I love how in my One Year Bible (that I've talked about before here), I read about the Israelites dependence on high priests, blood/laying of hands on animal sacrifices, and instructions on diseases; and then in the same day, I read about Jesus walking the earth, healing people with the same diseases talked about in Leviticus, and ultimately, being himself the ultimate sacrifice, thus doing away with the need for human high priests and animal sacrifices. He himself is forever our one and only great high priest and sacrifice, making us forever pure in God's presence! I can never do His word justice, so here's what I'm reading that I love:
"In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments and purify the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and the entire congregation. This is the permanent law for you, to purify the people of Israel from their sins, making them right with the LORD...for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible." - Leviticus 16:32-34, 17:11
In future generations, Jesus became the ultimate anointed and ordained one (Messiah: "the anointed one") to serve as the high priest. The very God who created and sustains everything put on human flesh to purify the place of worship and His people for Himself, making them right with Him! For the only way for this to be done was with blood. Life exchanged for blood in order to purify a broken and sinful people who had no other way to be in relationship with the God who made them and loved them. It is the ultimate, one time exchange of Jesus' blood that makes purification possible for us! No longer does God's presence dwell in the form of a cloud over the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) or on the Ark of the Covenant (Leviticus 16:13-14), but since Jesus is our forever Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), we have His presence dwelling in us (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)! That seriously blows my mind. I don't merely open the Bible to a "dusty" old God who used to do crazy things like dwell with His people in the form of a cloud or walk the earth to die for sin, but I relate with a great High Priest who always goes before me, presenting me as pure to Himself through Himself and his work on the cross. I'm made right with him, not by anything I've done or any animals or blood that I've sacrificed. He is the God of Israel who lives from everlasting to everlasting! (Psalm 41:13). He is the same God I can relate with today because He has made a way! He has made the way!
God, deepen my understanding! Your ways and thoughts truly are mysterious and beyond my understanding, but calm my heart. Allow me to be still and know that you are God. Teach me more of your ways + character! Give me a humble and teachable heart. All for the purpose of brining You glory and honor and fame.
"...(for) I am the LORD." (constantly repeated in Leviticus)
"spiritual prostitution" (Lev. 20:5,6)
"set yourselves apart to be holy, for i am the LORD your God...I am the LORD who makes you holy." (Lev. 20:7,8)
"Keep my decrees...by putting them into practice. I am the LORD." (Lev. 19:37, 20:8)
"Instantly. Immediately." (a word used often in the Gospels explaining the timeliness of Jesus' healings/provisions)
"I feel sorry for this people..." + "Jesus saw the huge crowd...and he had compassion on them" (Mark 8:2 + Mark 6:34).
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