FEBRUARY 22 READINGS…Leviticus 17:1-19:37.
In today’s readings Moses continues to give instructions to the nation of Israel as they are called to be God’s people…as God’s people they were called to be holy. We as the people of God are also called to be holy…1 Peter 1:16 instructs us: “Be holy, because I am holy.” It is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to make us holy unto God…now as those who belong to God we are told to continue to walk in that holiness. The Lord has commanded us to keep from defiling ourselves in this world. We belong to God…we do not belong to this world. Our standard of conduct has been established by the Lord Himself…we are not at liberty to go by the latest societal mores, that are ever changing and moving further and further away from the Lord.
Once again in today’s readings Moses instructs the people concerning the proper way and place of the sacrifice. He made it clear that the sacrifice had to be brought to the Lord at the tabernacle. The people were not free to just kill an animal anywhere. This reminds us that the sacrifice belongs to the Lord… its not about “bloodlust”…it is about the seriousness of sin, and that the only One that can accept a sacrifice for sin is the Lord. As part of this system for His people the Lord also forbid His people from eating meat that had not had the blood properly drained from it. The life is in the blood…blood is not a proper dietary item for human consumption. This teaches us that life belongs to God…not to us. In this day when we see the slaughter of literally millions of babies in the wombs of their mothers, and the movement to euthanize the elderly, we need to be reminded that life belongs to God.
Moses’ final instructions in today’s reading had to do with God’s commands concerning sexual sin. He forbid His people from incest, adultery, homosexuality, and beastiality. Incest and adultery the Lord calls a violation of others and the Lord. Homosexuality and beastiality the Lord calls detestable sins and perverse acts. All these sexual sins are of the world. The Lord warned Israel that they were not to practice these things that were done both in Egypt and in the land where they were heading. Today the Lord’s standard for sexual sins remains the same…that which was a sin then, is a sin now…that which was detestable and perverse then, is detestable and perverse now. It doesn’t matter what the world declares as acceptable…for it is the Lord who determines these things. We have been called to be a holy people.
Please share your thoughts and insights from today’s readings. Stay in the Word, for it is all we need to know and understand God’s truth and standards for we His people.
TOMORROW’S READINGS…Leviticus 20:1-22:33.
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