Read to Read …Again
Daily Reading: Leviticus 1-4
Leviticus 1:1
And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,
God’s Word is amazing in every detail. For example, one small detail that may be overlooked but is helpful to know is the organization of the books. Consider the beginning verse of Leviticus. Herein God speaks to Moses out of the tabernacle. But without the previous book of Exodus, the reader would have no idea what the Tabernacle was, where it came from, what it was made of, who made it, and why? God gave the reader the book of Exodus before Leviticus so there would be no confusion. The same is found in the New Testament. Consider the book of Romans. Without the preceding book of Acts there would be mass confusion. Who is Paul, where did he come from, what authority does he have from God, and many other questions. Yes, God’s Word is amazing in every detail.
Speaking of details, did you notice that while reading the first four chapters of Leviticus that God spells out different sin, or peace, offerings for different groups of people? In chapter four verse two there is any person, in 4:3 the priest, in 4:22 the ruler, in 4:27 the common people, and back in 4:13 the entire congregation. This means that truly no one is above the law of God. Also, you may have noticed that in each of these groups the sin/peace offering is different except in one aspect. In each of the individual offerings, the priest, ruler, common man, that individual was to lay their hands on the sacrifice and kill it. Talk about a deterrent to sin. We have it easy.
Another detail to consider while reading these chapters are the terms used for sin. Of course, there is the word sin, but also there are phrases used like: “things which ought not to be done,” and “should not be done.” Is there a better definition for sin than these two phrases? Why is it that some things ought not be done, or should not be done? Because God said to not do these things. Again, we have it easy today. If we sin, we can go straight to the Father in prayer, confess our sins, and He will forgive them (I John 1:9). No one else knows. But in the time of the tabernacle, and then the Temple, everyone knew when someone brought an offering of the sin they committed. “Here comes Bill again with another sin offering, that makes five days in a row, why doesn’t he just get right and stop sinning.” Wow. That would be embarrassing to say the least.
While unwritten, use your imagination for a moment. Consider the aroma in the air around the tabernacle. In my mind it smells like a Bar B Q restaurant. I can see the sights, the people, and hear the lowing of the oxen, the bleating of the sheep, the flap of wings of the birds. I can see the brilliance of the gold, the specter of the priestly garments, the tears of sorrow while killing the innocent animals, the blood everywhere, smell the stink of the butchering, and see the hustle and bustle. What a sight it would have been to experience.
While reading Leviticus remember that some of the events are contemporary with some of the events in Exodus. Especially the last four chapters of this book. Also, remember that all these sacrifices were ended by the finished work of Jesus Christ. When he said …It is finished… while hanging on the cross in John 19:30. He meant just that!
William T. Howe Ph.D.
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