I have been challenged lately in my study of the early Old Testament books of the Bible lately. In my last post, I wrote about atonement in Leviticus and how much blood it cost in order to be made holy.
While the details of sacrifices take up the bulk of Leviticus, there are also pages upon pages that go into great detail of what to do and what not to do in order to stay within the Israelite camp. People who were unclean for a variety of reasons – sickness, sin, touching dead things, et cetera – were temporarily relocated to outside of the camp in order to keep it clean and sanctified. Depending on what they had or had done, they could return to the camp after a predetermined time had passed.
Why were there so many rules and regulations given to the Israelites, many of which were a pain in the butt to follow? As Numbers, the book after Leviticus and the book that I am currently studying, makes clear, God was coming to literally dwell with the Israelites. If God was to live with the Israelites, they had to follow strict rules in order to keep the camp holy so that God could remain holy.
Not only did the Israelites have rules, behaviors, traditions, regulations and laws that had God in mind, the camp was also organized with God in the center. Numbers opens with a beautiful picture of the twelve tribes of Israel organizing themselves in a square of three tribes on each side and the ark and the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, in the center. No metaphor here is needed. God was literally in the center of the Israelite life. Everything was organized around Him.
The challenge here is when we see this picture in Numbers is to ask ourselves if God is central in our life. It’s a tough question that I have been struggling with over the past few days, and I’m sure I am not the only one with this struggle. Am I releasing enough of my pride and ego and focusing on God? Am I repenting of my sins and coveting atonement through the eternal blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Am I holy and clean enough to bear the name and citizenship of God? Is God the first and the last thing I see every day? Is God the true center of my life?
Is He the true center of yours?
– Matt
atonementcentercleanGodholyLeviticuslifeNumbersunclean
God is Central
November 29, 2012
Calvary
Comments Off on God is Central
Matt
I have been challenged lately in my study of the early Old Testament books of the Bible lately. In my last post, I wrote about atonement in Leviticus and how much blood it cost in order to be made holy.
While the details of sacrifices take up the bulk of Leviticus, there are also pages upon pages that go into great detail of what to do and what not to do in order to stay within the Israelite camp. People who were unclean for a variety of reasons – sickness, sin, touching dead things, et cetera – were temporarily relocated to outside of the camp in order to keep it clean and sanctified. Depending on what they had or had done, they could return to the camp after a predetermined time had passed.
Why were there so many rules and regulations given to the Israelites, many of which were a pain in the butt to follow? As Numbers, the book after Leviticus and the book that I am currently studying, makes clear, God was coming to literally dwell with the Israelites. If God was to live with the Israelites, they had to follow strict rules in order to keep the camp holy so that God could remain holy.
Not only did the Israelites have rules, behaviors, traditions, regulations and laws that had God in mind, the camp was also organized with God in the center. Numbers opens with a beautiful picture of the twelve tribes of Israel organizing themselves in a square of three tribes on each side and the ark and the tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, in the center. No metaphor here is needed. God was literally in the center of the Israelite life. Everything was organized around Him.
The challenge here is when we see this picture in Numbers is to ask ourselves if God is central in our life. It’s a tough question that I have been struggling with over the past few days, and I’m sure I am not the only one with this struggle. Am I releasing enough of my pride and ego and focusing on God? Am I repenting of my sins and coveting atonement through the eternal blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Am I holy and clean enough to bear the name and citizenship of God? Is God the first and the last thing I see every day? Is God the true center of my life?
Is He the true center of yours?
– Matt
Share this:
atonementcentercleanGodholyLeviticuslifeNumbersunclean