God is Gracious

So…Leviticus.  

I think there's something to be said about Leviticus.  I know what I've said in the past about it: can't I just skim it?  What point does it serve for the modern disciple of Jesus Christ?  How does it speak to us and should we be concerned with it?  What's the governing principle and purpose we could potentially take away?  Are there any?

Well, the answer to all of those questions is wrapped up in the overarching truth that ALL scripture is God-breathed, profitable and instructional, correctional and beneficial.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

In fact, even more overarching - if that's possible - and perhaps more helpful to our theology involving all of scripture is that ALL of the Bible is telling ONE. BIG. STORY.

As post-Acts disciples of Jesus, we understand that the New Testament is a new covenant.  It's exhaustive in defining the true follower of Jesus - how a true disciple should look in light of our salvation by Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.  AMAZING GRACE!

But as I heard Jen Wilkin once say in her message at Proclaim Truth 2020: "The Old Testament points toward the New; and the New Testament tips its hat toward the Old." 
What's she saying is, as much as we behold the New Testament, it is just as essential to follow the story of God through the Old.  It is just as impactful, necessary and beneficial to get a sense of God, His purpose, His plan, His ways, in the Old Testament. 
As we tackle the New Testament writings, it is profitable for us to understand the Old as it pertains in continuity and connection!  You can't understand one without the other; there's no way to understand the whole story of scripture if the entire Bible is not taken into consideration.

So…Leviticus.

In Leviticus, there is a familiar theme that I don't think we recognize as we're reading the repetitive statements of "he shall bring his offering," and "and the priest shall burn it on the altar."  The requirements for a "guilt offering," a "sin offering" a "restitution offering," etc., are remarkably similar. 
One must bring the appropriate sacrifice which will be made by the priest at the altar.  The animal of such a sacrifice must have particular qualities.  Parts of the animal will be used for sacrifice (namely the blood which was to be spilled on the altar), parts for burning completely, parts for the priest to use.

But whatever offering was coming for whatever transgression was made, it always required a costly sacrifice. 

I am far from understanding all the implications of Leviticus as it relates to my relationship God and His plans for a better life for mankind. 

I am bewildered at the enormous amount of detail that the LORD speaks to Moses, so the people could be reconciled to Him in a right relationship.  It's truly a lot to digest.

But I'm clear on one thing about the ever-becoming-endearing book of Leviticus in scripture: God is gracious.

God is gracious?

In Leviticus?

Excitedly, I confess that what was once a mundane read in my yearly Bible plan, is now one of my favorite books to work through!

I don't know how better to emphasize the connection of Leviticus to its importance in our lives; our understanding of its pertinence and significance.  I believe its God -breathed scripture and what I'm seeing is the foreshadowing of something much bigger, better, perfect and complete.  Jesus.  Jesus our perfect, ultimate, final sacrifice for sin!

But how does it show us that God is gracious?

Ahh, I am so glad you asked. 
In the book of Leviticus, there are explicit details of ways to break fellowship with God; different forms of sin that replace a harmonious connection to the LORD Almighty with brokenness.  Mentions of intentional and unintentional; guilt and restitution.  Over and over…and over…and over… and over. 
Think about this:

God is holy. Holy, holy, holy, to be exact.  This holiness is a divine and set apartness that separates God from everything else in creation.  As holy, He defines the truth and standard of all things: love, existence, boundaries, relationships, sin, right living, etc.

God is relational.  In the beginning, we see in creation that He set up the perfect place for something with the imprint of His image to subdue - rule and keep.  In this relationship, God set the precedent of relating to Him and doing what is right.  With the intent on "becoming like God, knowing good and evil," man disobeyed the loving, protective Lord, consequently causing a fracture in creation, and all things to fall from perfection to an inherent corruption.  Sad stuff.  Man has never had a perfect relationship with God since.  However, this is the part where we can say,
God is gracious.  Because sin would mark every person ever made (except Jesus the Beloved Son of God), God knew there would be necessary rules of engagement between people.  In Leviticus you can see how He defines and details all the ins and outs of God-loving, God-following people.  It's intense.  So intense, it's impossible.  It's IMPOSSIBLE. Those sacrifices that we talked about above were not things to do - it was God's temporary plan of reconciling a sinful people to Himself.  The repetitive script of the one bringing offering, the priest in his duties, and the forgiveness that would then be granted is God reaching out to humanity for relationship. 
It was a GRACE to understand what separated people from a Holy God.
It was a GRACE to bring a sacrifice to offer for restitution.

It was a GRACE to bow in humility, recognizing how badly we need Him.
It was a GRACE to offer worship in this mode.

It was a GRACE to be forgiven and restored to peace with the LORD.

God is GRACIOUS, even in His holiness and justice, to reach down into humanity giving us a foreshadowing of what was to come: the ultimate sacrifice; the perfect sacrifice; the final sacrifice; the unconditional love; the extended forgiveness of sins once and for all: JESUS CHRIST.

This is why we read the Old Testament.  It's the part of the story without an ending, until you get to the New Testament where Jesus breaches the walls between man and God for one final sacrifice, nullifying all sacrifices from then on, bringing about peace between God and man forever, and re-establishing a connection to all who believe on His name.  WOW!

God. Is. Gracious!

I'm spellbound.  I'm humbled.  I'm in awe.

What are your thoughts?  What do you think about Leviticus?  Maybe the next time you read it, you'll look at it through the lens of the Gospel wherein God tells His story of love, hope and grace.

Much love,

Deeds

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God of Grace & Mercy

Hey guys!
It's March!!! Can you believe?  I mean, can you? 
In some ways, I feel like I'm stuck in January and unable to move forward; at the same time, how did we already make it to the month where the sun makes promises of warmth? 
It's mind-blowing!  And here we are.

Today, I'm in Nehemiah.  I LOVE this book.  You guys, if you have a chance to read Nehemiah, and if you should have your note-takers journals and pens handy, I would strongly recommend!  It's the other thing right now that I cannot believe I'm a part of.
Nehemiah.
Do you remember the process video I did back in February in this book?  If you haven't seen it already, the link is right here.  Through this video, I explain a bit more of where the people of Israel have been, what they've done, and how far they've come.  In this context, we meet Nehemiah now in chapter 9.

baby wipe with acrylic paint technique

Nehemiah chapter 9 and following (somewhat like the rest of Israelite history) is a bittersweet combination of a rebellious-turned-right-turned-rebellious people and a God that contains His wrath and justice to bring about His grace and mercy.
"Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes."  (Neh. 9:32a)
This is a request of Nehemiah that follows tightly on the heals of something that he'd just expressed from his heart of ache and plight.
"But in Your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God."  (v.31)
The God of the Bible - the same God of today - has far-reaching hands as He works (with delight, may I add?) to restore a people to Himself.  This same God does not tolerate idolatry of this people and carefully, with the most amazing and appropriate mixture of holiness and grace, guides them again into His fold.  He will not leave them.  He will not abandon them.  He will instruct them, which to some may come as an extreme move on His part, but for the fickle and the flighty,  He does what it absolutely necessary.
I don't think I'm alone when I think about how ridiculous it was for God to have given Israel so many chances; so many opportunities to come through and remain faithful.  SO MANY!  It's embarrassing to the same degree that the Lord chases me down and uses this same Fatherly chastising to bring a daughter (wayward and wandering), to the acknowledgment of who He is once again.  Many, many times.  Too many times.

Did you by chance catch the verse above?  The one about the "gracious and merciful God?" 

Let me try to dumb this down for us a bit: WITHOUT THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD THERE WOULD BE NO US.  Humanity at its best would still be a pile of rubble; rubbish ground down to bitter ashes of shame and nothingness.
God is holy, you guys, and His name is above all other names.  He gives His glory to no other; shares none of His weighted magnificence with anyone.  God is God, and only God is God.  So, having scriptures recount His glory in the highlights of His grace and mercy is huge for us.  It's huge!

Nehemiah understands this and that is why he vocalizes it in the community there in Jerusalem.  We all need to hear - repeated and distinctly - who God is, and the very breath by which we live under His Sovereignty.
This should really spark some general questions for us:
Why then do we continue to elevate and worship other "gods?"  The gods of finances, health, comfort, possessions, popularity, strength, religiosity?
I love the Jesus Bible and I quote from it often.  Here's a little snippet of something I read that clears up the mess in my brain over all of this.
"Remembering the past gave them (Israel) a focus for the future.  Having heard their own story, God's people faced a decision.  They could renew their covenant and continue on with God, or choose a different future, dedicated to other 'gods.'
"This covenant was not defined by a code of behavior or a list of intellectual truths.  The covenant was framed by the narrative of God's gracious acts toward a rebellious people."
DON'T MISS THIS.

                     

God brings a mess of people - a ruin of broken hearts - under His care and by HIS GRACE AND MERCY ALONE causes the covenant to exist; again.
GOD is faithful.
GOD is wonderful.
GOD is gracious.
GOD is merciful.
To GOD be the glory for all the great things He has done.

I've been convicted by this book as a whole.  I'm reminded of God's pleasure which is not to destroy me - someone who daily flips with a given emotion or situation - but to renew me, to bring me back, and to restore me to rightful worship of the One True King.  My Daddy.  The God of Grace and Mercy.

May He get all the glory.  May I daily surrender to His lead.  May He remain the all-powerful God and Sovereign of my fickle, feeble heart.  May I ever fall on His grace and mercy in remembrance of what He has done.
Much love,
Deeds