Year in the Bible Daily Reading:
Leviticus 8-11; Psalm 110; Hebrews 4 Listen to Today's Reading
Leviticus 8
The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons
As we continue our journey of reading the Bible together, certain books, chapters and passages provoke some interesting thinking. This is particularly true of many Old Testament books and passages. Leviticus 8 is, to me, such a chapter.
We consistently hear about many early worshippers of God following rituals such as building altars, sacrificing animals (and offering to sacrifice their children), and anointing one another with precious oils and the like. For modern Christians trying to understand the Old Testament and make sense of it, however, it often begs the question of “what’s the point? And how does this apply to us in today’s context?”
We fully understand that these practices were sacred rituals to the believers of the time, and that early believers were more than willing to sacrifice their most valuable and prized possessions for their God. After all, God had promised to take care of His people if they believed and followed His commands and guidance. And the believers were more than willing to obey His commands to retain His favor in order to avoid being banished to places like Egypt and Babylon.
So, how does all of this apply to modern Christians? We certainly do not need to consider sacrificing animals or our first-born children to gain God’s favor or forgiveness. The good news is that Jesus became that sacrifice for us all. He died so that our sins would be forgiven through God’s grace. While that part has changed over time, the rest of the early practices really haven’t. We still engage in rituals during our worship services, which help us to remember God’s promises of forgiveness of our sins and of eternal life with Him. We are anointed with oil and are marked with the cross on our foreheads. We read scripture and hear why its message is important and how it applies to our lives. And, that expectation for us to obey His commandments and follow His guidance is still there.
I guess things really haven’t changed that much in three thousand years. Hopefully I will see you on that superhighway to Heaven and not on the road to banishment in Babylon.
Thanks be to God!
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you ever thought of how the rituals and practices of early believers apply today?
- Are the rituals and practices of our worship services meaningful for you?
- If so, what do you take away each week?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to look to you for the guidance, inspiration, love and hope that we seek. Help us as well to truly appreciate your gifts of love, grace and your Son, Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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