Day 32

Dec 2: Leviticus 22-27
Leviticus was definitely tougher to read than Genesis and Exodus. The first two books of the bible start off exciting. There is lots of drama going on and it's really easy to read. Leviticus slows this pace down a lot though. The whole book is pretty much the Lord speaking to Moses and giving him all these rules and regulations. So much of it was about how the Israelites should be living back then; how to build the tent of meeting, how to offer all different kinds of sacrifices, what's clean and unclean and it goes on and on. Most of this doesn't directly apply to our relationship with God. Although the reading is dull and boring for the most part, God still wants us to learn something and for that reason Leviticus is in the bible. We should remember 2 Timothy 3:16 which says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."
So what else can I learn? I think the main theme is how holy God is. All these rules that are set must be followed for a reason, and thats b/c God is holy. We can't be bringing him sacrifices that aren't worthy, or breaking all his rules. We need to respect him and respect everything he has laid out for us. Even though a lot what God lays out are for the Israelites in the old testament, we can still reinforce this with all the other rules God has given us for our own relationship with him. Also, so many times throughout this book you see God ending a chapter or segment with, "I am the LORD your God." It's as if God is reminding us that HE is God, and we are nothing compared to him. If I can take anything from this book, it's that God is holy. I need to respect him and know that he is not to be messed with. At the same time, God shows us that with obedience comes rewards. Chapter 26 starts off titled "Reward for Obedience." We should fear God and all his holiness but still know that he loves us unconditionally and wants to bless us more than we know.