A Love Worth Celebrating
It's that time of year: Leviticus time. About the middle of February is when
we hit the book of Leviticus in our Bible reading plans, and it has a
reputation for being a difficult book.
The other day at lunch, I joined a group of friends that happened to be talking about incense. (I never really figured out why...) But when I walked up, they asked me, "Hey, do you know how to make incense?" Puzzled, I searched my memory and responded, "Actually, I think I was reading about that somewhere recently, but I don't remember where."
"Umm, were you reading Leviticus?" my friend asked sarcastically. I think it was supposed to be a joke until I said, "Actually, yes!" And then I was just kind of weird.
I guess I can kind of see why. Leviticus doesn't have the narrative stories like Genesis or the epic battle scenes found in the Kings and Chronicles. It doesn't have the lyrical worship of the Psalms or the powerful prophesies like the last half of the Old Testament. Or does it?
At first glance, Leviticus looks like a list of laws. It tends to be read as a bunch of dos and don'ts. But as I am reading it with fresh eyes this year, I am beginning to see the beauty buried deep within it.
We say that Leviticus lacks the drama, prophecy, and praise that make other Old Testament books more attractive, but really, Leviticus is a combination of all those elements.
When you read about the sacrifices expected of the Israelites to atone for their sins, you read graphic descriptions of male lambs without defect being slain and their blood running down the sides of the altar. What a beautifully rich prophecy of the bittersweet sacrifice of Jesus to make atonement for us before the holy God. And what worship it inspires when we realize the messiness and severity of our sins and the penalty that must be paid – the penalty that was fully paid through the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
When you read in Leviticus about the holiness of God and the intense desire He has to make His people holy, you are prompted to powerful worship and praise that equals that of the Psalms. I love how God says, “I am the Lord, who makes you holy” over and over and over again throughout the book.
And when you read about the celebrations and festivals that were commanded for the Israelites in order to remember who God is and who they are as His people, it makes you want to get up and celebrate, too. I read chapter 23 just today, and I learned that some of the Israelite’s feasts lasted seven days. Since I read that the day after Valentine’s Day, I decided that we need to have week-long holidays, especially ones that center on God’s love and faithfulness. Now that is worth celebrating!
I wonder if God instituted feasts and festivals for the Israelites in order to bring joy to their lives, kind of like modern holidays do for us. I wonder if he intended for us to take breaks from our normal routines in order to “jazz up” our lives. I don’t really know, but I do believe that he commanded holidays so that we will learn how to rest, how to remember Him, and how to celebrate Him.
So maybe Leviticus is not so dull after all. It is actually so full of prophecy and power and praise that it challenges me to see the severity of my sin, press on to be holy, and worship the Lamb who atoned for me and dressed me in His righteousness. It inspires me to celebrate the Kingship of the Father and the Lordship of Jesus, and it prompts me to celebrate the love of God like I have never celebrated it before…for Valentine’s day…no, for at least seven days…no, for the rest of my life and into eternity.
The other day at lunch, I joined a group of friends that happened to be talking about incense. (I never really figured out why...) But when I walked up, they asked me, "Hey, do you know how to make incense?" Puzzled, I searched my memory and responded, "Actually, I think I was reading about that somewhere recently, but I don't remember where."
"Umm, were you reading Leviticus?" my friend asked sarcastically. I think it was supposed to be a joke until I said, "Actually, yes!" And then I was just kind of weird.
I guess I can kind of see why. Leviticus doesn't have the narrative stories like Genesis or the epic battle scenes found in the Kings and Chronicles. It doesn't have the lyrical worship of the Psalms or the powerful prophesies like the last half of the Old Testament. Or does it?
At first glance, Leviticus looks like a list of laws. It tends to be read as a bunch of dos and don'ts. But as I am reading it with fresh eyes this year, I am beginning to see the beauty buried deep within it.
We say that Leviticus lacks the drama, prophecy, and praise that make other Old Testament books more attractive, but really, Leviticus is a combination of all those elements.
When you read about the sacrifices expected of the Israelites to atone for their sins, you read graphic descriptions of male lambs without defect being slain and their blood running down the sides of the altar. What a beautifully rich prophecy of the bittersweet sacrifice of Jesus to make atonement for us before the holy God. And what worship it inspires when we realize the messiness and severity of our sins and the penalty that must be paid – the penalty that was fully paid through the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
When you read in Leviticus about the holiness of God and the intense desire He has to make His people holy, you are prompted to powerful worship and praise that equals that of the Psalms. I love how God says, “I am the Lord, who makes you holy” over and over and over again throughout the book.
And when you read about the celebrations and festivals that were commanded for the Israelites in order to remember who God is and who they are as His people, it makes you want to get up and celebrate, too. I read chapter 23 just today, and I learned that some of the Israelite’s feasts lasted seven days. Since I read that the day after Valentine’s Day, I decided that we need to have week-long holidays, especially ones that center on God’s love and faithfulness. Now that is worth celebrating!
I wonder if God instituted feasts and festivals for the Israelites in order to bring joy to their lives, kind of like modern holidays do for us. I wonder if he intended for us to take breaks from our normal routines in order to “jazz up” our lives. I don’t really know, but I do believe that he commanded holidays so that we will learn how to rest, how to remember Him, and how to celebrate Him.
So maybe Leviticus is not so dull after all. It is actually so full of prophecy and power and praise that it challenges me to see the severity of my sin, press on to be holy, and worship the Lamb who atoned for me and dressed me in His righteousness. It inspires me to celebrate the Kingship of the Father and the Lordship of Jesus, and it prompts me to celebrate the love of God like I have never celebrated it before…for Valentine’s day…no, for at least seven days…no, for the rest of my life and into eternity.
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