More than a Joke

She mocked what she didn't understand and invited others to join her in what she considered to be a joke. A passage from the book of Leviticus had been lifted out of context striped naked of meaning and was now on display for ridicule. I understand that Leviticus is a difficult book to understand, there are many things I find difficult to understand as well. However, I think there is a better approach than mocking God's word. The Scriptures says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

The Bible goes on to say, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching , for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16,17) This is also true about the book of Leviticus. I believe that if this book is approached with humility seeking to understand the word of truth that you might just find yourself inhaling the breath of God.

Why was this book written in the first place? It was written by a holy God who desired to dwell in the midst of his people. But there was a problem. They were sinful and impure. Leviticus 11:44 says, "Be holy, for I am holy." To be holy is to be set apart for God. The book of Leviticus shows what that looks like.

This book points to more than just the holiness of God. I mean, why would a holy God want to dwell with unholy people? I think this book also points to the love of God. In this book we get a glimpse of our sin nature from God's perspective. In Leviticus God tells us what He considers perversion. This is a book that invites you to look at the world through the lens of God's holiness.

This is not a book about God's condemnation, a book to simply expose what God considered to be abominations. Instead, this is a book about God's gracious invitation to have sins and impurities dwelt with. This is also a book that will point those who study it to Jesus. If you look you will see him in the sacrifices, you will see him in the feast days. If you seek for him you will find Jesus in the Day of Atonement where there is total cleansing of sins and uncleanness. Those who mock Leviticus mock God's holiness and his love because they do not understand it.