CAPSULES COLOURS OF LIFE
“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy … I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44,45
I finished reading the book of Leviticus a few days ago, and I LOVED IT. This has actually made me excited to read Numbers (which is my least favourite book in the Bible).
If you are still on this journey with me, give yourself a pat on the back. I am proud of you. Your progress is not measured by how many of these articles you read but by how much of Jesus you want. I have a warm, fuzzy feeling thinking about God’s work in our hearts.
Do you know what does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling though? All the blood in Leviticus. As I read this book, the margins of my Bible were frequently marked with ‘ew.’ But upon further reflection, I should have written ‘thank You Jesus.’Were it not for Him, I would still need to go through numerous gory rituals to be close to God.
In the book of Exodus, Jesus was introduced as our Passover Lamb. In Leviticus this imagery is built on as He becomes our sin and guilt offering. In the former instance, an animal was killed to provide deliverance and protection from death. In the latter it is to atone for sin and make restitution with God. Both foreshadow aspects of Jesus’ sacrifice.
God says in chapter 17: “The life of a creature is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” Atonement is a weighty word [meaning] the making of amends for a wrong. That is where you and I come in: we have all wronged God. Combine this with the facts that we all need God and that a holy God cannot tolerate sin, and you have a sorry position for the human race.
Sinning against God is so terrible that it leads to death. Adam and Eve’s case is the perfect depiction of this: there was the spiritual death of being sent out of God’s presence, and with it came physical death because God could not allow sinful humans live forever.
But because God desires for us to live and commune with Him, He allowed the substitution of an animal’s life for a human life. In the language of Leviticus; a creature for a creature. But since people will always struggle with their sinful nature, this practice had to be repeated. It was not sustainable.
Jesus put an end to all of that. It makes sense that only a human life can really substitute another human life. But what about the life of a wholly, completely perfect human? Maybe it could substitute for a few others. What if that wholly, completely perfect human was also the infinite God? To me that sounds like a substitution which should be able to cover the infinite people who have lived and will live on this earth. Thankfully, God agrees (it was His brilliant idea in the first place).
I’m hoping your question after all this is “OK, I’ve been atoned for. So what?”
I’m daring to say something which has become somewhat of a cuss word amongst Christians these days: holiness.
In an attempt to differentiate ourselves from the legalism of older generations, we may find ourselves drifting towards licentiousness. Sentiments about the grace of God and our permanent sinful human nature are used as excuses and justifications for unholy living. Leviticus is the perfect illustration of why that should not be so.
God did not bring the Israelites out of
Egypt because they were holy. He did so to demonstrate His mercy and saving power. God also wanted to be close to them. So, He showed them how to live a holy life.
“Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.” Leviticus 20:7-8
Jesus did not offer His life for ours because we were holy. He did so to demonstrate His mercy and saving power. But He also wants His children to reflect his righteous nature by living a righteous life.
In Leviticus, God wanted His children to be holy so that they could be like Him. Today, God still wants His children to be holy so that they can be like Him. And in doing so, they can show the world who He is.
Tarari Kalango
The Colours of Life show.
Our Colours of Life show runs on you tube on Sundays at 5 (WAT). Last week we had Sam Kputu and Charity Dondo-Iolarmen of Calvary Ministries, show us how every Christian can get involved in missions. Today, join us for a riveting chat on drinking, with Edi Ekhomu. Next week we round of season two of our show with the testimony of Clem Emekene, who narrates his incredible journey to the gate of heaven and the gate of hell. You don’t want to miss any episode.