Leviticus 22-23

Day 40!   Well, we've done this as long as Noah had a flood!  :)  Surely we are on a roll!!

Been without power since 5:30am!!!   Why?  I don't know.  yes it rained last night and the wind blew....at 1:30!!!!  but at 5:30??  AND our neighbors had lights!?   ARGH!!  But a few flashlights later and a phone call on a cell phone we're up and going.  Sorry if your coffee's cold.  At least you got some! :)  

Chapter 22  "Holiness, holiness, holiness is what I long for"  Know the song?  Was it written for Leviticus?  We can get so caught up in the yucky and boring of the sacrificial instructions that we forget the reason for such.....to be holy.  Did you do your homework yesterday?  Counting the places where God said "I am the Lord"  or circling/underling the places where death is associated with immorality in sexual relations or circle the word holy?   All of this is leading up to being holy with our Lord.  

Baby is hungry....go finish your homework....I"ll be back! 

Okay....we're back!   Quickly.....we are in the midst of the holiness code -- chapters 17-26--holiness in eating (17:1-16); holiness in sexual behavior (18:1-30); holiness in social ethics (19:1-37); holiness in worship (20:1-8, 27); holiness in family relations (20:9-26); holiness in the priesthood (21: 1-22:16)... and here we are today....holiness in sacrificial offerings (22:17-33).  There are certain offerings that are unacceptable to the Lord:  things with defects, things that have warts, burns or sores; no bruised testicles allowed (?!); none of these are to be placed on the altar...they are unacceptable to the Lord and will not be accepted on your behalf.  The reasoning for all of this?  Its kinda like saying  "okay God...I promise to give you my very best of my time, my energy, my talents, my crops.  I promise you I'll give you the best." But then what do we really show up with?  Table scraps and leftovers and giving Him whatever we can spare.  Not how we are to treat the Lord.   Amen?  Amen!

Chapter 23 More holiness.  I know.  I know...you're surprised! :)  Here we have holiness in observing the festivals.  So far the holiness has been related to person, places, and things.  But now it is extended to time....to God's holy time.  These festivals are to commemorate the Israelites' flight from Egypt...OH! I love the end of chapter 22, verse 33: "I am the Lord, who makes you holy, and who brought you out of Egypt to be you God.  I am the Lord."  Ever heard anyone say to their child, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it"?  Kinda echoes this verse....hey!  I brought you out of Egypt and I can send you back!  :)  Just a funny.

The Passover festival begins in our month of March/April with a ceremonial dinner where they read the exodus story and eat in remembrance of their captivity...bitter herbs for their tears, bread without yeast because they didn't have time for it to rise. The Passover pointed forward to Christ, our Passover, who was slain for the sins of the world!  Amen!  and Amen!