June 2 - Day 9 Lev 14:8-Lev 25:54

When reading this book, I must remember that Leviticus is a book of instructions. Primarily instructions for priests. What is the priest's responsibility? It is to lead the people and more importantly to intercede on their behalf to a Holy and righteous God. I must remember that in the days in which this book was written, Priests were much different than the leaders of our modern churches. Today we have pastors and ministers who lead the people and shepherd them in their relationships towards Christ. In those days Priests were the only ones ordained to perform the rituals and rites that kept the relationship peaceful between a holy and righteous God and an unruly and selfish people.

These instructions seem so detailed and so laborious. Yet that reminds me that God demands holiness and 100% righteousness. To live in His presence is to cast off ALL sin. Literally in Levitical days we see Priests who could loose their life because they didn't follow God's instructions completely. And likewise we see people who lost their lives because they chose to rebel against the practices prescribed by the Priests. I'm sure it would change my actions completely if I were a priest in those days. Not only would I be burdened by the sins going on around me... I would be agonizing over others sins because I know that I might lose my life or God's judgement may be enacted against a disobedient people if they weren't called into a right relationship with Him.

God demands cleanliness. God demands purity. God demands righteousness. He does this because these are His character traits. He cannot tolerate any less. All of His instructions to Moses for the Priests were to set up these rules for cleanliness, purity and righteousness.

This makes me realize how sloppy I've gotten with my Agape lately. I know that I sin and that people around me sin... but how often am I willing to call out the sin and help them pursue righteousness? Not willing to offend, I often ignore the sins of many for the sake of a few. Jesus certainly didn't. As my High Priest, He decided to take care of it once and for all, so that I might not have to pay with my life. The least (and the most) I can do is to make sure others know not that they are lost in their sin only, but that there is an answer... a remedy for their sinful state. His name is Jesus.

In Lev 20:23ff I find the best summary of all of this passage. "Keep my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you will not vomit you out. You must not live according the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all of these things, I abhorred them. But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. 'I am the Lord your God, who as set you apart from the nations.'"

What God was promising the Israelites is true of us today. While he is not leading us as people through the desert literally, He is leading us through the desert of this world. We are a wandering stiff necked people. We stray from His path and deliberately grumble against Him. Yet, He has promised us an inheritance in Heaven. "A land flowing with milk and honey." Yet heaven cannot tolerate sin. We must be holy. We must be righteous. We must be pure. We must be clean, to enter Heaven. If we are not, the land He has prepared for us will "vomit us out". You see dear friends, this world is not about our happiness. It is about "driving out these things" and helping us pursue Holiness so that we might achieve his inheritance.

Won't you let your High Priest intercede on your behalf today so you might achieve Holiness too?