Perfectly Imperfect Together

In Numbers 5 & 6, purity is addressed. God is pure and holy so the camp needs to remain pure and holy so God is able to remain with His people as they travel. A jealousy offering is discussed if adultery is suspected in a marriage. God knows our hidden secrets and our hearts and holds us accountable for our actions and choices. Jesus cleanses us so we are fully forgiven and free to remain with...

In Numbers 4, assignments and tasks are given to the three Levite clans so everyone knows what they are to do to serve in God's house and what their assignment is. They are counted again so they know how many and who are able to serve now. God is a God of now and wants anyone who is able to serve to get in their places and do so - - right now - today. Everything is wrapped up perfectly to make sur...

In Numbers 3, inventory continues. The Levites are now counted. They are appointed by God as the spiritual leaders of the Israel Nation. There are three clans and they are each given a specific task of taking down and putting up the Tabernacle as they travel. The Levites take the place of the 1st born sons of each family as the spiritual leaders in the nation. There are 273 more  first born s...

In Numbers 1 & 2, God directs the Israelites to take inventory as they prepare to go forward into the wilderness towards the Promised Land. There are millions in the nation now. God's promise to Abraham has proven to be a reality. God never fails, keeps His promises, and is trustworthy. The order and organization of the people is important as they prepare to set out on their journey. The camp...

In Leviticus 27, the importance of our vows and value of our words are shown. Our words and vows are demonstrated by doing, not talking. Our actions reveal our heart and show the sincerity of the vows we make. The action God took when He sent Jesus also shows His heart and character - His sincere love for His children. The entire book of Leviticus was fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. Jesus can, di...

In Leviticus 26, God spills out some pretty clear details on what it means to remain faithful to a covenant. God promises blessings and abundance if they choose to obey Him. If they do not choose to obey God, He also spills out some pretty clear consequences for that choice. God gives people choices. He doesn't force Himself on anyone. The Israelites were given a choice to follow God with all thei...

In Leviticus 24 & 25, we see the Trinity of God. Just like the oil is to never go out in the lamps that provide light in the Tabernacle, the Holy Spirit never leaves us the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. Jesus is the bread - the bread of Life. He sustains us throughout life. God gave us His Son, Jesus gave us His life, and the Holy Spirit brings it into our hearts. The passion for God i...

In Leviticus 22 & 23, the priests are given instruction regarding the importance of God's holiness and not messing with it. God's honor, reputation, and character are holy and will remain holy. The sacrifices brought before God must be perfect and the gifts must be valuable. They were blemished by their imperfection and needed a spotless sacrifice to represent their blemishes and give them pur...

In Leviticus 20, God lays out guidelines for not sacrificing your children to false gods and not caving to lustful, flesh-filled desires. He wants people to not be objectified and to be treated with value, worth, respect and of course - love. All people are made in God's image and deserve to know they are worthy, valued, seen and loved - especially by God. Jesus died on the cross for every one of...

In Leviticus 19, the ten commandments about loving people are revisited on a deeper level. We see what God is like as well as His character. We see what we should be like if we are chasing after God's own heart. God is holy and pure. We see what God commands and who God is which fully comes together in Jesus.  Jesus perfectly kept God's commands and is the only one allowed in God's presence b...

In Leviticus 17 & 18, we are reminded of the importance of the life blood in every being. Life is found in the blood. Jesus' life was poured out when He died on the cross for us so we could live for all eternity instead of facing the death we all deserve. The trust that was once put in the sacrifices of Leviticus are now put in Jesus. Jesus' blood gives life to us who should have had to pay fo...

In Leviticus 15, we are shown how the people were cleansed after grossness came out of their bodies. Our bodies are gross and our spirits can be worse. Regardless, God cares for us and heals us in and through our grossness in every area. This leads to chapter 16. The day of atonement. Once a year a mega sacrifice was given to atone for anything that any of the other sacrifices may not cover. One g...

In Leviticus 14, we learn how the priests performed the cleansing and purification sacrifices for people after they were healed from a skin disease and how they handled purification of homes after a mold cleansing. Once someone is cleansed, they are set apart, healed, and purified and are free to live the rest of their lives for God. God sent us Jesus to cleanse us and wants everything we come in...

In Leviticus 13, Aaron and his sons get to be dermatologists! They have detailed instructions on how to look at skin and determine if it's an infection or a mere rash. If it's a real infection, they are determined to be ceremonially unclean and if it's a mere rash, they quarantine for seven days and then are determined to be ceremonially clean again. This chapter covers everything from leprosy to...

In Leviticus 11 & 12, we enter the chapters on purity and how the people God chose and set apart can remain ceremonial clean so God can continue to dwell among them. They are about to enter the land of Canaan which is a very sinful, idol worshiping nation with pagan rituals. God intends to do everything possible to keep His people safe and set apart as His. They are given lists of animals that...

In Leviticus 9 & 10, Aaron and his sons have been ordained and are ready to get to work. The offerings and sacrifices are received and God accepts them and His glory comes. God is inside the holy tent and they are finally able to approach God again. When Jesus came to earth, He had a way of flipping things upside down and He does here too. Jesus approaches us and calls to us. He invites us in...

In Leviticus 7 & 8, further instructions are given for the guilt and peace offerings. The priests are symbolically being made holy on the inside but what is symbolic for them at this time, becomes real and true for us today because of Jesus. We are made holy and pure from the inside out when we accept Jesus as our Savior. The priests are ordained and set apart to carry the prayers of the peopl...

In Leviticus 5 & 6, the sins that would require a sin or guilt offering are explained. The offerings deal with the affects of the sinner as well as the sinnee. Sin is costly, has consequences, and affects our relationship with God as well as those around us. Confessing our sins helps us be less likely to repeat them. God made a way for forgiveness from their sins - even before Jesus came to of...

In Leviticus 3 & 4, we see the peace offering and sin offering. The peace offering is another free will offering. It would bring forgiveness and restoration to relationships. After the fat was burned, they would eat together so they could enjoy fully forgiven fellowship with each other and God. The fat was the best part of the meat. God gave His best when He gave us Jesus and He also wants the...

In Leviticus 1 & 2, we start the journey into a priest's manual. A sacrificial system was established and it shows us what religious life looked like for the family of God at that point in history. The cost of sin is death. Something has to die for sins that are committed. When they would commit a sin, they would offer a sacrifice - a burnt offering. The whole animal used in the offering was b...

In Exodus 39 & 40, the clothing for the High Priest and his sons are completed and the Tabernacle is assembled exactly how God commanded it to be done. The incense altar is the closest table to the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. The closest we can get to the Lord right now is through our prayers. He wants us to have time with Him in our lives and build that foundational, intimate relationsh...

In Exodus 37 & 38, the Ark of the Covenant is built. At the cover are the place of atonement and the mercy seat. Cherubim are placed with their wings pointing up to heaven. Atonement and mercy come from God and God alone. The table for the Bread of Presence holds 12 loaves of bread for each of the tribes of Israel. Jesus is our Bread of life and He wants fellowship and intimacy with us. The La...

In Exodus 35 & 36, a free will offering is taken and people's hearts are moved so much to give to God and invest in the Tabernacle that they have to actually tell them to stop giving. Before they start building, God again reminds them to rest on the Sabbath. God wants them to not only rest their bodies, but wants time with them to build their relationship with Him. God fills a gifted craftsman...

In Exodus 33 & 34, God decides He is going to send an angel in His place with the Israelites as they travel on to the Promised Land. He is frustrated with their stubbornness and rebellion. Moses continually spends time with God and knows he cannot lead the people without God's presence with him. God reveals His name - Yahweh - and His character to Moses. They have a close, intimate relationshi...

In Exodus 31 & 32, God appoints the people who will be the craftsmen in charge of building the Tabernacle and all the things He commanded to be made. He then reminds them they must rest. They must not dishonor the Sabbath and need to stop working to rest and replenish. The Israelite people were held captive for over 400 years in a pagan culture filled with idol worship. They were not used to a...