Today’s Reading Leviticus 16-18
Focal Scripture: Leviticus 18:4-5 “You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the Lord your God. Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.”
The Background
Have you ever heard the statement that God just wants to limit me and not allow me to do anything fun? I have heard it before from numerous people. They even say that God has all these rules and nobody can follow them or live up to those standards. That is the point to an extent. To often people want to live how they choose and not follow a Godly standard.
In this portion of Leviticus God is explaining his standards for the priests, how to have proper sexual relationships, and how to offer the appropriate sacrifices to the Lord. God is revealing to Moses and the people that he wants them to live differently. He does not want them to live like the Egyptians which they just left and he doesn’t want them to live like the new culture they are headed towards. He wants them to follow him. To follow his ordinances and statutes.
What specifically you may ask? Obedience to worship, being clean when you present yourself to worship, and even understanding who they belong to as they embark on this journey. They can’t be like everyone else.
The Application
For us today this scripture is letting us know that following God is more important than what is happening around us at this time. To often we get caught up in how people lived in the past and try to follow that path. Or we submit to what is popular around us and allow it to change us for the worse.
Our lives as Christ followers should be one of single focus. We follow his teaching. We submit to his authority. Our hearts are in line with scripture and we will be passionate about this journey we are on today. God warns the Isralites because he knows what can happen when you veer off of his path. None of which is ever good.
I challenge you today to examine your life and find out if you are following old practices that can harm you or if you are submitting to the current culture. Let our hearts and lives submit to Christ.
Tomorrow I plan on reading Leviticus 19-21
