Day 9 of 90 - Leviticus 16:15-Numbers 1:54

Today we read Leviticus 16:15-Numbers 1:54, and I loved how practical Leviticus is. I was afraid of Leviticus because of the stigma attached to its strict moral code, but today, God opened my eyes as I read the end of Leviticus into the beginning of Numbers. 

Numbers 1:46 tells us that there were 603,550 men counted in total amongst the tribes. These men were able-bodied and at least 20 years old (and older). This census didn’t include women, children and other men. So we are literally talking about 1 million people leaving Egypt and heading to Canaan. 1 million people to guide. 1 million people to monitor. 1 million people to introduce to Yahweh. And these 1 million people sojourned for 40 years, with no outlets of electronics, entertainment, or fitness centers to burn off steam or to centralize their energy. In light of this, it makes sense why Moses had to give so many guidelines. These practical laws were “speed limits” that helped to ensure that God’s people would arrive to their destination safely. With no rules, disorder was guaranteed. And of the many guidelines listed in Leviticus, i loved the simple, to-the-point ones written in Leviticus 19. My favorite was verse 32 “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” I don’t know when we entered into this widespread era of disrespect toward our elders, but it has become a major issue. When I was born, I was trained to say “Yes sir” and “Yes ma’am.” I was raised to open doors for women, all women, and be hospitable and honorable. I was raised to say please and thank you and not cut off an elder who was speaking. But nowadays, we have lost respect for our elders. In our churches, we are so hungry for relevance that we are skipping an entire generation of wisdom. In our homes, we are calling them by their first names. In our academies, we see ourselves as equal to or better than them. And I just believe that there is so much untapped wisdom being withheld because we are going to grad school for things we need to be sitting under grandma for.