For a full description of the (Y3) reading plan, see the “About” page.
- 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. 10
After God’s fire consumed Aaron’s two wayward sons, God, though He did not owe anyone an explanation for His actions, gave one. He said, “I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.” (Lev. 10:3b). I have mentioned before that God’s pure and perfect holiness, by virtue of what it is, will consume anything that is not likewise holy. We can think of it as a massive refining fire that burns away anything that isn’t pure. God’s explanation here supports that thought to me. Anyone who comes close to Him subjects themselves to that holy fire.
The beautiful and amazing thing is that God knows His own nature. And He knows ours. He knows that we can’t come near Him without being consumed because we are so not holy. Which is why He went through all this trouble to make a way for us to be with Him and He with us without destroying us in the process. He did not give all those rules because He is a hard and demanding dictator. He gave them to protect His people in His presence.
Lev. 11-12
I don’t think I’ll ever understand all these laws regarding clean and unclean things. None of it makes any sense to me. Was there a reason for each of the stipulations? Or was it all more just a test for obedience? Maybe God declared certain things unclean under the law so that He could later tell Peter, “What God has made clean do not call impure.” (Acts 10:15b). And maybe it was all to show that anything washed with water becomes unclean again, but that which is washed by the blood and fire of Jesus Christ will be clean forever.