February 17

Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2



Pray: I used to hear my dad say, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.” I’m certain he didn’t make this up, but as a young boy, that didn't matter. My dad was teaching me quite an important life lesson. We read of that very thing in our Old Testament lesson today. Though the people were unaware, they were still guilty of the sins they had committed. They needed a sacrifice and they needed forgiveness. You and I have the sacrificed Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ. Pray to the Lord and ask for an awareness of your own sin. It’s there, of that you can be sure. He’s ready to forgive, of that you also can be sure.

Read: Sit up straight! Don’t slouch! Posture is important, I’ve been told. If not given the right attention, the lasting result can be quite painful. One must pay careful attention to physical posture. If physical posture is so important, it shouldn't surprise us, then, that spiritual posture is even more important. That’s what the Hebrew people were working on in the Old Testament lesson. They couldn’t present themselves at all before the Lord unless their sins had been forgiven. Then, they would be spiritually upright. Levi/Matthew shows us a spiritual posture of obedience. Jesus says, “Follow me.” Matthew goes! The religious people had a posture of self-righteousness. The Pharisees had a posture of rule-keeping. David had a posture of praise to the Lord, even though he recognized the wickedness and evil around him. Solomon writes about postures of wisdom, foolishness, and right-living. Our posture before the Lord is quite important. How do you stand before the King?

Edify: Our Old Testament lesson may not be one you think applies much today. Yet, what I see in God’s Word as spoken in Leviticus 4 and 5 is absolutely essential…not just to theology, but to salvation. There is the issue of sin. All categories of people are covered here. That says to me that none are exempt from sin. Then, if that be the case, what does one do with sin? A sacrificial offering to the Lord must be made. Blood must be spilled, but not just any blood. There is a specific prescription of how the blood must be applied. Only after the blood is applied and the Lord accepts the sacrifice is forgiveness granted. If this sounds familiar to the Christian, that's a good thing! For, it is precisely what we find in Jesus. We have a sin-debt. The only way to pay that debt is through a spotless lamb. Enter Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His death on the cross, He does just that…takes away your sins and mine. It's not a different sacrifice for different classes of people or different types/degrees of sins. The cross of Christ levels the field of humanity. It's an Old Testament lesson that applies to the new life we find in Christ. For that, I am thankful!

Practice: I don’t look forward to doctor’s appointments, unless I’m sick and I know they’ll make me well. I don’t like dentist’s offices, unless my tooth hurts and then I’m grateful they worked me in. I feel the same way about truth-tellers. I don’t much care for them, until after the Lord has confirmed that what they’re saying is good and right for me. Leviticus 5:1 says, “If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin.” This is truth-telling. You and I need someone to be truthful with us, even when we would rather hear anything else. We also need to be truth-tellers ourselves. Too often, we shy away because “it’s not our place to say anything.” If we know the truth, it is always our place to speak the truth, but we do it…always in love. What do you need to come clean and be truthful about today? Do you need to seek out someone who will always be honest? Now's the time.