Leviticus 5 – 13

When you pick up a Bible and consider there are 66 books combined into one it can seem confusing. Add to that the reality of 40 different writers spanning centuries and it makes you wonder where to turn for the “main thing”. It’s tempting to think that if God would just give me a quick list of what He wants, then I could get that done and life would be grand. Many folks look at the “10 Commandments” that way. Not only does this “checklist mentality” write off the total of over 600 commandments given through Moses, but it puts fallible people in the precarious world of “rule-keeping righteousness”.

“If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD.” Leviticus 5:17-19

Did you catch that? If you miss one of the “rules” and even unintentionally break it, you are still guilty. That seems harsh, and maybe even unfair. In the New Testament book of James, the Holy spirit clarifies the point further, For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it (James 2:10). Is Yahweh – the One who called Himself full of compassion, mercy, unfailing love and forgiveness – unfair?

Another fascinating facet of the Law of Moses is that the people were to bring these sacrifices of animals and flour and oil. Each would be ‘prepared in certain ways – some would be burned up, but not all. Some sacrifices were essentially cooked and would feed the priests. Why would God do this? The answer is that He was training people. You may ask, “Training for what?” The right question is “Training for who?” Following His resurrection, Jesus explained the need for His death by pointing to the things written about Him in “the Law”. Not only do the tabernacle structure and furnishings prepare people for the Christ, so do the sacrifices themselves.

Now let’s examine the fairness issue again. The Apostle Paul tells us more:

“Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.       Galatians 3:21-24

Notice four things. First, the giving of “law” is not contrary to God’s promises to Abraham. Second, there is no law that can give life. Yahweh does not want to give us rules, He desires to give us true life! Understand both of these brings us to the third point: the Law of Moses was simply a guardian to guide the Hebrew people to Jesus. Fourth, the Law simply showed people that you cannot become righteous by trying (and failing) to keep a list of rules.

So, is Yahweh Elohim unfair because He gave a law that could not be kept? Absolutely not, because He gave us life in the sacrifice of His Lamb on the cross. It’s not about keeping rules of circumcision and sacrifices and ceremonial uncleanness, as Paul teaches us,

“In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:11-14

The Law (“the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands”) was nailed to the cross, when the Word of God (John 1:1) was nailed to the cross. As we read the Law of Moses and the attempts by the Hebrew people to “keep the Law”, let’s always look to the cross of Jesus and not to the list of rules. The God who demands sacrifice for sin we cannot avoid, became that sacrifice so that we could be forgiven. Is that unfair? If it is, it is unfair to God!

Consider His nature. Consider His ways. Strive to love Him more!