Leviticus 17: Blood, Life, & Gratitude Church?

05/02 – 05/06/2016 Leviticus 17: Blood, Life, & Gratitude Church?

Update: As with many passages in Leviticus, on first reading we can struggle thinking, “What does this have to do with me, today?” As most all of the laws in Leviticus were fulfilled in Christ, how can it be relevant. Beyond that, Leviticus and its laws are kind of so weird and strange that it can feel a little embarrassing to be identified with them. However, as we’ve seen for the first 16 chapters, as understandable as this thinking is, it’s wrong! Leviticus teaches us deep things about who God is, who we are, and what it means to live together with him.
If you are not familiar with the content and rituals of Leviticus already, because it contains so many things that are foreign or alien to us, I would strongly encourage you to:

1. 
   Have a Study Bible on hand when you are doing the devotions – especially if you are haven’t yet listened to previous Sunday’s sermon. We’ll try to touch base on some “explanation” in the Reflections Questions section, but we can’t cover everything.
   
2. 
   Keep up with the sermons on-line if you are out of town on a Sunday. It is worth it, but Leviticus requires a lot of work. In the Daily Devotions, we won’t be able to cover all the details, explanations, and reasons. You’ll have to lean on the sermons for those. If you have difficulty downloading the sermons from our website, just let me know.
   
3. 
   Trust that, as the week unfolds, the devotions will cover/explain many of the things in the passage, i.e., don’t get paralyzed by having to understand what everything means on Monday.
   

Song for this week – Take my Life and Let it be

Contemporary- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNkAvzNi3OY

Traditional - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ93HVuYd5Y
Where possible we will use songs that are live recordings of our worship singing at Church of the Redeemer. You should be able to access them by clicking the link. You can also download them to your computer, phone, etc. (Please copy & paste rather than drag & drop).
Some Recommendations

The goal of the study/reflection questions is to help you get into the text and meet Christ in it, i.e., to worship and meet with God. Avoid engaging with these questions as if it’s a “quiz” where the goal is to get the “correct answer” and then move onto the next question. My prayer, goal, and hope is that the questions will help open up the Word of God – what it means and what it is saying – in order that you might meet God, experience Christ, and hear from the Holy Spirit.
1) I do recommend the full liturgy for each day.

2) The “Bible Study” reflection questions for each day of the week are inserted towards the end of this document. Most often the questions will require time of reflection and pondering in order to find answers or to let the answers sink in to our souls. Be prepared to not rush through them. The goal is to experience/hear from God.

3) Sing the song! (Really) Each week we focus on two songs. Download them to your phone or iPod so you can listen repeatedly during the day. When we sing, our mind, body, heart, emotions, and will are all engaged in worship! If this week’s songs do not appeal to you, substitute a personal favorite.

Opening Prayer

O God, Eternal King and Father of all mercies,

whose light divides the day from the night

and turns the shadow of death into the morning:

To know you is eternal life

and to serve you is perfect freedom:

Drive far from us all wrong desires,

incline our hearts to keep your law,

and guide our feet into the way of peace;

that we may do your will with cheerfulness during the day,

and when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks;

through Jesus Christ, our risen and reigning Lord,

to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Confession (from Leviticus 17, Hebrews 9:22)

For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off...he shall bear his iniquity.

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Most holy God, you call us to be holy as you are holy. But we fall short every minute of every hour of every day.

We do not wholly honor you with our lives, but instead we make excuses for our sin and presume upon your forbearance and mercy.

We presume upon your forbearance and mercy by not taking your holiness seriously.

Forgive us for leaning upon such cheap grace rather than realizing that sin requires death.

You desire for us to consecrate ourselves to you completely so that you might purify us in your holy fire, ridding us of all our sin.

Most holy God, accept our humble confession, consume it as our sacrifice to you, and direct our hearts to the Cross of Jesus Christ where your holy wrath was poured out wholly and completely so that we might be accepted before you.

Absolution (Hebrews 9:11-14)

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) ¹² he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Intercession

Pray this week for your own self, your community, church, city, and this world to know the resurrection of Jesus in accepting the good news of the gospel. Pray by name those you want God to bring into his kingdom.
Scripture Readings & Reflection

See notes above in yellow. If you haven’t/don’t listen to this week’s sermon, this week’s devotions might not make a whole lot of sense.

Devotions are for Wed-Friday only this week.
Wednesday

1. 
   If you haven’t already, read the introductory comments in yellow at the beginning of this document. Keep these things in mind as you read Leviticus 17.
   
2. 
   One of the main purposes of the laws in Leviticus 17 is to protect, solidify, and centralize gratitude (to God) into the life of God’s people. Consider the impact of practicing these laws on the daily life of an Israelite as you re-read Lev 17:1-6.
   
   1. 
      How would it impact their view of animals and their lives?
      
   2. 
      How would it impact their view of God and his role in their lives?
      
3. 
   People often view the Old Testament sacrificial system as barbaric and inhumane. How does Lev 17:1-6 help correct that?
   
4. 
   It is certainly a relief that we do not have to bring all our meat to church for slaughtering before we can eat it. Can you imagine the inconvenience that would be?! And yet, we can see what we lose out on because we don’t. Read Deuteronomy 8:11-20. As you do so, ask God to show you how you think about:
   
   1. 
      the food you eat
      
   2. 
      the paycheck you receive, and
      
   3. 
      your attitude towards your time.
      
5. 
   What’s your next step? How can you adjust or change your thinking or practices to give space and time for more gratitude towards God for life, food, etc.
   

THURSDAY

1. 
   Read Leviticus 17.
   
2. 
   What is the other reason for requiring that all animals who are killed are killed at the tabernacle/sanctuary? Lev 17:5-9.
   
3. 
   So, 17 chapters into Leviticus, after seeing God consume Aaron’s sons (their Priests) with Holy fire for entering the Holy of Holies without authorization, after hearing his very voice and seeing God in thunder, lightning, and earthquakes at Sinai, after crossing the Red Sea, after witnessing 10 Plagues in Egypt, what are the Israelites still doing in the fields when they think God’s not watching?
   
   1. 
      If you were God, how would you respond?
      
4. 
   It’s easy for us to be incredulous at such blatant idolatrous practices, however, polytheism (believing in many Gods and worshipping them) was to ancient Israel what materialism is to many today: it was so much part of the cultural air they breathed that they were very slow to turn from it, even after deciding to follow God.
   
   1. 
      What does this tell us about God’s grace, mercy, and patience towards his children?
      
5. 
   Why do we turn to idols?
   
   1. 
      Read Lev 17:9 and Colossians 3:4-10 ask God to show you how idolatry functions in your life currently.
      
6. 
   Consider how idolatry and gratitude are connected. What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do/choose?
   
7. 
   Close with the Closing Prayer below.
   

FRIDAY

1. 
   Read Leviticus 17.
   
2. 
   This week we’ve considered two reasons for the laws of Leviticus 17: gratitude to God for life and food (including animal life) and to guard against slipping into idolatry. Today we conclude with the deepest reason of all.
   
3. 
   Read Lev 17:13-14. Why is the blood to be treated so sacredly?
   
4. 
   Read Lev 17:10-12. What is the ultimate reason that the blood is to be treated so sacredly?
   
5. 
   “Atonement” means both to “cover over” and to “wipe away.”
   
   1. 
      What is the immediate purpose of the blood?
      
   2. 
      What is the ultimate goal of atonement (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
      
6. 
   Take some time to meditate more deeply on 2 Corinthians 5 and enter into gratitude for and celebration of what God has done for you and us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
   
7. 
   Given God’s love and atonement, what is the next step for you in the process of spiritual transformation, i.e., What’s the next thing God wants to work or do in your life? What’s the next thing he wants you to be working on?
   
8. 
   Enter into the Closing Prayer below with joy and hope.
   

Song - All I Have is Christ (http://1drv.ms/1icUA0x)

Closing Prayer
O God, Eternal King and Father of all mercies,

whose light divides the day from the night

and turns the shadow of death into the new morning:

Show me this day what sin and shame looks like in my life:

that I might be freed from its ugliness, lies, and loneliness,

that I might grow in appreciation for the Cross of Christ.

Guide my feet in the way of humility so that:

forgetting about myself I may serve others,

owning your grace, I might be more gracious,

entering into the resurrected life you secured for me, I might more fully alive.

Create in me a new and contrite hearts so that,

I may receive from you full pardon and forgiveness;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

List of Deep Desires

Distorted/Deceptive Desires

• 
  Distorted desire: you long for impact and you take control or manipulate to get it or you long for intimacy and you look to pornography
  
• 
  Deceitful desire: when you look to any material, experiential, positional, or relational desire to satisfy a deep desire. 
  
• 
  Only God can truly satisfy a deep desire.
  

Godly Deep Desires

• 
  Purpose, to be part of something larger, transcendence
  
• 
  Relationship: to love and be loved, to pursue and be pursued, community, family
  
• 
  Impact, significance
  
• 
  Honor, respect, valued, understood
  
• 
  To protect and provide, to be protected and provided for, security
  
• 
  To come through: duty, to hear “well done”
  
• 
  Beauty and creativity
  
• 
  Justice and freedom
  
• 
  Peace, wholeness, completion, home
  

To be transformed by God's mercy and grace into a community of priests engaged in his redeeming work in Atlanta and the world.

Directory: wp-upload -> devotions
devotions -> Conditional Belief & Awe-Inspired Faith
devotions -> Glory, Unity, and Submission
devotions -> Lent Week 1: Pride
devotions -> Leviticus 12: The Blood & The Curse
wp-upload -> The Forward Prizes for Poetry 2012