Leviticus 14

“This is the law for him in whom is a case of leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing" (v32).  Ancient people didn’t divide the world or their lives into secular and sacred categories like we do; the sacred (or supernatural) pervaded everything.  Therefore, when someone with a disease got physically well, they offered a sacrifice in the temple and presented themselves to a priest to be pronounced ritually clean/whole. Everyone participated, and

Leviticus 12-13

“When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot …” (13:1).  Without antibiotics, surgery, or hospitals, ancient people were always at risk of a disease quickly spreading through an entire community.  In this case, the Israelites had regulations about different kinds of rashes, white spots, sores, etc, focusing on identifying the worst kinds (including leprosy) and isolating the person in order to prevent a group outbreak.  Only a priest coul

Leviticus 11

“For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (v44).  Though the Israelite dietary restrictions are hard for us to understand in terms of why certain foods were forbidden, the goal was clear:  God wanted the Israelites to be a community set apart as belonging completely to Him. By including daily food choices in loyalty to God’s Law, the Israelites learned that they were to honor God with their entire lives, every day and hour.

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Matthew 27

“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (v50). The shocking reality of the innocent Son of God bearing the weight of our sins, experiencing our distance from the Father (v46), and undergoing death itself caused the world to fundamentally change. The curtain of the temple – symbol of our separation from a holy God – split in two, opening the way into God’s presence fo

Matthew 26

“Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (v28). Jesus’ disciples struggled to understand how the powerful Messiah could face betrayal and death. Despite Jesus’ warnings (v2) and sorrowful preparation, one of his disciples still tried to defend him with a sword (v51-52). Yet “the blood of the covenant” – Jesus’ voluntary death – was the only way to bring about forgiveness of sins and new life.

Psalm 18

“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (v1). The psalmist’s heart-felt declaration was born out of his experience with the Lord. When he was in desperate trouble and cried out, God heard him and came to rescue him. “He sent from on high; he took me, he drew me out of many waters” (v16). Over and over, the psalmist experienced God’s faithfulness in dark times. “The LORD my God lightens my darkness. For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall” (v28

Leviticus 9-10

“Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering ... And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown” (9:24). Far from being an empty ritual, when the Israelites offered sacrifices by faith, according to God’s instructions, he was truly present in their midst. However, when Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu offered “unauthorized” incense to the Lord, as if they could control spiritual power, “they died before the Lord” (10:2).

Leviticus 7-8

“As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you” (8:34). Aaron and his sons, the priestly line among the Levites, had the special role of offering sacrifices (while the other Levites served generally in the temple). As ordinary humans, they needed to offer sacrifices for their own sins (8:14). Their unique role foreshadowed Jesus Christ, who is both our permanent high priest and our perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 7:23-28). 

“So you will not

Leviticus 5-6

“If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor ...” (v2). All sin is “against the Lord”, but Leviticus acknowledges that sin often harms or dishonors a neighbor, as well. In the case of deception in business, such as a “deposit or security”, or through robbery, or oppression, or lying (v2-3), the person was required to sacrifice to the Lord (v6) and also to “restore” what had been taken by deceit, adding an additional twenty perce

Leviticus 4

“If it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull ...” (v3). Israel’s sacrificial system recognized that God’s people were interconnected, with distinct roles, not just individuals with their private sins. The high priest, for example, was anointed to mediate between God and people, and his sins had far-reaching effects. Thus, he was required to sacrifice a bull (rather than a goat, v27)

Matthew 25:31-46

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you ...” (v34). In Jesus day, as in our own, there were competing ideas about what kind of people would “inherit” God’s kingdom. Jesus startled everyone by declaring that God did not use worldly measurements of religiosity, and culture and tribe did not matter. Instead, God was looking (among “all the nations”, v32) for those who loved the Son by ministering to those made in his image – especially “

Matthew 25:1-30

 “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (v2). In Jesus’ parable about God’s kingdom, the wise virgins were serious about the bridegroom’s arrival, as well as their own role of waiting in the meantime. Although the bridegroom was “delayed,” the wise ones were well-prepared, kept their focus, and greeted him eagerly. In the parable of the talents (money), the unworthy servant was “afraid” because he thought his Master was a “hard man”; thus, he buried the Master’s

Psalm 17

“Show me the wonders of your great love ...” (v7). The psalmist saw that living as if our “reward is in this life” leads to selfish, harmful (even violent) choices, and he made a choice to follow God’s path’s (v1-5). Surrounded by violent enemies, he claimed refuge in God, to whom he belonged. He cried out for more than safety; he wanted to be the “apple” of God’s eye, enjoying close fellowship with the Creator who knows each one of us intimately (v8). 

“Hide me in the sha

Leviticus 2-3

“If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord ... in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar” (3:7). While only God could forgive sins, the symbolic ritual of sacrifices gave worshipers a way to express both thanks to the Lord and their need for atonement (1:4), and peace (3:6). The blood of the sacrifice was never consumed, but offered to God, symbolizing the value of life – God’s

Leviticus 1

“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord” (v3). Animal sacrifice was common in the ancient world, but Leviticus gave Israelite worshipers specific instructions to honor the Creator. The animal had to be without blemish (something valuable), and the Israelites were not to randomly sacrifice anywhere or anyhow; they were to come