leviticus

"Leviticus is the book no one reads," I told my sister last night.

It's the book that Comrade Kevin said "bored me to tears" when I shared that I would be reading the Bible for Lent. 

So naturally I determined that I would embrace it, find good in it, redeem it for all others out there--after all, it is in the Bible! 

It's amazing how much our attitudes affect our circumstances. If I had gone in to Leviticus dreading it, I would probably still be trying to muddle my way through all 27 chapters of "sacrifice this, sacrifice that". If I had determined in advance that there was nothing in it for me, I might have chosen to skip it altogether, since I should be into Joshua and Judges by now!

But because I was committed to finding God in these pages, the God who said "I will be your God; you will be my people" (you have to read all the way to chapter 26 before you get to this little gem!), I was actually able to enjoy Leviticus!

I enjoyed seeing God speak. Over and over the verses begin, "God said to Moses..." God speaks! How can we not be amazed by this! Even if, even though, it can be our everyday, ordinary experience, it should still leave us wonder struck! 

I enjoyed the reminder that God cares about us--you and me and every person He created (which is everyone, by the way!). All of the details about sacrifices and offerings, atonement and confession, are all for the benefit of the people. God said the land He brought them out of and the land He was bringing them into were full of sin and idol worship. He was trying to protect the people, purify them, heal them, forgive them, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness to strengthen them against the ways of the wicked. 

In the world of marketing we are told that a person has to hear a message seven times before they really get hold of it. God is tireless in Leviticus--He doesn't care how many times He has to tell Moses how to slaughter a bull properly, He will repeat it until He's sure Moses is able to grasp it and retell it. You know the saying... you haven't really learned something until you can teach it to someone else. God's whole purpose is to teach the people "to be holy as He is holy" (20:26).

I appreciated the reminder that obedience--prompt, complete obedience--is God's best for me. Not that I'm worried about God "consuming" me for my disobedience like He did Aaron's sons in chapter 10, but I am reminded that God doesn't ask us to do anything that isn't for our benefit.

I really appreciated the reminder that Jesus is our Sacrificial Lamb, taking the place of all the required burnt offerings we read about in Leviticus. 

Whatever we are facing--job offers, test results, deadlines, a reading of Leviticus--the attitude we approach it with makes all the difference. The next time you find yourself dreading something, instead choose to EMBRACE LEVITICUS.

Listening to Attitude by Misfits.