January 29 - Leviticus 26-27
Today, as I awoke for my unhurried time with the Lord, I was thankful that the electricity was still on in my house. There is a lot of ice outside, but the trees are not breaking yet. I pray for God's protection over us and the people around the southeast as we have this ice storm.
God finishes the book of Leviticus with a solemn passage on obedience to His laws. It is clear that God will punish anyone who breaks His law. His punishment does not come in the form of angry retribution. It comes from a loving Father, who is calling His people back to righteousness. He knows human nature. He knows that it takes a punishment to remove a wrong behavior. He knows that sin will destroy us, so He desires our well being. Therefore, chapter 26 is a list of the rewards for obedience and the penalties for disobedience. The punishments get stronger and stronger as long as the disobedience continues. It is not a pretty picture, except for one thing. God says that if we will come to our senses, He will forgive us. If we confess humbly in repentance, He will restore us to His favor and blessing. Why is it that we often take so long to give in to the Lord and admit our guilt? Do we really think we are right? Do we think we will get away with anything without God knowing it? God is a persistent, loving Father. He will not let us go into sin without providing punishment to bring us back to safety.
The final chapter drives home that God owns everything. We owe Him all of the tithes of our income. We owe Him all of the sacrifices. He is so good to sustain us. God made an allowance for the children of Israel to redeem certain items that belonged to Him. They could add one-fifth to the value and give that money to the Lord. That way they could redeem that person or animal or offering. Not only does that point to God's ownership of everything, it points to the process of redemption. When Jesus died to redeem us, He paid the price for our sins. He gave His blood and His life as the payment. He bought us like a person would redeem a valuable possession. The wonderful thing is that He paid the price for us while we were still in our sins. Then, He called us to come to Him in faith so He could apply the redemption to our lives and adopt us into His family. What a loving Father and a loving Savior.
God finishes the book of Leviticus with a solemn passage on obedience to His laws. It is clear that God will punish anyone who breaks His law. His punishment does not come in the form of angry retribution. It comes from a loving Father, who is calling His people back to righteousness. He knows human nature. He knows that it takes a punishment to remove a wrong behavior. He knows that sin will destroy us, so He desires our well being. Therefore, chapter 26 is a list of the rewards for obedience and the penalties for disobedience. The punishments get stronger and stronger as long as the disobedience continues. It is not a pretty picture, except for one thing. God says that if we will come to our senses, He will forgive us. If we confess humbly in repentance, He will restore us to His favor and blessing. Why is it that we often take so long to give in to the Lord and admit our guilt? Do we really think we are right? Do we think we will get away with anything without God knowing it? God is a persistent, loving Father. He will not let us go into sin without providing punishment to bring us back to safety.
The final chapter drives home that God owns everything. We owe Him all of the tithes of our income. We owe Him all of the sacrifices. He is so good to sustain us. God made an allowance for the children of Israel to redeem certain items that belonged to Him. They could add one-fifth to the value and give that money to the Lord. That way they could redeem that person or animal or offering. Not only does that point to God's ownership of everything, it points to the process of redemption. When Jesus died to redeem us, He paid the price for our sins. He gave His blood and His life as the payment. He bought us like a person would redeem a valuable possession. The wonderful thing is that He paid the price for us while we were still in our sins. Then, He called us to come to Him in faith so He could apply the redemption to our lives and adopt us into His family. What a loving Father and a loving Savior.