Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+019

 

Leviticus 19（ESV）

11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

 

REFLECTION

1. Today’s passage is about Holy Conduct
2. The love of neighbor consists of a commitment to the welfare and best interest of another person, citizen or sojourner. This passage is calling to love one’s neighbor, companion, or friend. This is also the second of the two Great Commandments Jesus said: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Many readers of the Gospels are not aware that this text comes from Leviticus (Lev. 19:18).  The concern for holiness relates to much of life and so contains a strong ethical dimension.  The chapters of the Holiness Code are more explicit in combining the ritual and ethical dimensions of life.  In Leviticus, how one worships and lives are tied to one’s relationship with God.
3. The truest expression of holiness is showing love for others in simple, practical ways. Caring for the poor, being fair to the well-to-do and needy alike.  Doing nothing that might harm another, loving others as ourselves.  It is this kind of life God calls us to live daily.  And this, the simple and practical living out of love, is holiness.

 

PRAYER

Have I found an integration of holiness and love my neighbor in my life?  Or am I still struggling trying to hit a balance between the two?  Which do I need to cultivate more at present?

 

HYMN:

For the One – youtu.be/e_bj6mjUj7k

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+018

 

Leviticus 18（ESV）

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.…….

 

21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.…….

 

24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, 25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.

 

REFLECTION

1. Today’s passage is about the sanctity of marriage
2. Verses 1-5 point out that the faith community is to be characterized by allegiance to neither the Egyptian nor Canaanite lifestyle, but by practices formed in its relationship with God. The concluding verses 24-30 reiterate the view of the chapter based on divine revelation: maintain holiness.  This chapter challenges contemporary believers to demonstrate distinctiveness of faith today.  The concern pervades all of life – family life and sexual conduct are certainly included.
3. “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech” (v21) – Near the ruins of ancient Carthage (Tophet, cf. 2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 7:31, 32, etc.) a person can go today to a garden where the remains of thousands of children are buried. Most are infants, but their ages range to four years old.  Each was burned alive as a votive offering to the goddess Tanat.  There was something the parents wanted, and to obtain that favor from the goddess they offered her their child. There are many people, Christians included, who has had abortions without much hesitation.  They can’t see anything wrong with what they did.  The reason was, simply, that it wasn’t convenient.  There was something else they wanted, and so they sacrificed her unborn children. I suppose there are cases where, if the mother’s life is endangered, abortions are justified.  But to have an abortion just because giving birth is inconvenient is an act too similar to that of those parents of long ago, who traded the lives of their children to a pagan god or goddess in hopes of improved health, a better job, or wealth.  In God’s eyes, there is nothing that equals the value of a human life. (Larry Richards, The 365 Day Devotional Commentary, p82)

 

PRAYER

Lord, how can I live out my faith authentically?  Can others see my difference?  What’s my view of human life, even the life of an unborn baby?  Do I share Your viewpoint?  Help me, Lord!

 

HYMN:

The Potter’s Hand – youtu.be/AnacyH7wvk8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+017

 

Leviticus 17（ESV）

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 3 If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 5 This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. 6 And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.

8 “And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice 9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from his people.

 

REFLECTION

1. God has instructed the Israelites that all sacrifices were to be offered at the tabernacle. This rule set Israel apart from other nations, whose people offered sacrifices to pagan gods at many different shrines. God’s command enables the Israelites to resist temptation and not follow pagan customs. Later on, the Israelites failed because “everyone did as he saw fit.”(Judges 17:6)
2. Following God’s instruction also reminds us of Jesus’ saying, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  If we are to come to God, we must approach Him in the one way He has ordained.

 

PRAYER

Have I embraced Jesus was the only way to God?  Or, do I prefer, sometimes, to go my own way?  Tell God about my true situation.  Talk with Him about the difficulties and ask for His help in guiding me back to His way.

 

HYMN:

Reach For You – youtu.be/f7pV71J9al0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+016

 

Leviticus 16（ESV）

6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.……

 

15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. 16 Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. ……

 

20 “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.

 

REFLECTION

1. The Day of Atonement is the most important religious date for the Israelites. The high priest had to sacrifice a bull for his own sin on the Day of Atonement.  Only then could he sacrifice for the sins of his people.  Each of us needs to approach God humbly, for we have all sinned.
2. Two goats will be selected for the Day of Atonement. One was sacrificed, and its blood was sprinkled on the altar.  The other was set apart “to azazel” meaning “complete removal”.  The acting out of sin’s removal by the high priest (v22) was intended to convey to Israel a sense of assurance that their sins truly were gone.  Israel was forgiven and accepted by the Lord.
3. Hold a stuffed animal, a figurine, or even a pet, and put my hands on its head. Confess to God my acts of rebellion, my bad attitudes, and my harsh thoughts about others.  Experience the feeling of transferring my sin to this animal.  See myself sending it off as it takes my sin far away from me.

 

PRAYER

What do I wish to say to God about having sent my sins off without me?

Quiet my mind and wait on God to show my situations in which I need to remember what I just did.  Practice resting assured of God’s love in those situations as I am resting assured now.

 

HYMN:

At The Cross (Love Ran Red) – youtu.be/Zev5tHjCB_s

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+015

 

Leviticus 15（ESV）

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. 4 Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. 5 And anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 6 And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

 

REFLECTION

1. The term “discharge” is translated as “sexually-transmitted diseases” in modern translation. In other versions, it also refers to a disease of blood discharge. Any sort of bodily discharge made an Israelite ritually unclean and might be contagious. Any thing or person that an unclean person touched also became unclean.  Unclean person had to stay home and couldn’t go to the tabernacle to worship.  These regulations had public health values.  Other than this, is there any other implication for such regulations?
2. Pagan religions typically coupled worship of deities with sexual intercourse, and often involved male and female cult prostitution. Therefore these strict rules prevented these perverted practices to corrupt the Israelite’s worship and preserved their moral purity.
3. We need to keep clean in order to come to God. In Jesus’ teaching, what did He say will make a man “unclean” (Matt 15:16-20)?  How does this help me to set the boundary?

 

PRAYER

God, I know those that make me unclean are things in my heart.  Please cleanse my thoughts and my words with Your word.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps 139:23-24)

 

HYMN:

Refiner’s Fire – youtu.be/9Y8zP34AhuU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+014

 

Leviticus 14（ESV）

10 “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. 11 And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the Lord, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 12 And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 13 And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand 16 and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. 17 And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord. 19 The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. 20 And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

 

REFLECTION

1. Cleansing regulations contributed to Israel’s public health. Before a person who had recovered from an infectious skin disease could return to the community, he was to shave off his hair and thoroughly wash his clothes and his body.  In addition the person was to bring sin, burnt, and guilt offerings.
2. The officiating priest was to smear the sacrificial blood on the right ear, thumb, and big toe of the worshiper, just as was done in ordaining priests. The layman as well as the minister is to hear and respond to God’s voice, to commit himself to active service, and to walk in God’s ways.

 

PRAYER

Lord, I was outside of Your grace and couldn’t come to You, but am redeemed by Jesus to become a member of Your family.  You have cleansed me, give me grace so that I may live a holy life.

 

HYMN:

Great Are You Lord – youtu.be/vQLMnPYoR9k

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+013

 

Leviticus 13（ESV）

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. 6 And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. 8 And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease…

 

45 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

 

REFLECTION

1. This chapter deals with diagnosing a variety of skin diseases. It also extends to mold and mildew.  Priests served also as public-health officers.  Faith pervades every dimension of life.
2. How important is good health to me? In what ways does maintaining good health promote my spiritual vitality?
3. How do I react to sickness in others and/or in myself? Do I see ill health as a sign of something wrong “spiritually”?  What can I do to make sure that I make the proper response to illness?
4. What role should Christians take in the care of the sick, especially the “unclean” members of our society, such as AIDS victims?

 

PRAYER

Consider again my reaction to health and sickness.  Talk with God, listen to see if there is any “illness” in my body, thoughts, spirit He wants to point out to me?  Pray for my physical and spiritual health.

 

HYMN:

Healer – youtu.be/j2W88vWt30A

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+012

 

Leviticus 12（ESV）

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. 5 But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.

6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, 7 and he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her. Then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. 8 And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.”

 

REFLECTION

1. Today’s passage is about regulations concerning childbirth women.
2. The uncleanness was not caused by childbirth, but by the discharge of blood and fluids. Women stayed home until the days of uncleanness had passed.  Many think that this regulation was actually for the protection of women to give them time for recuperation.  The event of childbirth is risky, and life is really beyond human control.  Did it really take twice as long to become clean after giving birth to a girl?  Here, it very likely reflected a social preference for males in ancient society.  But after the days of purification, there was celebration for the woman’s re-entering into the community.  The offerings for ritual purification spoke of the sacredness of life and concern for it.
3. Blood reflects an ancient understanding of the mystery of life. Blood was also tied to forgiveness and thus held sacred qualities.  When we understand that life is sacred, mysterious, and fragile, we accept the value of our own lives, our spiritual life will be enriched as well.

 

PRAYER

God, thank You for protecting me with Your holy word as You protected the ancient Israelites with Your holy laws.  “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” (Ps 119:18)

 

HYMN:

Here I Bow – youtu.be/hvHi7N8kc8s

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+011

 

Leviticus 11（ESV）

41 “Every swarming thing that swarms on the ground is detestable; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, any swarming thing that swarms on the ground, you shall not eat, for they are detestable. 43 You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them. 44 For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

46 This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, 47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.

 

REFLECTION

1. God required men to be holy inside as well as outside. For outside cleanness may cultivate inner holiness.
2. Chapters 11-15 record the ordinances concerning cleanliness and uncleanness, the reasons and purposes for promulgating these ordinances, and these verses 11:44-47 make it clear that God cares about every aspect of human life, both physical and spiritual, and therefore every move in the life of believers, no matter how big or small, should be submitted to God’s will, separate from the unclean, and practice His teachings in our daily behavior. Keeping clean is a necessary condition for seeing God.
3. Our true “distinction” (v47) is not defined by “what we can do and what we can’t do”. What really sets us apart as a community of God’s people is the warmth, concern, and commitment that we show when we come together to learn to love the Lord and one another. The death of Jesus Christ has removed the ancient laws and regulations governing the people of Israel. However, God’s people still need to be “distinct” from others. What God really wants is a difference marked by “love, concern, and commitment.”
4. What kind of a “distinct” believer am I? What is my church’s “distinction” mark?

 

PRAYER

Oh, Lord, I long for such faith community. Help me and everyone at my church so that we will be “marked by the love, the caring, and the commitment” and be different from those around us.  Make our church such a “distinct” community that Your name will be manifested and many will be drawn to You.

 

HYMN:

Build My Life – youtu.be/QZW4_8_zCBE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Leviticus+010

 

Leviticus 10（ESV）

1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace.

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” 5 So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, “Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the Lord has kindled. 7 And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

8 And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, 11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.”

 

REFLECTION

1. This passage describes the consequences of blaspheming sacred office.
2. In both verses 9:24 and 10:2, “fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed…”. 9:24 continues: “…the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.”  10:2 continued this way:” …them (Aaron’s two sons), and they died before the LORD.”    What a stark contrast.
3. Here and there in OT – including v6 in this chapter – there are references to God being angry with His people. It is important to note that in Scripture God’s anger is always evidence of His concern, His involvement, His commitment to His people.  God isn’t indifferent to us.  He isn’t unconcerned about us.  He isn’t judicially objective about us.  He created us, saved us, and has plans for us.  A painfully achieved, deeply experienced redemption has been enacted so that we can experience the love of God.  And that love is a jealous love that tolerates neither rivals nor rebellion nor negligence.
4. How do I respond to this “jealous and loving” God?

 

PRAYER

Re-acquaint myself with this God of jealousy and love.  Put down all my puzzlements, disturbances, and uneasiness, and ask God to show me His everlasting love and restoring grace after judgment for my rebellion and unfaithfulness.

 

HYMN:

His Mercy Is More – youtu.be/I1GiZL60c80