Several weeks ago, when I deposited a check at the bank, I asked for $100 in cash.
“How would you like it?” the teller asked.
“Twenties is fine,” I said.
“Oh, I thought you might have to give half of it to your wife. Her name is on the check, too.”
I said “It’s hers, too. We eat at the same table. We sleep in the same bed. We pastor the same church. We do everything together.”
“Oh, isn’t love wonderful!” And she was right.
My life changed when I fell in love with Sue over 40 years ago. When we married, Sue rescued me from my propensity toward self-centeredness. I no longer had to be alone. I no longer had to do things alone. Since then, every activity, every meal, every decision I have made, I have made with the knowledge that it would impact her as well as me. Oh, life hasn’t always been a bed of roses. We have experienced rough spots. Sometimes we have felt distant. Sometimes we have felt angry. And sometimes I made decisions which did not take her into account, some of which I later regretted. But with a large measure of love and forgiveness our life has been full of joy and grace and wonderful experiences as we take each other into account.
For Moses and Aaron and the people of Israel, life changed when God showed his love for them and brought them out of Egypt, freeing them from slavery. They were now in relationship with a God who not only cared about them, but who had the power to do something about their plight. This God
• had created the world,
• had made a promise to their ancestors Abraham & Sarah that he would bring them into a new land,
• had miraculously led them out of Egypt,
• had established a covenant with them at Mt. Sinai that they would be his people and He would be their God.
That is the story of Genesis and Exodus in short. By the end of Exodus, these people not only remembered God’s miraculous work among them in the past, they constructed a tent in the center of their camp that symbolized God’s presence with them now. And every day, there in the center of the camp, that tent served as a reminder that they were not alone. Every time they looked in the direction of that tent, they were reminded that God was there with them. And on special occasions, they could see a cloud and a fire to help them realize God’s presence.
Only a few times in my life have I experienced a special awareness of God’s presence. I remember once when I knew that God was riding in the back seat of my car. I was a student on my way back to college from Iowa to Kansas. That night as I drove alone, I had the distinct feeling that God was back there. I was almost afraid to around and look. Now, many years later, I still recall that experience.
How would your life change if, like the Israelites, you were reminded every time you lifted your eyes that God is nearby? Would it change the way you think about God? Would it change the way you think about yourself? Would it change the way you act?
You probably didn’t see a cloud or fire above this building when you came this morning, but have you thought about the fact that God is here even though you can’t see him? The Bible says in Leviticus when people worshiped, they brought their offerings “to the Lord.” Their ceremonies took place “before the Lord.” They knew they were worshipping in the presence of God. For them it meant a specific place. Now we don’t have to gather at a specific place to experience God’s presence. That changed when Jesus came. The Bible says in John 1:14 that when Jesus came “he tabernacled among us and we have beheld his glory.” So wherever God’s people gather, God is there. And Paul says in I Corinthians 6 that every Christian is a walking temple where God is present. So we need to ask what kind of a portable tabernacle for God are we? Is it one where he is pleased to dwell?
We have been examining Leviticus, the 3rd book of the Bible. Leviticus used to be the first book Jewish children studied. If they were going to understand how to live a holy life in an unholy world, they needed to understand what a holy God expected. And just because Leviticus is way back in the OT doesn’t mean it is not important for us today. As with all of OT scripture, it points back to what God has done and it points forward to what God was going to do through Christ. Specifically, this book drives home the point that God expects his people to be like him, to live holy lives. As we read in chapter 11, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
The first 7 chapters deal specifically with worship. Worship required offering one’s very best to God. Leviticus outlines 5 different types of offering. For each offering the worshippers were expected to bring the very best, whether it was fruit, grain, or animals. It was not acceptable to bring leftovers, lame animals, or runts. Worshippers were to give off the top, not what was left at the bottom. Their tithe was to come from the first 10%, not from the bottom of the bag at the end of the month. Worshippers were to give willingly and to gather willingly. I once heard a man say, “I wait all week for Sunday so I can go to church and let out my praise to God.” So he anticipates and prepares for worship. Is that the kind of worship you offer to God? Can you say with the psalmist, “I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord?” Can you say Amen to the words of Paul, “the Lord loves a cheerful giver?” Worship requires our very best.
In chapters 8-10 we learned that it is not enough just to go through the motions of worship. You don’t get credit for just showing up. Nor do you judge a book by its cover. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. God is concerned about the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. We saw that when Aaron the priest did what the Lord commanded in preparation for worship, God’s glory appeared to all the people, but when Aaron’s sons did not take God’s commands seriously, God brought judgment on them. They took shortcuts. They wanted recognition for themselves. If you are a follower of Christ, you are not living to please yourself; you live to please God. The Bible says in I Corinthians 10:31, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Is that your goal? Remember, God knows every thought and intention of our hearts.
The third part of Leviticus goes a step further with this thing of holiness. It describes what steps to take to become clean before God. Years ago in the community where I grew up, women used to plan a surprise breakfast and then go in their cars to pick up people just as they were. Some were already working in their gardens. Others still had curlers in their hair. They were expected to pick up and go. Can you imagine what it would be like to be called to a special meal with linen table cloth and fancy china without time to clean up and prepare? And if you think you’d be uncomfortable there, what about coming before a holy God unclean and unprepared? Chapters 11-16 outline the steps toward physical and spiritual cleanness. It required a ritual of cleansing. King David realized his need to be cleansed. He said in Ps. 51, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” Have you prayed that prayer? And the New Testament teaches that Jesus shed his blood to wash away our sin. Have you come clean before God?
Today, we come to the last 10 chapters.
Earlier, we read several verses from Chapter 26. As this book comes to a close, it emphasizes the crucial importance of doing what God asks: practical holiness, we might call it. We find detailed expectations for moral behavior. God doesn’t want us just to be like him; he wants us to act like him. Obeying God is a serious matter because life in the promised land is at stake.
As we look at the first two verses of chapter 26, some of those words should look familiar to you. Do you remember where you have heard them before? They take us back to the time when God gave the 10 laws to Moses. In Exodus 20:2 we read, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Here we see the same words. In v. 1 we read, “I am the Lord your God.” In verse 2, we read, “I am the Lord.”
And if you go to verse 13 you see, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” That phrase or a part of it occurs 48 times in these last 10 chapters. These words are important because they remind us who God is and what he has done. God’s actions on our behalf provide the basis for our obedience.
Keep in mind that the laws God gives in Exodus, Leviticus and in other places are not given as a way to become God’s people. They help us understand how we will live because we are God’s people. Sometimes people get it backwards. The 10 commandments are not 10 steps to get to heaven. They describe the way we will live because God has set us free from sin, just as he set the Israelites free from slavery. These laws are not just so much dried ink in some dusty, old book; they describe what it is like to live in a relationship with God.
Some of you might say, “These laws in Leviticus are outdated. They don’t make any sense for us today.” Obviously, the world has changed. Jesus has come and his coming has changed lots of things, but that doesn’t mean the laws in the Old Testament are irrelevant. Some of them help us understand why Jesus came. Others still apply to our lives. Last Wednesday in our Bible study, we talked about some of those laws in Chapter 19. Look at vv. 9,10. You might say, “I don’t have a field, so that doesn’t apply to me,” but you would be wrong. What was the purpose of leaving some grain in the field? It was to provide for the poor. That same principle applies today. Whether you have a field or not, God expects you to look out for those who do not have adequate food. If you fail to do so, you are not fulfilling the 8th commandment that says “Thou shalt not steal.” Practical holiness means we dare not stand idly by when people are in need, whether it’s our next door neighbor or starving kids in Iraq. One of the ways we provide for such needs at this church is through the love fund. Some people give regularly to that fund. And at the end of the year, the congregation approves the transfer of 10% of what is left in the general fund to meet material needs. Another way we provide is through the blanket project. God’s laws still apply today and he expects that we will live by them.
In chapter 26, note God’s promise starting in v. 3. It begins with a strong statement about the importance of obedience. “Follow my statutes, keep my commandments, observe them faithfully.” God says it in 3 different ways. There should be no doubt that God means business. What reward does God offer? Rain, produce, grain, daily food, peace, safety, families. God will bless every aspect of daily life. Nothing is left out. And what’s more: V. 9 covenant. V.11 dwell in your midst. V.12 walk with you. You will have a relationship with God and He with you. If you obey God, the land will be fruitful, you will experience peace, and you will enjoy the presence of God. Those are the rewards of obedience.
Does that mean if I obey God I will never lack anything? No. Does it mean I will never have trouble? No. But living for God leads to harmony with God. And if God can make the elements of the universe work together, He is able to make all things work together for good in my life and yours. That is God’s promise.
God also sounds a warning about disobedience and it is a lot longer than the description of obedience. If God’s people do not take God seriously, God’s wrath will rain down upon them like heavy hail on a tin roof until they either repent or they lose their existence as the people of God. Disobedience is described in 5 or 6 different ways. V.14,15. Note how long the list of penalties is for disobedience. Look at the list of terrible things as the list increases in severity: disease, harvest, plague, famine, being scattered among the nations. Disobedience exacts a high price.
In the Bible we need to recognize that God calls everyone to account. He calls individuals to account. He calls the people of God to account. He calls nations to account. And he will discipline each of them in his own time and in his own way. The Bible tells us that God has judged even the most powerful and arrogant nations, subjecting them to humiliating defeat, and he can do that today. God has judged people who were full of self-righteousness and religiosity. And he can do that today.
We need to consider if the calamities in our own nation are a result of God’s judgment. Our nation and its leaders need to ask where we have been disobedient to God’s moral laws. We need to ask why many churches are weak and ineffective. Where have we failed to take God seriously? Why are so many families in fragments? Why are so many people’s lives in disarray? What kind of discipline will God need to exercise to bring us back to him?
Leviticus 26 gives two choices. Either we continue in our disobedience and risk destruction or we repent. The wonderful thing is that change is possible. Look at 26:41. “If their heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant.” There is still time for Saddam Hussein to repent. There is still time for our nation’s leaders to repent. There is still time for you and me to ask God to “purify my heart” and to say “I choose to be holy.” Then the rewards of obedience can be ours.
Is the book of Leviticus irrelevant? No. A holy God wants us to know holiness is what he longs for in us. Holiness is what he requires of us.
How about your life—Is God showing you areas of your life that need to be purified by his refiner’s fire?
Brian Doerksen prayed in his beautiful song---“ Purify my heart. My heart’s one desire is to be holy, set apart for you Lord, Set apart for you my Master ready to do your will. Purify my heart, cleanse me from within and make me holy. Cleanse me from my sin deep within!
Are you ready to pray that prayer??
