Today in The Word - 05 2012 PDF

MAY 2012
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
Be holy
because I,
the LORD
your God,
am holy.
Leviticus 19:2
Leviticus:
Holiness for God’s People Today
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TODAY WITH PAUL NYQUIST
President of Moody Bible Institute
The Final Sacrifice
My family moved off Second, the sacrificial system could not

the farm when I was change the inclination of the heart toward
young, but I remember sin. The sacrifices could not bring full reunion
hearing about the dai- between God and His people. The barrier of
ly regimen of chores. the veil before God’s presence in the Most
One of the tasks a Holy Place kept out the people. Third, the
dairy farmer has to sacrificial system brought a constant re-
complete every day is minder of sin, but not remission of sin.
the milking of the cows. Cows don’t take a
sick day or a vacation day. They need to be God sent His Son Jesus to earth to provide
milked every day. It’s a task you can never full atonement, making it possible for people
escape. to be in complete fellowship with God. He
offered His own blood, presenting His per-
There was a similar daily chore that the na- fect, sinless life before God to atone for sin.
tion of Israel faced. It didn’t have to do with The incredible significance of Jesus’ coming
the milking of cows; it had to do with the to earth is perhaps best summed up by the
sacrificing of lambs. The Law prescribed words of John the Baptist, when he first laid
that Israel had to offer the blood of an un- eyes on Christ. “Behold, the Lamb of God
blemished lamb on the altar to atone for sin. who takes away the sin of the world!” (John
This chore was to be repeated day after 1:29).
day, week after week, month after month,
year after year. This was God’s prescribed By calling Christ the “Lamb of God,” John
means of dealing with sin. the Baptist specified that this would indeed
be the final sacrifice. And then Jesus prom-
Leviticus 4 outlines the procedures for these ised the Holy Spirit, who would fulfill the
sin offerings. The average Israelite would promises of Jeremiah 31 and ensure that
have been well acquainted with these in- God’s people have a new heart. Now it is
structions. They sinned, and they knew they possible to have our inclination toward sin
required a sacrifice. changed through the work of the Spirit, en-
abling us to live in a way that pleases God.
But there were three main problems with
this sacrificial system. First, it was continual, Christ came to earth to take away both the
not final. It was just like those cows that penalty for sin and the practice of sin, so
needed to be milked every morning. You that we can have a relationship with Him
couldn’t get away from it. There was never and become like Him. May we never take
a final sacrifice. for granted Christ’s willingness to become
man to take away our sins (1 John 3:5).
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THEOLOGY MATTERS
by John Koessler
Priesthood of the Believer
The book of Leviticus was a priestly manu- The blood of Christ gives us the confidence
al. According to Old Testament scholar J. to approach God directly without the help
Barton Payne, it served a specific purpose: of an earthly mediator (Heb. 10:19–22). This
“God revealed the priestly codes to Mo- access gives every believer the status of
ses in 1445 B.C. at Sinai, immediately after priest. We offer our worship to God as we
the construction of the Tabernacle. The “declare the praises of him who called you
purpose of these was to provide profes- out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1
sional guidance for the priests and a de- Peter 2:9). We present our bodies (i.e., our
tailed liturgy for the house of God.” The lives) to God as a living sacrifice and an
laws found in the book of Leviticus differ act of true worship (Rom. 12:1).
from those found in Deuteronomy primari-
ly in their scope. The laws of Deuteronomy We should not conclude from the Bible’s
were more comprehensive, intended to doctrine of the priesthood of all believers
guide God’s people in their new life in Ca- that the church has no need of designated
naan. The laws of Leviticus were more leaders. In his first epistle Peter describes
technical and related to the priestly rituals all believers as priests, but also describes
associated with Israel’s worship. the responsibilities of the church’s elders.
They serve as the church’s shepherds (1 Pe-
When Christ came, however, an important ter 5:1–2).
theological shift occurred. These Old Tes-
tament laws, which figured so importantly Nor should we conclude that believers no
in the daily life and worship of God’s peo- longer need a High Priest. The writer of
ple, had fulfilled their purpose and were Hebrews assures us that Jesus Christ con-
replaced by a new order. The sacrifices tinues to serve as our heavenly High Priest.
demanded by the Law of Moses ceased to Because He was made like us, Jesus is able
be necessary, since Christ’s sacrifice of to be merciful. Because He was sinless, He
Himself accomplished what the Levitical is able to be faithful (Heb. 2:15). Because He
sacrifices could not (Heb. 10:1). The Levitical was tempted like us in every way, He is
priesthood became obsolete, surpassed able to sympathize with our weaknesses
and replaced by the High Priesthood of Je- (Heb. 4:15). Because He was victorious
sus Christ (Heb. 10:11–14). In the current over temptation, sin, and death, He is able
church age every believer is a priest and to offer redemption. Jesus always lives to
has direct access to the Father’s presence. intercede for us (Heb. 7:25).
For Further Reading
To learn more about how Jesus is reflected in Leviticus, read Leviticus

by Andrew Bonar (Banner of Truth).
www.todayintheword.com
FROM THE EDITORS
by Heather Moffitt
Finding Joy in Complex Truth
This month we are introducing a new writ- Rim loves to spend time with his family, in-
er to our team of Q&A columnists. Dr. Da- cluding watching movie adaptations of
vid Rim has taught at Moody Bible Institute Jane Austen novels.
for thirteen years, and we are delighted
that he will be sharing his insights in theol- For some philosophy and apologetics pro-
ogy and biblical understanding with our fessors, their work is merely an academic
readers on a regular basis. exercise. The mental challenge of working
through questions about the existence of
Dr. Rim teaches courses in philosophy, God or the presence of evil in the world is
apologetics, and philosophical theology. If the goal. Studying and research and teach-
that sounds like intense, challenging mate- ing is about demonstrating winning argu-
rial—it is! At the age of 16, Rim came to ments or even showing off intelligence. For
faith in Christ at a youth retreat. As he Rim, however, his work as a professor is
grew as a Christian, he encountered issues intimately connected with his service to the
in theology and apologetics that fascinat- people of God. He is the teaching pastor at
ed him in their complexity. The more re- a second-generation Korean church, and
search he did, the more he felt the desire his pastoral service and academic work
to teach in these areas. “By God’s grace, I influence each other. “My teaching informs
have this opportunity at Moody to do my preaching, while my preaching keeps
what I love to do!” he said. my teaching more relevant and devotion-
al,” he noted. Rim knows that his students
Rim also appreciates getting to know the stu- need to be trained in theology and apolo-
dents. Everything at Moody is focused on getics to be prepared for their future min-
preparing students to serve the Lord in the istries. They will be in real-life situations
ministries to which they’ve been called, with real questions from real people.
whether it’s teaching a course in philosophy
or worshiping in chapel or supervising a field Today in the Word is also a ministry to real
education placement. “I most enjoy watching people in real-life situations. One reason
students grow during their time here,” Rim the Q&A column began 25 years ago was
said. “Even better than that is to hear back in recognition that you, our readers, have
from them after they’ve left Moody and to questions about biblical and theological
see where God is taking them.” perspectives on issues that you face every
day. We are thankful to have Dr. David
Rim grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He Rim extend his ministry at Moody Bible In-
met his wife Maria through a blind date— stitute to include the readers of Today in
set up by his mother! “Never discount your the Word, sharing his theological insights
mom’s advice in the dating process!” he and applying the truth of God’s Word to
declared. The blind date led to marriage the questions of life.
and then twin daughters, Rachel and Katie.
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VOLUME 24 ISSUE 5
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul B. Currie
MANAGING EDITOR
Heather Moffitt
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Elena Mafter
Leviticus: Holiness for God’s People Today
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Adam Kellogg
John Koessler Rules and regulations—we can look at them as
Kim Pickett
restrictions that prevent us from doing what we
WRITER
Jennifer Michel
want, or we can see them as guidelines that show
1-800-DL MOODY
the world who we are. Leviticus, when we look at
(356-6639) it from a biblical, God-centered perspective, is Is-
www.moodyministries.net
rael’s blueprint for building a lifestyle of holiness.
God’s people are holy because God set them apart.

But we show we are holy by exemplifying God’s
rules. The pages of Leviticus reveal lessons of God’s
PRESIDENT
J. Paul Nyquist
sense of holiness, the power of purification, and the
celebration of God’s redemptive work of salvation
PROVOST
Junias Venugopal from the judgment of our sins.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
AND CHIEF OPERATING This month in Today in the Word we’ll examine the
OFFICER
Steven Mogck lessons of Leviticus to show how they teach us of
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT God’s character, His holiness, and His plan for us.
Greg R. Thornton We will see how the observations of the Law set
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Israel apart as uniquely God’s and taught them to
Ken Heulitt
honor all that was uniquely His.
VICE PRESIDENTS
William Blocker
Elizabeth Brown The Law of God is anything but outdated. We pray
Larry Davidhizar
Lloyd R. Dodson as you join with us in studying this rich and challeng-
Jim Elliott
Christine Gorz
ing book of Scripture that you would see the signs
John A. Jelinek that point to Jesus, and that the timeless truth would
Collin G. Lambert
Frank W. Leber Jr. make a difference in how you live for God today.
Thomas A. Shaw
TRUSTEE CHAIRMAN
Jerry B. Jenkins
TRUSTEES
Christopher Denison
T. Randall Fairfax
Thomas S. Fortson Moody Bible Institute is the sole publisher of Today in the Word, copyright
J. Paul Nyquist © 2012 by Moody Bible Institute. All rights reserved. Please direct all
Bervin C. Peterson Today in the Word inquiries to Constituency Response, 820 N. LaSalle Blvd.,
David Schipper Chicago, IL 60610. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International
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Mark Wagner Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture taken from
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Read: Exodus 40:34–38; Tuesday, May 1
Numbers 1:1, 47–54
Understanding Leviticus as Part of the Pentateuch
In an essay, C. S. Lewis described how practice of dividing long books into
he conceived The Chronicles of Narnia: separate scrolls for the sake of ease.
“The Lion all began with a picture of a Moses wrote at the time when the nation
Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels was poised to enter the Promised Land.
in a snowy wood . . . [when] I was about This book (or five books) was meant to
sixteen. Then one day, when I was about shape their understanding of God and
forty, I said to myself: ‘Let’s try to maketheir identity as His people. There was
a story about it.’” no more critical time for
transferring the impor-
What all goes into writ- tant stories of the past for
ing of a good book? How For the Word future generations.
does an author go about of God is alive
gathering his material? and active. Leviticus, whose name
Even with Scripture, we means, “pertaining to
Hebrews 4:12
might wonder how much the Levitical priests,” is
each author allowed a book divided into two
their own intentions to parts: the Priestly Code
shape the books they wrote. They were (chapters 1–16) and the Holiness Code
inspired by the Holy Spirit, but they still (chapters 17–27). It describes the regu-
brought their unique perspectives to the lations for sacrificial worship, which
writing task. was instituted within a year of the
Exodus, just after the completion of the
Moses is generally credited with construction of the tabernacle.
authorship of the first five books of the
Bible. These five books, or the Penta- As we will see this month, this is not an
teuch, were originally composed as a outdated, irrelevant book. Leviticus is a
single book and separated at a much book rich with symbolism and threaded
later date. This probably reflected the with theology.
Apply the Word Pray with Us
Leviticus is not a book we often hear taught or Please join us in praying for
preached. We might avoid it for fear of its Steven Mogck, Executive Vice
hard-to-understand passages. What can help President and Chief Operating
us at the beginning of our study is to remem- Officer. May the Lord guide
him and give him wisdom as he
ber that all Scripture is given to teach and
oversees day-to-day business
transform us. Pray for God to move you
operations at Moody.
beyond your reluctance of studying Leviticus
and into a wide-eyed curiosity and eagerness.
6 • Moody Bible Institute

Read: Leviticus 19:1–8, 19–37 Wednesday, May 2
The Language of Sin and Holiness in Leviticus

Author and journalist A. J. Jacobs, who this book but also to its evident themes.
describes himself as a nominal Jew, Some things are clear. First, the book of
devoted an entire year to obeying Leviticus is a book where God, as the
every one of the 613 Old Testament holy authority over His people, is at the
laws. His book, The Year of Living center. The phrase, “And the Lord said
Biblically, describes his quest to “follow to Moses,” becomes its familiar refrain.
the Bible as literally as possible . . . with-These words spoken are God’s words.
out picking and choosing.” These commands are
God’s. The authority is
Leviticus 19 gives us a His and His alone, and His
Be holy because
glimpse at the challenge authority is grounded in
that A. J. Jacobs faced I, the Lord your His work of redemptive
and the questions he must God, am holy. love and rescue.
have asked along the Leviticus 19:2
way. Some of the Leviti- Clear categories that
cal commands seem logi- emerge in the book of
cal, such as the ones gov- Leviticus: the clean and
erning sexual practice and condemning the unclean, the holy and the profane.
idol worship. Other commands, like In essence, as much as the holiness of
those that forbid a field be sown with God takes center stage in Leviticus,
two kinds of seed or those that insist on alongside it is the chronic reminder of
certain hairstyles, seem utterly strange. humanity’s sin. What Leviticus does
What could God have meant in all this is to provide prescriptions, given by
seemingly haphazard, “Thou shall,” and God, for bridging the divide and bring-
“Thou shall not”? ing sinful men and women near to Him.
Leviticus is not only law but grace—an
We turn to Leviticus 19 to introduce us, expression of the gracious inclination of
not only to the complexities of studying God to provide a means for atonement.

Jacobs makes no claims to be a “believer” Today, will you remember in
after his year’s experiment. But he must have your prayers the employees
discovered the sheer impossibility of keeping serving in Facilities
even one of God’s commands. In the book of Maintenance: John Addison,
Thomas Addison, Edgardo
James, we’re reminded, “Whoever keeps the
Bartolome, and Troy Billow?
whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is
These men help maintain our
guilty of breaking all of it” (2:10). What Chicago campus for staff,
desperate need we have for a Savior! students, and visitors.
Today in the Word • 7

Read: Genesis 1:1–2:4 Thursday, May 3
Creation: God’s Good Work of Beginnings

Annie Dillard muses about the myster- and the people are the central concerns,
ies of creation in her book, Pilgrim at which we’ll see again in Leviticus.
Tinker Creek: “The creator goes off on
one wild, specific tangent after anoth- While He transcends His creation in
er, or millions simultaneously, with an His immortality and supreme authority,
exuberance that would seem to be God is also peculiarly interested and
unwarranted, and with an abandoned invested in one of His creations: human-
energy sprung from an ity. He makes humanity to
unfathomable font. What reflect unique aspects of
is going on here?” His being, giving them
God saw all that governance over cre-
It seems an appropriate he had made, and ation and special blessing.
question when we stare it was very good. He wills them His land; He
at the intricate complex- makes them for relation-
Genesis 1:31
ity of creation. Genesis 1 ship with Himself and with
serves as an introduction each other.
to the entire Pentateuch,
laying fundamental ground work for Genesis 1 sings with the melodies of the
our theology. Later, in Leviticus, Moses goodness and order and beauty of the
reprises some themes found here. land and the life that inhabits it. It is life
as God intends. We know, however,
God is the invisible, sovereign ruler of it’s only two short chapters later that a
the entire universe. Because He is the terrible unraveling begins to take place.
creator of all, He rules over all. The Sin mars what was originally good.
scope of detail in the creation account Leviticus arrives at the part of the story
is limited to the land, animals, and hu- that is the wreckage, brooding on these
manity. There is no mention of other darker themes of disorder, disease,
planets or distant galaxies. The land and death.
One theologian has described the Pentateuch Continuing our prayers for
as “eschatological.” That’s a fancy theological Facilities Maintenance, please
word for saying that the Pentateuch looks lift up Vincent Camera, Andrew
ahead; its perspective is future-oriented. We Franklin, Matthew Morris, and
Paul Heggeland. Thank the Lord
start to see why: something has gone wrong.
for their willingness to use their
The gospel is the good news that God, through
talents to serve Him at Moody.
Jesus, is redeeming the universe and reorder-
ing creation according to its original design.

Read: Exodus 19:1–20 Friday, May 4
Covenant: God’s Good Work of Rescue

Charles Haddon Spurgeon ended his trifling with this God; there are ritual
sermon on January 24, 1861, with these purifications they must undergo in order
words: “An unholy Church! It is of no use to meet with Him. These signify His per-
to the world, and of no esteem among fection and their impurity: His holiness
men. Oh, it is an abomination, hell’s and their unholiness.
laughter, heaven’s abhorrence. And the
larger the Church, the more influential, A mediator was required for the con-
the worst nuisance does it firmation of the covenant.
become, when it becomes Moses stands in for the
dead and unholy.” You will be for me people, speaking to God
face-to-face, and mediat-
a kingdom
Exodus 19 sets the stage ing the terms. He relayed
for Israel’s reckoning with of priests and a messages from God to
this holy God. It had been holy nation. the people. He alone
three months since the Exodus 19:6 draws near to God; the
nation left Egypt where rest of the nation stood at
they had witnessed God’s a distance in fear.
great acts of deliverance: spectacular
plagues and rescues. Questions must Exodus 19 inaugurates a kingdom of
still have lingered: who was this God of priests, but Leviticus, as we’ll soon see,
Abraham? What did it mean that they codifies a kingdom with priests. The
were now to be His people? Sinai covenant, as the Pentateuch makes
clear, will not be sufficient to put right
In Exodus 19, God declares the terms of what went wrong in the Garden. The
His covenant. At the foot of Mount Sinai, Pentateuch is pointing us forward many,
as the lightning flashes and the thunder many centuries: to a better covenant,
echoes, the people witnessed God’s ter- to a faithful High Priest, and to a
rifying holiness. There will be no casual final Mediator. His name is Jesus Christ.

We learn to treasure God’s grace in direct Jim Elliott, Vice President of
proportion to how we measure our unworthi- Stewardship, requests your
ness. Leviticus is important for leading us prayers for Moody’s
deeper into understanding of our sin and our fundraising efforts. Ask God to
move in the hearts of His
need for a Savior. Brennan Manning wrote,
people to support the work
“All that is good is ours, not by right, but by
He’s doing through Moody’s
the sheer bounty of a gracious God. . . . Even education and media ministries.
our fidelity is a gift.”

Read: Leviticus 1; 22:17–33 Saturday, May 5
Worship and the Requirement of Atonement

Some of America’s biggest mega- They needed to absorb the realities of
churches have rejected traditional for- God’s holiness and how they, as His
malities. Contemporary worship bands people, would be required to revere
replaced robed choirs. Pastors deliver and reflect that holiness. The prescrip-
sermons in jeans and wrinkled shirts. tions and prohibitions regarding the
Pews, and sometimes even crosses, sacrifices were signs and symbols of
have disappeared from church build- God’s perfection and of their sin. There
ings. That may be why the were right and wrong
detailed prescriptions for ways to approach this
worship in Leviticus seem
Lay your hand on God. Worship required
odd to many of us. We the head of the obedience and accept-
have a tough time making burnt offering, and able practices.
sense of all the ceremony. it will be accepted
What’s more, the blood on your behalf to The first seven chapters
sacrifice system offends of Leviticus deal with the
make atonement
our sensibilities. There’s a various sacrifices the
definite gruesomeness.
for you. people could bring to
Leviticus 1:4 God. The burnt offering,
First, we need to re-orient as described here in chap-
ourselves to the historical context of ter 1, is one of the sacrifices for securing
Leviticus. The Israelites left Egypt less atonement. Atonement is a critical term
than 14 months earlier. They had the sto- for understanding Leviticus. A recon-
ries of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; ciled relationship with God is possible
and while the practice of sacrifices and only when sin is dealt with. Because sin
burnt offerings is not itself new, there’s incurs the penalty of death, either we
still so much they don’t yet understand will die for our own sin or a substitute
about their corporate identity and about will be required to which we transfer
God Himself. our guilt.
Leviticus looks forward to the final atonement Continuing our prayers for
sacrifice, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews Moody’s fundraising efforts,
tells us that the sacrificial system was always please pray for Moody’s
an imperfect one. It had been intended as a Planned Giving team—Eric
Beckman, Crystal Davis-
way of pointing forward to Jesus. Do you
Landrum, Emily Ferguson, Mary
doubt sometimes that God forgives your sin?
Lou Fritz, and Stephen Kott—as
Believe not in the power of your confession they assist donors with
but in the effectiveness of His blood! deferred giving options.

Read: Leviticus 2–3 Sunday, May 6
Worship and the Expression of Thanksgiving

Ann Voskamp, a farmer’s wife and griddle, or pan. Because flour is a food
mother of six, wrote the bestselling staple, even the poor can offer this. In
book, One Thousand Gifts, where she fact, we’ll later see that flour can substi-
chronicles how keeping a gratitude jour- tute for an animal sacrifice if that’s all a
nal and counting God’s blessings trans- poor man can afford. Provision is made
formed her. “Thanksgiving is inherent to for every person—rich and poor alike—
a true salvation experience; thanksgiv- to make offerings to God. Prohibitions
ing is necessary to live the against mixing yeast and
well, whole, fullest life.” honey with the grain of-
Enter his gates ferings signify purity. That
The offerings described the offerings should be
with thanksgiving
in today’s reading are seasoned with salt sym-
voluntary offerings of
and his courts bolizes the long-lasting
thanksgiving. Unlike the with praise. nature of the covenant.
burnt offering, the grain Psalm 100:4
and fellowship offerings For the fellowship, or
are not made to secure peace offering, an animal
atonement. But the worshiper still bears is slaughtered. Unlike the burnt offering,
a solemn consciousness of his sin; the it is not entirely burned up at the altar.
demands for perfect, unblemished offer- The best portions—the fat and the im-
ings remain. For the fellowship offering, portant organs—are reserved for the
the worshiper lays a symbolic hand on Lord. Prohibitions against eating the fat
the head of the animal before its slaugh- and blood remind the worshiper that the
ter, and the animal’s blood is thrown best portions must be devoted to God,
against the sides of the altar. who grants atonement only through
blood. The rest is consumed in a meal
The grain offering is composed of flour, shared by the worshiper, his family, and
either unprepared or baked in an oven, the priests.

The burnt offering provided a way for Concluding our prayers for
acknowledging God’s holiness and the need Planned Giving, please ask the
for atonement. The grain and fellowship Father to bless Moody’s Field
offerings provided a way for acknowledging Representatives serving around
the country. May they be a
the goodness of God. Thanksgiving is the way
spiritual encouragement to the
we continue coming to God. Consider reading
friends of Moody they meet
Ann Voskamp’s book and starting your own with today.
gratitude journal.

Read: Leviticus 4:1–5:13 Monday, May 7
Worship and the Expression of Guilt

Although federal prosecutors had taped scales of motivation. To mean to do right
conversations that clearly implicated while inadvertently doing wrong is still
Rod Blagojevich, former governor of sin. Sin is the transgression, or betrayal,
Illinois, in federal crimes, he continued to of God’s holy standards, whether we’re
publicly deny his guilt: “I don’t believe conscious of those standards or not.
there’s any cloud that hangs over me. I
think there’s nothing but sunshine hang- We betray God’s law not only by doing
ing over me.” bad things (sins of commis-
sion) but also by neglect-
Sin has a track record of ing to do good things (sins
The Word of
self-deception. We can of omission). In Leviticus
be made to feel guilty
God . . . judges 5, we see someone who
when we’ve done noth- the thoughts and refused to publicly testify
ing wrong or believe attitudes of about a situation which he
ourselves innocent when the heart. witnessed. He was guilty
we’re guilty. Feelings are because of what he failed
Hebrews 4:12
no fail-safe guide for to do.
exposing sin; the Bible is
our only reliable author- Because sin wields such
ity when it comes to probing our inner power of self-deception, it is our
motivations and arbitrating our actions. inclination to justify ourselves before
God. We make excuses for why our sin
Leviticus offers a thorough look at what isn’t really that bad. But all of our well-
is and isn’t sin. In our passage today, we reasoned arguments don’t exonerate us.
see that sin isn’t only a descriptor for The good news is that God is always
the evil things we’ve done intentionally. providing a means for atonement. It’s
Sin can also include unintentional acts. His gracious desire to forgive and rec-
Guilt or innocence is not weighed on the oncile people to Himself.
We need the light of Scripture to shine in our Caring for the telephone
hearts even as we ask, “Search me, God, and connection of about 600
know my heart; . . . See if there is any offen- employees serving at Moody
sive way in me” (Psalm 139:23–24). Make this is the responsibility of Scott
Schaeffer and Daniel
your prayer every evening when you lie down
Schombert in the Telecommu-
or every morning when you wake up. Accept
nications department. Please
any conviction from the Holy Spirit, and then express gratitude to the Lord
accept His forgiveness when you confess. for their faithful service.

Read: Leviticus 5:14–6:7 Tuesday, May 8
Worship and the Definition of Sin

At the end of the second century, Jew- to bring clean animals when they were
ish oral traditions were codified and required were obvious acts of sin for
written down in the Mishnah. Before which payment must be made in the form
this time, it was the task of the rabbis to of a guilt offering.
interpret the traditions. As a result, there
was a constant dueling over interpreta- But sin is not merely the overt things we
tions between rabbis and the schools of do to defraud God or dishonor Him. It
thought they represented. is also sin against God to
mistreat one’s neighbor
Jesus was often put in the Love the Lord and to neglect practices
middle of these theologi- of honesty and justice in
your God . . . Love
cal squabbles. One teach- our relationships. In this
er of the law came to Him your neighbor way, sin eludes the kind
to ask which of the com- as yourself. of neat compartmental-
mandments was most im- Matthew 22:37, 39 ization that we might
portant. Jesus answered like to use. Our behavior
that there were two: love toward our neighbor is a
God and love your neighbor. These are just measure of our spiritual faithfulness,
the totality of what God requires of us. and deception and dishonesty are ways
we fail to love God Himself. Righteous-
Notice that according to Jesus, and to ness is horizontal with our neighbor as
our passage today from Leviticus, all sin much as it is vertical with God.
is offense against God. To be sure, some
sins are aimed more explicitly at God, Confession and restitution: these are
such as the misuse of “the Lord’s holy practices still relevant and important to-
things” (5:15). This presumably means day, grounding us in the reality that we
the sacrifices themselves. Both bring- are sinners and need to humbly seek to
ing blemished animals and neglecting repair the damage our sin has caused.

Jesus taught that public worship was an It’s our privilege to pray for
invitation to make right our human relation- Ken Heulitt, Chief Financial
ships (cf. Matthew 6). Before you next attend Officer. Please request that
church, consider where your relationships God give Ken and his teams
wisdom as they carefully
have suffered. Where have you held grudges
manage the resources that He
or cast judgments or clung to jealousies?
has entrusted to Moody.
Confess these to God and the person you’ve
offended, seeking reconciliation.

Read: Leviticus 6:8–7:38 Wednesday, May 9
Old Testament Worship: Pointing the Way Forward

Many of us think of the Old Testament blood of the Levitical sacrifices, was not
as the antithesis of the New Testament carefully drained and collected. Instead,
and the Mosaic Law as the enemy of the it seeped into the earth, absorbing into
gospel. After all, when was the last time all of creation to free it from the pow-
you heard an evangelistic sermon based er and penalty of sin. He is the perfect
on the book of Leviticus? Lamb of God on whom we, by a faith
confession, transfer our sin.
Yet Jesus is threaded all
throughout the language He is also the Bread from
of sacrifice. Leviticus is He is the atoning heaven, restoring the
not irrelevant the way we sacrifice for our fellowship with God that
might have once thought. sins, and not only had been broken in the
True, Leviticus describes a for ours but also Garden. By His sacrifice
sacrificial system that’s no of Himself, we, the un-
for the sins of the
longer required, but the holy, are made holy. We,
system is still imbued with whole world. the unclean, are cleansed.
layers of meaning. It per- 1 John 2:2 Guilt is erased; sin is
fectly and symbolically paid for; and because
illustrates what Jesus of Christ, men and wom-
came to do and why. en, once distanced, are brought near
to God.
Jesus is the holy High Priest, who has
entered heaven’s throne room to pres- All of this is symbolized in the Commu-
ent a sacrifice of atonement. But He did nion meal: the holy blood spilled out, the
not enter with a slaughtered animal: He broken bread of His body. The invitation
entered to surrender His own body and is made for all: take, eat, drink. Remem-
spill His own blood. His blood, unlike the ber the Lord’s death until He comes.
Our life as Christ followers is portrayed in the Will you remember in prayer
New Testament in sacrificial language. We Dr. John Jelinek, Vice President
follow in the footsteps of Christ, hearing the and Dean of Moody
call to present our bodies as “living sacrifices” Theological Seminary? He
provides valuable leadership to
(Rom. 12:1). We are described at “the pleasing
Moody’s seminary campuses in
aroma of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15). Following Jesus
Chicago, Illinois, and Plymouth,
is a life of sacrifice and unreserved devotion Michigan.
to God. Hold nothing back.

Read: Leviticus 8 Thursday, May 10
Universal Guilt: Consecrating the Priests

Men and women of humility rarely the sacrifices brought by the people for
write on the subject. A pastor of a large expressions of atonement, thanksgiving,
American church wrote a book on hu- obedience, and worship. This is a holy
mility a number of years ago. He’s since work commended to an unholy people.
been under the discipline of his church
for sins of pride, having mounted a track Moses presented offerings on behalf of
record of resisting correction and refus- the priests; they also needed atonement.
ing accountability. Blood must be spilled on
their behalf, for the sins
It’s one more example they’d committed and will
that even the “strongest” Let us be thankful, yet commit, for the good
among us are vulner- and so worship they’d already failed to
able to sin. We are all God acceptably do and will yet neglect.
wrecked; every day we with reverence The sacred vestments
fall to our own pride and in which Aaron and his
and awe.
selfish desires. None of sons were clothed were
us is immune to the conta- Hebrews 12:28 cleansed and consecrat-
gion of sin. ed. Water was the means
of purification, and oil
The ordination ceremony in Leviticus 8 the means of consecration. Every detail
pictures these truths of human frailty illustrates the need for mercy and for-
and depravity. The construction of the giveness. We cannot approach or serve
tabernacle has been completed, with God by our own merits.
its holy furniture and ornamentation.
We’ve come to the moment when Aaron The ordination was a public assembly
and his sons are consecrated for their for all to observe. Every detail was pre-
priestly work. They will have charge of scribed by God. Worship is serious busi-
maintaining the tabernacle and offering ness. He is holy and requires reverence.

It can be devastating when our spiritual The Board of Trustees gathers
leaders fail. We often unreasonably expect today and tomorrow at
perfection from them. Let today’s reading be a Moody’s Chicago campus for
reminder that none of us is perfect, even those meetings. Join us in asking the
Father to guide them by His
called into the ministry. Commit to praying for
Spirit to accomplish His will
your pastor and the ministry leaders at your
for Moody.
church, that they grow in humility and in the
practices of confession and accountability.

Read: Leviticus 9 Friday, May 11
Fire and Blessing: Consuming the Sacrifice

After the death of Steve Jobs, the world sons at the altar. First (and as we’ve
waits to see what will become of Apple. already seen), atonement must be made
Steve Jobs brought the force of his cre- for the people to draw near to God and
ative leadership to Apple, and no one for Him to draw near to them. Sin will
doubts that the success of Apple—and prevent a holy God from communing
the innovations of the iPhone, iPod, and with an unholy people. The sacrifices
iPad—can largely be credited to him. symbolize this divide and the need for
divine mercy.
The world needs great
leaders, but leadership I will make you Second, we see God’s
is often hard. In today’s grand plan to bless His
into a great
reading, we see an im- people. When Aaron
portant transfer of some
nation, and I will finished offering the
of that responsibility to bless you. sacrifices, he raised his
Aaron and his sons. Genesis 12:2 hands to bless the people.
Atonement is a sure path
During the seven-day to joy: God’s overriding
ordination ceremony, Moses presented impulse is that of blessing: in the Gar-
the sacrifices on behalf of the priests. den, He blessed Adam and Eve. When
On the eighth day, he commended to He called Abraham, He promised him
Aaron this work. Aaron must present blessings of land and legacy. When He
offerings on his behalf, on behalf of his rescued Israel, it was for the purpose of
sons, as well as the entire community. blessing them.
And he was careful to do the work just
as God Himself had prescribed. Here, at the entrance to the tabernacle,
the fire of God’s holy blessing falls, and
We draw two important conclusions the people breathe joy and holy fear.
from the work done by Aaron and his
One of the devil’s oldest strategies is to try to Will you ask the Lord to
convince us that God’s plans for us are not give Elizabeth Brown, Vice
good. Have you fallen for that lie? Maybe President and General Counsel,
there’s been suffering and great pain in your discernment as she offers legal
advice to Moody’s education,
life, and you questioned the character of
radio, and publishing
God. May you trust and believe today that He
ministries?
is good, and may that faith lead you into
deeper joy.

Read: Leviticus 10 Saturday, May 12
Fire and Judgment: Consuming the Guilty

In his essay, “The Art of Listening,” disobeying the prescriptions for
Henning Maskell laments “the constant worship. The fire symbolized God’s
chatter of the Western world, where no displeasure and holy judgment, and the
one seems to have the time or even the people, especially Aaron and his other
desire to listen to anyone else. . . . It’s as sons, responded with a paralyzing fear
if we have completely lost the ability to and an inability to speak.
listen. We talk and talk, and we end up
frightened by silence, the The sin of Nadab and
refuge of those who are at Abihu was that they had
loss for an answer.” offered “unauthorized
Among those who fire” (v. 1). As priests, they
There are sacred approach me I will had been commanded to
moments of silence in be proved holy. take burning coals from
the Bible: Job became Leviticus 10:3
the altar of burnt offering
speechless before the and use only these coals
power of God; Zechariah to burn incense in a hand-
was made mute by His held censer. Apparently,
unbelief; and Aaron, in today’s reading, Nadab and Abihu did not burn their
was silenced by fire. incense in the prescribed way and from
the prescribed source.
In yesterday’s reading, the fire con-
sumed the animal sacrifices offered to God will be proved holy. He will be
God on the altar. It symbolized God’s honored. The fire He had ignited on
pleasure and acceptance of those the altar of burnt offering symbolized
sacrifices, and the people responded that acceptable atonement had been
with great joy. In today’s reading, the made for sin. It was this fire alone that
fire consumed two of Aaron’s sons who provided access to God.
were guilty of dishonoring God and

Although we have complete forgiveness Today over 600 students will
through Christ, we should not be casual with graduate at Moody’s Spring
the holiness of God. God’s intention in the Commencement ceremony in
Bible is to gain glory for Himself. He will not Chicago. Praise God for these
men and women who are
compromise His holiness. We can be tempted
committed to serving Christ’s
to rationalize our sin, but a book like Leviticus
Church around the world!
brings us back to the sobering and reverent
acknowledgement of God’s holiness.

Read: Leviticus 11 Sunday, May 13
Dietary Laws: Holiness for God’s People

A host of books are being published to- raelites are called to obey God’s laws
day about the purported health benefits because they owe Him their allegiance.
of the Jewish dietary laws. In many cas- He has rescued them and now stands in
es, these laws did promote good health. authority over them. And because He is
Pigs, for instance, were forbidden for holy, they, too, must be holy.
consumption, and pigs are among the
dirtiest of the farm animals. On the Holiness isn’t moral purity alone. Holi-
other hand, rabbits could ness is the state of being
not be eaten, and there is “set apart.” These dietary
no apparent health ben- laws did just this for the
I am the Lord your
efit for this avoidance. nation of Israel: they set
God; consecrate apart God’s people as
It’s reasonable to assume yourselves and different from the nations
that God’s intentions be holy, because around them. Their food
behind some of the partic- I am holy. choices reflected this con-
ulars of the dietary laws secrated, holy identity.
Leviticus 11:44
might have been, in part,
to promote good health, Moreover, in Leviticus
although there’s nothing 11, we find an echo of
explicit in the text to indicate this. The Bi- Genesis 1. The categories for animals
ble teaches that our bodies are worthy in this chapter are the precise ones
of care. But because not all dietary laws found in Genesis 1: land animals, birds,
can be traced to healthy practices, we sea creatures, and creeping things. But
need to look for a broader explanation. where Genesis 1 had made provision for
humanity to eat any creature, the pro-
We find the primary reason for the hibitions found in Leviticus symbolize
strict classification of clean and unclean how creation has become contaminated
animals at the end of chapter 11: the Is- because of sin.
Imagine how revolutionary the words of Jesus Today we go to God in prayer

were: “The things that come out of a person’s for Moody Radio Florida,
mouth come from the heart, and these defile reaching Central and
them . . . murder, adultery, sexual immorality, Southwest Florida. May God
use the ministry of hosts John
theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt. 15:18, 19).
Block and Kate Bruington to
The contaminant wasn’t outside a person’s
help listeners take the next step
body; it was lodged deep within the heart. in their relationship with Christ.
We would each need a heart transplant!

Read: Leviticus 12 Monday, May 14
Unclean: Purification after Childbirth

It’s estimated today that a two-parent sinned, but rather, her postnatal flow of
family with two children will spend blood disqualifies her from the ceremo-
$226,920 to raise each child. Statistics nies of public worship. This parallels the
like this feed the cultural trend today prohibition against eating the blood of
to label children as a liability. Children animals. Only the priests were permitted
are often seen as a drain on financial to handle blood, and this only for pre-
resources, an obstacle to professional senting the sacrifices of atonement.
advancement, and a strain
on already depleted envi- Today’s reading has
ronmental resources. TheLord echoes of themes in Gen-
appeared to esis. Just as Adam and Eve
This isn’t the biblical view. were excluded from the
Abram and said,
Children were always Garden of Eden because
considered of enormous “To your offspring of their sin, so the unclean
value, in both the Old and I will give woman is excluded from
New Testaments. The pas- this land.” public worship because of
sage in Leviticus 12, how- Genesis 12:7
her ritual contamination.
ever, gives rise to some But the hope that had been
serious questions. If sacri- announced in the garden
ficial offerings must be made following long ago in the promise of a holy “seed”
the birth of a child, and if a new mother or offspring for redemption, is called to
is ritually unclean because of childbirth, mind in verse 1 of today’s reading. The
is there something inherently sinful or phrase, “a woman who becomes preg-
bad about having children? nant,” when literally translated from the
Hebrew means, “a women who produces
No. The issue is not that the woman is a seed.” Mary, young virgin mother of
morally unclean after childbirth, but ritu- Jesus, would become ritually impure to
ally unclean. The new mother has not bear the holy Seed of the Messiah.

Postnatal blood and menstrual blood were Continuing our prayers for
both sources of ritual contamination for a Moody Radio Florida, ask the
woman. Imagine then the bold faith of the Father to bring many listeners
woman who had suffered a bleeding disorder into a new relationship with
Jesus Christ through the
for twelve years and dared to touch the hem
ministry of Pierre Chestang,
of Jesus’ robe (Luke 8:42–47). Jesus turned to
Ron Maxwell, and John Stortz.
her and said, “Go in peace.” He comes to bring
the impure and the unclean back to God.

Question and Answer
Dr. David Rim, Professor of Theology
My good friend died sign that one has not truly embraced
recently. She told me the forgiveness of God in the first
she never wanted to place. Forgiveness has a transformative
see or speak to her two quality. It is not merely passive, where
sisters. One sister had an affair your debts are no longer charged
with my friend’s husband, and against you. The very act of being
the other sister defended her forgiven transforms people’s heart to
actions. I guess my friend never such a degree that they forgive others
forgave her sisters. Does God who have sinned against them. They
take you to heaven when you have been gifted with a new heart
persist in unforgiveness? and spirit. In this view, an inability to
forgive is a sign of a dead spirit. See
Even a quick reading of the Matthew 18:23–35 for Jesus’ parable
Gospels is sufficient for that explores the relationship between
the reader to realize how God’s forgiveness of us and our
important forgiveness is to forgiveness of others.
the Christian life. The spiritual life of
every believer begins with an act of As for your friend, God knows her
divine forgiveness. All sins are washed heart. His mercy is great. And this very
away. Having said this, however, how fact is one reason each of us should be
are we to understand those who do careful of persisting in unforgiveness.
not want to forgive, or can’t seem We have been forgiven much, and
to forgive? There are two directions should follow the example of Christ in
one can take. First, an unwillingness to forgiving those who sin against us.
forgive is a sign that one is not walking
in the light of God’s continual grace. Is there an easy way
Such an individual will not experience to explain that Jesus
intimacy with God where His peace is God? I witness to a
and rest fill the heart. But since God has person who can’t seem
already forgiven all of their sins, and to accept that fact. He says, “If
since the act of not forgiving another Jesus is God, then how did He
is a sin, people caught in the grip of die? God can’t die! So Jesus is
unforgiveness will still experience the not God.” I have shared some
full eschatological promises of God. Scripture with him, but I need
help explaining it.
The second direction is to argue that
an inability or an unwillingness to This is a question that most
forgive, when it becomes a defining Christians struggle with
aspect of one’s spiritual life, can be a at some point. Where do
Continued on next page

God never tries to explain away difficult times in our life.
Continued from previous page

people’s ideas of God come from? authority to forgive (Mark 2:5); He
Generally, there are three sources. demonstrated power by calming the sea
The first is from religion. In a debate (Mark 4:39); and He can meet our basic
with William Lane Craig, the Muslim needs, like the God in Israel’s history
theologian Jamal Badawi argued that (Mark 6:41–44). For these reasons,
Jesus cannot be God because there some of the Jews followed Jesus as the
were things He did not know. For him, visible incarnation of God. But others
a God who experienced states of rejected Him, partly because He did not
ignorance was not worthy of that title. fit their preconceived ideas of God.
How can a God of absolute holiness
The second source is our innate sense associate with known sinners? What
of what a god should look like. The kind of God violates His own Sabbath
medieval theologian Anselm believed laws? And most significant of all, how
that when one reflected upon a concept can the mighty Creator of the universe
of God, the idea of perfection would experience pain and suffering, even to
emerge as the central core of who God the point of death?
was. If it is a good thing for a being to
know truths, then God, being perfect, This is the crossroad. Either my
would know all truths. A third source preconceived notions of God invalidate
is an individual who claims to be God, Jesus’ claim to divinity because I am
and using that person as the basis for absolutely sure that God cannot die, or
developing our concept of God. my initial conception of God must be
revised to include this new information
These sources overlap. For example, that God can die. Everyone who
in order to assess a person’s claim to names the name of Jesus Christ as their
divinity, one must have some idea of ultimate source of hope must take the
what it means to be God to begin the latter route. They submit their notions
examination. But if the person passes, of divinity at the foot of the cross,
shouldn’t that individual bring something and allow their experience of Christ
to the table that modifies or completes to modify not only the way they view
our initial concept of God? the world and themselves but also the
way they view God. This does not mean
We have the person of Jesus Christ that I comprehend the depths of this
claiming to be God. How were the new information. But it does give me a
Jews in the first century able to assess real picture of the profoundness of His
this claim? Jesus used several means to love for me. To the degree that I find it
show how He fit into their idea of the utterly incomprehensible that God can
divine: He claimed to be eternal (John die, that is the degree to which my heart
8:58); He applied the divine name to is called to worship the One who did
Himself (John 4:26); He exercised the the incomprehensible.

Read: Leviticus 13 Tuesday, May 15
Unclean: Skin Diseases

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of ic. Persons with chronic skin conditions
Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition—or the that did not heal over a period of time
DSM-IV—is the manual used by mental of isolation were to be excluded from
health professionals for diagnosing and community worship as well as from hab-
treating mental illness. Since its publica- itation in the camp.
tion in 1952, it’s been revised four times,
removing disorders previously consid- Imagine the horror the unclean men and
ered pathological and women inspired when
adding new ones. they patrolled the out-
They must live skirts of the camp, yelling,
Leviticus 13 reads like an “Unclean!” Imagine their
alone; they must
infectious disease manual. tragic loneliness. They
But just as we’ve seen in live outside were not being punished
our previous days’ read- the camp. for sin, although no doubt
ings regarding the dietary Leviticus 13:46 it must have felt like it
laws and the ritual pu- to some.
rification required after
childbirth, skin disease is not necessar- The exclusion did, however, act as a
ily a medical or moral issue. What’s in kind of protective measure over the
focus here is determining when a person community, whose close living quarters
is ceremonially clean or unclean, fit or could breed infection. Vigilance was
unfit for participation in the community. exercised over unclean materials be-
cause any contagion of mold or disease
The priests arbitrated these matters of had the possibility of spreading quickly
skin diseases, determining which ones throughout the camp, putting everyone
prevented a person from entering the at risk. Symbolically, this illustrates the
tabernacle. The criterion seems to be horrors of sin in its ability to contami-
whether a condition was acute or chron- nate and destroy.
Each of us has been infected by sin. We are Keeping our prayers focused
unclean, and without a new birth by which on Moody Radio, let’s lift up
we’re given new spiritual skin, we cannot Moody Radio West Michigan.
draw near to God. Jesus has made a way for As Scott Curtis and Jack
Haveman work hard to create
forgiveness and spiritual rebirth by dying for
a place where listeners can
unclean sinners. “And so Jesus also suffered
turn for truth and hope, ask
outside the city gate to make the people holy God to bless their efforts and
through his own blood” (Heb. 13:12). encourage their hearts.

Read: Leviticus 14 Wednesday, May 16
Pronouncing Clean: The Ceremony and Its Symbolism

Many ancient religious rituals included ing and the Flood account in Genesis.
superstitious practices whose goal was First, in both, the agent of cleansing is
to appease the wrath of the gods. Some water. In Leviticus, the unclean person
might view the text we read today the bathes and washes his clothes, having
same way. We feel suspect about all the been sprinkled with the blood of the
bizarre ceremony of it all. Upon closer bird killed over fresh water. In Genesis,
examination, we’ll see that these sym- an unclean world undergoes a cleans-
bols are full of meaning. ing by a disastrous flood,
the means by which God
What is being described Noah built an altar wipes away sin and be-
here is the ceremonial gins anew. Second, the
to the Lord and
cleansing that takes place appearance of birds in
when a ritually unclean . . . sacrificed both stories provides a
person has been healed burnt offerings. link. Two birds are used
of his disease. He wasn’t Genesis 8:20 in the ceremonial cleans-
reintegrated into the coming: one killed over fresh
munity immediately. In- water, one dipped in its
stead, the priest visited the person out- blood. In the Flood story, birds are re-
side the camp, made the pronouncement leased when the rain stops and Noah
that he was clean, and invited him back waits to leave the ark. And finally, both
into the camp where he had to wait sev- the ceremonial cleansing and the Flood
en days before entering his tent. On the narrative conclude with sacrifices.
eighth day, the person to be cleansed
offered appropriate guilt, sin, and fel- Leviticus is drawing on larger themes
lowship offerings to the Lord. from the Pentateuch, highlighting God’s
great desire for relationship with
Many scholars have drawn parallels His people and man’s great need for
between this ritual ceremony of cleans- redemption and rescue.

The overwhelming balance of the New Will you pray for Greg
Testament, when it comes to the language of Thornton, Senior Vice President
sacrifice, is the focus on Jesus Christ. No other of Media? Greg leads Moody
sacrifice is required. Only two mentions are Radio and Moody Publishers,
ministries committed to
made of sacrifices we actually offer to God:
proclaiming the gospel in
the sacrifice of our money for the advance-
creative and powerful ways to
ment of mission (Phil. 4:18) and the sacrifice of help people become more
praise we offer God from our lips (Heb. 13:15). devoted followers of Christ.

Read: Leviticus 15 Thursday, May 17
Principle of Separation
In December 1952, five days of suffo- down. This meant that women were ritu-
cating smog hovered over the city of ally unclean nearly half of every month.
London. In the following weeks, medi- Men were also frequently unclean. Not
cal reports estimated that over 4,000 only was the person with the discharge
people died, and 100,000 people fell unclean, but anything he or she touched
ill. This environmental catastrophe made was unclean: cooking pots, riding sad-
way for new legislative policies, such as dles, beds, chairs.
the Clean Air Act of 1956.
Laid out are strict rules
The book of Leviticus ad- Come out from of separation in order to
dresses its own kind of them and be prevent contamination.
contaminant: the bodily separate. . . . The reason for the sever-
diseases, dysfunctions, Touch no unclean ity of these restrictions
and discharges, all of is explained in verse 31.
thing, and I will
which make a person Contamination is prob-
ceremonially unclean. To- receive you. able; therefore, every
day’s reading brings us 2 Corinthians 6:17 person must keep himself
into the secrecy of one’s from what would make
bedroom and bathroom, him ritually unclean in or-
launching us into the awkward discus- der that he might worship a holy God.
sion of bodily fluids.
Remember the general purpose of the
Semen and menstrual blood are both Pentateuch? Moses wrote to explain to
contaminants. No one entered the tab- the nation of Israel their newfound iden-
ernacle for seven days following men- tity as God’s people. God had chosen
struation or contact with a menstruating to make His dwelling right in their midst,
woman; an emission of semen or contact and in response, they were to endeavor
with it made people unclean until sun- to be holy.
The principle of separation is one that stands Will you pray for Moody
even in the New Testament. (Note today’s key Publishers Operations: Ann
verse.) We’ve been called, not to conformity Hackler, Mattie Hill, Elisabeth
with the world, but to transformed lives of Ireland, and Sandy Kleinhans?
May these employees
holiness. And yet we hold this in tension with
experience the peace of Christ
the compassionate example of Jesus, which we
as they go about their work
have in the Gospels. He kept company with today.
sinners and touched those who were unclean.

Day of Atonement: A Day of Grace

Yom Kippur, or the Jewish Day of Atone- judgment and probably felt reluctant to
ment, is still a day of solemn reflection resume his priestly duties.
and fasting. One Jewish woman ex-
plains, “When the fast is over, the hope On the one hand, the Day of Atonement
is that your prayers were answered, was certainly a day for appropriate
and you were written in the Book of Life fear. It highlighted God’s unconditional
and it will be a good year.” holiness. The high priest could enter the
Holy of Holies only once
Believers in Christ can a year, and when he did,
count on more than sim- Atonement is to be he had to bring blood
ply hoping that God has sacrifices both for himself
made once a year
heard our prayers and and his family as well as
forgiven our sins. Jesus’ for all the sins of for the entire nation. The
death on the cross, per- the Israelites. incense burning on his
fectly figured in the cer- Leviticus 16:34 censer was meant to ob-
emony described here, scure a view of the cover
was the finally sufficient of the atonement seat; he
atoning sacrifice for our sins. Tomor- was forbidden to look upon God. Every
row, we’ll explore that symbolism. part of the ceremony signified a careful
approach of the living God. The penalty
Today, we take a broader view of of any misstep was death.
the Day of Atonement. First, we note
the previous breach of priestly proto- But while the ceremony inspired fear,
col. Nadab and Abihu died when they it was also an expression of grace.
approached the Lord inappropriately Despite their sin and unworthiness, this
(see May 12). Aaron was stunned into great God of Israel had made His dwell-
silence by this swift expression of God’s ing in their midst and made provisions
for approaching Him.

An important reason to read a book like Concluding our prayers for
Leviticus is to shape our view of God. Culture Moody Publishers Operations,
today encourages people to believe what they let’s support Duane Koenig,
want to believe. Inevitably, people draw Ryan Lloyd, and Gregory
Miller in prayer. Ask God to
conclusions about God according to their own
guide them in making even the
preferences. The truth is, however, that God is
smallest of decisions.
not who we want Him to be but who He has
revealed Himself to be in the Scriptures.

Read: Hebrews 9 Saturday, May 19
Day of Atonement: Forgiveness Made Complete in Jesus

In the book, Devil at My Heels, Louis worship—these never did complete the
Zamperini tells his incredible life story. full work of forgiveness. Those who
As a World War II bombardier, he was came to the tabernacle with their offer-
captured by the Japanese and tortured ings left with the nagging sense that they
as a POW for two years. Later, Zam- were still failures, undeserving of God’s
perini met Jesus and was granted the mercy. The blood of bulls and goats had
power to forgive those who had beaten a superficial kind of effect. They could
and tortured him. declare a person cer-
emonially clean, but they
God’s heart pulses with I will forgive their could not fully absolve the
forgiveness. He wants to conscience (v. 9).
wickedness and
show mercy and to for-
give sin. The rituals of the
will remember Jesus, whose sacrifice
Day of Atonement, per- their sins no more. was made in heaven, not
formed only once a year, Hebrews 8:12 the tabernacle, brought
were a picture of the before God His own per-
people of God securing fect blood. There was no
His forgiveness and mercy. The symbol- need to bring sacrifice for His own sin,
ism of these rituals is rich with meaning, only the sin of the people. There was no
pointing to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. need to repeat the sacrifice year after
year. It was complete and final from the
The author of Hebrews works to draw very beginning. And His blood had a
out the connections to the Old Testa- power that the blood of bulls and goats
ment priestly code and ceremony with did not: it had the power to free people
the New Testament gospel. First, he ex- from guilt and their terrifying sense of
plains what was insufficient in the old failure, and to commission them for the
covenant. All of the prescriptions for purpose of priestly service.
the sacrifices, all the regulations for
Have you experienced the free and freeing Today we commit to praying
forgiveness of God? Or does your conscience for the staff serving in Moody
remain tortured, replaying scenes of your Publishers Fulfillment: Michael
failures and past sins? God’s desire is that you Alcazar, Junico Arroz, Lee
Denton, and Arthur Eastern.
walk in the freedom of His forgiveness. Share
These men work diligently in
with a friend how you’re struggling to receive
the warehouse, servicing
God’s forgiveness, and have that friend pray customer orders.
for you.

Read: Leviticus 17:1–9 Sunday, May 20
Narrative Shift: Holiness for Everyone

In December 2011, troops were called to Centralizing the worship of God at the
the Church of the Nativity to break up tabernacle was a protection against
a fight between the monks. The Church, idolatry. God had declared the ways by
considered the traditional site of Jesus’ which He could be approached. He had
birth, is maintained by three denomina- prescribed the kind of animals He would
tions—Roman Catholics, Armenians, and accept and the specific ways they were
Greek Orthodox. Apparently, this par- to be slaughtered and offered. Those
ticular day the denomina- who chose to disregard
tional disagreements had these prescriptions and
gotten out of hand. They must bring offer animal sacrifices
[the sacrifices] to anywhere outside the
Christians visit this site tabernacle were actu-
the priest, that is,
and others, but we have ally participating in idol
never had one authorized to the Lord, at the worship and guilty
holy place for worship. entrance to the of bloodshed.
The Israelites had been tent of meeting.
instructed by God to wor- Leviticus 17:5
These nine verses that we
ship at the tabernacle and read today form a kind of
later in the temple. They narrative shift between
had been making animal sacrifices in the first and second halves of Leviticus.
the wilderness; this was not a new prac- The first sixteen chapters of Leviticus,
tice. Now that the tabernacle has been or the Priestly Code, prescribe the ritu-
completed, however, God commanded als of worship and the requirements of
that all sacrifices be brought to the tab- the priests. The second half of the book,
ernacle and offered to Him there. The or the Holiness Code, turns its focus
penalty for not doing so was severe: from the requirements of the priests to
exclusion from the community of Israel. the holy commands given to the entire
community.

Old covenant practices have been abolished, Continuing our prayers for
but some principles remain true. In Leviticus, Moody Publishers Fulfillment
we see that God is addressing not individuals, team, let’s ask the Lord to give
but an entire community of people. This is also safety and strength to Ernesto
Laya, Chieu Nguyen, James
true in the New Testament where following
Seffinga, James Tran, and
Christ is not exclusively an individual pursuit
Matthew Tran as they pack and
but a call to identify oneself with a holy ship book orders today.
community of believers.

Read: Leviticus 17:10–16 Monday, May 21
Blood: Life, Death, and Atonement

In 1945, a new doctrine was intro- At other times, blood was used in the
duced into the dogma of beliefs held by ordination ceremonies of the priests.
Jehovah’s Witnesses. It prohibits their It was applied to the right ear, right
adherents from accepting blood trans- thumb, and right big toe of the priests
fusions or donating their own blood who were being anointed. Blood also
for transfusion. Perhaps they had been figured in the cleansing rituals for both
reading from the pages of Leviticus. people and houses. Blood, having these
special significances, was
The smell and sight of forbidden for consump-
blood greeted any wor- tion. Any person who
We have
shiper who came to the hunted and slaughtered
tabernacle. All through-
confidence to an animal must drain the
out Leviticus, we’ve seen enter the Most blood and bury it.
the critical importance of Holy Place by the
blood. For the ritual sac- blood of Jesus. All this reverence was
rifices, the priests took paid to blood in all the
Hebrews 10:19
special care of the blood ritual ceremonies of Le-
they drained from the viticus because blood
slaughtered animals: most was a symbol of life. Be-
often, it was sprinkled on the altar of cause God and God alone is the giver
burnt offering, but at other times, it was and sustainer of life, people could not
sprinkled on the outside of the curtain treat casually either human or animal
separating the Holy Place from the Holy life. Moreover, blood was used to make
of Holies. Once a year, the high priest atonement. Sin incurred the penalty of
carried the blood of the sacrifices with death, and the only rescue from death
him into the Holy of Holies, sprinkling it came as a result of the principle of ex-
on the atonement cover of the ark. change, when life was given for death.
Our key verse tells us that it’s Jesus’ blood Dr. Paul Nyquist, Moody’s
that gives us confidence to enter the Most President, requests your
Holy Place. The exclusive and solemn privilege prayers for Moody’s Pastors’
of the high priest granted only once a year is Conference held at our
Chicago campus this week.
now ours to enjoy at any moment of every
May God use Dr. Nyquist and
day. Take time to absorb the grace of God
other keynote speakers to
that has made this possible through Jesus, minister to the pastors in
giving Him praise. attendance.

Read: Leviticus 18; 19:9–18 Tuesday, May 22
Sexual Ethics and Economic Justice

Entire denominations are fracturing also insists on fair business practice and
over the issue of homosexuality in the just economic policy. It’s important to
church, some defending traditional notice that both are equally important to
biblical interpretations that forbid God. Obedience, both in the private and
homosexual practice, others going so public sector, is an expression of fear-
far as to ordain practicing homosexuals. ing the Lord and acknowledging that He
is witness to everything we do—in the
Today’s reading con- bedroom as well as in the field.
fronts us with sexual
ethics. What is and is Provision is made to care
Act justly and love for the poor and the immi-
not forbidden? Clearly,
this passage protects mercy and walk grant. God’s people were
marriage and prohibits humbly with to be lax when harvesting
the practices of incest, your God. and gleaning; what they
homosexuality, adultery, left behind after a first
John 15:14 gleaning was to be left
and any sexual contact
between humans and for the poor. All relation-
animals. These are as- ships were to depend on
sociated with the cultural mores of the the principles of fairness and honesty.
heathen nations, most specifically Egypt Employers were required to pay fair
and Canaan (vv. 23–30). wages. Everyone was commanded to
care for the less fortunate and the hand-
God insists that He is their God, and they icapped. The essence of the Law is sum-
must obey His authority. He intends they marized in verse 18: “Love your neighbor
be a holy people, distinctive not only be- as yourself.” To keep sexual expression
cause of the way they worship but also within the confines of marriage, to take
for how they conduct their relationships. care of the marginalized—these were
His prohibitions aren’t exclusive to regu- ways to honor the Lord and honor
lating private, intimate relationships; He one another.

As Christians, we are right to defend the Moody’s Sports Ministry
sacredness of marriage. But just as vehement- Department teaches students
ly, we must also speak up against injustice such how to use the universal
as global poverty, racial discrimination, and language of sports to reach
people with the gospel. Let’s
economic injustice. As reflected in our passage
pray for Undergraduate School
today, we see God’s great concern for
faculty serving in the Sports
both sets of issues, neither of which should Ministry Department: Dana
be ignored. Daly and Daniel Dunn.

Read: Leviticus 20 Wednesday, May 23
Expulsion and Death: Severe Penalties for Sin

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The are to be cut off from the protection and
Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester provisions that the community affords.
Prynne and her daughter, Pearl, whom But there remains an even more severe
she’s borne as a result of an adulterous penalty. Capital punishment, carried out
affair. Because of her sin, Hester suf- by the members of the community, was
fers a painful expulsion from her seven- legal. A person could be put to death for
teenth-century New England community. sins we might find rather innocuous like
cursing his parents, or sins
Hawthorne draws on we know are serious but
biblical themes of sin and You must not not lethal like committing
its penalty: from the very live according to adultery, as well as sins
beginning, the penalty of the customs of we find horrific such as
sin has been alienation the nations I am practicing child sacrifice.
and exclusion. Adam and
going to drive out
Eve were cast out of the The severity of punish-
garden and alienated before you. ment reveals just how
from God and each other. Leviticus 20:23 serious God was about
Cain, when he murdered the holiness of His people.
his brother, Abel, was ex- He had rescued them and
cluded from community and condemned set them apart from the surrounding na-
to spending his life as a restless wander- tions. And what was at stake was not
er. Sin wrecks the fellowship we were only their well-being (for obedience
created by God to enjoy. is in fact a means to joy and blessing)
but also the proper revering of God’s
Many of the sins catalogued in Leviticus name. Again, we look forward to Christ,
carry this same penalty of exclusion. knowing that He took the penalty for
When people are found guilty of certain our sin, suffering alienation, even death,
sins, such as consulting a medium, they for the sake of making us holy.
How serious a matter is sin to you? Are you Will you continue praying for
tempted to treat it casually? In what ways are faculty serving in the Sports
you committed to the practice of regular Ministry Department at
confession? Who is it that you tell when Moody’s Chicago campus?
Praise the Lord for Joseph
you’re struggling and failing? And what are
Harding and Jean Penfound
the evidences of repentance in your life? How
who are helping students
have you put off habits of sin and put on new prepare for a lifetime of
practices of righteousness? serving Jesus.

Read: Leviticus 21–22 Thursday, May 24
Responsibilities of Leadership: Holiness of Priests

Every time a well-known evangelical certain foods were forbidden for con-
leader with public testimony or minis- sumption by the priests, and they had to
try falls into ethical and moral failure, maintain separation from anything and
we all regret the shadows that are cast anyone unclean.
over the church and the gospel. Christian
leaders are accountable to God. That is Unlike for other Israelites, stricter
why the qualifications for pastors and regulations were instituted for the
elders in the New Testa- priests and especially for
ment are so stringent and the high priest. They were
also why it’s insisted upon Not many of you permitted no contact with
in Leviticus that priests should become the dead, except in the
stay morally and ceremo- teachers . . . case of the death of an
nially clean. If they were because you know immediate family mem-
unclean in any way, they that we who teach ber. The high priest was
could not be permitted to not even allowed to bury
will be judged
continue serving in their a mother or father. Even
priestly role and offering more strictly. in the case of choosing
daily sacrifices. James 3:1 whom they would marry,
priests could not marry
The old covenant, unlike the new, was divorced women or women who had
dependent upon the priests to represent been scandalized by engaging in prosti-
the nation to God. The priests were not tution. The high priest could not marry a
perfect, sinless men. They had to offer widow: his future wife must be a virgin.
sacrifices on their own behalf, needing
atonement just as much as any other Unfortunately, it’s not long after the
member of the community. They were Jews enter the Promised Land that even
as likely to face the possibility of ritual the priests would be guilty of betraying
contamination. As was true for others, God’s commands.

If you have the responsibilities for Bible Dr. Thomas Shaw, Vice
teaching or any other type of spiritual leader- President of Student Services ,
ship, you know how much your example leads departments such as
means. Do you live the words that you Admissions, Food Service, and
Academic Records. Please join
proclaim? Is there integrity to be found in
us in asking the Father to help
what you say and what you do? While you’re
Tom and his teams care for the
not expected to be perfect, it’s still a sobering needs of our students.
truth that you’ll be judged more strictly.

Celebration and Confession: Holy Days and Feasts

Puritans opposed special holiday The Passover and the Day of Atonement
observances like Christmas and Easter; were the holiest days of the Jewish
settlers were actually forced to pay calendar. The Passover was observed
fines for feasting on those days. “They in the first month of every year, kick-
for whom all days are holy can have no ing off the weeklong observance of
holiday,” was a common Puritan saying. the Festival of Weeks. Embedded in this
holiday was the retelling of how God
Maybe the Puritans would had miraculously deliv-
have benefitted from our ered the Jews from Egypt.
reading in Leviticus 23. These are my During this feast, the Jews
God Himself outfitted appointed brought their offerings of
the calendar of the Jew- festivals, . . . firstfruits, which served
ish nation around the ob- which you are to as a tangible way of
servance of holy feasts acknowledging how God
proclaim as sacred
and assemblies. They are had brought them into this
called “appointed festi- assemblies. land. The Day of Atone-
vals of the Lord,” occa- Leviticus 23:2 ment was a more somber
sions for rejoicing and day of reflection. The
celebration (v. 2). Jews observed it while
fasting, and the week that followed
For three pilgrim feasts (the Festival called for living in temporary shelters.
of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Those were reminders of their wilder-
Weeks, and the Festival of Taberna- ness journeying.
cles), men were expected to travel to
Jerusalem. After the conquest of the Each celebration rooted the nation in the
land and as the tribes spread out to pos- stories of God’s goodness and power.
sess it, Jerusalem would be the place of He had shown Himself faithful to them in
holy assembly. Egypt as well as in the wilderness.
Although the prominent festivals were an We invite you to pray for

important part of each calendar year, the Moody Radio’s Integrated
Sabbath was a regular way of reminding the Marketing team: Michael
Jews of their dependence on God. Sabbath Chapin, Debbie Douglas, Scott
Krus, and David Woodworth.
continues to be an important way to enjoy the
Ask the Lord to give this team
rest, to worship, and to declare dependence
creativity in promoting new
on God. How have you made these things a and existing Moody Radio
priority in your life? programs.

Read: Leviticus 24 Saturday, May 26
Lex Talionis: The Principle of Retribution

The principle of lex talionis, or the law selves from the goodness of God’s cre-
of retaliation, was an important part of ation. And in the wilderness, it was of
Old Testament Law. Rather than legislat- course the bread that fell from heaven,
ing violent action, it was actually intend- which kept alive the wandering Israel-
ed to mitigate vengeance. The penalty ites. These items also point forward to
for a crime could be no more severe Christ, who declared “I am the light of
than the crime itself. the world,” and “I am the bread of life”
(John 8:12; John 6:35).
Our passage today is not
all law: it first opens with Fracture for The passage abruptly
further instructions con- fracture, eye turns from instructions for
cerning the duties of the for eye, tooth the priests to a narrative
priests. They tended to for tooth. retelling. It’s only the sec-
the nightly lighting of the ond story told in Leviti-
golden lampstand, and Leviticus 24:20 cus. (The first was about
weekly, they prepared Nadab and Abihu.) This
the twelve sacred loaves of bread. Both narrative is another portrait of sin: a
are symbolic of God’s good work of man of mixed heritage is heard blas-
creation and covenant, themes we’ve pheming God’s holy name. He is put to
already traced in Leviticus. The light of death by the command of God at the
the lampstand calls to mind God’s first hands of the community. This is not an
words of creation: “Let there be light.” act of murder, for a distinction is clearly
And by the pillar of cloud and fire, God drawn in this passage between capital
illuminated the path of the Israelites punishment and murder.
as they left Egypt. Bread is the symbol
of God’s provision, reminding us of According to the principle of lex talionis,
the table God set for Adam and Eve. or an eye for an eye, all crimes should
They were permitted to nourish them- be punished swiftly but justly.

In debates over appropriate criminal penalties, Dr. Junias Venugopal, Provost
Christians should support principles outlined in and Dean of Education,
Scripture. God favors justice, with penalties in requests your prayers for the
proportion to the crime. They are not to be end of this Spring semester.
May God give Junias and his
applied out of vengeance or pleasure.
team passion and perseverance
Vulnerable members of society must not be
as they help prepare the
exploited. God’s justice is mingled with His ministry leaders God has
mercy, and ours should be as well. entrusted to us.

Read: Leviticus 25 Sunday, May 27
Jubilee: Provisions for the Poor/Stewardship of the Land

Katharine Hayhoe might be considered That strikes at the heart of what Sab-
a paradox. She is a Christian climate bath is really meant to do. Sabbath,
scientist. The daughter of missionaries, whether it’s a day we set aside for rest
the wife of a pastor, Hayhoe explains, and worship, or a year we set aside for
“My faith is the Christian faith . . . and the earth to replenish, is an expression
we are told to love our neighbors as of courageous trust. It reminds us that it
ourselves. And our neighbors, especial- is not our work that secures for us our
ly the poorer ones, are livelihood. It is God who
already harmed by provides us with all that
climate change.” You must not we need.
rule over your
It’s clear that Scripture Beyond a Sabbath for
insists on a proper care
fellow Israelites the land every seventh
and stewardship of the ruthlessly. year, God ordained the
earth. Today’s reading Leviticus 25:46 practice of Jubilee to
explains that not only did be observed every fifty
God insist upon a weekly years. This required more
Sabbath observance for His people, dramatic dependence on the part of
or a day consecrated to rest, He also the Israelites. Jubilee was a provision
commanded a Sabbath rest for the land. of protection for the poor: it called
Every seven years, the Israelites were for debt cancellation. Land and homes
to refrain from planting and sowing, were returned to the rightful owner as
reaping and harvesting. The land was to prescribed by family heritage.
lay fallow, resting and replenishing.
Jubilee is not veiled socialism, or simple
The question Moses anticipates is this: redistribution according to principles of
“What will we eat in the seventh year if fairness. It was a way to acknowledge
we do not plant or harvest our crops?” that no one but God owned the land.
What would the practice of Jubilee look like MBI—Spokane is Moody Bible
today? What kinds of debts can you cancel Institute’s Undergraduate
for others? Maybe you can forgive some School located in the Pacific
financial obligations. Or maybe you can Northwest. Join us in asking the
Lord to give continued unity to
forgive someone’s offense against you and
MBI—Spokane faculty and
work to restore the relationship. On a larger
administration: Jonathan
scale, how can our churches practice the kind Armstrong, Daniel Churchwell,
of reconciliation in the principle of Jubilee? Jack Lewis, and Wendy Liddell.

Read: Leviticus 27 Monday, May 28
Costly Giving: Freewill Offerings and Vows

We might be cynical about promises. And because men and women are val-
Politicians promise not to raise taxes, ued differently, are we to believe that
professional athletes promise they God esteems men more than women?
haven’t used steroids, and celebrities Upon closer look, it’s important to notice
say, “I do,” many of their marriages that the values assigned to the people
ending disastrously, sometimes within a are accorded with the potential produc-
matter of weeks. tivity of their labor. Most valued is a
man between the ages of
Leviticus ends with a chap- 20 and 60. Because men
ter concerning vows, and Make vows to the are generally physically
they are to be taken seri- Lord your God stronger than women,
ously. The vows are made they have the potential
and fulfill them; . . .
publicly to the priests in for doing more of the
the presence of the Lord, bring gifts to manual work that would
rescinded only when one the One to have been required in this
paid the value of the item be feared. ancient society. A woman
along with an additional Psalm 76:11
of this same age group
20 percent. Moreover, was valued more highly
these vows aren’t to be than an elderly man for
superficial gestures of devotion. They apparently the same reason.
are freewill offerings in addition to
the obligatory gifts required of the Because the Levites alone were respon-
Israelites, such as the offerings of the sible for the priestly duties and care of
firstborn or the required tithe. the tabernacle, devoting someone to
the Lord would not likely mean enrolling
Each gift was appraised by the priest. At them in the ministry. It could instead look
first glance, we might wonder how one like paying the equivalent value to the
can assign monetary value to a person. Lord as a substitution.

David once insisted that he would never offer Continuing our prayers for
to the Lord something that cost him nothing faculty and administration
(2 Sam. 23:15–17). The relative value assigned serving at MBI—Spokane,
to each of these freewill offerings was high, please ask the Father to supply
His sustaining grace to John
especially in light of the fact that a day’s wage
McMath, Jennifer Mills,
was ordinarily about one shekel. It prods us to
Michael Orr, and Christopher
consider our own giving. Do we give sacrifi- Rappazini.
cially? What does our giving really cost us?

Read: Leviticus 26:1–13 Tuesday, May 29
Blessings for Obedience

If we’ve become wary of the The locus of the blessing is not only the
promises of our politicians, imagine people themselves but by extension the
hearing one insist that by the end of his land. The land, as well as the people, will
or her elected term, prosperity would be fruitful. The fields and orchards will
be completely restored and our national produce abundant yields. God will con-
security completely guaranteed. tinue to do what He’s done in the desert:
He will feed His people, nourishing them
God makes promises— and attending to their dai-
and keeps them. He’s no ly needs. Ultimately, what
long-winded politician God seems to be saying
just trying to garner a Lord Almighty, is this: Do not be afraid.
few more votes. As the blessed is the one I love you, I will care for
book of Leviticus draws who trusts in you. you, and I only ask that
to a close, God reiter- you obey Me fully.
John 20:17
ates all the good inten-
tions and purposes He That contingency is of
has for His people. These course the real sticking
are deliberate echoes of the promises point. God demanded their complete
of creation and of covenant, purposes loyalty, forbidding any kind of idol
to multiply His people, to dwell among worship. Everyone must bow to His
them and make them fully His. Like a authority, acknowledging the rescue
sovereign king, He will bring under His He had already performed on their
protection those who swear to Him their behalf. He is the Lord, and it is His to
allegiance. He will ensure their national command what they will do and whom
security, making their enemies flee be- they will worship.
fore them. Despite all the ways they’ve
yet been unfaithful, He had not relented We know that the nation will not be able
from His desire to do them great good. to fulfill the demands of the covenant.
Remember the promises of the new covenant, Keeping our prayers focused
which God would establish through Jesus on MBI–Spokane, lift up faculty
(cf. Jeremiah 31). He would, by His Spirit, and administration serving at
perform heart surgery on His people to this campus: Carie Ritz, Floyd
Schneider, and Gerald
transform us from the inside out, thereby
Vreeland. May God use these
securing our loyalty. Praise God for His grace.
individuals to transform
He doesn’t give up, even when we disregard students’ lives and ministries
His goodness and disobey His commands. for His glory.

Read: Leviticus 26:14–46 Wednesday, May 30
Curses for Disobedience

Parenting has its trends, and new books All throughout the Bible, God makes
are being marketed every year with clear that He wants what’s best for His
tricks and tips for parents. “Positive people. His plans and purposes are good
parenting” is a recently acclaimed meth- and can be trusted. His commands actu-
od. It teaches parents never to use any ally serve as a kind of protective mea-
punishment or negative consequence but sure for His people, put in place to guide
to manage their children with the use of them into what is good and to protect
rewards and praise. them from what is harm-
ful. Disobedience doesn’t
I will not
Positive parenting was just elicit God’s angry re-
not the sole method reject them . . . sponse. By its very nature,
God Himself employed so as to destroy it actually leads to forms
with His children. At the them completely, of death and destruction.
beginning of the chapter, breaking my That is why God insists
His people were prom- covenant with that His people obey
ised a host of rewards Him—not simply so that
them.
and blessings contingent He can be in charge but so
upon their obedience; as Leviticus 26:44 that we can be cared for.
we read further, great
suffering and pain are threatened for Notice the words used for obedience
their disobedience. God isn’t setting up and disobedience in this passage. To
a simple accounting system of checks obey is synonymous with the verbs
and minuses or a behavior management to follow, to listen, to carry out. To
plan such as we might see in elementary disobey means to reject, to abhor,
school classroom. What’s in place is the to fail, to violate, and even to show
principle of sowing and reaping. Bless- hostility. All of these words are active,
ing will always have its rewards; sin will implying deliberateness and intention.
always have its consequences. Sin and obedience aren’t accidental.

As severe as these warnings are, and as Concluding our prayers for
serious as God is about His intolerance of sin, MBI–Spokane, will you
He will still continue to show mercy. Even when remember Student Services:
His people fail Him, their confession will be Tina Armagost, Leah Schneider,
and Daniel Ward? Thank God
met with immediate grace. He will withhold the
for their efforts that support
full weight of His justice, remembering the
students’ spiritual, emotional,
covenant. What hope for the days when and academic development.
we’ve really made a mess of things!

Read: Ephesians 5:1–20 Thursday, May 31
Levitical Themes in New Testament Clothes

Some Christians find it difficult to recon- blood payment for sin. He is the faith-
cile the Old and New Testaments. They ful high priest as well as the sufficient
might characterize the God of the Old sacrifice, an incarnated salvation.
Testament as vengeful and angry, the
God of the New as merciful and loving. Leviticus has also inspired in us rever-
ence for God’s holiness. In the story of
Hopefully through our study of Leviti- Nadab and Abihu and the later story
cus, and especially as we of the blasphemer, we
conclude today with a saw fierce expressions
look at Ephesians 5, we And in him you of God’s wrath. Note
have seen that there’s no too are being that Ephesians makes
distinction between the built together to reference to this aspect
God of the Old and New become a dwelling of God’s holy character:
Testaments. The themes God has always reserved
in which God lives
of Scripture are consis- wrath and judgment for
tent. In fact, the book of by his Spirit. disobedience, both then
Leviticus has the power to Ephesians 2:22 and now.
illuminate our understand-
ing of the gospel. Because God is holy,
He requires holiness of His people. In
All throughout Leviticus, we’ve been Leviticus, laws regulated ritual purity as
looking at the sacrificial system, a demonstration that men and women
understanding that without blood sacri- needed to be clean before a holy God.
fice there can be no atonement for sin. Ephesians explores not ritual purity but
Ephesians uses this language of Leviticus holy character and conduct. Although
but applies it to Christ. Jesus was the we have been saved by grace, we’re
fragrant offering and sacrifice to not entitled to live life as we please or
God. He fulfilled the requirement of to pay no attention to moral boundaries.
We are the dwelling place of God. The Thank you for joining us for this
candles that burned in the tabernacle from month’s study of Leviticus. As
evening to morning—that is our flame (Eph. you reflect on the theme of
5:8). The burning incense that perfumed the holiness woven throughout this
book, worship the Lord for His
air—that is our fragrance (2 Cor. 2:14). We are
holiness and praise Him for
a witness to the world of the holy God who
making us holy through the
delights to forgive sin and to show mercy. To sacrifice of His Son.
whom will you tell this good news today?

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For Further Reading

To learn more about how Jesus is reflected in Leviticus, read Leviticus

God’s people are holy because God set them apart.

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6 • Moody Bible Institute

The Language of Sin and Holiness in Leviticus

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Today in the Word • 7

Creation: God’s Good Work of Beginnings

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8 • Moody Bible Institute

Covenant: God’s Good Work of Rescue

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Today in the Word • 9

Worship and the Requirement of Atonement

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10 • Moody Bible Institute

Worship and the Expression of Thanksgiving

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Today in the Word • 11

Worship and the Expression of Guilt

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12 • Moody Bible Institute

Worship and the Definition of Sin

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Today in the Word • 13

Old Testament Worship: Pointing the Way Forward

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14 • Moody Bible Institute

Universal Guilt: Consecrating the Priests

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Today in the Word • 15

Fire and Blessing: Consuming the Sacrifice

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16 • Moody Bible Institute

Fire and Judgment: Consuming the Guilty

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Today in the Word • 17

Dietary Laws: Holiness for God’s People

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Imagine how revolutionary the words of Jesus Today we go to God in prayer

18 • Moody Bible Institute

Unclean: Purification after Childbirth

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Today in the Word • 19

Continued on next page

20 • Moody Bible Institute

Continued from previous page

Today in the Word • 21

Unclean: Skin Diseases

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22 • Moody Bible Institute

Pronouncing Clean: The Ceremony and Its Symbolism

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Today in the Word • 23

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24 • Moody Bible Institute

Day of Atonement: A Day of Grace