"All twenty-seven chapters of Leviticus are written to let you know that relationship with Me is always the issue that trumps every other concern, and that relating to Me will always, always, be on My terms. So many people miss that - they identify their needs, then view Me as a God who wants them satisfied and happy before I deal with their unholiness...And that's what Leviticus is all about: the requirement that you be holy in order to be close to Me." 66 LLMy typically American mind reads many of these details in Leviticus and thinks, "Really?? This seems a bit excessive, God. Isn't there a more direct and less messy way to do this?"
But book by book and chapter by chapter this year, God is continuing to open my eyes to how big of a deal sin is to Him and how far from holy I am. Atonement for sin - on His terms, not mine - is required for forgiveness. There's not much leeway as He addresses both sins of commission and sins of omission, both things done and things not done. And apparently, "I didn't know about that!" isn't an acceptable defense either. He's clear that unintentional sins also require atonement and forgiveness. It's still breaking God's commandments.
This may be a "duh" moment for some of you, but it's significant for me. You see, I tend to lean toward license, not condemnation. I excuse my "little" sins in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. (As the self-condemnation guy, my husband just loves this trait in me. Not!) And of course, I like things to go my way, on my terms, so I can be rather demanding of myself and others. I'm learning that a major part of this blog journey for me is clearly seeing my own sinfulness, in all of its forms, as I discover more about God's holiness.
So the message in Leviticus resonates with me:
"The toughest part of My plan, the part that's costliest to Me, is to make you holy.
You want Me to solve your problems, but you don't know what your worst problem is, the one responsible for all the others. You don't yet realize that distance from Me is the most lethal problem you have." 66 LLLord, may I not fall into the trap of thinking that Your highest goal for me is to make me happy and satisfied. I pray You'd give me the grace to recognize my distance from You is my biggest problem and a lethal problem. Draw me near, Lord, and teach me to relate to You on Your terms, not my own.
3 comments:
"The offering belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it." Lev. 7:7. This verse struck me in its picture of the new covenant where the offering is my life (Romans 12:1)and the priest is Christ who makes me at one with the Father. The offering (my life) no longer belongs to me, but to the priest (Christ). This really does fly in the face of my unspoken belief that God's highest goal is to make me happy and satisfied.
Interesting that while Cici leans towards license, I lean towards condemnation (nothing like a good old Southern Baptist upbringing to help that along!) My self-condemnation is just as deceptive in pulling my focus away from God's holiness and on to my "rightness", which is just filthy rags.
In my quest to know God better, I learn the costliness of sin whether intentional or not. I see a clearer vision of the book of Leviticus and how it relates to us. It's a big deal when we sin. Lot's of detail to become "atoned"...not sure if that's a word. I really like the quote you shared that our closeness to Him is on His terms. "the requirment that you be holy in order to be close to me". Wow, thank you Jesus! THANK YOU for making the way to have a relationship with You be about the simple act of the heart and belief.
In chapter 5---we are responsible for our sin whether we see it or not. "Leviticus reveals what's most wrong with me that blocks my joy---holiness." What's greater in me --- joy or having it together. -Loved the quote you shared: "You want me to solve your problems, but you don't know what your worst problem is. You don't yet realize that distance from Me is the most lethal problem you have." Still thinking about yesterday's comments about the fragrance we leave with others. Oh for eyes to see the distance I place between God and me and my world.
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