Apr 20th

Leviticus 24     Ecclesiastes 7     Psalms 31     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

A chapter that takes us back into Exodus when the law was first given and then forward to Matthew and what Jesus has to say in His fulfilment of the law.

This story of the young man who blasphemed may well strike us as hard, particularly in a culture where blasphemy for the most part is considered acceptable.  But this story is a reminder of just how seriously God takes our relationship with Him.   Our God is holy and we need to treat Him reverently.   

v.17-23 – the echoes of the law first given by God to Moses, “an eye for eye, tooth for tooth”, are not a cry for personal vengeance as we might at first think, but a code for the Israelite judges to ensure fairness in punishment – not too severe or too lenient. And Jesus speaking about this in Matthew 5 tells us “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”  What a challenge for us, especially when we long to give expression to the inner feelings of “that’s not fair!”   

(member of congregation)

Apr 19th

Leviticus 23     Ecclesiastes 6     Psalms 30     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

The chapter of feasts…..these were given by God to celebrate His goodness and what he has done for his people.   God starts with the weekly Sabbath, a time to rest from our normal activity and spend a bit more time thinking about Him, [remember from the story of creation when God rested after his creation?]  Then the annual feasts, designed to remember:

·       God’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt

·       The exodus from Egypt and that they were leaving the old way of life behind to start a new way of living

·       The first crop of the barley harvest, and how God provided for them.

·       The end of the harvest and a time to give thanks and a further celebration of joy and thanksgiving to God.

·       Removal of sin at a personal and national level and restored fellowship with God: a time to give renewed thanks and commitment to God.

How do our celebrations turn our minds towards our great and merciful God?   How do we as followers of Jesus cope with Easter and  Christmas?    And our holidays – are they time away from God or holy days – extra time with God?

(member of congregation)

Apr 18th

Leviticus 22     Ecclesiastes 5     Psalms 28-9     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Still with the specific holy calling of the old priesthood, the first part of this chapter stresses the importance of personal wholesomeness in body and behaviour.    The Israelites would have been familiar with the Egyptian priesthood, which was both secular and political and seen as a power base.    It was important, therefore, for the Israelite priesthood, which was both to serve God and draw the people near to Him, to be as pure as possible at a personal level.

v.17 onwards lay down rules for  sacrifices, and once again we see those with defects were not acceptable, as they did not represent God’s holy and perfect nature.   The animal had to be without blemish, to foreshadow the perfect, sinless life of Jesus, who sacrificed himself for our sakes.   

When we give our best time, talent, and treasure to God, rather than what is tarnished or tired, aren’t we offering something rather special?

(member of congregation)

Apr 17th

Leviticus 21     Ecclesiastes 4     Psalms 26-7     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Rules for Priests :  as we read this chapter the rules and regulations for the Israelite priesthood seem hugely complicated, strict and demanding, and maybe we think “how can this be relevant to us today…”  

Verses 16 – 23 seem particularly hard about anyone with a defect or disfigurement, but perhaps this is a further reminder that the priest had to match as closely as possible the perfect God he served.   

This surely leads us on to Jesus – the one perfect sacrifice, made once and for all upon the cross.

Paul reminds us that the old covenant is just that – the old covenant, and quoting from Jeremiah, we read in Hebrews 8:8 “the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant … and it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers.”   Hebrews 4:14 goes on to say, “therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.”

One of the great riches of reading some of the harder parts of the Old Testament is knowing its fulfilment in Christ in the New Testament   This is one such passage!

(member of congregation)

Apr 16th

Leviticus 20     Ecclesiastes 3     Psalms 25     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Here we see more laws, particularly in preparation for the time when the Israelites would go into the promised land, where child sacrifice was an accepted part of pagan worship, and the renewal of God’s call for them to be pure and holy    God is a God of love and of life, and all he gives here are practices that lead to health, happiness and wholeness.    Sexual guidelines are given to preserve our emotional and mental health, to protect and honour the state of marriage and the family – not to be a spoilsport!

Looking into the future is strictly forbidden, and specifically mediums and spiritualists are mentioned, as God is not the source of their information.  God has given us all we need to guide our way in His word – the bible, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we have all we need.

Some of the punishments here may seem hard to us, but we remember again that God is a Holy God and He requires us to be holy too.

(member of congregation)

Apr 15th

Leviticus 19     Ecclesiastes 2     Psalms 23-24     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Continuing God’s instructions for living a life pleasing to God, we turn today  to laws designed to protect the poor and the alien, and to remind us that it is God who owns the land, and indeed all that we have.    We, as the Israelites, are caretakers only, and in applying these laws God’s nature in caring for the weak and unprotected is reflected.    How can we use the edges of our fields to help others?   Jesus surely summarised the laws in verses 10-35 when he told us to love God with all our heart, and our neighbours as ourselves.  Everything else follows naturally from this. 

The Lord will teach us individually of course, but two particular issues seem relevant today:

V.32 confirms that our elderly are worthy of our time and respect, and it is our responsibility to value them and their wisdom.     What a challenge to us individually and as a society today!

V.33 & 34 – what’s our attitude to foreigners or immigrants?   God is calling us to love and fairness.   Another challenge …? 

 (member of congregation)

Apr 14th

Leviticus 18     Ecclesiastes 1     Psalms 22     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Leviticus 18-22 bring a whole series of ‘holiness laws’, applied to different situations, beginning with unlawful sexual relations. Most of these laws are fairly uncontentious to us: sex with close relations or in-laws (v6-20) or with animals (v23) is forbidden; as is child sacrifice (v21). The issue of why practising homosexuality (v22) is wrong is far less obvious to our culture.

What’s important to note is why the Lord sets out these rules. “You must not do as they do in Egypt … and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan … Do not follow their practices” (v3). As the Lord’s people, we are to be distinctive, not to blend in with the prevailing culture. Maybe to us, God would say, “You must not do as your friends do … and you must not do as they do in Hollywood … Do not follow their practices.”

There’s even a warning about what would happen if God’s people did blend in too much - they would defile the land, and suffer the consequences (v28), as others had before them. Sadly, God’s people didn’t heed the warning then. Sexual sin still has consequences for us (“All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body”) so the NT urges us to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6.18). Are you following the culture, or fleeing it?

Pray for yourself in this area, and for others you know who struggle with this teaching.

(member of ordained staff)