Day 8 of 90 - Leviticus 4:27-Leviticus 16:14

Today we read Leviticus 4:27- Leviticus 16:14. And the verse that really hit me was Lev. 11:45. The operative word, for me, is Holy. And in today’s church, it seems that the three most controversial words are SIN, HELL and HOLY. These words aren’t preached about as often as other words. Nevertheless they are words that show up everywhere in the Bible. So what do we do with that? What do we do with the laws and rules of Leviticus and why do they exist?

This didn’t really make sense to me until I thought about my double hip replacement 3 years ago. Before I was approved to get the surgery, I had to endure several pre-authorization visits to my primary care doctor, my dentist and my orthopedic surgeon. Then Post-op, i had a manual full of things to eat, things not to eat, ways to exercise, how to clean the area where I had my surgery, and a list of prohibitions and medications to ensure that i would live after my handicap. I had to learn to walk again. I had to buy certain appliances in my home to ensure that I could still live in my house after this surgery.

As I read Leviticus today, I realized that God put all these measures in place for Israel because he wanted to live with them and he wanted them to live. Despite the introduction of sin in Genesis which really messed up intimacy between God and man, God was still willing to institute laws of protection and direction to ensure his chosen people could “co-habitate” with a Holy God. But the catch was, God is holy. And I pray I never forget that. I’m not just reading the Bible, I’m reading the Holy Bible. That is to say, Im reading it through the lens of holiness. God is asking us to be holy BECAUSE he is holy. God is not like people who demand that we do as he says but not as he does. Instead he sets the bar high and expects us to rise up and not settle down. The Israelites didn’t realize that these precautions were for their protection, but they were. 

Lesson- god may be protecting you by restricting you. Trust Him anyway!