welcome immigrants
Growing up I noticed that different houses had different rules, and those rules expressed a value. At Amanda’s house we couldn’t jump on the couch (value: respect for furniture). At Bess’ house we had to clean up the games once we finished (value: the person forced to clean up if we didn’t). Jamie’s house didn’t have any rules at all (value: perhaps freedom, but the lack of any rules left us wondering if anything was important). If it seems like Leviticus reads like a contract full of rules, you’re reading it right. But don’t miss the value in them. Biblical laws reveal the character of God.
Often Biblical laws express a general principle and then offer follow-up specifics to flesh out the principle.
red flag, green flag
I once heard a sermon where the pastor (who was agriculturally savvy) put a photo of an enormous, stunning tree on the screen behind him. He told us the name, gave us specific details about its environment, and described the root structure. And at the end of his sermon, he revealed that he had been lying to us for the entire half-hour. {insert appropriate gasp here} Everything he had taught us about the tree was completely false.
I remember being shocked. He had totally hooked me and I had believed him without question. His point was that we should do a little fact-checking every now and then, even from people we trusted.
This puts us in a spot, though, doesn’t it? In a hyper-connected world where you can turn on a podcast, read a blog, watch YouTube from ANYONE, how can we decide who to trust? Especially about the Bible?
how could there have been light before the sun?
Here’s the most important thing: The ancient man was more concerned with the purpose of creation, not the actual matter or process of creation. The creation of nature tells us about the nature of the Creator.
calling for a comeback
I'm calling for an OT comeback (specifically in American white evangelical churches) because the left side of the Bible has entire sections devoted to teaching justice and wisdom. Books like Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and the last half of Exodus. These books have primarily been left closed because they are contextually tricky (at least initially). In regular Sunday services, it’s unlikely we’ve heard a six-week series about Leviticus. Or an in-depth analysis on Deuteronomy. As a result, many of us are trying to react to hashtagged opinions without knowing how God determines justice.
But this may be good news! NOW we are hungry, and NOW we want to understand it for ourselves. And since we are relatively clueless about these odd books, there isn’t much to deconstruct. We are ripe and ready for a healthy dose of Biblical orientation towards justice and wisdom.
between the rains
It’s so hard to wait to see the product of a seed! The ground doesn’t change when a seed begins to germinate and take root. For all we know, nothing is going on beneath the surface, appearing identical to the empty soil next to it. The time from when you plant a seed to the time you see the first growth peeking up ... oh, that’s so long, isn’t it?
So … quiet.
You begin to wonder ... did I even plant anything there? Did the seed die? Is there something I can do to make it grow faster? Should I somehow check on it?