Thursday, January 16, 2014

Leviticus 14 - Within and Without

In our last chapter, we saw the instructions God gives to the priests for treatment of skin disease and mildew. It seems a bit odd that these two conditions would be linked together in two consecutive chapters. In Chapter 14, the focus is on cleansing rituals after the condition is corrected. 

God uses conditions within and without to help us develop right thinking regarding our condition of utter helplessness before God and recognizing that sin results in pain and separation. The skin disease kept the person separated from the camp and the mildew kept people out of their home. In each case the cleansing ritual was to offer a burnt offering, a sin offering and a guilt offering. God's Sovreignty and our sin were central to both cleansing rituals. 

Not all hardship is a direct punishment for sin, but all hardship should increase our faith and trust in God and should remind us of how fragile and helpless we are. We need a cleansing that only God can provide. 

God uses all types of circumstances to train us to keep our mind fixed on Him. It may be an irritating person, a disease, the negligence of another or a misery of our own making. In all things God is all powerful to resolve whatever we face and He is all knowing to see through right to the need of our hearts. 

Are you facing a trial today?  Count it all joy my friend because the trial is a testing of our faith and obedience. Will you stand firm through this trial and hold God close to your heart?  

Perhaps God is using this trial to show you that He indeed is real and that you are not able to save yourself from the evil in the world and the evil within us all. Great news!  We are all in the same boat having been born in sin and in great need of a Savior to save us from the penalty of sin. Greater news - God himself gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

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