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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Lev. 16
God showed us through the Israelites that we cannot simply approach Him any way we want. For Aaron to enter the most holy place, he had to be covered by sacrifice and clothed in holy garments. He also had to bring specific incense, burning with coals from the altar, with him, as well as some of the blood from the sacrifice. The way that applies to us is that we need Jesus in order to approach God. All of these requirements are met in Him. He is the sacrifice that atones for us. And it is He who clothes us in His righteousness. I believe the incense represents His interceding prayers on our behalf. Lastly, it is His blood that cleanses us. Thus, it is Jesus who makes us presentable to God.
Lev. 17-18
I am curious about all of these religious sacrifices and rituals. We know such things were not unique to the Jews. Every culture and nation had their own ‘gods’ with corresponding sacrifices and rituals meant to appease and gain favor with them. But where did that idea come from? I guess the first mention of making offerings to God is in Genesis 4, when Cain and Abel presented offerings to the LORD. There are also many other mentions of altars and sacrifices long before God gave His people these laws. So again, where did this idea come from?
I wonder if God planted in the human heart the desire, the need, even, to honor his Maker with sacrificial offerings. Thinking about it, that is something that sets us apart from the animals. Yet even with Cain and Abel we see that there is a right way and a wrong way to honor God. So I suspect that, as with everything else, mankind tended toward doing so in whatever way seemed good to him. Thus, the offerings, sacrifices, and rituals meant to honor God tended more and more toward dishonoring Him. Not only did they start ‘honoring’ the wrong things, but they did it in ways that were contrary to God’s glory.
Thus, I tend to see many of the stipulations and rules God gave with the law as a way of setting the record straight. Just as we cannot approach God any way we want, we likewise cannot honor Him any way we want. We must do so in a manner that is consistent with both His character and His sovereignty. I don’t believe that the details of these laws matter so much at this point. However, the purpose of those details still exists. That means that if we are truly striving to honor God alone with the sacrifice of our lives, we won’t engage in the distorted practices of pagans even without the law. After all, we are not trying to appease God or win His favor. We know we can’t do that. Rather, we are trying to honor and glorify Him with genuine love from our grateful, surrendered hearts.