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If you’re interested, my previous entries in this series are listed under Word in 365.
Is it REALLY week 8 already? WOW!
Feb 21 Reading: Leviticus 24-25
No idea what’s up with the blasphemer – except to show that God was serious about not taking His name in vain. A pretty serious offense as evidenced by the serious consequence.
I love the idea about the Sabbath and Jubilee years for the crops. From a biology standpoint, it makes sense that giving the soil a rest for a year would actually help it to be more productive. The year of Jubilee means that at least one in your lifetime you could get to ‘start over’, in a sense, if you found yourself in debt to another person. None of this hopeless, “I can never get out of this” kind of stuff. That’s a cool thing.
Feb 22 Reading: Leviticus 26-27
I couldn’t help but think this is a passage that people could refer to when arguing that trials and tribulations which someone is going through are a result of disobedience. God says, in essence, “Follow my decrees and you will be rewarded. Do not follow my decrees, and you will be punished.” So, if you have these bad things happening to you, then you must not be obeying his commands… This may be the case sometimes, but, as we saw with Job, sometimes good people go through bad things and it has nothing to do with their obedience. However, that being said, God is clear that following his commands will have rewards. Right living does have its rewards, for sure. God’s commands are about the order of life, not just a set of rules. The commands are in place to teach us about how we’re made and what life should look like ideally. When we’re living in concert with the way we are designed (i.e, following his commands) then life will go smoother in many ways. Not all ways, as we live in a fallen world, but still in many ways.
Feb 23 Reading: Numbers 1-2
I sorta got lost in the names and the numbers though I know that they were/are significant. I just haven’t taken the time to study this.
Feb 24 Reading: Numbers 3-4
First, I think it’s very cool that the Lord set apart a whole clan of families to do His work. That’s what it feels like to be called into ministry and set apart for His work. I ‘get’ that because that’s where we are, as a family, right now – called into His service (hubby is a pastor) and set apart for the work He has for us to do. Then, it’s even more cool how he gives them specific jobs to do. You guys, do this. Those guys, do that. He told them clearly what to do, and they just had to do it! OH, if only it were so clear today.
Feb 25 Reading: Numbers 5-6
The test for an unfaithful wife is kind of interesting. Not sure what to make of that completely. One way to translate it says that if she is guilty, after drinking the water that brings a curse, then her belly will swell and her thigh will waste away. Another says that if she’s guilty then she will be barren and her womb will produce no children. If this 2nd way is the more accurate translation, my modern mind wonders if she might become guilty by association (not the correct legal terminology I’m sure) – she could be at the end of her conceiving years when accused, and therefore no longer able to bear children, at which point she would be found guilty of unfaithfulness, even if no unfaithfulness had taken place. Of course, God is bigger than menopause or birth control, so even in that case a woman could become pregnant if it was necessary to show her innocence. This kinda stretched my thinking somewhat and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I wonder if this test is still used among Jews….?
One of my favorite passages of scripture in the whole Bible is in Numbers 6:
22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
These verses have been put to music, and I used to sing them as a lullaby to my kiddos all the time. I love the power and promise of these verses. They are just beautiful, too, and a blessing we often speak over friends, travellers, and guests.
Feb 26 Reading: Numbers 7
I may need to take a closer look, but it seems to me like the offerings brought the dedication of the Tabernacle amounted to quite a sum. The Israelites had plundered the Egyptians when they left Egypt, and it seems from this account that they were indeed a wealthy people. The Lord had provided well for them as they began their journey into the desert. Individually, each offering from the tribal leaders may not have been much – but in total, it was an impressive offering to be sure.
Feb 27 Reading: Numbers 8-10
The process that the Levites went through to be the priests set apart to do the work of the Lord was quite extensive – and provided an outward sign to everyone else that they were Levites. It would be obvious who they were – they were the bald ones! I know through our studies and then the process of becoming ordained (I say OUR… I was a big part of it, but it’s my hubby’s education and ordination), the ceremony of it all makes the sense of being ‘set apart’ tangible somehow. I think that must have been how it was for the Levites as well.
I like how the Israelites knew when and where to go – the cloud of the Lord made it clear to them. Cloud of the Spirit of the Lord is up, we’re walking, and we walk until it sets down again. We stay here until the cloud rises, and follow it until it sets down. That’s pretty simple. Again, I wish our instructions these days were as clearly laid out as this!
Leviticus was a tough book to get through, but we made it. Enjoying Numbers so far, and looking forward to what’s ahead.
