2020: Week 7

This week’s theme has been gratitude. Take a minute and think of five things for which you’re grateful. I don’t think it will be difficult to do. The first five things that came to my mind are eyesight, warm robes and blankets, relationships, shelter, and food. I know I cheated counting robes and blankets as one, but they’re working together to keep me warm right now, so I couldn’t pick between them.

This week’s Bible reading brought me to the end of Exodus and a little more than halfway through Leviticus. While I am not proud to admit it, this is the part of the reading plan where in years past I would skim and skip sections. I never really wanted to hang out in Leviticus; however, I knew that it could teach me of God, His character, and His plan for redemption. It just always seemed like more of a reference book, you know?

In some ways, the Israelites had it easy because with the sacrificial systems in place, the reminder of their sin was literally before them. They touched and held the animals they would take to the priests to sacrifice. They walked with the animal, knowing what would happen when they made it to the priest. They dealt with the weight of their sin in a very physical sense, and I can only imagine those images were embedded in their minds.

But we deal with sin, too. And I think the easy part for us is that we have the reminder of our sin literally inside us — through the Holy Spirit. We’re one bad thought away from the Holy Spirit giving us a nudge us to dwell on things of God instead of things of the flesh. We may not have to carry an animal to the priest to sacrifice on our behalf, but we as believers certainly carry conviction when we’re choosing a path that doesn’t honor God.

Leviticus is weighty, but so is our sin. Our sin separates us from our Creator, a Creator who loves us more than we understand. But because He loved the world so much, God gave Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice. And Jesus gave up His life to accomplish it. No more animal sacrifices required because Jesus bore all our sin, once and for all.

Leviticus 17 tells us that a creature’s life is in its blood and that the blood made the atonement for the Israelites’ lives. When Jesus’ blood poured out, so did the redemption of mankind. Our sin debt was paid, and I can only imagine how the realization of that fact would shock and humble those who had been making sacrifices their entire lives.

All of that leads me to gratitude. I’m grateful that Jesus chose to give His life and make a way for me to be in a right relationship with Him. I’m grateful that I don’t need a priest in order to talk to God. I can communicate with Him directly through my prayers. I’m grateful that the Holy Spirit reminds me of my sin and prompts me to deal with it. I’m grateful for books like Leviticus that remind me that God always had a plan and that give me little glimpses of the coming Christ.

I hope you are having a great week, friends, and I hope you’re able to find little blessings to thank God for this week.

All the best!