Read Leviticus 1:1, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 & 1 Corinthians 3:16
“The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting.”
(Leviticus 1:1)“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
One of the central themes of Leviticus, and of the entire Bible, is that God is holy. For something to be holy means it is set apart from other things for a specific, uncontaminated purpose. While we do not use the word “holy” much in our everyday lives, we do understand the concept of, for example, medical equipment set apart as uncontaminated and clean for surgical purposes. When we say that God is holy, we remind ourselves that God is different from us, uncontaminated, and completely good.
This idea of God’s holiness sometimes is paired with a sense of the difference or distance of God. We may think of God dwelling apart from the people of Israel on Mount Sinai when the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law were given to Moses and the people. We read how “Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire” (Exodus 19:17-18). Here we encounter God’s holiness as difference or distance.
It is worth noting, however, that throughout Scripture we see God’s desire to draw near to humanity. In fact, that episode on Mount Sinai is really all about God leading the people out of enslavement in Egypt to a new land of promise because God wants to know them and relate to them. This carries over into Leviticus, where holiness is described both as the difference or distance of God but also the presence or closeness of God with God’s people. God delivers the people from enslavement in Egypt and now stands at the center of their identity and direction. God is with them.
So, too, in Jesus, God is with us. As the gospel writer John reflects: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). In fact, one of Jesus’ most memorable titles is Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
For reflection:
Each Sunday we include discussion questions on the sermon insert that can be used for deeper reflection and/or small group discussions. Take time to read through those questions today. You can find a digital version online at eastbrook.org/Leviticus.
by Pastor Matt Erickson
Week 2 Family Talk
Leviticus is kind of a hard book to read. It seems like it is full of rules and instructions about things like sacrifices and rituals. Things we really don’t do today.
But what if I told you that what Leviticus was really about was God wanting to be able to be close to you? In the book before Leviticus, Exodus, we see the people of God building a very special tent, called the tabernacle. The idea was that God would descend into this tent and then His presence would be with His people. But even then, there was some separation.
Leviticus opens with this line: “The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting” (Leviticus 1:1). Notice, God speaks to Moses FROM the tent of meeting. Moses wasn’t in the tent, God had to speak to him from inside the tabernacle, while Moses waited outside. God, who is perfectly holy, couldn’t be face to face with people who weren’t perfectly holy. In the tabernacle and eventually in the temple they built in Jerusalem, God was near His people, but there was always a curtain or walls separating God from His people.
So as near as God was, He still couldn’t be with His people and this made Him sad.
But then God does something truly amazing! In John 1:14 we read, “The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made His dwelling [tabernacled] among us.” God decided that the only way He could truly live among us was if He did something special to make it happen—like becoming a man Himself. One of the names the Prophet Isaiah gave Jesus was “Immanuel,” God with us.
But think for a minute. If Jesus lived 2000 years ago in a land thousands of miles away—how could He be with all of us, all the time? Well, that’s the Good News. See, Jesus lived, was crucified and then resurrected a long time ago, but He promised He would stay with His people for ever and always, in the form of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17).
So, what the people in Leviticus wanted—God to be present with them—we get to experience every day, all day, as followers of Jesus.
Let’s Talk!
- For us to be made right with God, something has to die. And death is always sad. How can we show our thankfulness to Jesus for dying in our place so that we could be with God forever?
- If God is with YOU all the time, is He also with your friends or family all the time? What does it tell us about God—that He can be present with everyone all at the same time?
A Step Further: Interactive Prayer
God is present all the time—not just in the major events of our lives or the hard times. To remember this, have each member of the family write “God is here” on a sticky note. Walk around your house, garage, or car, and place one of the sticky notes where you can see it. Take a minute in each spot to thank God for being with us as we eat dinner, ride in the car, or sleep in our beds.
by Mary Ann Caler
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