Day 38
Nothing like a 7 month old trying to crawl! Such joy, hope, and anticipation all wrapped up in her trying! On all fours....rocking back and forth.....head down ready to go and reaching out...all jut to fall short in the attempt. But such joy in the moment of the hopeful! Ain't God grand?!
Chapter 16 The Day of Atonement ....seems we've been building up to this all along....the ultimate day of the year for sacrifices. On this day the people fast and the high priest makes the sacrificial atonement for the sins of the people. All of this is done in the Most Holy Place in the Tent of the Meeting. NO ONE enters here except for Aaron and his sons...the high priests. But now...he may not enter her just whenever he pleases. The Lord has made it very clear that he can enter here only once a year on the day of atonement. This is where God appears in the cloud over the atonement cover (v. 2) and if one else enters into the Most Holy Place...they will die! Aaron is to first make a sin offering for himself before he does one on behalf of his people. As Aaron steps behind the curtain after bathing himself and putting on his holy clothes. He takes with him a bull to offer up for his own sins. He offers this BEFORE he goes into the Most Holy Place....before he enters God's presence. Then Aaron has 2 goats...one for an offering and one as a "scapegoat." I never realized this is where the term came from! Things you learn when you read the Bible! :) The first goat is slaughtered then only the blood is taken behind the curtain and is sprinkled on the atonement cover an in front of it. This symbolizes the death that covers sin. Then, this is so interesting, the second goat is sent off into the desert symbolizing the removal of sin from the people! Isn't that cool? Isn't that a great imagine? A goat running free, away from the people with their sins? A great imagine, but call me crazy, I"m a New Testament kind of girl...I like the whole Jesus thing better! HE is our perfect sacrifice so that we can enter God's presence. Amen? Amen! His sacrifice atones for it all. Thanks be to Jesus!!!!
Chapter 17 Okay...this is kind of like Survivor where "fire" is life on the island. But here, its blood. Blood is associated with life. We have to grasp that in this book of Leviticus. A gory and gross concept, but the blood of the sacrifices is atoning!!!!! Verse 11: "for the life a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Sin separates us from God and this is to bring us back in right relationship with Him...through the life-altering blood. I say again, I'm glad we are a New Testament people!! Chapter 17 is about forbidding the eating of blood. If they do, they will be cut off from their people. They are to now bring the sacrifices to the tabernacle. They can no longer try and do their own sacrifices for their sins out in the field. God is afraid that they are misusing the animal sacrifices and the blood. So, from now on it must be brought to the priests.
Chapter 18 Unlawful sexual relations. Dusty's version (NKJ) says that you must not "look upon the nakedness" of someone. My version (NIV) says very explicitly that you are not to have sex with such and such and so and so. This chapter is a long list of who not to sleep with. I'll sum it up: if you're not married to it, you can't sleep with it! There. 'Nuff said! Can't get any simpler and plainer than that folks! But....God didn't just say it that way....He said it very specifically for a reason...maybe two reasons: 1) so that there are no loopholes or misinterpretations or questions about their sexual relationships. No whining about "I didn't know." Improper sex out of your own marriage "brings dishonor!" 2) Its about obedience. Bottom line....very specific instructions from the Lord....its about obedience to Him. Why be obedient to the Lord? Like our mothers say, "because I'm the mommy!" Well...then...because He's the Lord. Obey because "I am the Lord." It says it in verses 4, 5, 6, 21 and 30....no greater reason to obey the laws/guidelines/instructions/commands of the Lord than because He says so and He's the Lord! Disobedience will result in being cut off from their people. They are to be fighting against ungodly behavior...they've committed enough sins in the past...especially the Egyptians they worked for...and now, God is giving them boundaries to holy life. Why? Because "I am the Lord your God." 'Nuff said! :)
Give thanks with a grateful heart..............
Nothing like a 7 month old trying to crawl! Such joy, hope, and anticipation all wrapped up in her trying! On all fours....rocking back and forth.....head down ready to go and reaching out...all jut to fall short in the attempt. But such joy in the moment of the hopeful! Ain't God grand?!
Chapter 16 The Day of Atonement ....seems we've been building up to this all along....the ultimate day of the year for sacrifices. On this day the people fast and the high priest makes the sacrificial atonement for the sins of the people. All of this is done in the Most Holy Place in the Tent of the Meeting. NO ONE enters here except for Aaron and his sons...the high priests. But now...he may not enter her just whenever he pleases. The Lord has made it very clear that he can enter here only once a year on the day of atonement. This is where God appears in the cloud over the atonement cover (v. 2) and if one else enters into the Most Holy Place...they will die! Aaron is to first make a sin offering for himself before he does one on behalf of his people. As Aaron steps behind the curtain after bathing himself and putting on his holy clothes. He takes with him a bull to offer up for his own sins. He offers this BEFORE he goes into the Most Holy Place....before he enters God's presence. Then Aaron has 2 goats...one for an offering and one as a "scapegoat." I never realized this is where the term came from! Things you learn when you read the Bible! :) The first goat is slaughtered then only the blood is taken behind the curtain and is sprinkled on the atonement cover an in front of it. This symbolizes the death that covers sin. Then, this is so interesting, the second goat is sent off into the desert symbolizing the removal of sin from the people! Isn't that cool? Isn't that a great imagine? A goat running free, away from the people with their sins? A great imagine, but call me crazy, I"m a New Testament kind of girl...I like the whole Jesus thing better! HE is our perfect sacrifice so that we can enter God's presence. Amen? Amen! His sacrifice atones for it all. Thanks be to Jesus!!!!
Chapter 17 Okay...this is kind of like Survivor where "fire" is life on the island. But here, its blood. Blood is associated with life. We have to grasp that in this book of Leviticus. A gory and gross concept, but the blood of the sacrifices is atoning!!!!! Verse 11: "for the life a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Sin separates us from God and this is to bring us back in right relationship with Him...through the life-altering blood. I say again, I'm glad we are a New Testament people!! Chapter 17 is about forbidding the eating of blood. If they do, they will be cut off from their people. They are to now bring the sacrifices to the tabernacle. They can no longer try and do their own sacrifices for their sins out in the field. God is afraid that they are misusing the animal sacrifices and the blood. So, from now on it must be brought to the priests.
Chapter 18 Unlawful sexual relations. Dusty's version (NKJ) says that you must not "look upon the nakedness" of someone. My version (NIV) says very explicitly that you are not to have sex with such and such and so and so. This chapter is a long list of who not to sleep with. I'll sum it up: if you're not married to it, you can't sleep with it! There. 'Nuff said! Can't get any simpler and plainer than that folks! But....God didn't just say it that way....He said it very specifically for a reason...maybe two reasons: 1) so that there are no loopholes or misinterpretations or questions about their sexual relationships. No whining about "I didn't know." Improper sex out of your own marriage "brings dishonor!" 2) Its about obedience. Bottom line....very specific instructions from the Lord....its about obedience to Him. Why be obedient to the Lord? Like our mothers say, "because I'm the mommy!" Well...then...because He's the Lord. Obey because "I am the Lord." It says it in verses 4, 5, 6, 21 and 30....no greater reason to obey the laws/guidelines/instructions/commands of the Lord than because He says so and He's the Lord! Disobedience will result in being cut off from their people. They are to be fighting against ungodly behavior...they've committed enough sins in the past...especially the Egyptians they worked for...and now, God is giving them boundaries to holy life. Why? Because "I am the Lord your God." 'Nuff said! :)
Give thanks with a grateful heart..............
I'm with you on being a New Testament kinda girl. But you know i feel bad for any person that sleeps with the same sex. They say they were born that way or that's the way they feel. But it clearly says in Ch. 18:22 that it is wrong.
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