Devotion by Maria Knowlton (IN)
First of all, let me say CONGRATULATIONS on finishing what many consider to be the hardest book in the Bible to get through due to its “repetitive rules and low relatability.” One online reader even called it, “Where Bible reading plans go to die.” 
(guilty!)
And I’m not going to lie. I feel like reading chapter 27 is basically reading a page out of a law book at the law offices of Dewey, Cheatum, & Howe.
The first part is a little confusing… why are they paying money for people?? They weren’t. Basically, people could dedicate themselves, their children, animals, or properties to the Lord at anytime, but if they need any of the above back, they could buy them back at the values the Lord set in this chapter. (Certainly, this was a lot clearer to the people of the time than it is to me!) The rest of the chapter is similar information that does seem repetitive and irrelevant.
So I’m sure you’re thinking, “Well, Miss Negative Nellie, why did I just bother reading this whole book?!”
We are told our whole Christian lives how Christ died to set us free from the law ( Acts 13:38-39, Romans 6:14, 7:6, 8:2, Galatians 3:25, 5:1). But do we stop and think how deep and broad the Mosaic Law was? Not easy stuff to get through, let alone emulate with your life. Reading Leviticus brings us, not only to the reality that living by works alone is nearly impossible, but also to how truly, throughly, and deeply holy is our God. I hope that reading Leviticus has done this for you.
The poetry of Psalm 14 and the prose of Matthew 27 are easier to understand if not exactly pleasant to read. Can you imagine reading the Resurrection story for the first time and stopping at the end of 27?! What a sad cliffhanger! But like reading Leviticus, you can’t understand the point of the really good stuff until understanding the tragic background. Without understanding the NEED for a savior, from the stringent laws that a Holy God commands, to the awful details of Judas’s betrayal, we will miss the complete picture of Jesus’s sacrifice for us.
So, GREAT JOB with your reading! You’ve got this! Let’s Go!! Even through the rough parts, time spent in scripture is never wasted!
Reflection Questions:
- What does it mean to have a holy God?
- What was the purpose of Leviticus? What is the purpose of Matthew 27?
- What is the hardest part of reading Matthew 27?
Prayer:
Dear Holy God, thank you for not giving up on us – Your creation that turned our backs on You and repeatedly broke Your law. Help us see our sin for what it is and the distance that it puts between us and You. Thank You for Matthew 27. Help us see the depth of Your great love for us and the loving obedience of Your precious Son. Help me have the mind of Christ which says and lives “Not my will, but Yours be done” – even when it hurts and is so hard. Help me see what You will and follow well, like Your Son who gave his life as the perfect sacrifice so I can pray to You today and be heard as Your child.
Seek Grow Love 