Done with Leviticus!

I just finished Leviticus and am no reading Numbers, which is the next  big section of the Jewish law. It really has been interesting to read the old law alongside the new covenant made through Jesus’ death and resurrection. I’m not sure if God spurred me to read this part of the Bible at such an interesting time or if it was luck of the draw.

Either way here are some thoughts: Paul gets it right in Romans when he says that the law leads to death. When you don’t know the rules you can’t break them, Adam and Eve condemned themselves simply by gaining the knowledge of the rules. Now the Israelites have all the rules written down for them, there are no excuses anymore. It’s a pretty interesting development in God’s relationship with man, before things were pretty loosely held together, now we have the full requirements to be in God’s presence. The problem is that now that we have the rules we cannot help but break them because we are imperfect while God is perfect.

People talk a lot about the “New Testament God” versus the “Old Testament God,” as if there are two distinct personalities. I don’t quite see it that way, I see the Old Testament as the Israelites asking for rules, kings, and freedom and God giving it to them. The Israelites wanted formality so God gave it to them, and they fell under it. God gave the Israelites hundreds of chances to turn back to Him yet He only received continued rejection. Then He sent Jesus because giving the Israelites what they asked for was just not working. Instead God came down Himself and literally saved the Israelites from the mess they made, which is why we now are blessed with salvation if we choose to follow.

Some say that Leviticus is obsolete and while I certainly do not pay much attention to whether I am eating clean animals or what to do about mildew, I don’t see it as a book to be thrown out or ignored. It is crucial to understanding God’s standards of perfection and speaks volumes about the development of the relationship between God and man. It may not feature the poetry of Psalms or the excitement of Judges but check it out if you get a chance.