Dunford Family Ministries

Leviticus 15:1-3

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. ³ And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness.

The laws of Leviticus give me great appreciation for the liberty I have today.  But it helps me understand the Holiness of My heavenly Father’s presence.  Not one person could stand continuously before Him, all the days of their life without misstep of at least one of His conditions.

Yet, it is clear those conditions were not based on animosity or hostility, but solely on infinite power and purity. He knew we would need help to fulfill all the necessary requirements to live in fellowship with Him.  That is the reason for Jesus!

Here’s evidence.  Look at the contrast between the law given for a woman made unclean by an issue of blood and Jesus’ dealing with such a woman.

²⁵ ‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. ²⁶ Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. ²⁷ Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. Lev. 15:25-27

²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” ²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. ³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” ³¹ But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” ³² And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. ³³ But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Mark 5:25-34

Law is necessary, for without a standard, man has proven he is capable of mass destruction.  But where the love of Christ is, law is a non-issue.

Reading through the Bible: February 5, 2012

Leviticus 14-15 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Leviticus 13:45-46

⁴⁵ “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Olden-day lepers are equivalent to modern-day sinners.  Something foreign and awful arrest all that’s good, turning it into a contagious cancer.  Then people who know about it avoid you like the plague.  And often, those in religious places of authority encourage you to mark yourself for all to see, crying out, “I am a sinner.  Stay away from me!”

Making mistakes happens and the Bible is pretty clear on the wages of sin (Romans 6).  And that is why Jesus Christ is like no other God people choose to worship.  He alone cleanses the leprosy of our sin, because He alone poured out innocent, sinless blood for the right to pay the price.

Now, none of us have to run around telling the world we are messed up because we make mistakes.  In Him, our leprous sores are washed whiter than snow. And unlike the leper of old, He will never leave us alone.

 Reading through the Bible: February 4, 2012

Leviticus 11-13 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Leviticus 10:1-2

Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. ² So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

We have no idea how much Christ has afforded those of us who follow His Way.  Before He came and made it possible for mere man to know God as Abba, Father, one could not approach God without precise adherence to the LORD’s command.

This does not suggest that God is any less serious about the motive of our head and heart when it comes to obedience of His will.  But it does put into perspective the importance of the precious blood Christ shed for us all.  He literally fulfilled every aspect of the Laws handed down to Moses from God Himself.  Now, when you and I just half-heartedly throw up prayer, fire doesn’t rain down up on us.

I must say, what happened to Aaron’s sons reminds me that the God of the Universe isn’t a push over.  So, those who are privileged to walk His planet do well to take note of how He dealt with irreverence in the past. R-E-S-P-E-C-T…

Reading through the Bible: February 3, 2012

Leviticus 8-10 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Leviticus 6:12

¹² And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.

Jesus Christ has fulfilled all the laws prescribed in Leviticus (Thank God!).  But the essence of their importance is still with us.  They represent for us today attitudes of honor and respect for our Father God and our Redeemer and Lord, Jesus.

In the construction of the Tabernacle where He would meet His people, God required the priest to keep the altar fire burning all the time.  And upon that fire, they were to offer atonement offerings on behalf of the people. In this I see a reflection of the role each believer in Christ should embrace.  Through daily fellowship with God, the fire of His presence ought to burn within our souls.  And we should be the ones standing in the gap for those in our midst laden down with sins and offenses.

Whether we feel like it or not, God saves us that we might be his royal priesthood in the earth representing His will amongst our fellow man.  But without His Word, daily, there is no fire.  And without the fire, darkness remains and people don’t change.

Reading through the Bible: February 2, 2012

Leviticus 5-7 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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Leviticus 1:4

 ⁴And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

The message of the first four chapters of Leviticus is loud: Cover your sin in my presence.  Not because God didn’t want to dwell among His people, but because He is Holy and without sin.  So wherever sin existed in His people, it had to be accounted for and dealt with accordingly.  That is why the blood of animals was used, to cover the sin of the people temporarily so God could reside in their midst.

But that kind of sacrifice was only a substitute for the real Sacrifice that would come to earth and truly bridge the gap between God and His children, once and for all.  Jesus was and is the last Lamb that will ever need to be substituted in place of sin for all mankind.  And His substitution doesn’t just smear a covering of blood over our issue of unfaithfulness to God.  It completely takes it away.

Where you and I are powerless to keep every righteous requirement of God’s Holy Law, Christ embodies every aspect of it to perfection.  And He affords us the privilege to use His name instead of ours and call God our Father. It doesn’t get any sweeter than that.

Reading through the Bible: February 1, 2012

Leviticus 1-4 http://www.blueletterbible.org/reader/daily/generic.cfm

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