“Peculiar, Foreign Stuff”

The LORD called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the LORD, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats."

Leviticus 1:

Many years ago, I helped edit a series of biblical commentaries. One of my tasks was to interact with the authors when they sent in their manuscripts. I was the first checkpoint in the system to make sure that their work was acceptable.

The author of the volume on Leviticus was a seasoned pastor and highly respected church leader. He had had over four years to complete his manuscript, so when it arrived in the mail, I expected to applaud and pass on his work to the next editing level. As it turned out, his effort was decent, but way too short. It was one-half of the minimum length we required. So it was my unfortunate job, as a young pastor, to tell the author that his work was inadequate.

I did so with great trepidation. As it turned out, this man received my critique honorably, admitting that he fell short of his commitment. "As I started to write," he confessed, "I thought to myself: Leviticus is peculiar, foreign stuff. Nobody is ever going to read this commentary. Nobody ever studies Leviticus. This is a complete waste of time." I appreciated his honesty and tried to offer some encouragement. He agreed to bulk up the manuscript, and did so quite admirably over the next few months. His volume on Leviticus was an excellent contribution to the commentary series.

As I begin a series of reflections on Leviticus, I find myself feeling a bit like the author of the commentary on Leviticus. It is, in many ways, "peculiar, foreign stuff." The book is filled with specific instructions about sacrifices that were to be offered by the Jewish people centuries ago. It includes distinctions between clean and unclean that are difficult to fathom, as well as extensive descriptions of skin diseases and human discharges. Not exactly the kind of thing you rush to for your morning devotions!

Why, you might be wondering, will I be focusing on Leviticus for the next month of reflections? If you're new to the Daily Reflections, I should explain that my goal is to move, passage by passage, through the entire Bible. But in order to vary the menu a bit, I'm not going book by book from Genesis to Revelation. Rather, I alternate between Old Testament and New Testament, and between different genres of literature. So far I've covered Genesis, Matthew, Isaiah, Romans, Exodus, Mark, Jeremiah, and 1 Corinthians. Now it's time to return to the Old Testament, to the next book of the Pentateuch (the Five Books of Moses). It's time for Leviticus.

Before we begin, I should emphasize that I am not writing a commentary, but a devotional series that focuses on a verse or two each day. If you read the whole chapter from which the verses come, you will undoubtedly have questions about what you're reading. I'd recommend that you have a good study Bible or Bible commentary close at hand. Moreover, my reflections are written from an explicitly Christian perspective. For Leviticus, this means I will often share with you some thoughts on how Leviticus helps us understand who Jesus is and what he accomplished.

As we read prayerfully through Leviticus, we'll be reminded time and again that God communicates within a particular historical, cultural setting. The laws and distinctions of Leviticus made sense to the Israelites who lived thousands of years ago in a social world very different from ours. This explains why we regard Leviticus as "peculiar, foreign stuff." Yet, because the Bible is not just an ancient document but also God's living Word, faithful wrestling with the "stuff" of Leviticus can help us to hear afresh God's word for us today. It can open up new ways of seeing Jesus Christ and what it means to live as his disciples.

So, I invite you to join me as we reflect our way through Leviticus. Please pray for me, that my reflections will be truthful, faithful, and helpful. Pray for yourself, that God will reveal new aspects of his character, drawing you into a deeper relationship with him as you seek to live out your high calling in the world.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When you read passages of the Bible that seem like "peculiar, foreign stuff," what do you do? How do you react? Why do you think God revealed himself within specific cultures? How is this helpful? How is this challenging?

PRAYER: Thank you, Gracious God, for the gift of Scripture. Thank you for all the ways you speak to me through your written Word.

As you know, Lord, there are parts of the Bible that I find uncomfortably foreign, even difficult to understand. Leviticus is one of those parts. Yet I believe that this book is part of the canon of Scripture for a reason. You inspired it. You have taught your people through it for millennia. You will speak through Leviticus to me as well, if I faithfully seek your truth. Help me, Lord, to understand this text in the context of its time. Give me ears to hear what you want to say to me today.

As I am inspired to pray by Leviticus, may my prayers be an offering that is pleasing to you, a sacrifice that honors you. I pray in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.