Day 673: Leviticus 24- We Need Jesus

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.
Bread for the Tabernacle5 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah[b] shall be in each loaf. 6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold[c] before the Lord. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever.9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord's food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Punishment for Blasphemy10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
An Eye for an Eye17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.18 Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him,20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
 
Meditation
God gives grace to restore His presence with His people. And we ALL need the grace of God offered through the finished work of Jesus!
 
God’s passion for presence in personal relationship is reinforced in verses 1-9, summarized by saying “When the lamp is lit, incense ignited, and bread is on the table then someone is home.” The someone is the Lord who longs to be present with His people.
 
How can a holy God be present with an unholy people? Grace alone. We all need Jesus!
 
The narrative is difficult, a son killed for taking the Lord’s name in vain (10-16). The principles of justice are more familiar but equally difficult to grasp (17-23). The modern reader is left wondering… How is this revelation of God consistent with what we read in the New Testament?
 
Jesus quotes this section in Matthew 5:38-42 illustrating the highest interpretation of the law: Love, not retaliation, is the mark of a righteous person. But where do we see love in the killing of a son (10-14)? The cross of Christ.
 
Leviticus is establishing a judicial precedent for God’s people living in a theocracy, illustrating the truth Romans 3:23 teaches, that the wages of sin is death. The cross is judicial satisfaction, God’s love for the lost demonstrated in paying the penalty our sin deserves. By the grace of God offered through the death of the Son of God we are free to come home to the Father’s love, restored in presence and personal relationship with our God.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the tie of today’s reading to the work of Christ, grace giving ground for restored presence with God?
 
-How does the judicial precedent laid out in this Scripture and the judicial satisfaction through Christ drive home the grace of God?
 
-Where can you grow to be more intentional in celebrating the grace of God in Christ, rejoicing in the presence of your redeemer? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.