Readings for today: Leviticus 5-7, Psalm 31
“Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16 CSB) God created us to be holy as He is holy. He created us to be perfect and pure just as He is perfect and pure. He created us as eternal beings, vessels made in His image, literally built to carry the weight of His glory. But we fell from grace. We sinned and went our own way. We decided we wanted to be our own gods. As a result, sin and corruption and impurity and unholiness polluted our souls. We are conceived in iniquity. Born with a sinful, broken condition. Our loves are disordered. Our desires disoriented. Our focus is inward rather than outward and upward. And this creates separation between us and God. So how do we bridge the gap? That’s the question this section of Leviticus is attempting to answer.
The first thing to remember is Leviticus comes from God. In this book, He is providing a way for the breach to be repaired. Through His laws, He is offering to restore that which was broken. It is at God’s initiation. God takes the first step towards us. He builds the bridge from heaven to earth in order to give us a chance to walk across it and return to Him. He does this eyes wide open. He knows the depth of our sin. Still He shows us grace. Still He provides a way. Still He longs to be in relationship with us. And yet, He also refuses to take away our voice. He refuses to deny us agency. He offers us a choice because love must be freely offered and freely given. It can never be coerced or forced.
The second thing to keep in mind is the vast chasm between a holy God and an unholy people. We can’t begin to fathom the distance between us. We can’t begin to understand the sheer breadth and depth of the void we created when we walked away from God. The reality is we don’t take God’s holiness nor our unholiness with enough seriousness. If we did, we would find the stories of the sacrifices told in these chapters far more palatable. We would understand our need for atonement. We would fall on our knees in worship and deep gratitude for all God has done.
The third thing to remember is God’s mercy and grace. He meets us where we are in life. The poor are not required to give a disproportionate sacrifice. Means are offered to make their offering proportional to where they find themselves. Two turtle doves. Two handfuls of flour. God makes allowances for each and every one of us. It’s yet another powerful reminder of His amazing grace.
I know the Old Testament sacrificial system seems weird and arbitrary and archaic. We are too far removed from the ancient world and therefore have a difficult time wrapping our minds around all the death and blood. But when we fast forward to Calvary, we see where it all comes to fulfillment. God offering up Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin. God building the bridge all the way from heaven to earth. God making us holy by washing us clean once and for all through His shed blood.
Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 8-10, Psalm 32