Leviticus 26-27

The next couple chapters we see the ordination of Aaron and his sons. They are anointed to become the first priests of Israel. They are cleansed, had anointing oil placed on them and then also the blood of a ram sacrifice.
Once we get past how awkward this seems, I was interested in 8:23-24.
23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet.
He took some of the blood and placed it in 3 specific areas on both Aaron and his sons; the ear, thumb and big toe. Each seems to have a pretty obvious connection.
The ear: Listen – They needed to listen to God’s commands so that they would be careful not to disobey Him.
Thumb/hand – Actions – We use our hands to carry out most of our actions. I think God was telling Aaron and his sons that they were not merely to listen, but to act on God’s commands. (Kind of like James 1:22 – be doers of the word)
The Big toe/foot – Our walk and where we go – I have read that the big toe carries the most weight and gives the foot balance when walking. Without big toes we could not run or even walk straight.
Possibly God is reminding them to walk straight and stay committed to the path God has set before them.
1 Peter 2:5 – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We are all called into a similar service.
So may your ears be blessed to hear the command of God for your life. Bless your hands to act upon that calling and command. Bless your feet so that wherever you are and wherever you may go you stay committed to the path the Lord has for you.
You are blessed so that you can be a blessing!
John Wincapaw
Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+8-10&version=NIV
Tomorrow’s reading will be Leviticus 11-13 on our 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Confession – yesterday we talked about Christ’s sacrifice replacing the Old Testament offerings. I also mentioned how we often take for granted the fact we no longer have to make the sacrifices. In those sacrifices, it was just that, a sacrifice – the people had to give something that they could have enjoyed because of their sin.
Even though there was a loss, the people had no clear way to alleviate the weight of guilt and find forgiveness in their lives. God has provided another way to help with that – Confession.
Confession is something that is hard to do. Many lie, deny and push blame on others just to avoid confessing. It is something that God asks of us not for his benefit but for ours. I remember being told often as a kid the only way to fix a problem is to realize there is one. And that is what confession is.
Further, confession gives a proper view on sin, God and ourselves.
The punishment for sin is death – we need a proper view of sin. I have often heard of people talk about their sin as “Not that big of a deal.” Sin is just that, SIN. If it is wrong, we shouldn’t do it. Sin that is not confessed and not repented of leads to missing out on the Kingdom.
God cannot be in the presence of sin – we need a proper view of God. Our God is a holy God. He expects purity not just in our actions but also our hearts. (Matt. 5:8 says the pure heart will see God.)
We cannot do it on our own – we need a proper view of ourselves. We often try to fix our problems on our own. Sin is not something we can fix on our own or earn enough to repay the debt. We need a savior and Christ is willing to step in on our behalf.
A couple tips on confession:
Confess immediately – when you know you have done something wrong do not push it off. It is easy to push it off.
Confess specifically – I hear a lot of prayer that vaguely ask for all sins to be forgiven. Make it personal and specific.
Confess honestly – Take it serious and do not make promises you know you will not keep.
Confess to someone else – this is something I push in the church. For some reason people are afraid of letting others know about their sin. Most will acknowledge they are a sinner but would never discuss their struggles for fear of other’s judgement. Find someone you trust and create an open discussion and ask for accountability.
John Wincapaw
Today’s Bible reading can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+5-7&version=NIV
Tomorrow’s reading will be Leviticus 8-10 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Monday, August 29
By Rebecca Dauksas
I have a family member with a birthday coming up next week. I have already bought and wrapped the gifts. Of course, the purpose of giving a gift allows us to tell that person that they are special, that they are loved, appreciated, remembered,…
God is definitely a Giver. After all He showed us His love by giving us His only begotten Son. He gives us so much including life. He offers us so many gifts in the present and in the life to come.
In Leviticus 26 God offered the people His blessings for their obedience. If they obeyed Him, He would have provided what they needed. He would have given them prosperity and peace. He would have given them victory even when others attacked them. They would also have received the ultimate gift of His presence. He said to them, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” Leviticus 26:12
Just as blessings and rewards motivate us to do what is right, consequences also motivate us to avoid wrong. God presents a very graphic description of the consequences of rejecting Him to His people. Sadly, this description reads like a history book for the Israelites. Thankfully, God granted the Israelites the gifts of grace and forgiveness after the punishments of their disobedience. But hold on a minute, we have another gift from God. He gives us the gift of the text we are studying because we can learn from their example. We do not want to follow in their footsteps. Yes, the Israelites were taken back and used by God, but many individuals as we have been discovering are missing out on the blessings in the meantime. They are missing the blessings because they are rejecting the One that wants to bless them. In this chapter we see so clearly, what happens as a result of rejecting God. And even though we can receive forgiveness for our sin, it is so much better to choose God in the first place. Choosing God results in His blessings! Sure there will still be all the hardships we go through in this fallen world, but we can lean into our God. We can rely on His Promise that He will be with us and be our God. That is an amazing gift!