Numbers 5-6

24 “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

The graphic you pasted into the last post does help.  It helps to see there is some organization or overall message in there.  Sometimes it feels like a random list of rules and regs, in these chapters.

The verse I grabbed is from chapter 6.  I can't read it without hearing Ed Baker's voice, giving the benediction at the end of the Sunday morning service.  I've heard it so many times that it has a tendency to lose some meaning.  But, it you read it intentionally, it should be our prayer every morning.  There's real power in those words, and and implied relationship.

tp

Numbers 3-4

So I was getting nothing from these chapters.  To the point I was wondering why is this book even in the bible.  I used the favorite web search engine and found many visuals depicting outlines of Numbers.  This doesn't help me derive any comments for these specific chapters but maybe helps see the bigger picture as we take a stroll through Numbers.




knut

Numbers 1-2

34 So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.

No big takeaways from these chapters.  It does feel very orderly, no strife being documented.  Maybe because they are doing as God instructs.

I do wonder if they were using Excel or maybe Lotus123 for their tabulations?  maybe an app?

knut

Leviticus 27

30 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 

Wow this was a tough one to find application.  The only thing I can come up with is back to being obedient.  The act of giving any offerings to God is really just giving him what is already his. Giving back first fruits, high quality gifts demonstrates I'm not holding on to tight to these earthly possession.  As for all the assigned values in this chapter I have no idea of the significance.

put this tough book to bed!
knut

Leviticus 26

12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. 

This sounds spectacular!  Just follow his commands and be obedient.  Seems so simple.  But, lurking on the other side...

29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 

That is about as dark as it gets.

All this is about obedience.  Submit yourself to what God says is the best, and obey his commands....and you get the top line.  Be stubborn and rely on your own understanding and decisions....and you get the bottom.

pretty simple today.
tp

Leviticus 24-25

23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses.

This is a tough one for me.  I like to think of God as a loving and forgiving entity.  Seeing through our propensity to turn to our own perspective.  And giving us many opportunities to choose him.  This feels like the opposite.  It feels harsh and final.  And its not a compassionate ending.  Stoning sounds terrible!  Not only for the person being hit....but, also for the ones throwing the stones.  I can't imagine being in either place.

3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.

And every 49 years, a jubilee celebration....
Lots of numerology in these chapters.  All the numbers are related and multiple factors of each other.  The number 7 is obviously huge.  Max and I were just talking about how the construction of things is basically the same if you go microscopic as well as telescopic....things are very similar small and large.  Here's another case where its all related.  God rested on the 7th day.  We are directed to rest on the 7th day.  The land needs to rest on the 7th year....and so it goes.

tp

Leviticus 23

22 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lordyour God.’”

We've talked about this concept before....but, I really like it as a tactical directive from God.  What it's really saying is to make sure you plan to provide for the under represented.  It is our duty to take care of the less fortunate.  They sometimes need a miracle.  One way that can happen is through us.

tp

Leviticus 21-22

22:31 “Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. 32 Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”

well this is a real slog.  i didn't get anything out of these two chapter.  At the very end God drops a reminder in there, probably knowing we humans have short memories.  

look forward to seeing if you pull anything out
knut

Leviticus 19-20

 26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

so ch. 19 is a lot about the Commandments and 20 seems like a replay of one of the chapters we just read.  My take is God set apart Israel and they needed to act and behave differently.  We have have Jesus to take away our sins when we fail, but just the same its on us to behave differently as Christians.  

We shouldn't just fall into the same immoral behaviors that fill our society today.  We should do our best to follow God's instruction--seems like it should be obvious to on-lookers that there is something about you if you are trying with all your heart to follow God's instruction.  Fortunately we have the ultimate lifeline in Jesus to cover our failures.  But I hope in spite of my failures I can shine for Him.

knut

Leviticus 16-18

18:4 You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. 

The slog continues.  Lots of rules for Aaron.  Lots of rules about sex.  Sex is so powerful, it is sure referenced a lot in the Old Testament.  In this chapter it lists out a lot things that seem like you don't need to be a follower of God to avoid.  But certainly if you follow him you would avoid what he has instructed---he's pretty clear.  Yet fast forward to today and if there is one thing that takes down the powerful more than anything it seems to be sex.

he says obey and be careful.  Careful shows it takes effort to obey his instruction.  It takes thought and attention.  You won't just accidentally follow his laws, you must study and be conscious of his instruction.  you can only get that knowledge by studying with intent.  

i'm babbling.  study his word and be careful to follow his instruction.

knut  

Leviticus 14-15

Brutal chapters!

18 When a man has sexual relations with a woman and there is an emission of semen, both of them must bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

So, when you are newly married and excited for each other.....you would be pretty much unclean all the time?  Seems strange that doing what God designed us to do as husband/wife, makes us unclean?  hmmm......

Perhaps, once again, this is more of a hygiene sorta thing.  Not that it was a sinful act, but just better for you to be cleansed...literally.  But, then way all the guilt offering and sin sacrifice for it?

tp

Leviticus 12 - 13

12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.

Can't figure this one out.  It must be some sort of medical,....this is better for you physically sorta thing.  But, why would a woman need to make a sacrifice to God for giving birth?  Seems weird.  Isn't that the plan, from God?  hmmmm....

no answers, just questions.

13 11 it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce them unclean. He is not to isolate them, because they are already unclean.

This one is a little easier to understand.  Although, I think it would be more humane to flavor them as "contagious" rather than unclean.  It makes it sound like they have done something horribly wrong and are being punished.  When in reality they are isolating them to keep everyone from catching whatever they have.  Perhaps with a more limited vocabulary and medical knowledge, there wasn't really a distinction between the 2.

tp

let's keep working hard to stay committed, and to get through these tough chapters!

Leviticus 11

So, this one is always a tough one for me.  This is explicitly clear.  These animals that have these traits are not to be eaten.......but then there's this

Jesus is quoted in Mark 7:14–23 as saying "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him ... whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly"; and in. Matthew 15:10-11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." These statements are often cited for support of the view that practicing Christianity does not include dietary restrictions.

seems like a new directive.  

I guess this is one this is one of those times when I need to realize that God is smarter than I am, and my treasure is in the obedience more than the understanding.....not that obeying is hard here.  The restrictions don't apply to me.

have a great weekend!

tp

Leviticus 10

10 1-2 That same day Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, took their censers, put hot coals and incense in them, and offered “strange” fire to God—something God had not commanded. Fire blazed out from Godand consumed them—they died in God’s presence.

Questions today, no takeaway.  Did Aaron's sons intentionally disobey or did they do something they thought God would like and found out otherwise?  I t does say they offered it to God, its not like they were hiding it.

what say you?
knut

Leviticus 9

4 ... For today the Lord will appear to you.’”

23 Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.

I don't know what to take from this chapter either.  But at the beginning it says God will appear and at the end he does.  Yes it says they were all excited and shouting for joy.  But it just seems too understated.  I really just about blew buy it.  God showed himself is some physical way that the eyes of the people knew it was his presence.  What an awesome moment in time, can you imagine??  Surely it had a huge impact on those who experienced it firsthand.

its just a brief sentence tucked into the chapter but seems like a major event as I reflect on it.

knut