Jeff Dowdy's Blog

Leviticus 4-7

The sin offering and the guilt offering are both important metaphors for what Christ did on the cross. The idea that the animal was sacrificed to overcome the sins of the individual Hebrew and for the entire nation, is carried over in the reason that the Lamb of God had to be sacrificed.

One interesting aspect of this reading is:
1. God used the offerings of the people to provide for the priests. This sets out the precedent even for the modern church in that the tithes and offerings of the people provide for the staff of the church.
2. God forbade people from eating meat that was more then a few hours old or from eating meat after they had touched something unclean. God was forcing the people into using hygiene as a form of obedience. No wonder the people of Israel flourished with little to no disease, had fewer miscarriages and infant deaths, and were generally healthier then other societies that surrounded them.

This #2 makes me think that sometimes God is requiring my obedience for a reason that may be completely out of my understanding, but is all good for me.

Tomorrow's reading: Leviticus 8-10