Boundaries.

Throughout Leviticus, God provides laws that should not have been necessary. In 17:15, He says don’t eat roadkill (tempting, right?): “Every person … who eats an animal that died or was mauled by wild beasts… will be unclean.” God is realistic—He knows people will take things too far and push the boundaries.

The same is true for sexual relations. If you don’t think so, consider television. I once complained to my wife that though Breaking Bad (TV-MA) includes very little sex, what it does include is … “unusual.” Nothing traditional happens. The same is true for most television. If you kept a record, the people audiences see in bed together are married—to each other—about one time out of a hundred. The other 99 times, the sex is OUTSIDE the Biblical rules.

God is not surprised by that. He takes the time to clearly state some rules, providing guidance for a culture (like ours) that has moved WAY BEYOND the simple extra-marital affair. He realistically addresses other issues:

“You are not to come near any close relative for sexual intercourse. You are not to have sex with your father’s wife; it will shame your father. You are not to have sex with your sister [or half-sister]… You are not to have sex with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, because it will shame your family. You are not to have sex with your father’s sister; she is your father’s close relative… You are not to have sex with your daughter-in-law, or your brother’s wife, or your aunt… You are not to have sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter… they are close relatives; it is depraved. You are not to sleep with a man as with a woman; it is detestable. You are not to have sexual intercourse with any animal… it is a perversion.” Leviticus 18:6-23.

God is Holy, but God is NOT naïve. He knows what is in the hearts of people. Thank Him for being merciful enough to provide clear guidance. Ask Him to help you obey.

ΑΩ

Do Not Add a Second Sin to the First.

It is easy for the naïve to assume the best.  But God is not naïve.  “Jesus knew what was in the heart of man” John 2:25.  In situations where well-meaning parents or teachers might think minimal guidance is enough, God spells things out in detail.  Consider sexual sin, for example.  Most of us think there’s one rule: no sex outside of marriage. 

But God “knows what is in the heart of man” and thus, provides great detail, addressing some of the more unusual situations—situations that are not unusual at all on TV situation comedies and rom-com films like “Rumor Has It.” 

But this is no laughing matter: 

Do not have sex with close relatives for that is depraved: mothers or stepmothers, sisters, stepsisters, or half-sisters, daughters, grand-daughters, or step-granddaughters, aunts, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, or any mother and also that mother’s daughter. Don’t marry two sisters. “Do not have sex with a man as with a woman; it is detestable. You are not to have sexual intercourse with any animal, defiling yourself with it; it is a perversion.” Leviticus 18:1-23.

God is a realist; He knows people—even the people of Israel—will violate the simple rule prohibiting sex outside of marriage.  Knowing the first rule will be broken, God warns us not to add a SECOND sin.  It’s as though He says, “if you must fornicate, do not ALSO violate a close family member.  If you must fornicate, do not also violate your nature by exchanging sex with a woman for sex with a man or an animal. 

Why the extra warning? Because each additional sin comes with additional consequences.  What consequences?  Consider the Promised Land.  God is going to overthrow every nation living there because of their depravities, perversions, and detestable acts.  If Israel sows the seeds of the sins of the Canaanites, Israel will reap the same harvest, the grapes of God’s great wrath.  So He warns His people: do not add a second sin to the first. 

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God Knows How to Muck Out Your Hurricane-Ravaged House.

After Hurricane Harvey, I thought I’d seen it all. In my rubber boots I had slogged through a dozen Houston-area houses with water dripping from carpets and insulation. As the sun rose toward noon, you could feel the steam coming out of those swampy damp caverns of mold and moisture. It was interesting, but gross and foul to smell. Still, dragging the wet stuff out, getting fans going, and letting the place begin to dry felt great.

But not until the pipes froze in my parents’ house did I encounter collapsed ceilings and rooms buried in insulation and filth. Wow.

I’m not sure when people realized mold was unhealthy, but God has always known. And though Israel is a dry climate (healthier than ours, provided you have food and water), He gave laws for dealing with mold. If people found mold in the house, they had to move out and call in the priest to check it. He would have every stone with mold removed and taken outside the city walls. Then everything that’s left would be scraped clean and the dust taken outside the city. If no mold reappears, the house is clean, new stones and mortar are put in, and the family returns. If the mold keeps coming back, the house will be taken down, brick-by-brick, and the stones and timbers taken outside the city. Meanwhile, everyone who touches the house each day has to wash himself and his clothes and is ceremonially unclean till evening. Leviticus 14:33-57.

Did the Israelites understand the reasons for these laws? Probably not. But God knew what was best. Just as dietary laws protected them from unknown parasites, laws about mold—and all His laws—were for their protection. 

That’s still true today. I know it’s hard to understand some of God’s laws, such as those concerning sexuality. But we have to trust that He knows what is best, and He wants to protect us from dangers we don’t understand. 

Trust God and submit to His word. Doesn’t He deserve that from you?

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Quarantine. Leviticus 13 and 14.

As of this morning (2/20/2020), the Coronavirus has reached 24 nations; 75,000 people have been infected; 2,118 have died. Cruise ships returning from China are under 14-day quarantines around the world. China has placed 45M people under quarantine—the largest quarantine in history. Hong Kong announced prison sentences for anyone who violates the quarantine. Researchers trace the disease to a market in Wuhan, China. The virus was transmitted from bats to an animal called a pangolin (a Chinese armadillo). Then a human ate a pangolin.

What would the Bible say about such a meal? Does a pangolin have split hooves and chew the cud? No. It is unclean. Had it not been eaten, there may never have been an outbreak. Again, there is a reason behind God’s laws.

Once on an episode of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, half the town contracted smallpox. Doc Baker put all the patients in the ice cellar to protect those who were still healthy. He hung a sign on the door that struck fear in the hearts of everyone: QUARANTINE.

Where did the notion of a quarantine begin? Leviticus. In chapters 13 and 14 the word “quarantine” is used ELEVEN times. People with questionable skin conditions must be quarantined for 14 days so the priest can determine if the condition is clean (like eczema) or unclean (like leprosy).

Guess what? Quarantines are not just for people. If a Hebrew found mildew in his leather or fabric, that item was quarantined for 14 days to determine whether it was a spreading, harmful mildew. And if he found mildew in his house, the priest would quarantine the house for 14 days.

Once again, we return to Exodus 15:26:

“If you will listen to the voice of the Lord … and keep all His statutes, then I will put NONE OF THESE DISEASES on you...”

God promises His people that if they obey, they will not have the diseases of the pagans. Dietary laws might have prevented this outbreak of the Coronavirus. And for those who may have caught the disease, God created the rule of quarantine to stop the spread. God’s laws may not be exciting reading—but they are amazing when you appreciate the way He took care of His people thousands of years before modern medicine.

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How Do You Start a Nation?

Men who found nations begin by positioning armies at the borders. God begins by telling people WHAT TO EAT!  And then? After food, God gives laws addressing dead animals, skin diseases, and mold!  So unexpected!

As with the well-known dietary laws, God provides “hygiene” laws that would later be confirmed by science.  If unclean animals or insects are found dead on wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or a tool, “it is to be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening” Leviticus 11:32.  Do you see how that protects people from the germs from such things as a dead mouse? No one had heard of germs.  But Leviticus required washing long ago.

Next, God provides guidance for those with possible skin diseases—they are to be quarantined for a time while their health is evaluated.  This approach was confirmed later when we learned that skin diseases, such as leprosy, are highly contagious.

The Bible then addresses mold and mildew in “wool or linen fabric, … or in leather… it is to be shown to the priest” Lev. 13:47-49.  Next, God gives laws for handling mildew spreading in a house: “the stones with the contamination must be pulled out and thrown into an unclean place outside the city.… If the contamination reappears, it is a harmful mildew; the house is unclean. It must be torn down….” Lev. 14:40-45.  But who would be afraid of a mold? Yet science proves some molds can kill.

The lesson here is the Israelites who obeyed God—though they did not understand the reason behind the laws—were rewarded with better health.  In the same way, we must obey God’s laws even when we do not understand the reason behind them. God’s rules may appear old-fashioned or may hurt our feelings, but He is God and we must obey and trust him by faith.  Someday his ways WILL make sense.  Until then, He deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Dear God, help us obey and trust you by faith, even when we do not understand.

ΑΩ

God is in the Details.

In the late 1960s, 14,000 workers were dying on the job each year. Combined with disabling injuries and work-related diseases, going to work had become increasingly dangerous.  Thus, US politicians drafted the Occupational Safety and Health Act.  President Nixon signed the bill into law in 1970 and here’s where it gets interesting … the details. Do we require ironworkers to wear a harness and rope at thirty stories high? What if they are only three stories high? What about residential roofers?  Who must wear ear protection, steel-toed boots, and dust masks?  It is an incredible undertaking, reshaping the landscape of US industry.  And politicians, mostly lawyers and economists, can’t help. What do they know about welding safety?

But the Occupational Safety and Health Act created the Occupational Safety and Health ADMINISTRATION.  Imagine a new office building in Washington, with branches across the nation.  These offices filled with people—the Administration—will address the details.  Thousands of people will sit at desks drafting rules to greatly reduce every conceivable workplace injury.  This is how modern nations address complex problems: pass a law containing general principles, then create an agency of thousands to figure out the details: Who must wear a hard hat and how strong must it be?

God did not run Israel that way. God Himself DICTATED the most down-to-earth details.  Where US politicians draft general laws, leaving the specifics to others, the GOD OF ISRAEL took on the specifics.  God DICTATED food rules. God DICTATED rules for washing dishes, pots, ovens. God DICTATED rules for cleansing after childbirth. God DICTATED rules for swellings, burns, boils, and skin diseases. God DICTATED rules for mildew in fabrics, walls, and the stones of houses. See Leviticus 11-14.  

These four chapters—a small portion of the practical laws God dictated—are lengthy discussions, dull reading for most.  But it is amazing to consider that the God who created the universe is interested in the details of our lives.  God does not simply give His people general principles like “love everybody” and then leave it up to us to figure out the specifics.  The Bible is INCREDIBLY SPECIFIC. 

We simply need to read it.

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Worship Means Recognizing God’s Holiness.

“Holy” means “other.” God is OTHER than us, He is different, He is perfect. He embodies TOTAL TRUTH and PERFECT PURITY.  He must be FEARED and RESPECTED.

After a lifetime witnessing miracles, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were ordained as priests through a week-long process of sacrifices.  How did they respond?

“Now Nadab and Abihu took their firepans, put fire and incense in them, and put the fire before the Lord, contrary to God’s instructions. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died.  Then Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord spoke, saying ‘I must be treated as holy by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored.’” Leviticus 10:1-3.

Aaron’s sons acted with pride. Rather than fearing God’s holiness, the two put their eyes on how special THEY were. They brought pride into God’s holy presence, and they were struck down.

Not only that—Aaron could say nothing about it!  “Moses said to Aaron and to his surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, ‘Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you do not die… for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you” Lev. 10:6-7. Moses says in effect, “during this week of ordination, you three will say and do nothing but keep your focus on the holiness of God.  His holiness is more important than your grief.”

God was preparing Israel for thousands of years of nationhood. When Moses and Aaron were long gone, the nation would continue to observe God’s sacrifices and the worship of a holy God.  Consequently, several times in the early years, those who violated God’s holiness were struck down, setting a striking example for future generations.

Do we respect God’s holiness? Or do we worship while telling ourselves how special WE are?

The Bible says, “Be holy, even as I am holy.” See Lev.11:44; 1 Peter 1:16.

God, teach us to walk in holiness, to worship you in holiness and humility, to fear and respect you every moment.

ΑΩ

Mercy and Holiness.

What if your son treated a loaded gun like a toy? What would you do? Some things require an absolutely sober seriousness, right? It’s not about the child, but the NATURE OF THE OBJECT. Guns, by nature, command sobriety and respect. They are DIFFERENT than other things. They are SET APART.

Aaron’s sons brought “unauthorized fire” to the altar and fire shot out and killed them both. Leviticus 10:1-2.

Wait, what? They were fulfilling their duties as priests and God struck them down? But they ignored God’s instructions. This was in the Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies. You can’t go in there and treat things casually. God established clear rules and they ignored them. What were they thinking? They obviously never saw RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. You don’t mess with the ark—or anything else God deems holy. I’m kidding, of course, but the two had witnessed all the miracles in Egypt and the years since. They saw the fire by night and cloud by day. They collected manna six mornings a week. They were familiar with God’s power and holiness. But they treated it carelessly.

I wrote that guns are different, “set apart.” And that’s what “holy” means. It literally means “different” or “set apart.” God is holy and He wanted His people to recognize that. The things of God are to be treated with respect, with some seriousness, like a loaded gun. That does not mean you have fear or that you don’t walk in joy. “The joy of the Lord is [always] your strength.” But we can benefit from a better understanding of holiness. 

And if you know the Lord, YOU are holy. YOU are set apart, different, special. God sees your heart as perfect and pure, worthy of entering the Holy of Holies at even your lowest moments, because of the blood of Jesus. We are covered in mercy and grace—so blessed to live under the New Covenant. But remember, God NEVER changes. And don’t buy the lie that the Father is “mean” and Jesus is “nice.” Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

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Be Not Drunk With Spirits, But Filled With the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18.

Few subjects in America are more controversial than alcohol.  It is not so in Europe.  C.S. Lewis spoke often of “having a pint.” He saw no problem with drinking. But 100 years after Prohibition, Americans remain divided.  We outlawed the sale of liquor to address a serious problem.  Then we made it legal again because the prohibition proved unenforceable.  Rather than a blanket prohibition (as in Islam and Mormonism), the Bible assumes people will drink, but offers rules to control it.  Jesus turned water into wine.  He drank wine at the Last Supper and said He would not drink again until He drank in Heaven.  Imagine: we will drink in Heaven.  That should give us pause.

The Bible mentions alcohol often, but much of that is in the context of a warning about the horrible things wine will do to you.  Everyone knows the devastation.  Minor problems include absenteeism, poor work, or missed deadlines.  Serious problems follow, such as fathers who drink their paychecks and fail to provide for their families.  The risks are real; the Bible contains hundreds of warnings.  And why is it Nazirites like Samson were not only required to avoid wine, but to avoid even eating a grape?

“The Lord spoke to Aaron: ‘You and your sons are not to drink wine when you enter the tent of meeting, or else you will die” Leviticus 10:9.

“It is not for kings to drink wine … lest they forget the law … Give wine to the man who is perishing so he can forget his trouble” Proverbs 31:4-7.

No drinking for Nazirites. No drinking for priests on duty. No drinking for kings. But give wine to the poor man so he can feel relief.

Highlighting these texts alone oversimplifies the more nuanced message of scripture.  But it works for me: I choose not to drink because I would rather be the king with responsibilities than the poor man who needs relief from his problems.

God, give us wisdom about everything we put into our bodies.

ΑΩ

P.S. Drinking is a nuanced issue with plenty of gray areas and room for reasonable minds to disagree. Remember the history of Prohibition in the United States: many churches and denominations took rigid positions on one side or the other–and those positions tend to persist a century after Prohibition was repealed. My conclusion is: Jesus drank wine and miraculously provided it to others. Who am I to say it is wrong? Yet dozens of Bible passages warn of the ill effects of drinking. We must do as Paul says, “let each man have his own conviction” (Romans 14:5) and “judge not” (Matthew 7:1). Finally, If you drink often, consider fasting often. Fasting moderates appetites, ensuring we will “Be not drunk on spirits, but filled with the Holy Spirit” Ephesians 5:18. https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2023/04/06/its-not-if-but-when/

New York State of Mind.

New Yorkers are known for being tough, argumentative, even rude—common traits in a densely populated city. But they have another trait that may not seem to fit: they don’t want to get involved. If a purse is stolen, it’s “I didn’t see nuthin,’ I don’t know nuthin.’” No one wants to help.

But sometimes justice requires you to step up. You can’t be an honest person and keep secrets when you know something that may help. Justice is a worthy goal—if you can get us there, God expects you to speak up.

“Now if a person sins after he hears a public order to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his punishment” Leviticus 5:1.

Yesterday a man came to court in shackles and an orange jumpsuit. He was in trouble already for refusing to testify. He sat on the stand and answered every question the same way: “I refuse to testify.” In the end, the judge added 18 months to the man’s prison sentence because of his refusal to cooperate. (The witness neither possessed nor asserted a fifth amendment privilege—his testimony would not have put him at risk.)

Can you see the problem? We need to hear the truth before we can render a just verdict. His refusal may mean the jury renders an unjust verdict. A murderer may go free because this witness won’t tell us what he knows. (All the witnesses appear to have been threatened; one of them testified about threats he received.)

You will probably never see a murder or have to risk your own life to tell the truth. Still, it can be scary. There are always ramifications, consequences. But INTEGRITY CREATES COURAGE as I have said before. Be honest, live a life of integrity, and God will give you courage when you need it.

THANK YOU, GOD, for the Bible and the amazing, PRACTICAL laws that guide us and our society. Help us walk in honesty, integrity, and COURAGE. Bless America’s criminal justice system with GOOD results. Bless our nation today. 

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