Bible Reading Reflection (Lev 1-8)

The New Testament states that the things written before are for our learning.  The law is a school master to lead us to Christ.  Even though we are not under the law that was given specifically to Israel, and not to the church, there are still vivid lessons to learn.  I need to slow down and read more carefully.  I need to ask, "What does this teach me about God, myself, and my relationship with God?"

I am struck by the fact that when there is sin among the people it is not just the priests that act on their behalf for atonement.  The elders are instructed to bring a bull for a sin offering.  Instead of pointing a finger and saying "they" sinned, the elders represent the people in making atonement for sin in the camp.  The offering required is larger than the offering required for any individual that sins. 

Unlike the sin offering for an individual, the blood is required to be brought into the sanctuary by the priest, sprinkled before the veil seven times, and put some of the blood on the horns of the incense altar in the sanctuary.  The rest of the blood is to be poured at the base of the altar in front of the sanctuary, then burn the fat, kidneys, long lobe of the liver, and burn the rest of the carcass outside of the camp.

God doesn't give the specific rationale for all these details, but the vivid visual of all of this happening brings several things to mind.

First, there is the sheer gravity of sin.  Life blood offered before the Lord shows that sin is a matter of life and death.  Sin, which is disobedience to God, forfeits what God offers in fellowship to him, which includes life.  There are sin offerings, guilt offerings, the morning and evening offerings, and more.  I wonder how much blood there might have been over time before the veil in the sanctuary and on the horns of the incense altar, and on the altar in front of the sanctuary.  These blood stains would have been constant reminders of sin, and the danger that sin poses to life and fellowship with God.

Second, there is the condition of the heart.  God instructed that these offerings were for those who sinned "unintentionally."  This was not intended as a means by which one could buy his way into sinning willfully.  Perhaps this is why the offerings were to be from the flock or the fields, and not something they picked up from the wild that cost them nothing.  There is so much emphasis on "purity" in these passages, which are supposed to teach a lesson about remaining pure.  True purity is not mere ceremonial purity, but purity of the heart.  My desire should be to have a pure heart, as the Psalm says, "Create in me a pure heart O God."  Jesus said that the pure in heart will see God.  This reminds me that outward obedience to a ritual in itself does not magically remove sin.  Obedience must be obedience from the heart, rather than going through the motions as if the actions have some magical power in themselves.  God is not like this.  He is the living God and desires a change in heart.  Whether it is baptism, repentance, prayers of confession, I need to realize that it is much more than an outward ritual, but an inward submission of the will and heart to God.

Third, there is solidarity.  It seems that the attitude of the elders was to be to act on behalf of the people rather than to point a finger at them and separate themselves from them.  As shepherds, they took responsibility for the people as a whole.  It would be similar to elders in the church having a special prayer service where they confess to God that there is sin in the body and ask for forgiveness.  They prayer is not for them, but for "us" together as a people.  As a people, "we" have sinned.  It seems to me that there has to be an attitude of humility and solidarity in order to do this.  Pride and arrogance would cause me to think in terms of "them" rather than "us."  God redeemed a people, not just a bunch of separate individuals.  I tend to think more in terms of individual responsibility, which is definitely a biblical concept, but I do not tend this think in terms of collective responsibility and collective guilt, which is also a biblical concept.  As a leader in the body, I need to take this to heart.

Fourth, there is grace.  I usually don't hear Christians talk about this in terms of grace, but what else can it be?  God has declared that he is slow to anger and abundant in steadfast love.  It is covenant love.  Because of this, God provided a way for redemption and reconciliation.  These were not arbitrary rules, but show us some lessons we need to learn about sin.  Also, these are a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice.  This is not a sacrifice that we make, but one that the Lord makes for us.  Jesus, because of his steadfast love, offered not the blood of bulls and goats, but his own blood in order to provide eternal redemption.  The New Testament says that the blood of bulls and goats could never really take away sin.  They are a reminder of sin.  It is the blood of Jesus that once for all takes away sin.  This makes sense, because the only one that can forgive sins against our Lord is the Lord himself.  He offers his life for ours.  This shows in an even more vivid way the sheer gravity of sin along with the sheer gravity of God's undying love and loyalty to us.

Lord, may I see sin as you so.  Help me to be able to look past the initial enticement to see the devastation and death it brings.  Purify my heart.  May I learn to enjoy the pleasures of life in the way that you intended with joy, peace, and holiness.  The blood of the Lord offered for me?  For us?  How can it be? How great is your love!  How great is your loyalty!  How great is your mercy!  Thank you Lord for your patience. 

Bible Reading Reflection (Exodus 25-40)

 

I have always found most of this section of Exodus to be somewhat tedious.  I typically find myself just trying to get through reading the text and hurrying through it. 

As I meditate on this text, it occurs to me that this is exactly the opposite of how the Israelites would have treated these passages.  There are several sections that conclude with something like "Do this so that you will not die."  Several times, God was adamant that they make everything exactly like the plan that God showed Moses on the mountain.  God's blueprints for the construction of the sanctuary, its furniture, its utensils, the anointing oil, incense, the clothing of the priests, and even the ordination ceremony were to be followed according to God's instructions without any deviation. 

Part of what I have found tedious is the text seems redundant to me.  After giving such detailed instructions, the text gives a detailed account of the execution of those instructions.  It is almost as if I am reading those instructions a second time.  It is nearly a minute by minute account of how they made the sanctuary, its furniture, its utensils, the anointing oil, incense, the clothing of the priests, and even the ordination ceremony.  Why not simply say, "And they did as the Lord commanded?"  It seems redundant.

I am reminded that the New Testament says that the law is our schoolmaster intended to lead us to Christ.  The former things were written for our instruction.  What lesson am I supposed to get from this?  Did I read it too quickly? 

Perhaps the lesson has something to do with the people's attention to detail.  After all, this is God's sanctuary, not some other common place.  God wanted it made a certain way, and he wanted things to be done a certain way.  God gives few detailed explanations as to why each piece was to be done a certain way.  I am convinced they are not just arbitrary.  There is a reason.  Perhaps for his people, it was to teach them something about treating the holy God as holy.  Paul said to the Athenians that God is not served by human hands as though he needed anything.  All of these instructions are not for his benefit, but for our benefit.  What does it mean to honor God?  Part of it has to mean to honor his instructions with faithful obedience without deviation.  It means not rushing through reading his word, but to digest each part of it and put it into action.  To do otherwise is to dishonor him and not treat him as holy.

It occurs to me that God does not give such detailed instruction on building a physical sanctuary for Christians today.  However, the New Testament says that we, God's people, are his sanctuary.  God's sanctuary is made up of his people rather than wood, gold, and various materials.  God's instruction on how we as his people are to be formed, or rather transformed, in order to act as his sanctuary should be taken with the same level of attention as Israel gave to inanimate objects for the sanctuary.  Forming people is a bit messier that hammering out gold, silver, or bronze, but it is how we honor God and treat him as holy.  We ourselves become holy for the holy God.  For me, this means that I am devoted to God without reservation, even if it means I am out of step with my family, neighbors, and society. 

This reminds me of the children's song, "Trust and obey. . ."  This is how we treat God as holy.  We live in a time where there is a disdain for authority, rules, and boundaries.  The redefinition of morality, ethics, and other such things are a reflection of this.  Christians are not removed from this.  We live in the ocean of this culture.  But we belong to a different kingdom that is not of this world.  To simply go along with the current indiscriminately dishonors a holy God.

Lord, we are a mess.  You give clear instructions, and we seem to be very good at finding ways around them.  Please forgive us for not treating you as holy.  Thank you for your mercy and patience. 

The Stranger

I heard a knock on the door while I was in my warm office studying and preparing for my next lesson to teach.  He was a tall skinny man with an unkempt red hair and beard and a huge backpack.  He explained his situation.  He was trying to get to California and had been riding the rails.  I didn't know anyone did that sort of thing any more.  He said the train stopped downtown, and he got off.  He was asleep and did not get off where he had intended.  He had come from Boston where he had been staying with family.  They took all his money and were into drugs, so he got out of there.  He said he used to travel by rail, but gave it up over ten years ago.  But he had no way to get back.  I wasn't sure what he wanted.  I offered him money, but he didn't want any money.  He wanted some way to continue his journey.  It would be hard to do in a little town like this.  He needed to be either at a truck stop, or some place like Lincoln or Omaha.  I told him that I didn't know what else to tell him.

As he walked away, I felt convicted.  I was concerned for my safety and would have preferred he took my money and went on his way.  I would have felt I did something to help.  However, he didn't want money.  As I watched him go up the hill and start to cross the bridge, I began to remember some of the sermons I have preached.  Jesus told the story about the Samaritan who helped someone by the side of the road.  He took a risk to do so.  Why did Jesus tell that story?  Oh yes.  After Jesus taught that we need to love God and love our neighbor, a person asked, "Who is my neighbor?"  I was watching my neighbor walk up the hill and over the bridge.  Suddenly, I felt a wave of shame come over me.

I hopped in my car and went after him.  I pulled into Casey's and waited for him to get there.  When he got there, I stopped him and offered to give him a ride to the truck stop, or if he could wait a couple hours, to Omaha.  We visited for a bit about the possible merits of either destination, and he decided on the truck stop on I-29.  As he put his back pack in the back seat and climbed into the car, the thought came across my mind again.  I don't know this guy.  He could pull a knife or a gun on me.  This is not safe.  Then I remembered the story again that Jesus told about the Samaritan who stopped to help someone in need.

He tried to tell me the story of his life on our trip over to the truck stop and how he had gotten stuck in the situation he is in.  If it wasn't the middle of the winter, he said it wouldn't be as bad.  But it was so cold out.  When we pulled up in front of truck stop, he thanked me.  I told him that the reason I decided to help him in this way was because Jesus tells me that he is my neighbor, and therefore I needed to help him.  I wasn't going to at first because of concern for safety.  But Jesus didn't stop from serving people out of concern for safety.  Do I think I am greater than him that I don't have to?  Jesus reminded me that servant is not greater than his master.   Before he got out of the car, I asked him if we could pray together.  I asked God to help Robert to be able to finish his trip, to help bring him and other Christians together to help him along the way, to keep him safe, and to bless him.  It was at that point that I noticed the tear running down his cheek.

On the drive back to my office, the odor of that stranger lingered in my car.  It caused me to reflect on the whole experience, especially my reluctance and the source of it.  A flood of Bible passages started running through my head as well.  There is the one about entertaining angels unawares.  There is the one about saying "be warmed and be filled" and not doing anything about it.  Then of course there is the parable of the Good Samaritan, which answers the question of "Who is my neighbor?" when we are instructed to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The only regret I now have is not taking the time to share the Gospel with him.  Even though I told him that Jesus is the reason I am helping him, I didn't take the time to share the Gospel with him, which is a much greater need than finishing his trip to California.  The Gospel would help him to make the journey to Heaven.

Lord, please help me not to become so cautious that I pass by those who need help.  Help me not to put your light under a basket due to fear or inconvenience.  Help me to remember that so much of the ministry Jesus performed was in those times he was on his way somewhere but was "interrupted" by someone in need.  Help me never to fail to take the opportunity to share the Gospel, which is the greatest need.  Thank you for your patience and mercy.