us a fine example of this as their prayer begins! Brilliantly, they recount God’s hand at work in the lives of their ancestors.

At times, I felt like I was reading a sermon and not a prayer of confession. God knows history better than anyone, but it was a good reminder for the people to hear who were praying this prayer with the Levite leaders. They need to hear how their ancestors messed up, mistreated God, and how that all turned around. You never know who in the crowd may not have heard all of the stories passed down from generations or been exposed to God’s words before. We are wise when we can learn from the mistakes of others, namely our ancestors.

Nehemiah 8:13-18 – Festival of Shelters

Read Nehemiah 8:13-18

I appreciate when I can learn more about Jewish traditions and what the Law of Moses instructed the Jewish people to do. After all, these are the traditions that Jesus would have known and participated in. This feast or festival is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles and is still celebrated today for nine days sometime during the months of September or October. It is associated with the gratitude for the bounty and provisions of God.

Because the returnees were trying to do things “by the book,” literally, reviving this festival was one of those activities being renewed. Rather than “guess” at what God wanted, the leaders met to learn more by reading the law together. When we want to know how to act in a certain situation, our “go-to” should always be, “what does the Bible say,” or “what would Jesus do?”