Focus before you read. . .
The book of Leviticus presents a challenge to the modern reader. With all of its guidelines for sacrifices and offerings, this third book of the law may seem like a dry book of rules and regulations for a culture wholly different from our own. Why study such a book if Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, has already paid the price for our sins? What can we learn from the book—beyond an analysis of ancient Hebrew culture? Today’s reading provides us with an opportunity to provide some answers to these questions. Chapter 7 continues with instructions for types of offerings. What do these offerings reveal about the heart of God? The rest of the reading focuses on the role priests are to play. Again, what aspect of God’s character do these instructions emphasize?
Questions to ask as you read. . .
- Read the regulations for the fellowship offering carefully. What are the different purposes of fellowship offerings? How do you fulfill these same purposes in your relationship with God?
- Why does God forbid the eating of fat and blood?
- What roles did the priests serve? How are these roles fulfilled today?
Application to make after you read. . .
The word holiness is used over 150 times in the book of Leviticus, more than in any other book of the Bible. This concept of holiness means “separated” or “worthy of worship.” How seriously do we take this aspect of God’s character? Is God’s holiness less important in the New Testament? How often do we minimize God or try to confine Him to our own image as we try to understand Him better? How often do we sing of God’s holiness without truly understanding what this means?
Prayer
Lord, help us to grasp your holiness more clearly so that we can give You the adoration You deserve. Forgive us for our attempts to confine You to our own image. May our bodies be “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You.”
Focus before you read. . .
Although written from prison, Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi focuses on the eternal joy we find only through our relationship with Christ. In the first two chapters of the letter, Paul thanks the church specifically for their “partnership in the gospel,” encouraging them to continue their good work. His words of encouragement are always grounded, though, in his solid theology of Christ. Our attitude, Paul writes, “should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. . .” As you read today, pay close attention to Paul’s specific teachings on Christian behavior and the theology that supports them.
Questions to ask as you read. . .
- Read Paul’s prayer in 1:9-11. What is the relationship among love, knowledge, and discernment?
- What does 2:6-11 teach about the nature of Christ? What connections do you see to Isaiah 53? How does Paul reconcile Christ’s humanity and his divinity?
- What does it mean to “work out your salvation” (2:11)? How does Paul balance God’s work and our responsibility?
Application to make as you read. . .
One of the central conflicts we face in life is the battle between pride and humility. Paul encourages us in chapter 2 to model the ultimate example of humility found in Christ Jesus. So much of the time we compare ourselves to others instead of looking at the perfect standard set by Christ, who set aside all the authority He had as God, to take on the “very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Meditate for a moment on all that Christ set aside and all that He suffered on the cross for us. Now, think about what you have set aside and what you have suffered to be a follower of Christ. Is there any comparison? How would you rate your attitude? Are you easily offended when others fail to recognize your authority, your contribution, and your worth? Or, do you live your life with God as your primary audience and care little about how others view your accomplishments?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, the more we understand about who You are, the more clearly we see our own pride and selfishness. Help us to find our identity in You and who You created us to be, rather than in how the word sees us.
