February 22 – Leviticus 26-27

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 24-25. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Today in our reading we find two contrasts. God shares what he will do if they follow him … seasonal life giving rains, constant work because of bountiful harvests, plenty of food, peace in the land, no wild animals, deliverance from enemies, being a fertile people, and God living among them. On the other side, if they do not follow him … punishment, sudden terrors, disease, enemies eating and destroying crops, defeat from enemies, oppression of foreign peoples, disaster, and ultimately hostility from God. Now I do not know about you, but I pick the first one.

Sometimes I wish I could read God’s word as if I did not know what was playing out. I wish I could read it as if I had never read it and it was like a fun new exciting novel. Because if I had read today’s reading that way, I would have been rooting for them to get it, to follow God. Now that might be naivety since we have already seen their sinful nature … complaining to Moses about food, water, and weariness. We have seen them resort back to making a golden calf to worship when Moses disappears on Mt. Sinai. But maybe, in my optimistic mind, they might just get it and follow him.

Would not life be grand for them if they just did what he asked? Unfortunately we are going to in the next several months witness the negative play out because they do not follow him. But here’s the cool thing even in this destruction God does not abandon his covenant with them, he keeps a remnant and prepares the world so that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham … and he said he would in Leviticus 26:40-45 NLT …

““But at last my people will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors for betraying me and being hostile toward me. When I have turned their hostility back on them and brought them to the land of their enemies, then at last their stubborn hearts will be humbled, and they will pay for their sins. Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land must be abandoned to enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. At last the people will pay for their sins, for they have continually rejected my regulations and despised my decrees.

“But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the Lord their God. For their sakes I will remember my ancient covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of all the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.”

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February 21 – Leviticus 24-25

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 24-25. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Today’s reading really spoke to an Issue I really find repulsive in our culture today. You cannot turn on the TV, walk into a store, have a conversation or receive a text message without hearing “Oh my God” or reading OMG. I understand the phrase “Oh my God” has permeated our culture to the point where people are not saying it to offend God or to summon his wrath, sadly it is simply a saying of astonishment. It has permeated our culture so much so that I hear many in our churches use it as part of their vernacular.

To be transparent … whenever I hear someone using “Oh my God,” especially more when it comes from a fellow Christians; my blood boils. And I think it should. Jesus, the Son of God died to save me from my sins. Since the sin of the Garden he has been on a relentless pursuit of me and you to restore our relationship. He is master, creator, sustainer, and deliver. He is worthy to not have his name spoken in a flippant nonchalant way.

After reading the passage today, I believe he feels the same way. We saw a young man blaspheme the name of the Lord … blasphemes means to “speak carelessly, falsely or insultingly about God or holy things” … and you know what his punishment was … death ordered by God. (Leviticus 24:10-16) God takes his name seriously. I think we should too. When we casually say things such as “Oh my God” we are blaspheming the name of God. We are blaspheming the one who saved us. It should enrage us to hear others use that name in flippant and casual way, especially those who call him Lord and savior. I do not know about you but there is no curse word that angers me more than hearing people use my fathers name in such a way. I hope it does you as well.

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February 20 – Leviticus 22-23

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 22-23. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

God is constantly reminding us of who He is. In our reading today he does that over and over again. At the end of various sections we find these words … “I am the Lord” (22:2, 22:3, 22:8, 22:9, 22:16, 22:30 22:33). God reminds us the reader that we do what we do because He is the Lord. He is master, He is creator, He is sustainer, and He is behind it all. We do it all to bring praise, honor, and glory to His name.

Do you live your life with that thought process? Do you remember that He is Lord; he is master, creator, and sustainer? According to our reading today we would be wise to constantly remember that He is the Lord, we are not, and that we are trust in Him in all we do.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

February 19 – Leviticus 19-21

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 19-21. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Spiritual Prostitution … are you guilty of it? In the New Living Translation of the Bible the translators decided to translate Leviticus 19:5 as … “I myself will turn against them and their families and will cut them off from the community. This will happen to all who commit spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.” The New International Version simply says … “prostituting themselves to Molek.” (The various translators have decided to translate the English spelling nof Molech/Molek two different ways. We will use the NLT spelling today) I love ~ love the use of the word choice, hate what it is referencing ~ the way the NLT translates this idea. It paints such a drastic picture of what we do when we give our devotion to anyone or anything other than God.

The sin of worshiping Molech was grotesque. Molech was one of the God’s of the Canaanite people. At various times worship to Molech would involve the sacrifice of babies … infants. If this is not a gruesome enough picture for you, they would be live infants placed in the arms of a statue that was blazing hot because of the raging fire beneath it. The babies would be cooked to death. Just imagine the wails that would come from these children. Just imagine the weeping and gnashing that came from the mothers watching as this horrific sacrifice is offered. This sacrifice often took place in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom that is part of the city of Jerusalem. It was also known as Gehenna. In Jesus day this valley was used as the waste dump of the city. When Jesus talks about what Hell will be like he is referencing this valley and the acts that took place here.

Back in Leviticus God is telling his people that if they worship Molech they are committing spiritual prostitution. I know in our age this is not something we are going to struggle with ... offering human sacrifices. But to his audience this would be an easy step to make … remember they have just come from a land full of pagan worship, they even built as the slave of Egypt their pagan symbols of worship. God considered this step spiritual prostitution.

But he did not stop there. Throughout chapter nineteen he continues to talk about spiritual prostitution. He calls giving our devotion to anything other than Him spiritual prostitution. Have you committed spiritual prostitution? Have you devoted yourself to anything other than God yourself? Examine your life and see if you are seeking spiritual monogamy with God, not selling yourself to the lust of the flesh.

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February 18 – Leviticus 16-18

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 16-18. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

As a Christian there are theological issues that I feel I have a really firm understanding of. Then there are issues that for various reasons I just do not get at all. In some instances it is easy just to assume that this is the case and take it at its face value. In other instances it really pushes my faith … it really stretches me. One of those theological issues that I have not understood but trusted the Bible was over the shedding of blood and the whole need for a sacrifice.

I cannot say I have doubted the need for blood sacrifice but at the same time I just have not completely or fully understood it. To be honest even after the revelation I had in my mind after today’s reading, I still cannot say I fully understand it. However, in Leviticus 17 today God began to shed some new light in my mind on this issue.

Read again these words … “For the life of 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. Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may an alien living among you eat blood.” ‘Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth, because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelites, “You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off.” Leviticus 17:11-14. I guess the reason an animal sacrifice works is because it has given up its life, and the blood represents that life. It is through the blood that nutrients, oxygen, and other needed things are delivered to the parts of body. Blood is life!

It’s cool to experience a new understanding. While I am nowhere close to full understanding, a little light bulb went off in my brain this morning, which is really cool! Thank you for letting me share this little ah ha moment with you.

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February 17 – Leviticus 14-15

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 14-15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

There is an image painted in today’s reading that I find absolutely remarkable. We found out yesterday that anyone who had an infectious skin disease would have to be removed from the people and live in isolation. This was an incredibly horrible separation. We learned in Genesis when God created Eve that man was not meant to be alone. Isolation we know today is one of the most dreaded punishments that any of our prisons can offer. For someone with an infectious skin disease they dream of the day when healing might happen.

And if and when that healing took place an amazing symbol is performed. Read again verse seven of chapter fourteen … “Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.” Lev. 14:7 NIV84. When a person with an infectious disease is found to be clean a bird is to be released to fly free. When a person with the disease is now clean and pronounced clean, they are like that bird able to fly free, hug loved ones, mingle in the marketplace, fellowship with other people, and find intimacy with their spouse. They have been set free.

Here’s the really remarkable … in Christ’s no matter what blemish we had that separated us from God it has been paid in full for. We are set free like the bird, no longer bound by sin, and no longer diseased in the eyes of God. We can now have intimacy with God. What an awesome reminder of this.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

February 15 – Leviticus 8-9

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 8-9. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

When you know God has been present in your life and has done something how do you react? Do you get excited? Do you just let it happen with no acknowledgement? I hope you get excited, because I think it’s a biblical reaction. Look at what the Israelites did when God presented himself after the ordination of Aaron and his sons and the sacrifices they offered … “Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.” Leviticus 9:23-24

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February 14 – Leviticus 5-7

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 5-7. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

I have to be perfectly honest with you … this is one of the sections of the Bible I dread to read. I understand and get all the Laws that God put in place. I think it was a necessary thing for His people to have. I think it is beneficial to us to understand the Laws, culture, and world that Jesus lived in and the church was established in. But I find it incredibly boring to read. I imagine that I am not the only one who feels this way. Let me encourage you, if you have a hard time reading a section of scripture to read it out loud. When I do not read it out loud I find myself having to reread, getting easily distracted, or having no clue what I just read.

While reading today I also found something I thought was really cool. God tells Moses … “If he cannot afford a lamb, he is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for his sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.” Lev. 5:7 NIV84 or “‘If, however, he cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, he is to bring as an offering for his sin a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.” Lev. 5:11 NIV84. Both of these passages show that God is not consumed with the dollar amount you are able to give. It is the heart that you give with. God made provisions for His people to give what they could afford.

I think that holds true in our giving today. God expects our best from him, whether it is a monetary gift, our physical service, our spiritual service, or any other types of gifts we choose to give. God wants our best regardless of how extravagant it is. He wants us to give the best that we can, straight from a desire to give.

At West Side we are beginning a new prayer partner campaign. We are asking people to join with us in praying daily for West Side. If you would like to join us please click here and subscribe to receive daily emails containing a short prayer request for West Side. We appreciate your partnership.

February 13 – Leviticus 1-4

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 1-4. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

God will provide. I think that has been a lesson we have seen over and over again in the exodus of the Israelites out of the Egyptian land of slavery. He has provided food, water, safety, and provisions to construct the articles of worship. Now he is providing for his servants the priests.

In today’s reading we find out about the various sacrifices that are to be offered; burnt offering, grain offering, guilt offering and peace offering. It is in the grain offering that we see God providing for the priests … “The rest of the grain offering will then be given to Aaron and his sons as their food.” Leviticus 2:10 NLT. God was not going to give the priest any inheritance in the land; they would have no land of their own except for the priestly cities. Beyond that they were depended upon those they served to provide their needs.

God doesn't leave them looking for handouts. God does not leave them begging on the streets. From the very beginning of their duties God has put in place a system to care for his holy men. God knows our needs long before we do. He has a plan for our lives. He is in charge, and from this small example we are reminded that he has our best interest at heart.