Chronological Reading Plan for Feb 18, Lev 16-18

Today's readings are Leviticus 16-18. Tomorrow's are Leviticus 19-21. 

We see the Day of Atonement in Lev 16, a day when atonement is made for the sins of the entire nation. Two goats are used in the ritual, one to be sacrificed and the other to bear the sins of the people. It is not enough for the sins to be covered by the sacrifice. They have to be removed, distancing them from the people who committed them.  

More sacrifices are made. The blood and remains are removed from the camp, showing the camp is clean and presentable as a place for God to dwell.

Lev 17 begins a section that runs through Lev 25. These chapters take holiness as an attribute and expand it into a set of guidelines that detail holiness as a way of life.

No meat is to be slaughtered outside the Tabernacle without bringing the blood to the Tabernacle (Lev 17:3-4). The custom of many Mideastern cultures of the time was to shed blood in sacrifice to their gods (Lev 17:7).  For God's people there was to be neither confusion nor overlap with sacrifices made to other gods. Blood represented life and was sacred. God reveals that He uses the shedding of blood to redeem His people. They should revere the shedding of blood in any manner.

Intimacy is declared sacred in Lev 18. It is not to be shared with immediate family members. Those were pagan practices. Nor is it to be shared outside of God's people.  God's people are not to be united with people of other gods. God is faithful and expects His children to be faithful as well. 

All unnatural acts are concisely detailed and prohibited. Sex is to be shared between one man and one woman. God is not capricious about with whom He chooses to be in union. He is united with His chosen people, no others. God shares spiritual intimacy and union only with those who are His. He is faithful to them. They should be faithful to Him. God has given them sexual intimacy as a gift and blessing that will allow them to multiply and carry His message all over the world. That gift should not be perverted for sinful pleasure. What all this boils down to is whether or not intimacy will be engaged in to please themselves or to honor God, in being holy and obedient to His word.

These are timely chapters. The daily lives of the Jews are to reflect the holiness of God who lives among the Jews. That holiness sets them apart from the world. God gives very clear guidelines. They are timeless and are subject neither to changing cultural mores nor modern thinking. One of the lessons we see in Scripture time and again, is that God will not be challenged on His guidelines for holiness.