Know God - day 9

(side note - I have a splitting headache.  have had all day.  this may be even more dijointed than normal.)

A study of Leviticus.  Pastor instructs us to do a quick overview of Leviticus - the book fo rules, laws and commandments.  He wants us to read two random verses from each chapter - one in the first half and one in the last half.  (27 chapters = 54 random verses)

God covers so much in Leviticus. Pastor lists them as: Offerings, the Priesthood, clean and unclean foods, clean and unclean people, religious holidays/festivals/worship, sexual relations, holiness codes, first fruits, sacred items for tabernacle, blasphemy, sabbatical year and year of jubilee, obedience.  Basically, how to behave, eat, wash, celebrate, procreate, give, talk, rest and obey.  Sounds simple doesn't it? HA!  Mostly it is about holiness.  19:2 "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy."  (how??? guess we'll get to that.)

This scares me because I do not like legalism.  That is part of the reason, I believe, that I am so parched spiritually.  Churches make rules that I frankly do not find in the bible and they couch them in biblical terms.  For instance baptism.  I grew up Southern Baptist - very legalistic.  My husband grew us Lutheran - less legalistic.  I was 'dunked' around age 12, he was sprinkled on as an infant.  We were both baptised.  However, there are many churches we can't join as a family because he wasn't baptised 'properly.'  I have debated pastors on this very issue and have come to a agree to disagree point.

My brother and his wife are in a home church and reverting to more Jewish traditions.  they are starting to follow the rules in Leviticus governing clean and unclean foods.  So a guy who grew up eating pork chops (It's shake n bake and I helped), sausage gravy and biscuits, and bacon no longer eats pork because it is unclean.  I thought that Jesus made the need for clean and unclean animals unnecessary.

It is easy to get caught up in rules and laws.  They give us clear boundaries, but they can also get burdensome and rigid.  The Pharisees were notorious for being legalistic and according to Pastor, "almost worshipping the law more than they were worshipping God." Jesus had his work cut out for him (and still does!)  Jesus explained that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.  I have some friends who don't eat out on Sundays since it should be a day of rest and they oppose people having to work on Sunday.  An interpretation and it works for them, but for us, we tend to relax more on Sundays.  We still are getting things done around the house, but it isn't run ragged day like the other six. most weeks.

We should use clean/kosher to keep us from spreading Jesus' love.  On trips abroad, it is more important to be respectful of the other culture.  If that means eating roasted pig, then do it to show you respect and love the people you are with.  (very hard for me with other items.  when in china, i only asked to not be told what I was eating.)  Nobody is an outcast or 'unclean.' All people need love and care.  Jesus showed that clearly. Yet we still have issues with people being different. unclean. not worthy of our love.  And then, Jesus eliminated the need for blood/animal sacrifices when he died on the cross.  Yea God!

But (there it is again!)


We can't reject Leviticus.  It is still there for a reason.  It tells us how to strive for holiness.  Pastor calls 17-26 the holiness code.  We still need to love our neighbors, care for the poor, respect human life, be good stewards and give first fruits, honor spiritual leaders, honor marriage, know what the blessing and consequences are for obedience and moral failure.  What areas do we struggle with holiness?  One of the hardest areas personally is good stewardship and giving of first fruits.  Financially I am not the most responsible person.  I am a pile-er and a pack rat. I do not live simply.  Do I want to make changes. of course. Have I? nope.  I go through spits and spurts where I will make a vow to give so and so and it lasts about 3 minutes.  Tithing is important. and I am a miserable failure at it.  I am about as unclean as they come. Aren't we all? I picture al of us like Pigpen from Peanuts with our little clouds of dust following us everywhere we go. Only ours is usually only visible to the God eye.