Leviticus 27: Ancient Economics

"Every tenth of the land's produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.  If a man decides to redeem any part of this tenth, he must add one-fifth to its value."

Leviticus 27:30-31

Tithe... Our culture completely misunderstands the meaning of this word.  It translates to tenth.  According to the final chapter of Leviticus, this does not mean giving one-tenth of all your earned money to the church.  This law literally requires that every tenth grain from the field, every tenth fruit from the orchard, every tenth animal in the flock belongs to the Lord and His priests.  Here's a narrative to show what this means:

A farmer owns a field.  When the harvest comes, he begins to collect the grain.  He collects the first nine for himself, then sets the tenth aside for the sanctuary.  Again, he collects nine for himself and the tenth goes to the sanctuary.  He does not discriminate between good and bad grain, but simply counts from one to ten as he walks down the row harvesting.

A shepherd keeps a new generation of his sheep in a special pen, where they can be kept safe until they are ready to join the rest of the flock.  When they leave this pen, he allows the first nine to join the others, but the tenth is pulled out to be given to the sanctuary.  The next nine are allowed to pass through, and again the tenth is separated, whether healthy or unhealthy.

A man who wishes to redeem any of the harvest or flock that are given to the sanctuary may buy them back for an additional 1/5 of the value.  In other words, let's pretend that I pluck 20 apples from a tree and give 2 of them (the tenth and the twentieth plucked) to the church.  If I want to keep those two apples instead of giving them to the church, I need to calculate the price of the two apples and add 20% (or one fifth) of the value.  If the going rate for apples is a dollar each, I'd pay the church $2.40 (that's $1.20 per apple).

The tithe system for church funding is entirely based on agricultural society.  What happens if a man owns no land nor flocks?  Under this law, he is not required to give anything.  The same is true for a man whose flock only produces nine offspring - since there is no tenth, he is required to give nothing.

So if people are only giving their grain, fruit, and animals, how does the sanctuary get any money?  There are many ways, including offerings and payment for certain services...  However, the only way mentioned in Levitical Law is through the redemption of tithed goods - people paying the value plus a fifth instead of giving their goods to the priests.

Question of the Day:
How should this law affect a non-agricultural society?  How should this law affect a society in which the church and government are separate?  How should any of the Levitical Laws (which create a religiously-based government) affect a citizen of the United States of America, in which the church and state are separate entities?

Prayer of the Day:
Show me Your will for my finances, and teach me how to honor and respect You with my earnings.  Help me understand how the laws You gave to the Israelites should (or shouldn't) play out in my own life.  Amen.

Leviticus 26: God's End of the Bargain

"If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, I will give you rain at the right time, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit."

Leviticus 26:3-4

"If you follow My statutes..."  Of course, this is followed by "But if you do not..."  This chapter explains the entire downfall of mankind.  And also the only hope for mankind.  We can live completely blessed lives!  All we have to do is listen and follow directions...

In His ordinances, God laid out the method for redemption: sacrifice.  While we as humans are completely incapable of living a 100% pure life, we are nonetheless able to keep this original Covenant by allowing Jesus to take the place of the sacrificial lamb on our altars.

Question of the Day:

Does this excuse our continued misbehavior?  Does this give us the right to profane His name by acting foolishly and then begging forgiveness?  How should we change our lives to reflect the sacrifice we've made?

Prayer of the Day:

Write the Law of Your Covenant upon my heart.  Teach me Your ways so that I might please You and find favor with You.  Guide my actions and keep me on the narrow path.  Amen.

Leviticus 25: Slaves to Freedom

"For the Israelites are My slaves.  They are My slaves I brought out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God."

Leviticus 25:55

Ultimately, the sentiment here is that the Israelites owe their lives to God.  In the same way, we owe our lives to Jesus - He allowed His own life to be taken so that we may partake of everlasting life with Him.  He sets us free, yet we owe Him our lives for that freedom.

Throughout the course of this Blog, there's one major theme that I commonly refer to: finding ways to show the Lord just how thankful we are for what He has done.  Ultimately, this is the call of the Christian.  All the rest is moot.  We are called to give our lives back fully to Jesus and His teachings.  We can never pay Him back for His self-sacrifice until we also set aside our own lives for His sake.

Question of the Day:

What percentage of your life have you given unto the Lord and His direction?  While most of us would like to think we've given all 100% of it, we can all quite easily point out areas in which we fall short.  Any sin is an area of our lives which we have failed to give to the Lord.

Prayer of the Day:

Forgive my hypocrisy as I tell others that they have not fully given themselves to You, while I myself have also failed to do this.  Guide us all; open our hearts and take all that we claim is ours.  It is truly Yours to begin with anyway, so how can we reject You?  Amen.

Leviticus 24: The Price for Blasphemy

"And tell the Israelites: if anyone curses his God, he will bear the consequences of his sin."

Leviticus 24:15

How thankful I am that this consequence is no longer given to those who blaspheme the Name of the Lord.  I'd have been stoned to death many times as a youth...

Mercy is the undeserved blessing of which we all partake.  I never cease being amazed at the Lord's capacity for forgiveness.  No matter how horribly I defame Him, He still loves me.  For this, I am eternally grateful.

Question of the Day:

When was the last time you blasphemed the Name of the Lord?  Did you get what you deserve for doing so, or did you receive mercy instead? (Hint: if you're still alive, you received mercy.)

Prayer of the Day:

Teach me to offer Your mercy to those who speak ill of my name.  Help me to be a guiding light in the lives of all those who know me, whether they like me or not.  Do not let me repay evil for evil, but instead guide me with wisdom and light.  Amen.

Leviticus 23: Thus Begin the Traditions...

"These are the Lord's appointed times that you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for presenting fire offerings to the Lord, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its designated day."

Leviticus 23:37

Traditions can be wonderful facets of a civilization.  They can bring the people together in perfect unity.  They have the power to obliterate doubt about the community's past, legends, and religion.  They provide an avenue through which the people can focus on specific aspects of their culture.  Traditions can be a powerful, positive force within a society.

Traditions are good; I like traditions... when they're used in all the ways mentioned above.  God spent the previous chapters of Leviticus detailing how each tradition should be carried out, and more importantly why each tradition is important.  Here in Leviticus 23, He details the when.

Problems arise, as always.  Calendars change.  Time zones are set up based on the movement of the sun.  There comes a point when Israelites must make decisions.  Does everyone celebrate at the same time, no matter where they are in the world, or does everyone celebrate at the right time in their local time zone?  Do the dates change to match the new calendar, or are they modified to meet the new calendar's needs?

Broken traditions are bad; I am not referring to the times when someone chooses not to partake in a tradition, but rather to the brokenness that we find inside traditions, which moves us away from partaking in them.  Sometimes, the decisions related above can break a tradition.  Other times, it's the loss of focus on the tradition's intent.  For whatever reason, we often find that change is inspired - not by any new-found intuition, but by the human need for true worth, which can never be found in a broken tradition.

Nearly all of the traditions listed in this chapter are still followed by Jews in modern times.  Few are held to the same standards as listed in Leviticus.  On the other hand, the spirit of the traditions is still held.  The purpose of the traditions is still remembered.  The celebration of Passover remembers the night when the Lord destroyed the firstborn son of every non-Israelite in Egypt, but spared Israel's children from harm.  There are celebrations to remember the time God saved Israel from Egypt and led them across the Red Sea, the land God promised to Abraham, and many other important intricacies of Israel's relations with the Lord.

Question of the Day:

Do you remember the day you first became a Christian?  Do you remember any other specific turning points in your relationship with Christ?  Do you celebrate these events regularly?  If so, in what way do you celebrate them?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, help me to remember all the wonderful moments You have shared with me.  Give me the peace and joy of knowing that those moments were not in vain, and that You're still with me.  Celebrate with me, as I contemplate Your glory and magnificence, and as I thank You for this incredible life you've given me.  Amen.

Leviticus 22: Holy Food

"Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to Me, so they do not profane My holy name; I am the Lord."

Leviticus 22:2

In this chapter, the Lord prohibits priests from eating offered sacrificial food if they are unclean for any reason.  If a priest has any uncleanliness in body or spirit, he is not allowed to even touch this holy food.  Nor are non-priests allowed to eat from the altar.

When we, as Christians, meet at the table for Communion, we have somewhat similar requirements.  It is standard practice for us to make spiritual amends with both God and our fellow men before partaking of this meal.  We also generally say that non-Christians are not allowed to share the body and blood with us.  These restrictions are based on biblical passages, and make a lot more sense when compared with Leviticus 22.

As Christians, we have become priests in the temple which is our body.  We offer Jesus as a sacrifice for ourselves and for the sins of all the world.  As priests, we are allowed to eat from the altar, as long as we have made ourselves clean.  We've tossed aside the laws concerning cleanliness of certain foods - because of the blanket laid down before Peter - so the only cleanliness we concern ourselves with here is the spiritual need for repentance and connection to God.

Question of the Day:

Do you keep yourself spiritually clean, so that you may partake of the ritual of sacrificing Jesus on the altar of your heart, and eating His body and blood for sustenance?

Prayer of the Day:

Forgive me for I have sinned.  I am not worthy to touch Your offering.  Wash me clean with Your Spirit so that I may come to the table and share Communion with my Lord.  Amen.

Leviticus 21: Priestly Guidelines

"They are to be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, because they present the fire offerings to the Lord, the food of their God.  They must be holy."

Leviticus 21:6

When Jesus made our bodies into temples for the Holy Spirit, we all became priests in our own temples.  We offer the eternal sacrifice of Jesus on the altar of our hearts.  As such, it's important for all of us to look at the requirements which the Lord imposed upon His priests.  They are to be holy, set apart from all others, avoid uncleanliness, and keep a pure marriage bed.

Question of the Day:

After reading Leviticus 21, are there any priestly guidelines which you do not meet?  What must you change in order to meet them?

Prayer of the Day:

Anoint my head as one of Your priests, and draw me into the temple.  Do not let Your presence leave me, nor let me leave Your presence.  Purify me, and make me holy.  Set me apart so that I will be worthy of Your Spirit, who lives within me.  Amen.

Leviticus 20: No Other Gods

"Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death; the people of the country are to stone him."

Leviticus 20:2

Molech was a god worshiped by the Canaanites.  One of the methods of their worship was to sacrifice their children to him.

The first portion of this chapter lists several of the hottest religious and pseudo-religious behaviors of the time (Canaanite gods, mediums, etc) and details God's hatred for such atrocities.  He makes it abundantly clear that anyone engaged in any form of worship that isn't directed towards Him will be put to death.

Some argue that this is one of the things that makes God unbelievable, but I disagree.  The argument is often said that God is more concerned with people doing what's right than He is with which religious or spiritual beliefs people have.  I think that the best way to focus on the truth in this debate is to realize that God (in this case) rescued the Israelites from Egypt.  He is demanding that His people, who He rescued, follow His rules so that His actions in rescuing them were not in vain.

A modern viewpoint on this subject would be that Jesus rescued us from the death which we deserve because of our sinfulness.  Because of that act, we owe Him our allegiance.  Whether we think that palm-readers or astrology have any accuracy or not, we are not to seek those methods because our Savior abhors them.

Question of the Day:

Examine your personal beliefs, and use the bible as a magnifying glass.  Do you see any places where your own beliefs do not match with biblical principles?  What do you need to do to change this?

Prayer of the Day:

Examine my heart, comparing it to Your will for me, and show me the error of my ways.  Mold my heart into a mirror of Your own so that I may willingly follow Your statutes all the days of my life.  Amen.

Leviticus 19: Good Samaritan Law

"When a foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him.  You must regard the foreigner who lives with you as the native-born among you.  You are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God."

Leviticus 19:33-34

The Israelites knew all about how horrible it is to be mistreated by the natives while living in a foreign land.  However, we have a natural tendency to inflict the same kinds of pain on others that we ourselves have been subjected to.  God knows this about us, so He warns us against it.

Question of the Day:

What kinds of pain do you inflict on others without realizing it or without meaning to?  What can you do to turn these situations around?

Prayer of the Day:

Convict me of any misdeeds that exist in my life.  Help me to seek out ways to replace my hurtful conduct with helpful actions.  Bring comfort to those who have been hurt by me, and help them come to forgive me.  Help me to forgive those who have hurt me, just as You have forgiven me for hurting You.  Amen.

Leviticus 18: Do as I Say...

"You are to practice My ordinances and you are to keep My statutes by following them; I am the Lord your God.  Keep My statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them.  I am the Lord."

Leviticus 18:4-5

Here's one Character who doesn't have to say, "Do as I say, not as I do."  Perfection means that everything He does is exactly what's right.

Question of the Day:

How often do our instructions for others reflect our own actions?  How often are we willing to tell others to act a certain way, but unwilling to act that way ourselves?

Prayer of the Day:

Help me to live by Your ordinances so that I may truly live.  Guide me by Your principles, and help me to guide others by example as well as by word of mouth.  Amen.

Leviticus 17: Origins of Communion

"Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, sheep, or goat in the camp, or slaughters it outside the camp, instead of bringing it to the entrance to the tent of meeting to present it as an offering to the Lord before His tabernacle - that person will be charged with murder.  He has shed blood and must be cut off from his people."

Leviticus 17:3-4

Eating meat is only acceptable if the animal has been sacrificed at the holy tabernacle.  This gives new meaning to the communion supper...  When we eat the body of Christ, we eat the body of the Lamb, which was sacrificed to atone for our sins, just as the Israelites consumed the bodies of the lambs they sacrificed for the same purpose.  The meal was shared with others in celebration of the Father's mercy, and also to grow the community's interpersonal relations.  Hence, the name: communion.

Question of the Day:

Have you placed all your sin on the head of Jesus so that it may die with Him?  Have you righted your relationship with the Lord, and made atonement for your wrongdoing?

Prayer of the Day:

Forgive me, for I have sinned.  I have broken every one of Your Commandments in more ways than I will ever know.  I lay these atrocities on the head of Jesus, the Lamb of God, so that His Spirit may make atonement for me.  Fill me with Your Spirit, and prevent me from partaking in sinfulness tomorrow, and all the days of the everlasting life You have given me.  Amen.

Leviticus 16: Scapegoat

"The goat will carry on it all their wrongdoings into a desolate land, and he will release it there."

Leviticus 16:22

Once a year, the high priest makes atonement for Israel.  He symbolically lays the sin of the Israelites on the head of a goat, which is sent into the wilderness.  In this way, all Israel is cleansed of their sin before the high priest enters the most holy place.  If any sin is not confessed, the high priest dies when he meets with the Lord to make atonement.

This goat who takes on the sin of the Israelites is called Scapegoat.  Later, Jesus is referred to as a scapegoat because He takes on the sin of all His people to make atonement for us.  When our sin is placed on a scapegoat, that goat (or in our case the Christ) bears the burden of punishment for our sin.  He takes our place so that we may be forgiven and find favor in the Father's eyes.

Question of the Day:

How do you repay the Son of Man, who took all of your sin on Himself in order to grant you everlasting life?

Prayer of the Day:

Thank You for providing a way for Your imperfect subjects to connect to You and find favor in Your sight.  Continue to mold us into a people worthy of Your love.  Help us to grow closer to You and make each generation more like You, so that one day our ancestors may earn Your recognition without the need of a scapegoat's intercession.  Amen.

Leviticus 15: Wisdom in Cleanliness

"You must keep the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die by defiling My tabernacle that is among them."

Leviticus 15:31

This chapter covers uncleanness based on bodily discharge (such as pus from a blister), emission of semen, menstruation (along with other feminine discharges), and anyone who touches a person in these conditions.  However, the truly interesting part of this chapter is that the Lord says the Israelites might "die by defiling My tabernacle that is among them."

Others focus on the law itself, complaining that it's too harsh towards women because they're considered unclean for something they can't change.  I think they fail to see the point of cleanliness laws (they're not meant as a punishment, but rather as a mini-quarantine), but I prefer focusing on how the law relates to one's connection with God.

He obviously does not want His tabernacle to become a breeding ground for germs.  He wants His people to have a safe, clean place that they can use for worship.  He also wants to keep all of His people as healthy as possible.  All of these cleanliness laws are not the rude, overprotective, iron-fist rules that people often make them out to be.  They are God's wisdom made manifest.  In today's culture, we wash our hands religiously for the same reasons that the Israelites washed their clothes and bodies religiously: fear of getting ill, and fear of spreading disease to others.

Question of the Day:

Will there ever be a time when mankind does not fear disease and decay?

Prayer of the Day:

Help me to stay as clean as possible in all that I do, so that I do not add to others' concerns for health.  Teach Your children the wisdom of a safe and clean lifestyle.  Provide comfort for us when we are ill, and help us to recover quickly so that we may serve You more completely.  Amen.

Leviticus 14: The Role of Government

"When you enter the land of Canaan that I am giving you as a possession, and I place a mildew contamination in a house in the land you possess..."

Leviticus 14:34

At the time this law was written, the Israelites lived in tents as a traveling band.  However, they knew they would one day be provided houses.  The second half of this chapter describes the methodology for determining which of those houses that they take are clean and which are not livable.

The more I read about these cleanliness laws, the more I recognize their connection to current laws regarding health care.  The government (which in this case was the same as the priesthood) is requiring certain steps to be taken to ensure the overall health of its subjects.  The difference is that, in the case of the Israelites, there was much more fear of non-treatable, contagious, life-threatening illness than there is in modern America.  Another striking difference is that the priests actually took care of these problems themselves instead of just telling people that they have to get taken care of.

I think that, for such a relatively small group of people in a nomadic culture, these cleanliness laws made a lot of sense.  In any tribal community, the good of the tribe is always seen to come first.  Anything that is potentially hazardous to the tribe as a whole is immediately cast out.  However, any time a people grows and becomes more settled, certain allowances are inevitably made.

Question of the Day:

What allowances are reasonable and make logical sense in today's American society?  Which laws are too stringent, and which aren't stringent enough.  What role should the government of a gigantic, multicultural conglomeration of people take in the individual's well-being?

Prayer of the Day:

Guide our nation's leaders as they make decisions which impact individuals as well as the larger community.  Help the people of America understand which governmental approaches are wise and which are foolish, so that we may be better equipped to choose effective leaders.  Give the leaders that we elect the wisdom of Solomon so that they may direct our nation towards greatness rather than diminish us.  Amen.

Leviticus 13: Compassion Towards the Ill

"The person afflicted with an infectious disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'  He will remain unclean as long as he has the infection; he is unclean.  He must live alone in a place outside the camp."

Leviticus 13:45-46

Another chapter about cleanliness...  So much of the Levitical Law focuses on cleanliness that it makes me wonder how common illness, infection, and disease were for these people.

What's plain, though, is that these cleanliness laws are meant for the good of the greater whole, not for the good of individuals.  I have no idea what the Israelites did to help infected individuals, but I do know that none of it was mentioned here in Leviticus.

Question of the Day:

In what way do you treat "unclean" people who you meet?  Do you greet them with compassion and pity, or do you scorn them with malice and contempt?

Prayer of the Day:

Help me to be more like Your Son, who was compassionate towards the unclean and ill as well as the sinners and tax collectors.  Stir my heart towards kindness, and maneuver me away from hurtful contempt.  Let Your Son be an example for me, and let me share in being that same example for others around me.  Amen.

Leviticus 12: Purification After Childbirth

"When her days of purification are complete, whether for a son or daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering."

Leviticus 12:6

This chapter details the requirements for a woman who is unclean due to childbirth.  Most of the women I know scoff at this chapter, but after reading it I don't see it the same way they do.  Especially after understanding the issue with cleanliness of food animals, the way I understand this chapter is as another health concern.  Even with today's medicines and advanced procedures, there's still a huge risk for infection of the nether regions after giving birth.  Avoiding contact with others (part of the purification ritual) is one of the most important factors in preventing infection.

As for the sacrificial lamb and bird mentioned in the quoted Scripture above, there's better time to make atonement and grow closer to God than after the birth of a child.  As a father myself, I know exactly how important this step is in raising a child.  We cannot love our children without first being loved by God.  How could we teach our children God's ways if we ourselves are not virtuous?

Question of the Day:

Are there any children in your life who need positive, virtuous guidance?  What steps are you making to purify yourself so that you may be a good example for the children?

Prayer of the Day:

Help me to keep my thoughts, words, and actions pure, so that I may be a good role model for my own child, any future children You plan to give me, and all other children I come into contact with.  Do not let me lead any child astray from Your path.  Amen.

Leviticus 11: Unclean Vs. Modern Healthcare

"Anything one of their carcasses falls on will become unclean.  If it is an oven or stove, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you."

Leviticus 11:35

I guess they didn't have Lysol back then.  No Formula 409 either.  Not even good old Clorox Bleach.

How did the Israelites keep their kitchens from becoming mad-houses for deadly germs?  First: they didn't cook foods that were commonly associated with specific diseases.  If they had today's food market, the Lord would have said, "Don't eat eggs or chicken because you might get salmonella; don't eat beef because you might get mad cow disease."

Second, they destroyed anything that came into contact with the dead flesh of these unclean animals.  If we didn't have household cleaners available to us, we'd probably do the same thing!  When we accidentally spill some raw chicken juices on a plate or counter, we immediately wipe it up with a specially formulated chemical that instantly kills 99.9% of all known bacteria, viruses, and fungi.  If we spill it on something we don't necessarily need to keep, we just throw it away.

I think that this whole section of Levitical Law concerning cleanliness is another point that shows the difference between wisdom at the time and current wisdom.  As medical technology improves, as food preparation techniques become more sanitary, and as household cleaners become cheaper and less toxic to humans and pets, we have radically less need for choosing "clean" foods.

Question of the Day:

Can you imagine how your life would be different if sanitation wasn't so simple and cheap?  Can you see how your outlook on food might change if major illnesses associated with certain foods were non-treatable and potentially fatal?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, be with all those who still live in poverty situations, both here locally and abroad.  Help provide sanitation and cleanliness so that these people may live longer, healthier, fuller, more meaningful lives.  Thank You for providing me and my family with health and wellbeing.  Help us share these gifts with all of Your people in need.  Amen.

Leviticus 10: What We All Deserve

"Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them to do.  Then flames leaped from the Lord's presence and burned them to death before the Lord."

Leviticus 10:1-2

So often, I hear people say things like, "God isn't angry at you for sinning."  That kind of phrase bothers me, because it shows how little people actually know their God.  His wrath burns against us for our sin.  "The wages of sin is death," says Romans 6:23... let's look at that for a second.  "Wages" is a word used to describe the money you earn at a job or career.  It's basically saying that, if you've sinned, you've earned death.

Think of God like your Ultimate Boss.  If you make mistakes at work, you get fired.  If you make mistakes at life, you get dead.  Animal sacrifices acted like a paycheck advance - they took the death in the place of people.  Jesus is the pure lamb, whose sacrifice frees all people from this wage of death by taking it for us.  He is the scapegoat, taking responsibility for all of our mistakes, so that He gets fired (dead) instead of us.

Question of the Day:

How do you repay someone who takes the nails for you?  How do you thank someone who dies in your place?  How do you continue in sinful life, knowing that it has killed such a wholesome, righteous Man?

Prayer of the Day:

Move my heart toward compassion.  Help me to remember how all of my actions affect You.  Remind me of the perfect sacrifice that has been made in my name, so that I may be seen as holier than I actually am.  Amen.

Leviticus 9

"Fire came out from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar.  And when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell facedown on the ground."

Leviticus 9:24

Wouldn't you?  If I saw the Lord appear and start shooting fire out, I wouldn't care what it was aimed at.  I'd get down faster than you can say, "Sweet Jesus!"  And that's exactly what I'd be saying, or rather that's who I'd be calling out to.  I know that, without Him, I deserve that fiery wrath on myself.  Even knowing that Jesus purifies me and makes me clean in God's sight, I haven't the righteousness to stand before the fire of Heaven.  I haven't the courage to face that wrath.

Question of the Day:

What would you do if you saw the Father spewing fire?  Are you righteous enough to stand in its path?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, cleanse me and make me holy in Your image.  Cleanse me with the fire that I'm afraid to stand in, so that I may become a man worthy to stand in Your presence.  Fill me with Your Spirit and allow Your fiery wrath to burn out all impurities from me, so that all that's left within me is a reflection of You.  Amen.

Leviticus 8

"Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water."

Leviticus 8:6

It's interesting to see that the concept of a water-baptism was started with the first of God's priests.  These men are being washed with water so that they will not make the priesthood unclean.  In the same way, we wash our believers today with water as a symbol of the cleansing that is taking place inside - the baptism of the Spirit.

Question of the Day:

Are you continuously allowing the Spirit of the Lord to do its cleansing work inside of you?

Prayer of the Day:

Purify my heart, Lord, and keep it for Yourself.  Renew me so that I may follow You more wholly.  Create in me a clean soul, so that I may never leave Your sight.  Amen.