Day 35 (Saturday) - Leviticus 13:40-14:57

Some of these rituals seem like the kind of things that you would see from tribe deep in the jungle, far from modern society. I think it would be interesting to see what science has to say about the prescriptions mentioned in Leviticus.

Many of the ceremonial laws were about preservation and protection of the people from a health perspective. Here is a copy from a medical blog about these chapters.

My Torah (Old Testament) portion was in Chapter 13 of Leviticus, where God gives instructions to the priests – the closest thing then to doctors – on how to diagnose various skin conditions. Various types of skin blemishes and conditions are described and differentiated, to allow differential diagnoses, with different treatments prescribed for each.

In three key ways, this method is superior to that often used by today's doctors. First, the guidelines in Leviticus are clearly authoritative. The source has credibility among the priestly medical practitioners of that time and place, e.g., with reference to the proper sterilization of cloths. God clearly specified that under certain circumstances the double washing of certain cloths can make them clean enough for re-use (verse 58). Hospitals might find their policies on sterilization and the prevention of infections are somewhat less clear, and are less authoritative, than this, as the embarrassing news about the recent spate of hospital acquired infections makes clear.

Second, the guidelines in Leviticus were widely known. They had been published in numerous languages, and the Bible is the most widely owned book, so everyone could refer to them if needed. By contrast, often today's doctors aren’t aware of consensus guidelines, and don't heed them.

Third, the guidelines in Leviticus have been translated into a language that consumers can readily understand. Note that they originally appeared in a language – Aramaic - readable only by a few. This may be the biggest advantage that Leviticus holds over modern clinical guidelines, which are generally known only to doctors. Only now, with the Internet, is diagnostic information readily widely available to laymen.

The clinical guidelines in Leviticus are authoritative, widely known and available, and clearly understandable by laymen – excellent goals for more modern clinical guidelines in our more skeptical era.

Day 34 (Friday) - Leviticus 11:9-13:39

Chapter 11 gives me the feeling that there are a lot of dead animals falling everywhere. On ovens, grain, pots, I guess they must have had some kind of rodent infestation. The other question that comes to mind is I wonder how they chose who would touch the dead animal. Like the one that fell in the stream, apparently the stream was okay, but who ever touched it was unclean until evening. I tell you what, if I were a kid with chores, I’d volunteer to touch it to get out of my work. Some kid had to figure that out.

I think Sanford and Avera should go with the 33 days in the birthing rooms. Have you eaten at that Bistro?

The worst job of the priests had to be the boil and skin infection examinations. This is disgusting. Looking for white hairs…what is this. Are any of you skilled in this area, does hair turn white around an infection or disease? Or how about yellow hair on the head or chin. Seriously, I don’t get paid enough for this…I mean I love you all but go to the dermatologist. If you come to me, I’ll just quarantine you!

Day 33 (Thursday) - Leviticus 8:1-11:8

OK, I never remember reading Lev 8:23-24. I’m glad this didn’t happen to me at my ordination! I have some questions that maybe some of you can answer. Why put the blood on the ear, thumb and big toe? I’ll do some research as well. I also have a practical question. This may seem silly, but I can’t help actually thinking of these types of questions. Here it goes, the Tabernacle is a holy spot; we have now heard every detail of its construction and furniture. Honestly, when God told Aaron and his sons to stay at the entrance of the Tabernacle for seven days and seven nights or else they would die, what did they do about a restroom? I’m serious! Chapter 10 makes it clear, with Nadab and Abihu, that when God said he wanted something done this way or that way, he meant it. It may seem like a silly question, but I would have been raising my bloody thumb to ask the question!

Day 32 (Wednesday) - Leviticus 5-7

I tell you what, after reading these chapters, I’m hungry for some BBQ! As the High Priest of Hillcrest I’m looking forward to all of you bringing your offerings because I’d like to have a little breast and right thigh for supper. I especially like the peace offering; because I get actual loaves of bread made with actual yeast…yumm, yeast! Seriously, have you been wondering what the point is for all the regulations and detailed instructions for these sacrifices? Don’t eat fat, half the grain in the AM and half in the PM, this animal for this and that animal for that, it all seems so strange.

Tell me what you think, but I suspect that the regulations have more to do with us than God. I think God might want his people to have to pay attention to these offerings and for them to dictate the way people do life. I don’t think that was supposed to change after Christ’s death (the final sacrifice). I think following Christ should be just as all encompassing. It should dictate the way we do life and the way we spend our time. It’s just my thought, what do you think?

Day 31 (Tuesday) - Exodus 40:17-38; Leviticus 1-4

The purpose of all of these offerings was God providing a way for the people to demonstrate total dependence on him, and by offering various sacrifices, depicting a yielding life. Each offering was for a different reason.

The Burnt Offering was done when the person realized that they had sinned. When they realized it they went and performed the Burnt Offering…it was a choice that the sinner made. A bird was used for those that could not afford a larger animal.

The Grain Offering acknowledged God’s sovereignty over all things. It was a way to give back to God, a portion of a person’s labors.

The Peace Offering or sometimes called the Thank Offering, was not to appease God, but was done simply to seek God.

Sin Offerings were done on a regular basis to cover sins that we unintentionally done.

Obviously on this side of the resurrection, we now understand that Jesus is the sin offering. Think of what it would have been like to have all those ministries of the Tabernacle. Jesus covers it all.

Day 30 (Monday) - Exodus 38:1-40:16

Sorry about the typo yesterday. I fixed the post. It said to read to 37:2 and should have said 37:29. If you got caught up in the typo, you'll need to complete chapter 37with the reading today.


As I said in an earlier post, the tabernacle is a physical illustration of heaven and a visual illustration of the coming Messiah as well as a visual illustration of the Christian life (how to be holy before God). If you want to understand Spiritual formation, it is lived out in the design and ministry of the Tabernacle.

1 Corinthians 6:19 states that we are the Tabernacle…God’s dwelling place
1 Peter 2:5, 9 state that we are part of the priesthood, the one belonging to Aaron in the text today.
Hebrews 10:19-25 is used to show a pattern of worship in the Tabernacle, prescribed by God.

There is something supernatural about this Tabernacle. It is an illustration of things we can hardly get our hands around. Following the plans and living in its pattern of ministry is a holy process. As you take time to study the Tabernacle you will discover more about the past, present and future of the God that made a way for you.

Day 29 (Sunday) - Exodus 35:30-37:29

Of all the things said in the Old Testament, the one I’ve never heard is the one in Exodus 36:6, “Stop giving to the church project, we have more than enough!” (my paraphrase) Now there are two sides to this coin (no pun intended). The first side has to do with our giving. Since this is a blog and those of you reading it are going to be less offended, the truth is that giving is pitiful in the church today. The Church is doing only a small portion of what God desires it to do because the majoritie (not all) of people give out of excess and are more interested in financing their own comfort and lusts. If people gave the way God wants them to, the church could do so much more for the cause of Christ and the Gospel.

But there is another side of the coin. Most churches (not all) waste the gifts and are poor stewards of what they do get. Churches are just as guilty of financing their own comfort (buildings, coffee shops, etc) and lusts. If churches spent money the way God wants them to, the church could do so much more for the cause of Christ and the Gospel. So what kind of giver are you? What kind of Church do you belong to?