Chapter 19 contains many themes that Jesus personified, such as love your neighbor as yourself. Be kind to the poor (leave the edges of the field unharvested, and do not strip every last grape from your vines in order to help provide for the poor and the foreigners.) I wonder how that command applies to today, when very few of us own fields? Giving money and food to the food banks is a lot like leaving behind food for the poor in the fields. After giving his people a holy instruction, the Lord reiterates why the people should behave in … Continue reading Leviticus 19-21:Holy Instructions

This is a brief post…I am at my mom’s house preparing for a trip tomorrow to see my grandmother. She is recovering well from her surgery!! After 400 years of slavery in a foreign land, the Israelites apparently picked up many bad habits, including worshiping other gods and participating in deviant sexual behavior. The inhabitants of Caanan also had behavior that was detestable to the Lord. So there was a period of cleansing to teach the Israelites what was wrong and what was right. Above all, the lesson is this: be separate. Don’t conform to the behavior of those around … Continue reading Leviticus 16-18:No worldly imitations

Skin diseases must have been a challenge for the Hebrews living out in the desert. I can’t help but feel pity for those who were forced to stay outside the camp, ostracized and forced to declare themselves “unclean” any time anyone approached them. One of my favorites stories of Jesus is how he went up to the lepers, touched them in their uncleanness, and then healed them. The bleeding after pregnancy and during menstrual cycles also made women ceremonially unclean. That’s not such a bad idea! I get so cranky and tired, and lately I’ve been in so much pain, … Continue reading Leviticus 11-13:The Untouchables