Blood

I'm starting to get a glimpse of how the Jews might feel about the Old Testament sacrificial system.


Burdened. Overwhelmed. Hopeless. Lost.


My Bible reading plan for 2011 involves reading through the whole Bible.  Part of that includes the book of Leviticus - which I've been avoiding (most likely subconsciously) due to its content.  I mean, who wants to read rules we don't even follow anymore?  Right?


I have to be honest, though, reading through the book of Leviticus so far has been a very eye-opening experience.  I think I came across the whole point of Leviticus in today's reading.  Chapter 11, verse 45.  "You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."


My thoughts are all jumbled when it comes to the subject of Leviticus because I'm still new to the concept of ritual sacrifice.  I'm still processing all that Leviticus means to me and how it affects my faith and my relationship with God.  In words, the idea that keeps coming to mind and weighing on my heart is "burden."  I mean, I read through the first 7 chapters and literally got up from each reading feeling heavy.  I felt weighed down and burdened by the amount of blood that had to be shed just for the atonement of the priest, not to mention all the Jews who also had to sacrifice for their sins.  I started to think about my own life, my own sins, and what I would have to sacrifice were I living during that time.  How much blood would I have to offer for myself and my family?  It's too much!  How can anyone live under that burden?  How can anyone exist knowing that what you offer will never be enough, will never satisfy the burden of sin that is on your life and can never be fully atoned for?  It's just too much!


"You shall be holy therefore, for I am holy."


And yet God's standard is the same.  For all of us.  Be holy.


You might recognize Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"


It's a verse that makes it clear - none of us has met the standard God has set for us.  None of us are perfect.


Maybe less recognized, but all the more important, are verses 24 and 25:

"and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood..."

If there is one thing I come away from reading Leviticus with, it's an even greater appreciation for my salvation.  Christ, a perfectly sinless man, died a cruel death on a Roman cross, so that through the shedding of His blood, we who are sinners - who have no hope and would otherwise be "dead in our trespasses" - can be justified and redeemed.  In light of that, how can we do anything but praise Jesus for His sacrifice and tell others about this incredible gift we've received?


"O, praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"

Trust and Obey

Obedience.


This theme keeps coming up in my life lately - through conversations, sermons, experiences - so I think the best thing I can do is write it down.  It's a guaranteed way for me to remember it.


Sunday night in small group we were talking about Romans 12:1-2 and the topic came up.  "...present your bodies as a living sacrifice..."  "...be transformed by the renewal of your mind..."  To do these things requires obedience.


Every time Isabella does something (whether it's doing what we asked her not to do or not doing something that we asked her to do), we talk to her about obedience.  For right now, it goes something like this:  "Isabella, you need to listen and obey."


In church we've been talking about Abraham's life, the most recent installment being where he is commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering.  What does the Bible say that Abraham did?  "So Abraham rose early in the morning..."  He obeyed.


It's an interesting thing, this obedience.  I looked up the definition of the word and the dictionary says that to obey means "to submit or conform in action to."  I guess technically that is a correct description of obedience.  However, growing up I learned a different definition.  My parents always described obedience something like this:

"Jacob, when we ask you to do something we want you to do it right away and with the right attitude." 

You see, as a child growing up in my parents house, obedience was much more than just "doing what you're told to do."  Did you catch emphasis in my definition?  Right away.  Right attitude.


Right away - the task is to be done at that very moment, no questions asked.
Right attitude - the task is to be done without grumbling, complaining, pouting, etc.


It adds a whole new element to obedience, doesn't it?  Yeah, I didn't really like it much either.  But here's the thing, the point I'm trying to get at.  God expects the same from us.  God wants us to obey Him with that same frame of mind.  Right away.  Right attitude.


Look at Abraham's example.  He "rose early in the morning" to go kill his only son - simply because God commanded it to be done.
Or what about Jesus' example?  He willingly went to his death, on the most brutal form of punishment known at the time, because God commanded it to be so.


I know sometimes we have questions about what God is doing and why He's doing it.  I have them all the time.  I don't think God gets mad at us when we question Him either (within certain boundaries, check out Moses' run-in with that).  It's important to remember though, that we can't see everything that God sees.  Think about it this way (Thank you, Dad, for this example - it's stuck with me all these years):


You are out in the front yard tossing a football with a friend and one of you clumsily drops it.  The ball rolls ever so conveniently out of the yard and into the street.  Of course, not wanting to miss a single second of this riveting game of catch, you immediately dash toward the street to retrieve the ball.  From the front porch you hear your Dad (who has spied a car coming entirely too fast down the street in your direction) yell, "STOP!!!"  At this point you can do one of two things: you can either continue on your way and get the ball or you can listen to your Dad and stop.  Which do you do?


For us, the third party observer, the choice is simple.  Stop.  Listen.  Obey.  Easy choice, Jacob, why ask?


Think back to the time when that was you, though.  Obviously if you continue in your path, you will be struck by a car and potentially killed because of your disobedience.  Your Dad doesn't have time to explain all the details of what he sees.  He barely has time to get the words out that save your life.  If you wait until you have all the explanation, it's too late.  If you wait until it all makes sense to you, it's too late.  The same is true with obedience to God.


It may not be necessary for you to know the "why" behind God's plan for you.  It may not be possible for you to understand every detail of what God has commanded you to do.  All we know is that we must trust that God knows what He's doing and obey Him.


Regardless of how we feel about it.