For those of you who, like me, have decided to read through the Bible this year, I just want to give you some encouragement. At this point in your reading, depending on what plan you're following, you've probably gotten through one of the toughest stretches of reading in Leviticus and Numbers. If you made it through, congratulations! Once Moses finishes that loooong sermon in Deuteronomy, you get to start on what I think is one of the most exciting stretches of the Bible-the history of Israel, from the conquest of Canaan to the return from the Exile.
If you're doing OT and NT together, you spend much of the early part of the year with the Gospels. I doubt that I need to encourage you much in reading those books, since the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus is not only the core of our faith, but an amazing, riveting read in its own right.
If you have fallen behind a bit, don't get discouraged and quit! You can catch up by adding a chapter or so a day to your reading, without placing a severe burden on myself. (You don't think I never miss a day, do you? I shouldn't, but it does happen.) The value of reading through the Word of God is worth the effort it takes to keep up with your reading.
So congratulations! You've made it this far, so I'll give you a rousing "Ebenezer!" Keep up the good work, and let God speak to you through His divine Word. If you want to let me know how you're doing, you can comment on Facebook under the post for this blog entry. May the Lord richly bless us all as we allow His Word to transform us throughout this year.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The book of Daniel and a supernatural God
Now that I no longer preach every week, when I do get the chance to preach, I often take my text from the Old Testament. I've always been a bit more OT oriented than my classmates and colleagues. (Maybe it's my Jewish blood-my great-great grandfather was a Jewish convert to Christianity who became a Baptist minister.) This morning I started a short, spread-out series of messages from the book of Daniel.
As part of my study, I read the usual discussion on the historicity of the events in Daniel and the date of its writing. There are a few technical issues that are raised by some scholars, but much of the rejection of the historicity of the book revolves around two major issues: the presence of the miraculous and the uncanny accuracy of the prophetic visions. So the miracle stories are written off as legends (or sometimes fiction), while the prophecies are posited to have been written after the events they predict.
Many scholars have dealt with these issues in far more depth than I can go into here. There is another way to deal with these objections, however. These two issues reveal the philosophical inclinations of the student by the way they begin their investigation into them. While the two positions I note here aren't necessarily the entire spectrum of belief, they do break scholarship into two broad camps.
The skeptical camp, which denies the historicity of Daniel and gives it a late date, finds belief in miracles and prophetic prophecy to be problematic. Both of these lie outside the realm of our normal experience, and because they are not subject to "scientific" study they are rejected out of hand. Given a commitment to a purely natural worldview, the ideas that the stories are legends and the prophecies were composed after the facts are really the only solutions to the problems.
I think this view has a serious theological flaw. I don't deny that some who hold to this position are genuine believers in God. (I have an evangelical commentary on Daniel on my shelf that takes a view similar to this.) But if I were to have the chance to speak with them, I might ask them what kind of a God they believe in. If God isn't capable of performing miracles or providing visions that accurately address the future, is He really an omnipotent, omniscient God? If He can't save Daniel from a den of lions, how could He raise Jesus from the dead?
I would put myself into the supernatural camp. I believe in a God who can perform miracles, and who clearly sees and can reveal the future. If you accept the premise that God is like this, there's nothing in the book of Daniel that should give you any pause. The events recorded in the book are quite possible, so there is no insurmountable objection to its historicity. (As I noted above, there are a few other issues, but they can be discussed and answered fairly well.) The accuracy of Daniel's visions is also perfectly in line with what God can do.
When you read Daniel, I believe you can have confidence that what you are reading is an accurate account of events that really happened, and that Daniel's visions, while perplexing to him, can be seen as actual predictions of what God planned to do in the future. That doesn't mean that we find them easy to understand or interpret, even after the fact, but that we can be sure that they came the way the book recounts them.
As part of my study, I read the usual discussion on the historicity of the events in Daniel and the date of its writing. There are a few technical issues that are raised by some scholars, but much of the rejection of the historicity of the book revolves around two major issues: the presence of the miraculous and the uncanny accuracy of the prophetic visions. So the miracle stories are written off as legends (or sometimes fiction), while the prophecies are posited to have been written after the events they predict.
Many scholars have dealt with these issues in far more depth than I can go into here. There is another way to deal with these objections, however. These two issues reveal the philosophical inclinations of the student by the way they begin their investigation into them. While the two positions I note here aren't necessarily the entire spectrum of belief, they do break scholarship into two broad camps.
The skeptical camp, which denies the historicity of Daniel and gives it a late date, finds belief in miracles and prophetic prophecy to be problematic. Both of these lie outside the realm of our normal experience, and because they are not subject to "scientific" study they are rejected out of hand. Given a commitment to a purely natural worldview, the ideas that the stories are legends and the prophecies were composed after the facts are really the only solutions to the problems.
I think this view has a serious theological flaw. I don't deny that some who hold to this position are genuine believers in God. (I have an evangelical commentary on Daniel on my shelf that takes a view similar to this.) But if I were to have the chance to speak with them, I might ask them what kind of a God they believe in. If God isn't capable of performing miracles or providing visions that accurately address the future, is He really an omnipotent, omniscient God? If He can't save Daniel from a den of lions, how could He raise Jesus from the dead?
I would put myself into the supernatural camp. I believe in a God who can perform miracles, and who clearly sees and can reveal the future. If you accept the premise that God is like this, there's nothing in the book of Daniel that should give you any pause. The events recorded in the book are quite possible, so there is no insurmountable objection to its historicity. (As I noted above, there are a few other issues, but they can be discussed and answered fairly well.) The accuracy of Daniel's visions is also perfectly in line with what God can do.
When you read Daniel, I believe you can have confidence that what you are reading is an accurate account of events that really happened, and that Daniel's visions, while perplexing to him, can be seen as actual predictions of what God planned to do in the future. That doesn't mean that we find them easy to understand or interpret, even after the fact, but that we can be sure that they came the way the book recounts them.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Ebenezer
I recently attended a church music conference. One of the subjects that came up during a seminar was the question of updating archaic language in hymns. Some brought up the updating of archaic usages like "thee" and "thou," while others noted that their denominational hymnals occasionally changed lyrics to match the theology they espoused. There was a spirited discussion as to how far you can go in changing lyrics without doing an injustice to the original intent of the lyricist.
One example brought up came from a different perspective. The questioner asked about the term "Ebenezer" in "Come Thou Fount." This is a bit different, since the changes that are made to this term are designed to bring out a meaning that may not be evident to the singer. The original line is, "Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come." One example of change I have seen is "This my glad commemoration that 'til now I've safely come." The desire of the editor is to make sense of the original line for the modern Christian.
However, I would argue in this case, and in some others, the effort is a failure on two fronts. First, it may be simply catering to the Biblical ignorance of those in the church, when what is needed is further teaching on the Biblical imagery. This issue may be a little more sensitive for me, since I happen to love to teach on the Old Testament. I don' think it's an exaggeration to say that many contemporary Christians are much less conversant with the Old Testament than the New. What we need to do in the church is to use occasions such as the singing of a hymn (or even a worship chorus!) to elevate the Biblical understanding of the congregation.
Once I was on the worship team of a church that wanted to use this hymn for worship. The pastor insisted that before we sing it, we explain the meaning of "Ebenezer" to the congregation so that they understood what they were singing. We did so, and several people commented that they had not understood the line before and appreciated learning what it really meant. This is one way we can use music to advance the teaching ministry of the church (which is another very large topic I won't get into right now).
The second way this effort to rewrite lyrics fails is that often the Biblical imagery is much richer than the modernized lyrics. Take the example I wrote above. While it catches part of the meaning of the phrase, it leaves out some important concepts. The background of the name "Ebenezer" is found in 1 Sanuel 7, where Samuel sets up the "stone of remembrance" (which is what the Hebrew name means). What is he commemorating? Ebenezer is a reminder that the Lord has helped Israel "thus far," following a rousing victory over the Philistines when they attacked during a ceremony of repentance before the Lord. It was to remind Israel that it is only by God's help that they had the victory, and that remaining in a proper relationship to Him was critical to their future. The change made above leaves out the entire idea of arriving safely only through the help of God. (And I double-checked the context of that version; the idea doesn't come up in the next line, which only refers to the future, not the past.) I think that eliminates a very significant point Robert Robinson, the original lyricist, wanted to make.
I'm not opposed to modern editing of hymn lyrics in general. I do think that we need to be careful that we do make every effort to retain the original meaning of the writer, which makes me cautious about changing lyrics for theological reasons. I also believe that we need to let the Biblical imagery of the song speak for itself, and if that means we need to teach people about that meaning then let us teach.
One example brought up came from a different perspective. The questioner asked about the term "Ebenezer" in "Come Thou Fount." This is a bit different, since the changes that are made to this term are designed to bring out a meaning that may not be evident to the singer. The original line is, "Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come." One example of change I have seen is "This my glad commemoration that 'til now I've safely come." The desire of the editor is to make sense of the original line for the modern Christian.
However, I would argue in this case, and in some others, the effort is a failure on two fronts. First, it may be simply catering to the Biblical ignorance of those in the church, when what is needed is further teaching on the Biblical imagery. This issue may be a little more sensitive for me, since I happen to love to teach on the Old Testament. I don' think it's an exaggeration to say that many contemporary Christians are much less conversant with the Old Testament than the New. What we need to do in the church is to use occasions such as the singing of a hymn (or even a worship chorus!) to elevate the Biblical understanding of the congregation.
Once I was on the worship team of a church that wanted to use this hymn for worship. The pastor insisted that before we sing it, we explain the meaning of "Ebenezer" to the congregation so that they understood what they were singing. We did so, and several people commented that they had not understood the line before and appreciated learning what it really meant. This is one way we can use music to advance the teaching ministry of the church (which is another very large topic I won't get into right now).
The second way this effort to rewrite lyrics fails is that often the Biblical imagery is much richer than the modernized lyrics. Take the example I wrote above. While it catches part of the meaning of the phrase, it leaves out some important concepts. The background of the name "Ebenezer" is found in 1 Sanuel 7, where Samuel sets up the "stone of remembrance" (which is what the Hebrew name means). What is he commemorating? Ebenezer is a reminder that the Lord has helped Israel "thus far," following a rousing victory over the Philistines when they attacked during a ceremony of repentance before the Lord. It was to remind Israel that it is only by God's help that they had the victory, and that remaining in a proper relationship to Him was critical to their future. The change made above leaves out the entire idea of arriving safely only through the help of God. (And I double-checked the context of that version; the idea doesn't come up in the next line, which only refers to the future, not the past.) I think that eliminates a very significant point Robert Robinson, the original lyricist, wanted to make.
I'm not opposed to modern editing of hymn lyrics in general. I do think that we need to be careful that we do make every effort to retain the original meaning of the writer, which makes me cautious about changing lyrics for theological reasons. I also believe that we need to let the Biblical imagery of the song speak for itself, and if that means we need to teach people about that meaning then let us teach.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The joys of used books
I own a Nook, and I use it fairly regularly. In fact, for the past three years I've done the bulk of my daily Bible reading on it. It's convenient, and takes up less space than a paper Bible in my briefcase. I also like the ability to carry a small library with me in its memory. I do a lot of my studying on the computer, and I just finished doing some Sunday school preparation using Bible study software. I leave a couple of my Bibles at the church because I don't use them during the week for study.
That said, I'm still more partial to "real" books in general. I"m still a little leery about the permanence of my e-book files. I do have backups and all that, but I guess I'm just a little paranoid. It is true that paper books aren't permanent either (I've lost a number of volumes in basement floods), but there is a sense of ownership you just don't get with an e-book. I like the aesthetics of books-the way they look on the shelf, the feel of a book, the ability to flip easily back and forth. (I know e-books have search features, and in some ways that can be quicker, but there are times when finding a specific location isn't as easy as the PR makes it sound.)
I went to a church music conference today at my son's school, Cairn University. One of the side pleasures of attending events at the school is visiting the bookstore, which maintains a decent selection of used books. I love to search through the shelves for book on specific subjects, and occasionally find one on a subject I hadn't thought about but sounds interesting. All of those were true today. I picked up several books on the patristic period, a couple of commentaries, and a book on a subject I hadn't really thought about lately. At the prices I paid, it was a bargain!
Now I have lots of material to read. Not that I didn't before- the number of books on my shelves crying out for reading is pretty staggering. It's just that the trip to the bookstore stocked me up and gave me some incentive to pursue some lines of reading I wasn't engaged in at present.
I like book stores in general, but books do tend to be fairly expensive in general. (I find a lot of e-book bargains, but my biggest disappointment with my Nook is that many more recent books aren't much cheaper than their paper counterparts, and I have nothing but pixels to show for that price.) Used books enable me, and bibliophiles like me, the enhance our collections and our horizons for much less. That's why I enjoy my visits to the used book section, or, when I can find one, a used book store.
I hope you don't mind this little excursus off of Biblical and theological topics. I hope you also can find pleasure in diving in to a good used book, gaining knowledge and enjoyment for a bargain price.
That said, I'm still more partial to "real" books in general. I"m still a little leery about the permanence of my e-book files. I do have backups and all that, but I guess I'm just a little paranoid. It is true that paper books aren't permanent either (I've lost a number of volumes in basement floods), but there is a sense of ownership you just don't get with an e-book. I like the aesthetics of books-the way they look on the shelf, the feel of a book, the ability to flip easily back and forth. (I know e-books have search features, and in some ways that can be quicker, but there are times when finding a specific location isn't as easy as the PR makes it sound.)
I went to a church music conference today at my son's school, Cairn University. One of the side pleasures of attending events at the school is visiting the bookstore, which maintains a decent selection of used books. I love to search through the shelves for book on specific subjects, and occasionally find one on a subject I hadn't thought about but sounds interesting. All of those were true today. I picked up several books on the patristic period, a couple of commentaries, and a book on a subject I hadn't really thought about lately. At the prices I paid, it was a bargain!
Now I have lots of material to read. Not that I didn't before- the number of books on my shelves crying out for reading is pretty staggering. It's just that the trip to the bookstore stocked me up and gave me some incentive to pursue some lines of reading I wasn't engaged in at present.
I like book stores in general, but books do tend to be fairly expensive in general. (I find a lot of e-book bargains, but my biggest disappointment with my Nook is that many more recent books aren't much cheaper than their paper counterparts, and I have nothing but pixels to show for that price.) Used books enable me, and bibliophiles like me, the enhance our collections and our horizons for much less. That's why I enjoy my visits to the used book section, or, when I can find one, a used book store.
I hope you don't mind this little excursus off of Biblical and theological topics. I hope you also can find pleasure in diving in to a good used book, gaining knowledge and enjoyment for a bargain price.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Following when God leads
At the end of Numbers 9, we have a description of the way the Israelites moved through the wilderness under the direction of the Lord. The pillar of fire and cloud served as a visible sign of the presence of God with Israel. It remained over the Tabernacle, which was in the center of the Israelite encampment, and I'm sure it was visible to everyone by day and by night. (Which brings up another question: With such a visible reminder of the Lord's presence, why did Israel so frequently complain, rebel, and sin? Maybe I'll take up that question sometime later.)
The passage tells us that Israel moved when God moved. If the pillar lifter the morning after the encamped, they broke camp and moved on. If it remained for many days, they waited until it lifted to break camp. This is described in verse 20 as following the Lord's command. The travels of Israel were determined by God, and they neither moved while He remained nor stayed when He moved.
This passage triggered an interesting question in my mind. We often speak about moving where the Lord leads us. This is true both of individual Christians and of churches. Our prayers often revolve around asking God to show us where He wants us to go. The "where" may not geographical, but missional, vocational, or theological. These prayers, however, show us a preoccupation with the goal, rather than with how we arrive at that goal.
I have been part of many churches in my life. Some have been thriving, growing churches, while others struggled (and some no longer exist). Some were ministry oriented, while others were survival oriented. Almost all were concerned with what God wanted them to do. Even when God revealed a direction, however, there was often a rush to get to that point no matter what. We are an impatient people in our culture, and we want to reach the goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Maybe sometimes the Lord shows us where He wants us to go, but then asks us to get there by a route He chooses that defies our sense of efficiency. Even had Israel not rebelled when told to enter Canaan, it took them over a year (at least) to arrive at the Jordan after leaving Egypt. In fact, when Israel leaves Egypt, the Bible explicitly states that God did not take them by the quickest route. because of the difficulties along that route (Exodus 13:17-18). The time they spent getting to the Promised Land was crucial to their future existence as a nation and as God's chosen people.
Perhaps you face a decision today, and you're trying to figure out where God wants you to go. I would encourage you to also ask when. I firmly believe the Lord directs our lives and our churches, and He knows where He plans for us to go. But He also arranges the timing, so that when we "arrive" we will be ready for the place to which He has called us. Don't lose sight of the goal, but be ready to move when God moves, and to wait when God stays. The blessing on your "arrival" will be even greater when you leave it all in His hands.
The passage tells us that Israel moved when God moved. If the pillar lifter the morning after the encamped, they broke camp and moved on. If it remained for many days, they waited until it lifted to break camp. This is described in verse 20 as following the Lord's command. The travels of Israel were determined by God, and they neither moved while He remained nor stayed when He moved.
This passage triggered an interesting question in my mind. We often speak about moving where the Lord leads us. This is true both of individual Christians and of churches. Our prayers often revolve around asking God to show us where He wants us to go. The "where" may not geographical, but missional, vocational, or theological. These prayers, however, show us a preoccupation with the goal, rather than with how we arrive at that goal.
I have been part of many churches in my life. Some have been thriving, growing churches, while others struggled (and some no longer exist). Some were ministry oriented, while others were survival oriented. Almost all were concerned with what God wanted them to do. Even when God revealed a direction, however, there was often a rush to get to that point no matter what. We are an impatient people in our culture, and we want to reach the goal as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Maybe sometimes the Lord shows us where He wants us to go, but then asks us to get there by a route He chooses that defies our sense of efficiency. Even had Israel not rebelled when told to enter Canaan, it took them over a year (at least) to arrive at the Jordan after leaving Egypt. In fact, when Israel leaves Egypt, the Bible explicitly states that God did not take them by the quickest route. because of the difficulties along that route (Exodus 13:17-18). The time they spent getting to the Promised Land was crucial to their future existence as a nation and as God's chosen people.
Perhaps you face a decision today, and you're trying to figure out where God wants you to go. I would encourage you to also ask when. I firmly believe the Lord directs our lives and our churches, and He knows where He plans for us to go. But He also arranges the timing, so that when we "arrive" we will be ready for the place to which He has called us. Don't lose sight of the goal, but be ready to move when God moves, and to wait when God stays. The blessing on your "arrival" will be even greater when you leave it all in His hands.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
God-sized prayers
Our church began a 30 day prayer emphasis this morning. My pastor preached on the subject, challenging us as individual Christians, families, and as a church to renew and deepen our prayer lives for the next 30 days.
He encouraged us to pray "God-sized prayers." I think this point is well-taken in our culture. We often pray little prayers: help in some circumstance of life, meeting a specific need, changing some small aspect of our character, or divine intervention in some immediate crisis. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these prayers; we are encouraged in Scripture to bring everything before our Father in prayer. The problem is when that is all we pray about.
I freely admit to struggling with prayer. I am an "ADD pray-er" (probably because I am ADD). I admire, even envy, great prayer warriors like Martin Luther or George Muller. Yet, despite my best efforts, I cannot focus on a single prayer session for long. My mind wanders as various subjects flit through it, brought in sometimes by the very prayers I am praying. I have to conclude my prayers, get up, and come back later to regain that focus. And we all know what can happen when we walk away from a time with the Lord.
With someone like me, the urgent often crowds out the important. I pray for what is immediately on my mind, or for needs that are brought to my attention, but leave out the "routine" prayers for ongoing situations in our world. Maybe you are like that, too. How do we remain focused long enough on what is so critically important in our world when so much draws our attention away?
This is where "God-sized prayers" come in. When I sit down to pray, I want to pray in a way that shows I believe that God is an awesomely powerful God who cares about our world and about me, and who wants to answer prayer to show His power and His love. I want to pray not for what seems to be a manageable task for God, but for what seems from my human perspective to be impossible except for God. I want prayers that stretch the boundaries of faith.
This isn't to say I want to challenge God, to test Him and see if He's up to the challenge. No, I want to challenge myself, and see if I can at least have faith enough to believe God can do amazing things in our world today. Prayer doesn't stretch God, but it does stretch me. I believe one reason so many Christians struggle with faith is that we don't exercise it much. We say we believe in a powerful and loving God who cares about us and our world, but we pray like God is inconvenienced by listening to us and only answers prayers grudgingly. Worse, sometimes we pray like we believe God can't do what we ask.
We don't want to be presumptuous. One of the flaws in the theology of those who preach a prosperity gospel is the teaching that God must give us what we ask for, no matter what it is or what His will for our life is. Jesus reminds us to pray for the Father's will to be done in the Lord's Prayer, and we need to remember that when we pray. Prayer is not a demand session to get what we want, but a communication with our Heavenly Father. We do occasionally pray for things that would not bring Him glory, or even for things that would be destructive to us. Since He is our Father, He knows what we need, and what is best.
With that in mind, though, let's make our prayers bigger. I challenge you to use prayer to stretch yourself. What's a big need in your life? What's a big need in our world? What can't change unless God intervenes? Let those be your prayers. As you you pray, watch, and wait, you will see many prayers answered, but you will also see yourself stretching your faith and growing stronger in your confidence in the Lord.
He encouraged us to pray "God-sized prayers." I think this point is well-taken in our culture. We often pray little prayers: help in some circumstance of life, meeting a specific need, changing some small aspect of our character, or divine intervention in some immediate crisis. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these prayers; we are encouraged in Scripture to bring everything before our Father in prayer. The problem is when that is all we pray about.
I freely admit to struggling with prayer. I am an "ADD pray-er" (probably because I am ADD). I admire, even envy, great prayer warriors like Martin Luther or George Muller. Yet, despite my best efforts, I cannot focus on a single prayer session for long. My mind wanders as various subjects flit through it, brought in sometimes by the very prayers I am praying. I have to conclude my prayers, get up, and come back later to regain that focus. And we all know what can happen when we walk away from a time with the Lord.
With someone like me, the urgent often crowds out the important. I pray for what is immediately on my mind, or for needs that are brought to my attention, but leave out the "routine" prayers for ongoing situations in our world. Maybe you are like that, too. How do we remain focused long enough on what is so critically important in our world when so much draws our attention away?
This is where "God-sized prayers" come in. When I sit down to pray, I want to pray in a way that shows I believe that God is an awesomely powerful God who cares about our world and about me, and who wants to answer prayer to show His power and His love. I want to pray not for what seems to be a manageable task for God, but for what seems from my human perspective to be impossible except for God. I want prayers that stretch the boundaries of faith.
This isn't to say I want to challenge God, to test Him and see if He's up to the challenge. No, I want to challenge myself, and see if I can at least have faith enough to believe God can do amazing things in our world today. Prayer doesn't stretch God, but it does stretch me. I believe one reason so many Christians struggle with faith is that we don't exercise it much. We say we believe in a powerful and loving God who cares about us and our world, but we pray like God is inconvenienced by listening to us and only answers prayers grudgingly. Worse, sometimes we pray like we believe God can't do what we ask.
We don't want to be presumptuous. One of the flaws in the theology of those who preach a prosperity gospel is the teaching that God must give us what we ask for, no matter what it is or what His will for our life is. Jesus reminds us to pray for the Father's will to be done in the Lord's Prayer, and we need to remember that when we pray. Prayer is not a demand session to get what we want, but a communication with our Heavenly Father. We do occasionally pray for things that would not bring Him glory, or even for things that would be destructive to us. Since He is our Father, He knows what we need, and what is best.
With that in mind, though, let's make our prayers bigger. I challenge you to use prayer to stretch yourself. What's a big need in your life? What's a big need in our world? What can't change unless God intervenes? Let those be your prayers. As you you pray, watch, and wait, you will see many prayers answered, but you will also see yourself stretching your faith and growing stronger in your confidence in the Lord.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Leviticus
I began reading through the Bible in a year about 30 years ago. Although there were some years I chose to pursue a different devotional approach, I think I can safely say I've read through over a dozen different translations (some, like the NIV, more than once). While I make no claims at being an expert at reading through the Bible, I think I do have some insight into the discipline it takes to read through God's Word.
When reading through on a "straight through in order" plan, such as I'm following this year, you find a few critical points at which the project may break down. The first of these is usually the book of Leviticus. Sure, there are the genealogy passages in Genesis, and the details of the Tabernacle in Exodus, but Leviticus is where the Old Testament legal system starts to become a bewildering place for many contemporary Christians. Offerings, sacrifices, dietary laws, sanitary laws-it can be a bit of a "wilderness" for us to wander through.
I just started Leviticus in this year's reading, and I must say that over the years the book has grown on me. Partly this is due to my growing love for the OT in general. But a bigger part is the desire each year to examine all of the laws, especially the sacrificial laws, with an eye to the bigger picture they paint about God and our relationship with Him. If you are reading through this book, let me make some suggestions.
First, look at how serious sin is. When an Israelite sinned, even inadvertently, it required a specific offering done in a particular way to atone for that sin. This was true even more so for the priests and leaders of the nation. When we think about the Tabernacle and later the Temple, we think of the beauty and majesty of the furnishings and decoration. Yet I'm guessing that what might have stood out to people who went to those holy places was a smell like a butcher shop, combined with the constant aroma of burnt meat. The contrast between those two sensory experiences would put our position before the Lord in perspective.
Second, look at what sin cost the sinner. The one who offended had to take one of the best animals from his flock or herd, or the best of his produce, to make an appropriate offering. Repeated sin was expensive. Perhaps it caused people to think of how much of what they had could be consumed just in trying to pay for their sins. Sin is costly, and later when Jesus paid the price once for all that piece of good news had to strike the average Israelite as unbelievably gracious.
Third, look at how carefully God's people had to live in order to remain in a condition in which they could come into His presence. While many modern scholars look at the sanitary and dietary laws as God's way of keeping His people healthy, they would indeed impose a burden on any person who wanted to remain ritually clean. Purity in God's sight wasn't easy.
All of these help us see just how radical the good news of Jesus Christ was. He truly lifted the burden off the back of people who wanted to remain right with God, and in His mercy removed all of the ritual requirements of the law while making us right with His Father.
So don't let Leviticus get you down. Look at just what we are set free from by Jesus. The narrative will resume soon enough in Numbers, and then it's pretty smooth sailing until the beginning of 1 Chronicles. (Maybe when I get there I'll post some help for that section, too.)
When reading through on a "straight through in order" plan, such as I'm following this year, you find a few critical points at which the project may break down. The first of these is usually the book of Leviticus. Sure, there are the genealogy passages in Genesis, and the details of the Tabernacle in Exodus, but Leviticus is where the Old Testament legal system starts to become a bewildering place for many contemporary Christians. Offerings, sacrifices, dietary laws, sanitary laws-it can be a bit of a "wilderness" for us to wander through.
I just started Leviticus in this year's reading, and I must say that over the years the book has grown on me. Partly this is due to my growing love for the OT in general. But a bigger part is the desire each year to examine all of the laws, especially the sacrificial laws, with an eye to the bigger picture they paint about God and our relationship with Him. If you are reading through this book, let me make some suggestions.
First, look at how serious sin is. When an Israelite sinned, even inadvertently, it required a specific offering done in a particular way to atone for that sin. This was true even more so for the priests and leaders of the nation. When we think about the Tabernacle and later the Temple, we think of the beauty and majesty of the furnishings and decoration. Yet I'm guessing that what might have stood out to people who went to those holy places was a smell like a butcher shop, combined with the constant aroma of burnt meat. The contrast between those two sensory experiences would put our position before the Lord in perspective.
Second, look at what sin cost the sinner. The one who offended had to take one of the best animals from his flock or herd, or the best of his produce, to make an appropriate offering. Repeated sin was expensive. Perhaps it caused people to think of how much of what they had could be consumed just in trying to pay for their sins. Sin is costly, and later when Jesus paid the price once for all that piece of good news had to strike the average Israelite as unbelievably gracious.
Third, look at how carefully God's people had to live in order to remain in a condition in which they could come into His presence. While many modern scholars look at the sanitary and dietary laws as God's way of keeping His people healthy, they would indeed impose a burden on any person who wanted to remain ritually clean. Purity in God's sight wasn't easy.
All of these help us see just how radical the good news of Jesus Christ was. He truly lifted the burden off the back of people who wanted to remain right with God, and in His mercy removed all of the ritual requirements of the law while making us right with His Father.
So don't let Leviticus get you down. Look at just what we are set free from by Jesus. The narrative will resume soon enough in Numbers, and then it's pretty smooth sailing until the beginning of 1 Chronicles. (Maybe when I get there I'll post some help for that section, too.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)