“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:26-28 NLT
Lord help me to serve others well.
I am shocked by the sacrifice and blood in Leviticus. I can just imagine the sights and smells as the continual procession of people waiting to slaughter the animals as we can’t help but sin!
BUT, it was meant to be harsh and violent as the offerer pressed their hands on the sacrifice’s head! Their needed to be a shedding of blood to ATONE for their sins (the burnt offering).
There needed to be a token of setting aside their very best for God, in token (the grain offering).
There needed to be peace offerings (fellowship) and sin offerings to gain forgiveness for their constant and often unintentional sin. An act of WORSHIP to reestablish fellowship with God.
There is a simple assurance throughout that the Priest will make atonement on their behalf for their sin IF they follow the offerings asked and they WILL be forgiven.
I am SO thankful that Jesus shed His own previous blood for us/me/you. He has paid ALL our debts and covered ALL our sin (if we would but ask!). Thank You Jesus!!
A group called Mosaic works with “disabled” people and they did a Bible study with one of my classes. They focused on the verse where Jesus heals the blind. What I had never noticed before is that Jesus doesn’t assume that the blind wish to see—he asks them what they want. He gives them that authority, even though the rest of society is content in hushing them up and bossing them around.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’
Sometimes I do begrudge his generosity — when I’m asked to forgive those who’ve sinned against me, as he forgives me and those who’ve sinned against him. He is always the more generous.
Lord, I want to follow you and your ways instead of always clamoring for “fairness”. Your ways are not always my ways, and your thoughts are not my thoughts.
But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
I always tear up at the instances of Jesus giving sight to others. I think of it literally, in terms of miraculous healing, but then also in terms of faith. My pastor always preaches about having faith eyes that guide us with vision of things unseen. I like to think that these examples of Jesus giving sight to the blind also applies to Jesus giving faith and faith eyes to those who are not believers. Isn’t that amazing? Praise the Lord for he allows us to view the world with our eyes of faith instead of just our mere earthly vision.
Everyone is here with purpose, to serve the Lord. Whether we were first or last to believe, all who believe are given the gift of eternal life. No specific aspect of our life makes us better, it’s our belief in God gives us everlasting life.
This is a response to Rebecca Leek. I wasn’t able to reply to her directly. As Christians, we are called to believe and have faith that Jesus died for our sins, and that He was risen from the dead. Yes, it might be hard to grasp that He was risen from the dead, but remember He is the son of God who came down to earth in human form to intervene for us. John 20:29 says : “….blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” I encourage you to keep reading and may the Holy Spirit reveal things to you as you continue your reading.
Rebecca, I am praying for you. Jesus was/ is fully God, and He was fully man while on earth. If the God of the universe can create all that He did, then accepting our sins on Himself in order to take our deserved punishment, descending into hell (separated from God the Father for the first and only time) and coming back to life the conquering savior is not only feasible but essential for the gospel. We (Christians) are to be pitied above all people without the resurrection.
The parable reminds us that all who accept Him in faith and give their life to Him, which is submitting to Him as Lord (whatever He asks, we do), all receive the same privilege of a relationship with Him and the reward of heaven. Some accept Him young and others on their death bed as the thief on the cross beside Jesus. One difference however will be prayerfully hearing, “Well done my good and faithful servant” and having crowns to lay at His feet.
The OT sacrifices really gross me out. It makes me just not even want to read it… And then it hit me! Those ugly gruesome sacrifices are a picture of SIN. It is meant to bring up feeling like we want to turn away from it. How much more must a holy God not want to look at our sin? I am so thankful that Jesus paid the price and it is finished!!
Matthew 20 – Two Blind Men receive site
v 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?”He asked.” Lord” they answered, “we want our site. “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they RECEIVED their site and FOLLOWED Him.
I love this! Jesus opens our eyes to see Him. Keep our eyes on Him and follow ♡♡♡
I love the story about the talents and how the man hired each man, promising only the first with a full days wages. As the end of the day came and it was time to pay the wages, he gave to those who only worked an hour a full days wage, and of course those who had been there all day expected a huge wage, but instead received what they were promised, a full days wage. And what was their first reaction, “this isn’t fair, we worked much longer than they did!” I’ve been burdened lately with how quick I am to say that things are not fair, when I’m missing my opportunity to rejoice with others in the blessings that God has given them. This is definitely something that we have to constantly fight against!
The last few readings of Exodus and now Leviticus have me really looking for meaning in the very ceremonial, instructional phrases. I’m having trouble but the New Testament readings always give me a lot to think about.
It is a lot to take in, and it’s hard for us to relate because we live in a generation where Jesus has already atoned for our sins, so we don’t have to follow these rules and ceremonies any longer, thank goodness. I suppose It was a lot of pressure on these generations so long ago, trying to make he perfect sacrifices for the perfect Lord. I couldn’t even come close!
Isn’t it funny how our perspective of sacrifices for the Israelites so clear? “Okay. My unblemished lamb. Got it.” However, our daily sacrifices for the Lord should also have this “firstfruits” mind-set. Romans 12 popped in my head.
As an animal lover, the Leviticus passages were so hard to read! I can’t imagine having to go through that to worship the Lord! Thank God for the New Covenant
The gruesome imagery in the reading from Leviticus is naturally a turn off for me. So I asked my pastor why the God of the Old Testament is so harsh and unforgiving while the God of the New Testament is full of grace and compassion. She told me that The Old Testament and New Testament are equally violent and heartbreaking. In the Old Testament is the violence is scattered over thousands of years as sinners are killed and animals are sacrifices as burnt offerings. In the New Testament all of the bloodshed and violence is poured out in one moment when Jesus took the cross and took the entire weight of our sin in a single and final act. He was the ultimate sacrifice to end all other earthly sacrifices. This really helped me to understand that God doesn’t change at all between the Old and New Testament. It’s just that in the New Testament Jesus took it ALL and eliminated our need to provide burnt sacrifices forever.
I love this. My pastor actually did a sermon along those lines last week. He talked about how the people used a scapegoat to cleanse them of their sins, and that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross eliminated the need for all other sacrifices. But, I was actually thinking along the same lines as you as I read this but of Leviticus. Thank you for reminding me!
Oh thank you for this insight!! I truly believe God led me to your comment, even a year later, because I have been so overwhelmed and grossed out by all the rules of Exodus & gore of Leviticus. I will look at these chapters differently now! Jesus took it all, all our punishments at once. It’s almost too much to think about but He was the spotless lamb, the last sacrifice. Wow. Thank you for asking your pastor about this, & sharing your heart here.
I too struggle with these readings. I have a hard time getting past the brutality of it and then thinking of the smell and appearance of the blood on the side of the altar as days go past. I pray for understanding and the strength to continue through these passages. Reading other posts and seeing I’m not the only one to question this helps and appreciate learning more about the Jewish faith regarding these things.
Not my favorite either, but reading the comments above really helped me understand and look at things in a way that I wouldn’t see them on my own. Praying that God reveals things to you!
I truly am struggling with the passages on animal sacrifice. I just don’t get it. Spraying blood over things and tearing them apart and… I just don’t understand why God would want that and how it brought him glory. I hate questioning the Bible because I believe it is the living word of God but this just seems so carnal. I pray the Lord will help me to understand
While reading today, and like many others dreading Leviticus, I was fixated on the idea of bread without yeast. Not understanding why God only ever wanted bread not containing yeast, I researched it some more. I found some very interesting discussions! One was that adding yeast is a short cut to make dough rise quicker, and allowed a sacrifice to be made in haste. While without yeast, it has to be made in advance…knowing it was for the Lord, purposefully and patiently making it to be atoned for sin. Thought that was really cool that even in those times, God wanted sincerity and genuine offers. Just as He wants us sincere and genuine in our relationship with Him now. Despite the drastic differences in Leviticus and 2015, there are still some nuggets of truth and parallelism.
While reading about the sacrifices I could not help but think how radically Jesus changed everything. Now, instead of offerings being burnt on a daily basis to please a Holy God “we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” 2 Corinthians 2:15 what an amazing parallel!
I’ve been a little worried as well because the end of Exodus felt kind of tedious, but I began referencing a commentary (Matthew Henry’s) and found it has helped so much with understanding/applying what seems so difficult to understand.
I love this parable so much, it reminds me to not be envious of others. I thought I’d share this talk that one of my church’s leaders gave about this parable. It gives amazing insight and I find it truly inspiring. You can watch the speech or read it from this link, highly recommend it if you have time! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-laborers-in-the-vineyard?lang=eng
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
I saw these verses with a fresh perspective today. Sometimes we ask for things, and while they may seem clear & simple, in the scope of things God’s vision is beyond “our simplicity”… He sees the present & the future! It was interesting also the bold reply “we can”… We ask for things we do not understand, with an over zealous confidence too. Praise God our Father knows better and does not reactively respond, to our human, short vision, confidence!
After reading this I am struck by how messy the offerings are and complicated but then I got to thinking.. That makes sense. Sin is a mess. It is complicated and gruesome and tough. Then Jesus’ crucifixion was a mess and gruesome as well. But God saved us from the mess, we are delivered from this and for that I am so thankful!
v26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant …”. Not looking for praise or glory. Looking for a chance to serve and be useful. That’s what is ultimately important
Honest moment. While reading about all the sacrifices and how each ceremony would be practice, I felt sick to the stomach. To think that this was how we would be rid of sin before Christ escalates how heavy the weight of our sin still is today. And yet God sent Christ to be the final sacrifice. I love how we are now the pleasant offerings and pleasing smells to the Lord. We are free and have no burdens to hold. I pray we ( and most certainly I) can let go of our sin and past and instead grab onto the amazing vast Grace from God!!
I’ve also tried reading through the Bible in years past and almost always get stuck in Leviticus. I prayed for the Lord to somehow speak to me in these chapters I’ve found so boring in the past. Today I was really struck by the thought of how difficult it would be to have to make these sacrifices. The thought of actually killing an animal to atone for my sins makes my heart hurt. And it makes the weight of my sins feel so much heavier. It’s easy to take for granted the mercy we are given by our Savior giving His life for our sins. Today’s reading helped me focus on the true weight of my sins and I’m feeling so grateful that my price has been paid.
Destine thank you so much for pointing this out. This didn’t even cross my mind but helped me really internalize this passage and appreciate it more. I easily take for granted that I can simply pray and ask God for forgiveness rather than complete a lengthy and intricate ritual of sacrifice to atone for my sins. Thank you for sharing the reminder of the heaviness of our sins.
What stuck out to me what how concerned we are about other people – it is such a trait of human nature. The ones who worked all day were not satisfied because they compared themselves to the others, even though no harm was done. How did it hurt them for others to gain? Same for the two brothers..and how the disciples became indignant. Were they jealous, judgmental? Who knows, but the thing is that we are SO concerned about others. But the Lord came here to SERVE others, He is so full of mercy and compassion. So thankful we have Him to show us what that means and to live that out.
I have read the parable about the owner and those he hired throughout the day many times-had similar responses as those posted. the perspective I have now is that people receive invitations to know Christ at different times of life and those who accept the invitation later are offered the same gifts, blessings, etc. as those who have been saved and serving the Lord many years. It’s great to see how the Spirit of God brings us new insight and growth when we read and meditate on His word!
That is exactly the message of the parable! :-) God loves us equally no matter how long it takes us to come to Him with all our heart, soul and mind. Would we begrudge a new member of our church a seat just because we have attended longer than her? No! We would welcome her and make room for her to sit among us. It is the same for God, no status rankings, fully welcome as soon as you accept Him as your Holy Father.
Honesty moment. I was nervous/dreading starting Leviticus because it’s the part everyone seems to dread. The Lord must save sensed that in me because my heart was overwhelmed this morning by what He was showing me. When talking about the various animal sacrifices and how they were chopped up and broken down into pieces the Lord awoke my heart to the sacrifice of Christ, His body broken for me. The passing on the sins to the animal… to think my Savior took on the sins of myself, and the world, the weight of every curse! Then to see that it was a pleasing aroma to God. Our Savior’s sacrifice was a fragrant perfume to the Father’s wrath over our sin. Satisfying our debt, we are now presented as pleasing offerings to our Creator, United again. I am equal parts shock & awe at His gift.
Totally agree with you Anna! I too was dreading Leviticus and kind of glazed over the details. Then I read your comment and it all made sense to me and now I can read it with a much different perspective!
Anna, I have to admit that I was feeling the same way. Other reading plans I have done where you read straight through the Bible I dialog give up by Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy. But as I was reading about the sacrifices I was able to relate it to Christ and all that He did for us. I’m also super grateful that we don’t have to perform these sacrifices anymore cuz they are so gruesome.
I loved the readings today. It’s amazing to think that the world of sacrifice has changed so much! And we start to see the transition in the Old Testament when we read Jesus referring to Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” He sacrificed everything for us..and what does he ask for in return? To choose Him, to follow Him, to love Him, and to love others as we do ourselves.
Matthew 20:15 stood out to me the most in today’s reading. Everything belongs to God and yet I think I can dictate where he places his blessings! When God lavishly blesses someone I must be excited for them – not envious! As a daughter of the King I know I will receive blessing, Christ promises this. I must always remember that God’s plan is sovereign.
A) I think it’s so cool to watch Jesus’ food related parables set up in the offerings. All the food was to be appropriately salty, for instance, & Christ calls his people to be salt. no yeast was to be used in the bread offerings and Jesus’ metaphorically related yeast to the pride of the Pharisees (because it puffs things up lol).
B) I, honestly, feel really confused because I’m struggling not to feel indignant with the workers hired first. it would make me feel worthless if I worked hard all day and got paid the same as someone who just showed up. it seems mean of the owner. part of me understands that they agreed to work for that wage, but it sort of seems like they got suckered. This is a real struggle for me.
hi Britt! About the parable of the workers. .. for a long time, every time I heard this parable, I’d feel indignant too. in outrage, we cry, “it’s so unfair!” however, I had a little insight the last time we read this in a Sunday school lesson. I feel thus way because I tend to relate with the workers that were hired first. I’m a faithful church-goer, involved in ministries, and have been doing so for a long time. But when it comes down to it, I’m really more like the guy that shows up at the end of the day, because I’m the recipient of so much I haven’t worked for and don’t deserve. identify yourself with the five o’clockers, and you will rejoice every time!
Sooooo good. You hit the nail on the head! If we’ve been in church most of our lives, we tend to identify with the workers who have been in the field all day, (similar to the Pharisees), but in the big picture we are the 5 o’clock workers: late, undeserving, (not Jewish), and with little work to show merit. It’s not about us, its about His grace and generosity! Praise the Lord!
I’m the youngest of my coworkers, meaning less experienced, and so I make the least money but I also do the most and the best work, but I’ve never been frustrated because I agreed to what I get, and it’s more than what they have to pay me, and I know the best is yet to come. I am thankful for stories like this that shape our hearts to see others the way Jesus does.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV)
Hope this encourages you Sarah! God is your paymaster and He will never shortchange you :)
I’m finally caught up after giving birth to my baby girl last week! I’ve never made it this far In a challenge of reading the bible in a year before! So thankful to shereadstruth ! And to you lDies whose comments I love to read!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! How to beautiful to have your baby girl come into your life during a season of commitment to the Lord! praying that she grows up just as devoted to him as you are right now :)
Oh congratulations!!! I’m currently 14 weeks today and I’m getting so eager for all that’s to come! Praise the Lord that she’s arrived at this beautiful time in your walk as well. Blessings!
Congratulations!! How wonderful!! And thank you for telling us..it makes a virtual community so much more real!! May your walk in the word support and energize you as you bring this new daughter through her first year!!
Congrats Annie! I’ve been following the 365 plan during my baby girl’s first feeding of the day. In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus! Best of luck to you during this trying yet amazingly wonderful time!!
I’m echoing a few of the other ladies who do the reading and studying during my baby girl’s feeding! Wonderful and joyful congratulations to you! I’m so thankful that we can all connect during this time in our lives! So thankful for this community!
Congrats!!! Been wondering about some of the other ladies that were due about when I was and talked to about anticipating labor and our babies!! Congrats on your baby girl Annie!!
I love the parable shared by Jesus. Grace is undeserved, unmerited favour and you can’t earn it by works. If it’s by works, it’s no longer grace and it is accounted to you as a debt owed. If it’s by grace, you see just how marvelous and wonderful the giver (God) is!
Hello, I’m reading a day ahead, since we’ll be away for the weekend….starting Leviticus is a challenge! I’m wondering if anyone knows if these burnt offerings are practiced anywhere by anyone currently. As gruesome as it sounds, the aromas must be pleading to the Lord !
This is always my question! I understand why, as believers in Christ, we don’t follow Levitical law- but why don’t Jews? Shouldn’t they be keeping OT laws until they believe a messiah has come? Anyone know andy Jewish people who they could ask?
If anyone is interested and wants to check back later, I have an answer coming from a rabbi shortly! My best friend is the director of a temple in Boston so I asked her for some insight :)
Ok so basically the short answer is yes they do not practice Levitical law or sacrificial offerings because the second temple was destroyed. This was during a period of time when the temple was the main area to host the offerings. With no temple there was no place to have an offering. So during this period there was a stark decline in Levitical law and an increase in rabbinic judiasm which allowed for the rabbis to interpret the bible and create the commentary on the bible, the Talmud. This is when rabbis interpreted the Levitical law and adapted it. So they moved away from offering of physical animals to offerings of prayers. Aka pray with their lips instead of with bulls. However, the prayers are still reminiscent of offerings. They pray three times a day just as they would have made offerings three times a day. Their main prayer references all of the offerings so there is still a tie to the temple and to offerings. Essentially no temple meant they had to pray in other ways.
I could be wrong, but I think they don’t sacrifice any more because they no longer have a temple. They are very eager for their temple to be rebuilt so they can resume sacrifices. They are already preparing for it when it finally happens.
That is my understanding too. No temple, no sacrifice. Don’t know how they think they will make up for thousands of years of missed sacrifices, but mostly sad that they missed the Messiah.
Burnt offerings and blood sacrifices are old covenant laws. When God delivered His people out of Egypt He had to teach them how to live because they had been slaves their whole lives. So He provided the Ten Commandments and all the detailed instructions we’ve read about and are continuing to read in the OT. When God sent His only son to die on the cross for us He was creating a new covenant, the ultimate sacrifice. It’s because of this that we no longer have to sacrifice animals for God. The blood has been shed on our behalf! Hope this helps!
I was wondering the same thing about the Jewish people. But what Heather said about no temple, makes sense. So thankful we have the Ultimate Sacrifice!
Wishing you all a wonderful time of reflecting during this lent period ❤️
Jesus served. We are called to serve others.
Thank you for great Fathers.
thank you , i needed a better understanding & summary of this & this was perfect . happy sunday , love & blessings .
“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:26-28 NLT
Lord help me to serve others well.
Jesus’ example of service is such a good reminder of how we should be living the Christian walk!
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So good!! Thank you for sharing what you learned. Sometimes OT is hard for me to apply.
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I am shocked by the sacrifice and blood in Leviticus. I can just imagine the sights and smells as the continual procession of people waiting to slaughter the animals as we can’t help but sin!
BUT, it was meant to be harsh and violent as the offerer pressed their hands on the sacrifice’s head! Their needed to be a shedding of blood to ATONE for their sins (the burnt offering).
There needed to be a token of setting aside their very best for God, in token (the grain offering).
There needed to be peace offerings (fellowship) and sin offerings to gain forgiveness for their constant and often unintentional sin. An act of WORSHIP to reestablish fellowship with God.
There is a simple assurance throughout that the Priest will make atonement on their behalf for their sin IF they follow the offerings asked and they WILL be forgiven.
I am SO thankful that Jesus shed His own previous blood for us/me/you. He has paid ALL our debts and covered ALL our sin (if we would but ask!). Thank You Jesus!!
The cross has the final word….HALLELUJAH
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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Yes!
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Such a good passage❤️
32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
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A group called Mosaic works with “disabled” people and they did a Bible study with one of my classes. They focused on the verse where Jesus heals the blind. What I had never noticed before is that Jesus doesn’t assume that the blind wish to see—he asks them what they want. He gives them that authority, even though the rest of society is content in hushing them up and bossing them around.
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15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’
Sometimes I do begrudge his generosity — when I’m asked to forgive those who’ve sinned against me, as he forgives me and those who’ve sinned against him. He is always the more generous.
Lord, I want to follow you and your ways instead of always clamoring for “fairness”. Your ways are not always my ways, and your thoughts are not my thoughts.
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But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
We follow His example to serve
I always tear up at the instances of Jesus giving sight to others. I think of it literally, in terms of miraculous healing, but then also in terms of faith. My pastor always preaches about having faith eyes that guide us with vision of things unseen. I like to think that these examples of Jesus giving sight to the blind also applies to Jesus giving faith and faith eyes to those who are not believers. Isn’t that amazing? Praise the Lord for he allows us to view the world with our eyes of faith instead of just our mere earthly vision.
So good! Love this! Thank you for sharing.
Beautifully put! I have not thought of it that way before.
“Whoever wants to be great must be your servant. For the son of many did not come to be served but to serve.”
I loved this part as well!
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.” -ellie
May we also cry out “have mercy on me Son of David!” For our condition is much more helpless than theirs.
Everyone is here with purpose, to serve the Lord. Whether we were first or last to believe, all who believe are given the gift of eternal life. No specific aspect of our life makes us better, it’s our belief in God gives us everlasting life.
Praying for all of us, and Rebecca, that our faith would grow as we read the word. Rebecca- a great book on the topic is “The Case for Christ.”
This is a response to Rebecca Leek. I wasn’t able to reply to her directly. As Christians, we are called to believe and have faith that Jesus died for our sins, and that He was risen from the dead. Yes, it might be hard to grasp that He was risen from the dead, but remember He is the son of God who came down to earth in human form to intervene for us. John 20:29 says : “….blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” I encourage you to keep reading and may the Holy Spirit reveal things to you as you continue your reading.
64/365 :)
Rebecca, I am praying for you. Jesus was/ is fully God, and He was fully man while on earth. If the God of the universe can create all that He did, then accepting our sins on Himself in order to take our deserved punishment, descending into hell (separated from God the Father for the first and only time) and coming back to life the conquering savior is not only feasible but essential for the gospel. We (Christians) are to be pitied above all people without the resurrection.
The parable reminds us that all who accept Him in faith and give their life to Him, which is submitting to Him as Lord (whatever He asks, we do), all receive the same privilege of a relationship with Him and the reward of heaven. Some accept Him young and others on their death bed as the thief on the cross beside Jesus. One difference however will be prayerfully hearing, “Well done my good and faithful servant” and having crowns to lay at His feet.
The OT sacrifices really gross me out. It makes me just not even want to read it… And then it hit me! Those ugly gruesome sacrifices are a picture of SIN. It is meant to bring up feeling like we want to turn away from it. How much more must a holy God not want to look at our sin? I am so thankful that Jesus paid the price and it is finished!!
Matthew 20 – Two Blind Men receive site
v 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?”He asked.” Lord” they answered, “we want our site. “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they RECEIVED their site and FOLLOWED Him.
I love this! Jesus opens our eyes to see Him. Keep our eyes on Him and follow ♡♡♡
I love the story about the talents and how the man hired each man, promising only the first with a full days wages. As the end of the day came and it was time to pay the wages, he gave to those who only worked an hour a full days wage, and of course those who had been there all day expected a huge wage, but instead received what they were promised, a full days wage. And what was their first reaction, “this isn’t fair, we worked much longer than they did!” I’ve been burdened lately with how quick I am to say that things are not fair, when I’m missing my opportunity to rejoice with others in the blessings that God has given them. This is definitely something that we have to constantly fight against!
Amen! Great observation, thank you for sharing :)
The last few readings of Exodus and now Leviticus have me really looking for meaning in the very ceremonial, instructional phrases. I’m having trouble but the New Testament readings always give me a lot to think about.
It is a lot to take in, and it’s hard for us to relate because we live in a generation where Jesus has already atoned for our sins, so we don’t have to follow these rules and ceremonies any longer, thank goodness. I suppose It was a lot of pressure on these generations so long ago, trying to make he perfect sacrifices for the perfect Lord. I couldn’t even come close!
Amen!
Isn’t it funny how our perspective of sacrifices for the Israelites so clear? “Okay. My unblemished lamb. Got it.” However, our daily sacrifices for the Lord should also have this “firstfruits” mind-set. Romans 12 popped in my head.
Love this group of women! Thank you for your comments. We serve a faithful and amazing God. Keep reading’
As an animal lover, the Leviticus passages were so hard to read! I can’t imagine having to go through that to worship the Lord! Thank God for the New Covenant
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The gruesome imagery in the reading from Leviticus is naturally a turn off for me. So I asked my pastor why the God of the Old Testament is so harsh and unforgiving while the God of the New Testament is full of grace and compassion. She told me that The Old Testament and New Testament are equally violent and heartbreaking. In the Old Testament is the violence is scattered over thousands of years as sinners are killed and animals are sacrifices as burnt offerings. In the New Testament all of the bloodshed and violence is poured out in one moment when Jesus took the cross and took the entire weight of our sin in a single and final act. He was the ultimate sacrifice to end all other earthly sacrifices. This really helped me to understand that God doesn’t change at all between the Old and New Testament. It’s just that in the New Testament Jesus took it ALL and eliminated our need to provide burnt sacrifices forever.
That’s such a great interpretation…I never thought of it in that way. Thanks for that!
I love this. My pastor actually did a sermon along those lines last week. He talked about how the people used a scapegoat to cleanse them of their sins, and that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross eliminated the need for all other sacrifices. But, I was actually thinking along the same lines as you as I read this but of Leviticus. Thank you for reminding me!
Oh thank you for this insight!! I truly believe God led me to your comment, even a year later, because I have been so overwhelmed and grossed out by all the rules of Exodus & gore of Leviticus. I will look at these chapters differently now! Jesus took it all, all our punishments at once. It’s almost too much to think about but He was the spotless lamb, the last sacrifice. Wow. Thank you for asking your pastor about this, & sharing your heart here.
I would love a Leviticus study to better understand and appreciate these passages!
Same.
I too struggle with these readings. I have a hard time getting past the brutality of it and then thinking of the smell and appearance of the blood on the side of the altar as days go past. I pray for understanding and the strength to continue through these passages. Reading other posts and seeing I’m not the only one to question this helps and appreciate learning more about the Jewish faith regarding these things.
Many called but few chosen,
I just picture it all in my mind and it all seems so barbaric :( I really hate feeling this way
Not my favorite either, but reading the comments above really helped me understand and look at things in a way that I wouldn’t see them on my own. Praying that God reveals things to you!
if you see it as the shadow of how gruesome our sin is to God and what it costs, it really is a striking type!
I truly am struggling with the passages on animal sacrifice. I just don’t get it. Spraying blood over things and tearing them apart and… I just don’t understand why God would want that and how it brought him glory. I hate questioning the Bible because I believe it is the living word of God but this just seems so carnal. I pray the Lord will help me to understand
While reading today, and like many others dreading Leviticus, I was fixated on the idea of bread without yeast. Not understanding why God only ever wanted bread not containing yeast, I researched it some more. I found some very interesting discussions! One was that adding yeast is a short cut to make dough rise quicker, and allowed a sacrifice to be made in haste. While without yeast, it has to be made in advance…knowing it was for the Lord, purposefully and patiently making it to be atoned for sin. Thought that was really cool that even in those times, God wanted sincerity and genuine offers. Just as He wants us sincere and genuine in our relationship with Him now. Despite the drastic differences in Leviticus and 2015, there are still some nuggets of truth and parallelism.
Thank you for sharing this. A year later, as I am reading this, I had the same questions in my mind!
This was helpful. Thank you ❤️
While reading about the sacrifices I could not help but think how radically Jesus changed everything. Now, instead of offerings being burnt on a daily basis to please a Holy God “we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” 2 Corinthians 2:15 what an amazing parallel!
This was not a good passage to read for someone with morning sickness ;)
Funny. And, definitely not, seeing it from your perspective! Saying a prayer for you. Morning sickness is not that much fun for sure…
I must admit I feel a bit of dread coming to Leviticus … Mainly because I hear of others being “bogged down” in Leviticus
I’ve been a little worried as well because the end of Exodus felt kind of tedious, but I began referencing a commentary (Matthew Henry’s) and found it has helped so much with understanding/applying what seems so difficult to understand.
I love this app! This reading reminds me that God wants our best! Not the leftovers. Good lesson for the day!
I love this parable so much, it reminds me to not be envious of others. I thought I’d share this talk that one of my church’s leaders gave about this parable. It gives amazing insight and I find it truly inspiring. You can watch the speech or read it from this link, highly recommend it if you have time! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-laborers-in-the-vineyard?lang=eng
“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
I saw these verses with a fresh perspective today. Sometimes we ask for things, and while they may seem clear & simple, in the scope of things God’s vision is beyond “our simplicity”… He sees the present & the future! It was interesting also the bold reply “we can”… We ask for things we do not understand, with an over zealous confidence too. Praise God our Father knows better and does not reactively respond, to our human, short vision, confidence!
Great insight
I love God’s word!
After reading this I am struck by how messy the offerings are and complicated but then I got to thinking.. That makes sense. Sin is a mess. It is complicated and gruesome and tough. Then Jesus’ crucifixion was a mess and gruesome as well. But God saved us from the mess, we are delivered from this and for that I am so thankful!
v26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant …”. Not looking for praise or glory. Looking for a chance to serve and be useful. That’s what is ultimately important
Honest moment. While reading about all the sacrifices and how each ceremony would be practice, I felt sick to the stomach. To think that this was how we would be rid of sin before Christ escalates how heavy the weight of our sin still is today. And yet God sent Christ to be the final sacrifice. I love how we are now the pleasant offerings and pleasing smells to the Lord. We are free and have no burdens to hold. I pray we ( and most certainly I) can let go of our sin and past and instead grab onto the amazing vast Grace from God!!
Carly, this is so beautiful. Thank you for pointing this out!
xoxo-Kaitlin for SheReadsTruth
I’ve also tried reading through the Bible in years past and almost always get stuck in Leviticus. I prayed for the Lord to somehow speak to me in these chapters I’ve found so boring in the past. Today I was really struck by the thought of how difficult it would be to have to make these sacrifices. The thought of actually killing an animal to atone for my sins makes my heart hurt. And it makes the weight of my sins feel so much heavier. It’s easy to take for granted the mercy we are given by our Savior giving His life for our sins. Today’s reading helped me focus on the true weight of my sins and I’m feeling so grateful that my price has been paid.
Destine thank you so much for pointing this out. This didn’t even cross my mind but helped me really internalize this passage and appreciate it more. I easily take for granted that I can simply pray and ask God for forgiveness rather than complete a lengthy and intricate ritual of sacrifice to atone for my sins. Thank you for sharing the reminder of the heaviness of our sins.
Wow, that’s a great way to relate to this passage. Thank you for sharing!!
What stuck out to me what how concerned we are about other people – it is such a trait of human nature. The ones who worked all day were not satisfied because they compared themselves to the others, even though no harm was done. How did it hurt them for others to gain? Same for the two brothers..and how the disciples became indignant. Were they jealous, judgmental? Who knows, but the thing is that we are SO concerned about others. But the Lord came here to SERVE others, He is so full of mercy and compassion. So thankful we have Him to show us what that means and to live that out.
I have read the parable about the owner and those he hired throughout the day many times-had similar responses as those posted. the perspective I have now is that people receive invitations to know Christ at different times of life and those who accept the invitation later are offered the same gifts, blessings, etc. as those who have been saved and serving the Lord many years. It’s great to see how the Spirit of God brings us new insight and growth when we read and meditate on His word!
Great analogy!
That is exactly the message of the parable! :-) God loves us equally no matter how long it takes us to come to Him with all our heart, soul and mind. Would we begrudge a new member of our church a seat just because we have attended longer than her? No! We would welcome her and make room for her to sit among us. It is the same for God, no status rankings, fully welcome as soon as you accept Him as your Holy Father.
The people we want to silence are usually the ones Jesus heals.
Honesty moment. I was nervous/dreading starting Leviticus because it’s the part everyone seems to dread. The Lord must save sensed that in me because my heart was overwhelmed this morning by what He was showing me. When talking about the various animal sacrifices and how they were chopped up and broken down into pieces the Lord awoke my heart to the sacrifice of Christ, His body broken for me. The passing on the sins to the animal… to think my Savior took on the sins of myself, and the world, the weight of every curse! Then to see that it was a pleasing aroma to God. Our Savior’s sacrifice was a fragrant perfume to the Father’s wrath over our sin. Satisfying our debt, we are now presented as pleasing offerings to our Creator, United again. I am equal parts shock & awe at His gift.
Totally agree with you Anna! I too was dreading Leviticus and kind of glazed over the details. Then I read your comment and it all made sense to me and now I can read it with a much different perspective!
Anna, I have to admit that I was feeling the same way. Other reading plans I have done where you read straight through the Bible I dialog give up by Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy. But as I was reading about the sacrifices I was able to relate it to Christ and all that He did for us. I’m also super grateful that we don’t have to perform these sacrifices anymore cuz they are so gruesome.
I loved the readings today. It’s amazing to think that the world of sacrifice has changed so much! And we start to see the transition in the Old Testament when we read Jesus referring to Hosea 6:6 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” He sacrificed everything for us..and what does he ask for in return? To choose Him, to follow Him, to love Him, and to love others as we do ourselves.
Matthew 20:15 stood out to me the most in today’s reading. Everything belongs to God and yet I think I can dictate where he places his blessings! When God lavishly blesses someone I must be excited for them – not envious! As a daughter of the King I know I will receive blessing, Christ promises this. I must always remember that God’s plan is sovereign.
Excellent analogy, Elisha!
A) I think it’s so cool to watch Jesus’ food related parables set up in the offerings. All the food was to be appropriately salty, for instance, & Christ calls his people to be salt. no yeast was to be used in the bread offerings and Jesus’ metaphorically related yeast to the pride of the Pharisees (because it puffs things up lol).
B) I, honestly, feel really confused because I’m struggling not to feel indignant with the workers hired first. it would make me feel worthless if I worked hard all day and got paid the same as someone who just showed up. it seems mean of the owner. part of me understands that they agreed to work for that wage, but it sort of seems like they got suckered. This is a real struggle for me.
hi Britt! About the parable of the workers. .. for a long time, every time I heard this parable, I’d feel indignant too. in outrage, we cry, “it’s so unfair!” however, I had a little insight the last time we read this in a Sunday school lesson. I feel thus way because I tend to relate with the workers that were hired first. I’m a faithful church-goer, involved in ministries, and have been doing so for a long time. But when it comes down to it, I’m really more like the guy that shows up at the end of the day, because I’m the recipient of so much I haven’t worked for and don’t deserve. identify yourself with the five o’clockers, and you will rejoice every time!
That’s good!!! Thank you!
Sooooo good. You hit the nail on the head! If we’ve been in church most of our lives, we tend to identify with the workers who have been in the field all day, (similar to the Pharisees), but in the big picture we are the 5 o’clock workers: late, undeserving, (not Jewish), and with little work to show merit. It’s not about us, its about His grace and generosity! Praise the Lord!
I’m the youngest of my coworkers, meaning less experienced, and so I make the least money but I also do the most and the best work, but I’ve never been frustrated because I agreed to what I get, and it’s more than what they have to pay me, and I know the best is yet to come. I am thankful for stories like this that shape our hearts to see others the way Jesus does.
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV)
Hope this encourages you Sarah! God is your paymaster and He will never shortchange you :)
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice! ❤️
I’m finally caught up after giving birth to my baby girl last week! I’ve never made it this far In a challenge of reading the bible in a year before! So thankful to shereadstruth ! And to you lDies whose comments I love to read!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!! How to beautiful to have your baby girl come into your life during a season of commitment to the Lord! praying that she grows up just as devoted to him as you are right now :)
Thank you!
Oh congratulations!!! I’m currently 14 weeks today and I’m getting so eager for all that’s to come! Praise the Lord that she’s arrived at this beautiful time in your walk as well. Blessings!
Congrats! Prayers for a healthy pregnancy!
Congratulations, Annie!
Thanks!
Congrats! How exciting :) and glad to be on this journey with you!
Thank you!!!
Congratulations!! How wonderful!! And thank you for telling us..it makes a virtual community so much more real!! May your walk in the word support and energize you as you bring this new daughter through her first year!!
Thank you so much!!
Congrats Annie! I’ve been following the 365 plan during my baby girl’s first feeding of the day. In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus! Best of luck to you during this trying yet amazingly wonderful time!!
Thabks so much! Now I too am doing my readings at feelings!!:)
Congratulations! I am too reading this plan during one of my baby’s feedings and come back to ponder it at later feedings sometimes too.
Me too!
I’m echoing a few of the other ladies who do the reading and studying during my baby girl’s feeding! Wonderful and joyful congratulations to you! I’m so thankful that we can all connect during this time in our lives! So thankful for this community!
Thanks so much, we are fellow reading & feeding people now :)
Congrats, Annie! I’m thankful for this reading plan too.
Thanks!! :)
Congrats!!! Been wondering about some of the other ladies that were due about when I was and talked to about anticipating labor and our babies!! Congrats on your baby girl Annie!!
I love the parable shared by Jesus. Grace is undeserved, unmerited favour and you can’t earn it by works. If it’s by works, it’s no longer grace and it is accounted to you as a debt owed. If it’s by grace, you see just how marvelous and wonderful the giver (God) is!
Couldn’t agree more!
Hello, I’m reading a day ahead, since we’ll be away for the weekend….starting Leviticus is a challenge! I’m wondering if anyone knows if these burnt offerings are practiced anywhere by anyone currently. As gruesome as it sounds, the aromas must be pleading to the Lord !
I’m curious as well!
This is always my question! I understand why, as believers in Christ, we don’t follow Levitical law- but why don’t Jews? Shouldn’t they be keeping OT laws until they believe a messiah has come? Anyone know andy Jewish people who they could ask?
If anyone is interested and wants to check back later, I have an answer coming from a rabbi shortly! My best friend is the director of a temple in Boston so I asked her for some insight :)
That’s so cool, thanks! I’ll come back :)
Ok so basically the short answer is yes they do not practice Levitical law or sacrificial offerings because the second temple was destroyed. This was during a period of time when the temple was the main area to host the offerings. With no temple there was no place to have an offering. So during this period there was a stark decline in Levitical law and an increase in rabbinic judiasm which allowed for the rabbis to interpret the bible and create the commentary on the bible, the Talmud. This is when rabbis interpreted the Levitical law and adapted it. So they moved away from offering of physical animals to offerings of prayers. Aka pray with their lips instead of with bulls. However, the prayers are still reminiscent of offerings. They pray three times a day just as they would have made offerings three times a day. Their main prayer references all of the offerings so there is still a tie to the temple and to offerings. Essentially no temple meant they had to pray in other ways.
Sara thank you so much for getting this info (and please thank your friend)! It is so awesome. I love this insight.
I was the one that asked the initial question and forgot to check for the response! Thanks Sara!!
It’s light bulb to me…thank you!
Thank you and your friend for the insight.
Thanks Sara! What great insight!
I could be wrong, but I think they don’t sacrifice any more because they no longer have a temple. They are very eager for their temple to be rebuilt so they can resume sacrifices. They are already preparing for it when it finally happens.
That is my understanding too. No temple, no sacrifice. Don’t know how they think they will make up for thousands of years of missed sacrifices, but mostly sad that they missed the Messiah.
Burnt offerings and blood sacrifices are old covenant laws. When God delivered His people out of Egypt He had to teach them how to live because they had been slaves their whole lives. So He provided the Ten Commandments and all the detailed instructions we’ve read about and are continuing to read in the OT. When God sent His only son to die on the cross for us He was creating a new covenant, the ultimate sacrifice. It’s because of this that we no longer have to sacrifice animals for God. The blood has been shed on our behalf! Hope this helps!
I was wondering the same thing about the Jewish people. But what Heather said about no temple, makes sense. So thankful we have the Ultimate Sacrifice!