April 1 – Leviticus 1                                                                    

Lev 1:2  "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock. 3  'If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD. 4  Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. 5  He shall kill the bull before the LORD;…Lev 1:17  …It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

There are 5 sacrifices given in Leviticus chapters 1-7, each of them necessary to give us a full-faceted appreciation of the perfect Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. The first three were voluntary: “of his own free will.” The burnt offering/sacrifice was to be of utmost value to the offerer (he was not to give a bird if he had a herd). He had to lay his hand on its head and kill it himself, thus acknowledging that it is his own guilt that necessitated the death of the sacrifice. The sacrifice is a “male without blemish.” The priest was to dissect the sacrifice to make sure that even every inward part was without blemish. And so Jesus was in “all points tempted…yet without sin,” (Heb.4:15) and through His “atonement” we are able to present our own bodies to him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

Dear God, as Jesus voluntarily offered His own precious life wholly to You, dying for ME, I want to give my life, and what is precious to me, wholly to You, dying to the world completely, and living for You entirely, Rom.12:1. I want my life to be a sweet aroma to You.

April 2 – Leviticus 2

Lev 2:1  "'When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it 2  and take it to Aaron's sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 3  The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.

The word “grain” is translated “grain” because of what it consists of, but the Hebrew word is actually “minchah” – a present. It is the Hebrew word used when an inferior makes any kind of gift to a superior, eg. Jacob sent a “minchah” to “my lord Esau,” and the Moabites sent a “minchah” to David when they became his servants, 2 Sam.8:6. The gift was offered according to the ability of the offerer: an oven, flat pan, or covered pan. It was to be without leaven (sin), but with frankincense (prayer, see our study on Ex.30), and salt (covenant relationship, Lev.2:13). Jesus “humbled Himself,” “took on the form of a bondservant,” and came “not to be served, but to serve.” The gift of His life on earth: His sinless example, His dependence on prayer, and His teaching of the new covenant – was surely “an aroma pleasing to the Lord.” So today, whatever abilities I have, whether it be “an oven,” or a “pan,” -- as a person who has been purified and brought into a covenant relationship with God through the sacrifice of Christ, I need to prayerfully use my abilities as Jesus did, as a “minchah” -- a servant of the Lord and of His people.  

Father, what a privilege it is to be allowed to bring gifts to You, the giver of every good and perfect gift! I thank you for the different abilities You have given each of us, how in Your wisdom, You knew that each of us working together would be able to meet all the needs of Your body, the church, and take Your message of salvation to the world. Thank you for all the loving acts of service done by Your children – and please help each of us to abound in service according to the many different talents You have blessed us with.

April 3 – Leviticus 3

Lev 3:16  and the priest shall burn them [fatty portions] on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD's. 17  'This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood.' "

Although grouped here with the other voluntary sacrifices, in Leviticus chapter 7 the peace offering is listed last among the sacrifices in observance. It is only when sin has been taken care of that there is peace between God and man. “For He Himself is our peace,” (Eph.2:14), making peace between Jew & Gentile, man and God, “for through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father,” Eph.2:18. The peace offering was the only offering in which the offerer ate some of the sacrifice – but he was never to eat the fatty portions of any animal at any time. The blood (the life-essence, Gen.9:4), and the fat (the best part, Gen.4:4), was set apart as “God’s food,” Ezek.44:7. Whatever I give to God, it must be the best that I have, recognizing God as the source of my life and well-being.

From now on, whenever we assemble for worship, I encourage us all to think: do I make my best effort to arrive in a good frame of mind, on time, respectfully attired, prepared for the Bible study, focussed on worshipping God in the best possible way?

April 4 – Leviticus 4

Lev 4:6  The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. … 12  the whole bull he shall carry outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12  Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13  Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

Leviticus 4:1-5:13 are commands as to what must happen when priests, rulers, the congregation as a whole, or individuals sinned unintentionally, (as opposed to defiantly). There were additional rules for specific sins and for the poor. In the case of leadership or congregational sin, the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled inside the tabernacle, and, after the “fat” was offered on the altar, the rest of the animal had to be burnt outside the camp, since it was the bearer of their sin. Similarly, criminals were executed outside the camp/city, signifying their reproach, Lev.24:14, Num.15:35, Mk.15:20, Acts 7:5. Jesus, our sin offering, met both inside and outside requirements. As our High Priest, He took His own blood inside the “tabernacle,” even beyond the “veil,” into the very presence of God, Heb.9:11-14 – yet His body, since it was bearing our sins, 1 Pet.2:24, was taken outside the “camp” to be executed, bearing our reproach.

Blessed be our wonderful Savior whose blood paid the price for my sins and whose body bore my reproach! Father, please forgive me for all the times I have neglected to share this good news with others, fearing their reproach. May I fearlessly be willing to go outside the “camp” of what those around me believe – because I want to be with Jesus, no matter the cost.

April 5 – Leviticus 5

Lev 5:17  "If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

Read through chapters 4 and 5 again, noting all the references to the sobering fact that ignorance on the part of the Jew was no excuse in God’s eyes. And so today: “Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness…” (Acts 17:30-31). Do we believe this verse? How many people in the world have never even seen a Bible or heard the message of salvation? When we talk about career choices with our children, do we or they even consider such a thing as equipping themselves to learn a foreign language and a skill, if necessary, by which they could gain entry to a land that needs the gospel? 

O righteous and holy God, despite all the resources You have blessed us with, we have failed! If Your words and Your grace are not enough motivation to ignite a fire of evangelism within us, what can we say to You?

April 6 – Leviticus 6

Lev 6:4  then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found,  5  or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering.

The trespass offering or guilt offering is an offering for which God expected, not only a sacrifice, but restitution. As we learned in Exodus 13 & 34, certain things were “set apart” (holy) to the Lord: the firstborn of children had to be redeemed, and first-born animals were to be either sacrificed or redeemed with money. If anyone did not do this, as soon as he became aware of his sin, he was to not only give the Lord what he originally owed, but an extra 20%. Likewise, if he sinned against his fellow man, the same restitution plus 20% applied. Notice the phrase, “harm that he has done,” in Lev.5:16. The sad thing is that, no matter if we gave 100% of all we had, we could never make full restitution to God for the harm that we have done. That’s why we need Jesus. “For the transgressions of My people, He was stricken,” Isa.53:8. “Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe!”

Lord, as we think of the five sacrifices we have now studied, and the wonderful way in which Jesus met every requirement of the justice that You, in Your righteousness, had to demand in order to grant forgiveness to us, we are so humbled by these pictures of Your grace. We deserved death: Jesus came to give us life. We are so inferior to Your Son, we were not even worthy to bring Him a “minchah,” but He is not ashamed to call us brethren. We were Your enemies: Your Son is our peace. We deserved reproach: You gave us love. We deserved enslavement as debtors: Your Son paid the ultimate price to set us free. Blessed be Your name forever!

April 7 – Leviticus 7

Lev 7:15  'The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day it is offered.

 The priests received certain parts of the other offerings, but this is the only sacrifice of which part was eaten by the person offering it. It was eaten “in the place God shall choose” (the vicinity of the tabernacle/temple) so that they could “rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake,” Dt.12:17-18. Since Christ’s perfect sacrifice has reconciled us to God, we are invited to feast with Him in the place He has chosen: the assembly of the saints on the first day of the week. As we remember the death of our Lord that was necessary to bring about the peace we have with God, we can also rejoice in the resultant fellowship They have with us in all we undertake in service to Them.

O Father, we truly rejoice that, because we have peace with You, we can have such an intimate relationship with You that we are invited to feast “before” You and Jesus our Brother. When trials threaten my inner peace, help me to focus on the joy of having peace with You, and serve You with joy.

April 8 – Leviticus 8

Lev 8:36  So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.

Read through the chapter again, underlining all similar phrases such as “as the Lord commanded.” (I got 9 + two other places where Moses says, “As I commanded,” or “As I have been commanded”—plus 5 more times in chapter 9.) Notice in verse 5 that Moses makes sure that all the people understand that the consecration rituals they are beholding, (slightly different to the ordinary sacrifices of chapters 1-7), are done at the command of the Lord. Also notice the role of Moses as God’s spokesman, his prophet. If he speaks by the command of God, it is as though God Himself speaks, because he was “moved by the Holy Spirit,” 2 Pet.1:21. So many people today think they are in some way “moved by the Holy Spirit,” perhaps not realizing the serious implications of what they are claiming: that all their contradictory messages “from the Spirit” supposedly carry the same authority as though God Himself were speaking, thus purporting God to be the author of confusion, 1 Cor.14:33.

All-wise Father, help me to more fully grasp how important it is that I follow Your commandments accurately and completely so that I do not convey to unbelievers, by word or deed, any message but that You are a God of order, wisdom and righteousness.

April 9 – Leviticus 9

Lev 9:22  Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, [See Num.6:22-27] and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. 23  And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24  and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

After the 7 days of consecration, the priestly ministry began, first by offering sacrifices for themselves, and then for the people. The assurance that the Lord had accepted their offerings was made evident by a special “glory” of the Lord, possibly an extra-bright shining light from the cloud, or something similar to Exodus 40:34. (See also Num.14:10, 16:19, 20:6.)

Father, we are so very thankful that mankind was given an incredible blessing to behold Your glory when Your Son became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth, (Jn.1:14), and that through their written record, given by Your Spirit, we too are blessed to behold the glory of our Lord and be changed into the same image, (2Cor.3:18). We pray that Your glory in us will be evident by our daily walk of grace and truth.

April 10 – Leviticus 10

Lev 10:3  …"This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' "

Who IS God? Notice the phrase in Lev.10:1 that is in contrast to the 16 phrases we found in chapters 8-9. Lev.10:3 tells us WHY we must be so careful to stay within the commands of God: treating God’s commands lightly detracts from His holiness and His glory! The Hebrew word for glory literally means to be heavy, or that which renders one “weighty” or praiseworthy or to be honored. Priests were to show to the people, by teaching and by example, just who God IS. So it is with us priests today. Jesus has given us the privilege and responsibility of showing Him to the world. The world is looking at us to see just how “weighty” God is in our lives – and the part of the world we impact the most is our family, especially our children. What am I showing them about the holiness and glory of God today?

O Holy God, You are worthy of the utmost honor, praise and glory! Please forgive us for the times when we have dishonored You by not making You the most important Person in our lives. Help us to realize the real tragedy of sin: not only does it separate us from You, but it brings reproach on who You ARE. Help me to express by my actions today that You are the almighty and awesome King.

April 11 – Leviticus 11

Lev 11:44  For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. 45  For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

The concept of clean and unclean animals should not have been a new thing to the Israelites: Noah had received instructions concerning them in Gen.7:2. We could speculate about the health advantages of not eating pork, or the fact that the unclean birds were mainly birds of prey, and thus associated with death. But what God says is that defiling themselves by eating the animals He designated as unclean makes them unholy. These dietary laws separated the Jews from the rest of the world and to God. (Holy means separate or set apart.) Their diet kept them from eating (intimate relationships) with Gentiles who would pull them away from God. Jesus abolished this kind of barrier between Jew and Gentile by His death on the cross. It is no longer our diet, but our pure lives of dedication to following God that separate us from unbelievers. “They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation,” (“lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties”), 1 Pet.4:3-4.

Today, Lord, I pray for all of us, but especially for our young people and their parents, that we make wise choices regarding activities, media and apparel; for I fear the things I see us doing in these areas are separating us more to lewdness and lust than to You! I also see so much busyness in good secular activities that families do not separate time to You, failing to attend Bible studies or have family devotions. Help us to encourage all of our families to learn the discipline of “different” while our children are young and at home so that they are trained to be different, separate, when they leave home. Lord, we want to be Your holy people, for You are holy.

April 12 – Leviticus 12

Lev 12:7  Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.

First of all, I think it important to note that the sacrifice was an atonement for the mother, not the child! The child was innocent of sin, not yet having the ability to understand and disobey any commandment, Rom.7:7-9. Secondly, the sin was certainly not in fulfilling God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, but in whatever other sin the woman may have committed. God is teaching them (and us) that the blood of a person who is not “clean,” is defiling, and the only blood that can make clean again, is the blood of an innocent sacrifice. However, Heb.10:1 tells us that even that could not make them perfectly clean. An animal, though innocent, was not an innocent sacrifice by choice; having no ability to distinguish between truth and error, righteousness and sin – also having no choice in whether or not it would give its life for the worshipper.

Righteous and merciful God, we can never thank You and Your Son enough for the precious blood of Your Son who, though tempted in all points like we are, chose not to sin and also chose to give His blood – the blood that has the power to cleanse our hearts from an evil conscience. As we have been reminded today of the heavy price that was paid to make us clean, may we give You “weight,” may we constantly be thinking of ways to glorify You in our bodies and our spirits which are Yours.

April 13 – Leviticus 13

This chapter deals with cases in which something harmful can spread from person to person or article to article. “Leprosy” is obviously a broad term covering all of these harmful diseases or molds, including the disease we know as leprosy today. Notice some principles regarding these various problems. 1. It was the person’s responsibility to go to the priest to make sure what he had was not harmful.  2. The diagnosis was not to be made hastily.  3. If a problem was confirmed, it had to be dealt with promptly and completely. In a spiritual sense, the harmful thing in my body that can spread is sin. “For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness,” Rom.7:19. God warns that we should never do even the smallest thing that bothers our consciences because then we defile or wound our consciences, 1 Cor.8:7-12, ultimately causing myself, and possibly others, even those I love most, to perish!

Dear God, I know that it is my responsibility to examine myself to see if I am in the faith, but I pray for Your help. Through reading Your word, through sermons and classes, through the admonition of good brethren – help me to search out and accept correction, dealing with sin-spots in my life promptly, so that I never spread harmful doctrine or encourage sinful character in others.

April 14 – Leviticus 14

Lev 14:6  As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. 7  And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.

Those who were cured of leprosy, or a similar disease, were to undergo quite a ritual of purification, lasting 7 days, before being allowed back to normal life. Things necessary for cleansing were 4 sacrifices: sin, trespass, grain and burnt offerings. Besides this was oil for anointing, 2 birds, scarlet (a red cloth or wool), hyssop and cedar wood. I found the shaving of the hair and the “baptism” of the bird in blood and water particularly fascinating. Once cleansed, the bird was set at liberty to fly back to its home, just as the cleansing of the leper enabled him to return home. Sadly, however, not everyone who had leprosy was cleansed. They lived the rest of their days cut off from their loved ones. The wonderful news, however, is that every single person who is infected with the “leprosy” of sin can be cleansed! “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow,” Ps.51:7. “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,’” Isa.1:18.

Truly, today, Lord, my heart is overflowing with joy because You have graciously washed away my sins in baptism and lifted the heavy burden of guilt off my shoulders, freeing me to soar with wings like an eagle. I pray, O gracious Lord, that I will wake the dawn of each day with praises, (Ps.57:8-9), calling to my mind that same joy the person must have felt when being set free to return home to his loved ones, that same joy I felt on the day I obeyed the gospel. May Your joy be my strength to influence others to turn to You.

 April 15 – Leviticus 15

Num 5:2  "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse. 3  You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell."

Lev 15:31  'Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.

Imagine yourself having to follow the regulations in Lev.15 and Num.5:2 each menstrual cycle! (Once they were living in Canaan, the “outside the camp rule” of Num.5:2 ceased to apply, but, by the very nature of the regulations in Lev.15, menstruating women were quite separated from normal family living.) Again, we could speculate about why God made these rules. Certainly there would have been health advantages, particularly in days before knowledge of germs. However, from Lev.15:31 we learn that what God really wanted them to understand was the difference between the flow of their blood (“uncleanness”) and the flowing of blood that covers sin – it is the same as the difference between disease and health, between defilement and holiness. Menstrual cloths were indeed “filthy rags,” Isa.64:6. Now think about the woman in Mark 5:21-34 who had the issue of blood for 12 years. Imagine the courage and desperation it took for her to touch Jesus. Imagine how she feared Jesus’ possible anger when she had to confess that she made Him ceremonially unclean by touching Him. Imagine the joy she and her family felt when she was cured!

O holy God, we have indeed sinned. “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” before You, and the only solution for our sin was the “fountain” of our dear Savior’s blood that You “opened for sin and uncleanness” at Calvary. That blood is so precious to us, for it opens the way to You, that we can approach You as our Father and know that You hear us and will answer us and bring us home to You when our life’s journey is completed. We give thanks to You, O Father, and to Your Son, for His most precious gift.

April 16 – Leviticus 16

One day per year only, was Aaron to go beyond the veil, having washed his body and clothed himself, not in his ordinary high priestly garments, or even in ordinary priestly garments, but pure white linen, symbolic of holiness. He was to go with the blood of a young bull to cover his own house’s defilement of God’s holy place -- simply by serving in it. Again he went with a goat to cover the people’s defilement of God’s holy place – simply by being near it. After that he laid his hands on a living goat, confessing over it all the sins of the Israelites and sending it away into the wilderness, symbolic of their sins being carried away from them. After that he changed back into his high priestly garments, washed his body and offered burnt offerings for himself and the people to atone for their sin. The fatty parts of the young bull and goat were also burned on the altar, and then their carcasses were carried outside the camp and burned: skin, dung and all. The people’s part in this day was to come to the place where this was done (the tabernacle or later, the temple), observe a day of rest and “afflict/humble their souls,” which seems to be an expression that includes fasting, Ps.35:13. This was a 24-hour fast, the only fast commanded by God in the entire Bible, Lev.23:32.

Again, Father, we are blessed to read of these pictures of what Christ has done for us – how He, not only carried our sins away from us by going “outside the camp” to bear them Himself on the cross, but, arrayed in holiness, brought His own blood into Your presence: that better, undefiled blood that satisfied Your justice for sins for all time, from Adam to the end of the world. Help us to humble our souls by abstaining from every sin.

April 17 – Leviticus 17

Lev 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Lev 17:12  Therefore I said to the children of Israel, 'No one among you shall eat blood…

This is a command of God that spans all dispensations: from Noah’s time when men were first allowed to eat meat, (Gen.9:3-4), right through to the New Testament, Acts 15:29. The Israelites rightly deduced from Lev.17:13 that no animal was to be strangled, (Acts15:29); it had to be butchered. As the blood slowly drained from the throat of an animal, it was obvious that its life-force ebbed away with its blood. And so, every Israelite had an almost daily reminder of the connection between blood and the life it stood for. Life was sacrificed to sustain a man’s life – both physically and spiritually. The sight, sound, smell and trauma of butchering an animal one had tended from birth is so far removed from the lifestyle of urban dwellers that I think we fail to appreciate just how wonderful it is that Jesus has been sacrificed once for all people and for all time to pay the price for our sins, Heb.10:10.  

May You be blessed forever, O God, for Your great power has given us life, and it is because of Your grace that we are alive this day. Above all we praise You for the great love of Jesus who was willing to give His pure and clean life-blood in exchange for our life-blood, tainted by sin so that we can come boldly to Your throne of mercy for grace in time of need.

April 18 – Leviticus 18

Lev 18:27  (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28  lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

The specific abominations listed in this chapter are sexual abominations including homosexuality and adultery. According to the 2017 census, 45% of Americans over the age of 18 are single, but many are in sinful “relationships.” Of those who marry, 41% of their first marriages will end in divorce; and according to Jesus’ definition of adultery in Matthew 19, it is a fair assumption that most of those involved in the divorce have either committed adultery, or will do so when they marry again. According to a 2015 Gallup Poll, 4.5% of Americans consider themselves LBGTQ. The Hebrew word abomination means “disgusting or abhorrent,” (Strong’s). The horrifying thing is that these sexual sins are equated with allowing their children to “pass through the fire to Molech.” That is abhorrent to us, but failure to teach our children how to control their lustful passions will destroy them spiritually – a far worse fate.

O holy God, our nation is defiled by all these abominations and is abhorrent to You! I pray today for each of us to live and teach so that we and our descendants will be the salt of our land that preserves it from Your destruction. May our joy and their joy in following Your precepts be so evident that it draws others to You so that we are a leavening in our land for good.  

April 19 – Leviticus 19

Lev 19:14  You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

I encourage you to go through this chapter and mark the phrase: “I am the Lord.” (I got 15.) The proper way to treat others is based on who God is, and the fact that the people we meet from day to day were created “in the image of God.” Because God is who He is, and we treat Him with “fear” (respect), those who are in His image need to be treated with that same respect, no matter how mentally, physically or economically weak or vulnerable they are: the poor (v.10), the handicapped (v.14), the elderly (v.32), the immigrants, (v.34) – indeed all people, (v.18). Also note the motivation in verse 2. If we are to be holy, we must treat others as our holy God treats them.

Lord, please help me to see the others the way You see them: as someone valuable, someone You have designed for a purpose, someone who can teach me lessons I need to learn, someone who is worthy of respect and love, and, above all, as someone who needs a relationship with You. I pray for You to open doors for us to reach precious souls who are open to Your word.

April 20 – Leviticus 20

Lev 20:7  Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.  8  And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 9  'For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. … 10  'The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, … the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.

Holiness was not simply something between an individual and God, but the individual had a serious, heavy responsibility to do his part to make sure the nation was a holy nation. Today I encourage you to go through Leviticus 20 and mark all the phrases “put to death” and the synonymous term “cut off,” (eg. Gen.9:11). (I got 14.) In verse 14, all involved were to be “burned with fire,” (after they were stoned, eg. Josh.7:15,25). There were certain sins that God considered so serious, the perpetrators needed to be removed from society: false worship (idolatry and witchcraft), sexual sins, and disrespect to parents. (If you don’t respect parental authority, you will have no respect for any other authority.)  It is interesting that these same sins, as well as others, are covered by the list of sins in 1 Corinthians 5:11 – sins for which a brother in Christ should in a sense be cut off. Paul uses the phrases, “deliver to Satan,” “purge out,” and “have no association with.”

Lord, as difficult as it is, please help each of us to do our part in our local congregations to keep Your spiritual nation holy – not just by withdrawing from unrepentant sinners, but by preventative measures such as kind deeds, hospitality, praying for one another, encouraging each other, and going to one another to clear up worrying matters immediately.

April 21 – Leviticus 21

Lev 21:6  They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.

The priesthood (descendants of Aaron) were held to a higher standard of cleanness and purity than the rest of Israel. Those with physical defects were cared for, but as the sacrifice had to be physically “without blemish,” so did the officiating priest. Again we have a picture of our High Priest, Jesus, who was both the sacrificial lamb without blemish and the High Priest without blemish who officiated by taking the blood of His sacrifice beyond the veil into the presence of God. As priests serving under our perfect High Priest, Paul says to us, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God,” 1 Ths.4:1.

Dear God, truly as Your Son has said, when we have done all that is commanded, we are still unprofitable servants. Help us, out of love for all You have done for us, to abound more and more in the good works You have given us to do. 

April 22 – Leviticus 22

Lev 22:19  you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. 20  Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.

When I think about giving to the Lord, these two verses tell me that I need to ask myself these two questions: What do I want to offer to the Lord? What is the best I can offer to the Lord? When we give money, there is no “best” involved: money is money. But what about when we give ourselves? Colossians 3:18-25 mentions the roles of husbands, wives, children, parents and servants, and then says, “whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men…for you serve the Lord Christ.” Schoolwork, housework, professional work; serving family, friends, brethren and neighbours – I do everything to the best of my ability with a willing heart – not so my work or service is acceptable to others, but so it is acceptable to GOD.

 Gracious and giving Lord, our hearts are overflowing with thanksgiving for all You have done through Christ so that our gifts back to You can be acceptable in Your sight. We pray that You will enrich us with opportunities to serve You by serving others.

April 23 – Leviticus 23

Lev 23:16  Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.

The feasts in this chapter are amazing shadows of Christ and things in the New Covenant: Christ, our Passover Lamb, was actually crucified at twilight on Passover eve – as the Jews slaughtered their Passover lambs. Christ, the Firstfruits of all who will be resurrected, 1 Cor.15:20, actually rose from the dead on “the day after the Sabbath when the firstfruits of the barley harvest (a sheaf = no yeast = no sin) was brought to the priest, Lev.23:11. Then fifty days after Passover, was the “Feast of Weeks,” as it is called in this chapter, or the Day of Pentecost, as it was called in the book of Acts. This was also a feast when firstfruits were brought to the Lord: the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (leavened loaves of bread). For hundreds of years, the Jews kept this feast, having no idea of its significance, but when “the day of Pentecost had fully come,” Acts 2:1, or as the footnote in my Bible says, “was being fulfilled,” the firstfruits of Christians were brought to the Lord – 3000 Jews who were full of sin (leaven) came to the Lord that day! The fulfilment of the Feast of Trumpets is still to come when the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and there will be the ultimate “holy convocation” (NIV-assembly): [con (with) + voc (call) =  calling people together], Lev.23:24, 2 Ths.2:1.

Lord, we come to You today with awe in our hearts at the evidences in Your word which prove to us that it is only an all-powerful, all-knowing God such as You who could give us the Bible. It would be impossible for any human to imagine and record in picture form in these feasts the things that were to come to pass in reality hundreds of years later. Thank You Lord, for Your Spirit who has revealed to us these things which build up our faith and trust in You so that we can eagerly wait for Your trumpet to sound!

April 24 – Leviticus 24

Lev 24:2  "Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually.

The lampstand consisted of one tall stem with a lamp on top, plus three branches to each side with lamps on top of each branch – seven lights in all (the Bible number of completeness). The Romans actually carved a resemblance of this lampstand into Titus’ Arch to commemorate Titus’ victory over the Jews in AD70 – and it still stands in Rome today for all to see. The symbolic meaning of the lampstand is given to us in Zechariah 4 and Revelation 1 & 11. The oil for the lamps in the tabernacle was supplied initially by the Lord who gave the harvest. But then it was the responsibility of the children of Israel to refine it in the purest way possible (by pressing) so that it could be used to give light. In Zechariah the oil for the lamps was supplied by two olive trees. The angel identifies them as “My Spirit” who would enable Zerubbabel to complete the second temple, Zech.4:6-7. In Revelation the two olive trees are identified as two witnesses: one who had the power to withhold rain (Elijah, representing all the prophets of the OT) and another who had the power to turn water into blood (Moses). It is through the Law of Moses and the prophets that the Holy Spirit gave “oil” to the children of Israel. Thus, the word of God was the “oil” that they were to refine in themselves so that they would be able to shine as lights before the Lord. In Revelation 1 & 2:5, faithful congregations of God’s people are identified as lampstands. It is our responsibility to take the revelation of Jesus Christ, given by the Holy Spirit, and refine it in our lives to be lights before the Lord.

 We praise You, O God, for Your Spirit of light! Help us to meditate on Your revelation and understand it properly so that we use it to shape our characters and produce actions that glorify You, being shining lights that help others see the way to You.

April 25 – Leviticus 25

Lev 25:10  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.

Jubilee! In Hebrew, the word for jubilee in verse 9 (NKJV) is (ter-oo-aw’) – a word that sounded like it’s meaning: a joyful shout, echoed in the “joyful noise” of a trumpet that signalled its beginning.  Our English word comes from the Hebrew word for jubilee in the following verses: yobel, a ram’s horn or trumpet. Anyone who had lost his land or freedom due to laziness, bad management, poor judgment, mistakes, or unfortunate circumstances outside his control – whatever the reason, this was his chance to start over, and his descendants’ chance to break out of the family’s poverty. Rest! During the Jubilee and Sabbath years all land owners enjoyed a semi-vacation, and the poor had an opportunity to get something for themselves. However, the blessings of the Sabbath and Jubilee were dependent on one very important thing: trust that the Lord would supply their needs.

Dear God, what a beautiful picture you have given us of your righteousness and grace! In this life, as is right, we reap the physical consequences of our sins. But, hallelujah! You have not only removed our sin and its spiritual consequences, but in trust we look forward to the time when You will mercifully remove even the physical consequences of our sin (including Adam and Eve’s sin), and we will rejoice forever in Your Rest of Jubilee!

April 26 – Leviticus 26

Lev 26:11  I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. 12  I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

All the physical blessings God promised the nation culminated in the most amazing blessing of all: God Himself was going to dwell among them and walk among them! If they sinned, God, in love, would chastise them to turn them back to Him so they could again enjoy that close fellowship. However, if they stubbornly persisted in sin, God would punish them seven times seven times seven times seven times more! God also determined that if the land did not rest because they trusted in Him, it would rest in desolation! (See Lev.26:34-35, 2 Chr.36:21, Jer.25:11.)

Father, You have demonstrated Your amazing love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, You sent Your Son to die for us, opening the way for You to dwell with us eternally. Today, Lord, we pray that You will open a door for the word and that we will make it manifest as we ought to speak so that someone we come in contact with will respond to Your love and not be among those who are banished from Your presence on that day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!

April 27 – Leviticus 27

Vows were a type of free-will offering to God. The three OT examples of vows that we have are of someone giving God something (or someone) in exchange for His help: Jacob in Gen.28:20; Hannah in 1 Sam.1:11; and Jephthah in Judges 11:30. It seems that vows were quite common because when David gave plans for the building of the temple, included in those plans were “treasuries for the dedicated things,” 1 Chr.28:12. Vows were to be made, not instead of, but over and above other gifts that God required. Jesus condemned the Pharisees and scribes for fulfilling their vows instead of caring for their parents in Mark7:9-12. Since there are no instructions in the NT as to how we could vow something to God, I conclude that this is not something God wants from us today – unless it is simply the dedication of ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, Rom.12:1. Also, personally, I am not comfortable asking God so intensely for any specific thing when, for all I know, it may not be to my spiritual benefit to receive it.

Lord, we do not know the future and we do not know how to pray as we ought. We thank You for Your Holy Spirit who intercedes for us and for Your promise that all things work together for the good of those who love You. We therefore dedicate ourselves to You, trusting that You will bring good out of every circumstance in our lives, in Your way, and in Your time.