With today’s reading, we have finished the basic section on the Israelite sacrifices (though the concepts will be expanded and applied further as we continue through the law). How did you find it? … honestly! There are many things that I’m sure you found odd – perhaps because we see through different cultural glasses and perhaps because we read with an awareness of the changes Jesus brought about. However, I also noticed that the systems God put in place for Israel paint a picture of both God and us, and sometimes it is this picture that I actually find challenging. Do I really understand God’s greatness and how set apart he is? Do I really understand how deep is the human sin problem? This is part of the basic message of the sacrifices and, even though the sacrifices don’t apply to us today, their message still comes through.

One specific thought from today’s reading … In the section on the “guilt offering”, God states that wrongs against another person must be addressed on two fronts – both with the other person and with God. In other words, we are missing something if we only go to the person we wronged or if we only speak to God; both are needed. Hmmm … perhaps there will be an opportunity today to put this into practice!