Sunday, February 22, 2009

February 23

5. Guilt Offerings - Leviticus 5:14-19, 6:1-7, 7:1-10, 7:37-38; 6. Special Offerings - Numbers 28:9-15; Deuteronomy 21:1-9; 7. rules Pertaining to Offerings - Leviticus 22:17-30; Deuteronomy 17:1; Exodus 23:18, 34:25; J. Other Rituals - Leviticus 24:1-9; Numbers 6:22-27


Sometimes I feel there are elements of the Bible that sort of instigate man's legalism.  Certainly man is prone to it so why would God sort of push his buttons?  

For example, in today's reading, the elders and judges are to measure the distance from a body left by an unknown murderer.  They're to measure and see which town is nearest to the location of the body.  Doesn't that sort of thing just seem to invite legalism?  So did they pace it off?  Use a tape measure?  Can you see our leaders - religious or civil - stretching a tape measure, slowly measuring off the distance?  Even then there'd be disputes over where the edge of town really begins and do you measure around or across a pond or lake?

So why did God sort of seem to empower that with the explicit nature of his early laws?

It was nice to close the reading with a blessing given by the Lord.  So concise and poetic.  So memorable and, therefore, so oft quoted and sang.  Imagine being Moses and hearing this short verse roll of the Creator of the Universe's tongue.  God reciting poetry to Moses.

"The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace."  [Num. 6:22-26]


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