Sacrifices

This year my wife and I have been reading one of those Through The Bible In A Year books. And being a month and a half into it, we have hit what many consider the most dreaded obstacle of all those seeking to read through the Bible.

“So high you can’t get over it; so low you can’t get under it; so wide you can’t get around it.”

Leviticus

So far, we’ve only been exploring the intricate descriptions of what fat to sacrifice, of which animal, when, and by whom. Maybe, for a reader who’s completely caught up on his sleep, these books would satisfy some trivial fascination, but when you’ve been through these readings before, and have two kids to keep your energy-level maxed out, all I find is mystery and dozing.

I realize that the words of Leviticus must be included for a reason. And because they are literally a part of God’s Word, they must be included in anyone’s attempt to genuinely study God’s word. Sooooo, when was the last time you heard a sermon on Leviticus, or had a Sunday school lesson or small group study on Leviticus? In my ten years as a Christian, the answer is never.

Of course, for Christians, the reason for this is simple--Jesus. But in my mind the book of Leviticus is also the reason for Jesus. The Law.

Christians are outside of the Law because of Jesus. Therefore we have very little interest in such things. However would we not be outside of the Law without Jesus? And would we not have Jesus without the Law? Although I can’t say I have even an inkling of understanding yet as to why it is important to read Leviticus, as Christians, there has to be some unique understanding of Christ’s atonement to be had from working through the Old Testament Law books such as Leviticus. At least that’s my guess.

We shall see if my current reading gleans me any of that unique perspective that I seek. My prayer is that it will.

These are the commands the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites. Leviticus 27:34