It was a little tougher to get up this morning, but I’m glad I did. It means I did it even when sleep was tempting. Very tempting.
Leviticus 13:40
‘If a man loses the hair on his head, this is baldness. The man is clean.’
via – The Brick Testament
Leviticus made me thankful. Reading about all of the different sacrifices and laws really made me appreciate my freedom in Christ. There is so much that must be done and in such a particular manner. I’m convinced that when it was all said and done, I wouldn’t have had any animals left.
Looking at Leviticus from today gives some insight into the reasoning and wisdom behind the law. The “unclean” things that the Hebrew people were no to touch/do/tolerate were things that posed a threat to their health. For instance – isolating those with suspicious rashes and checking them after 7 days was effectively teaching them quarantine practices.
I think many people, including myself, don’t fully grasp the hash punishments for stuff that doesn’t seem to important. However I think we forget the context in which this is taking place. God is growing a nation. It is very important that everyone strive together. One person can rally and split a small nation like the growing Israelites. I’ve heard the illustration of (back some years, of course) stealing lumber being punishable by fine, but during war-time punishable by death.
Numbers is proving to be filled with numbers, but I hear there’s some grumbling and murmuring coming up soon…
I thank God for giving me focus and teaching me from the text and from the effort to do this challenge, and I pray He continues; that I may walk by the Spirit.
Tomorrow I must finish up Numbers, chapters 9-36, and go all the way through Deuteronomy 27. I have a feeling that I won’t get through that by just the morning alone, so prayers are appreciated. (Perhaps I will get a head-start this afternoon.)
