Day 4: Leviticus

This is going to make me seem quite strange to the average reader, but I thoroughly enjoy the book of Leviticus. If I were to make a list of my five favorite books of the Bible, Leviticus would definitely be on it (just for fun, in no particular order: Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Habakkuk, Luke, Psalms). I love Leviticus because I can see love within the somewhat tedious listing of sacrifices and rituals. I love Leviticus because I can see what can only be called parental concern behind many of the laws at which we often raise our eyebrows. But mostly, I love Leviticus because it makes it clear that God has always been interested in having a relationship with humans - He's not a God who hides or who makes the way to him a mystery. He lays out exactly what we have to do...and I love that.

On to the observations:

A Harsh Punishment

If you have any question that God is interested in relationship and in community, just take a read through Leviticus and focus on the punishment for violating many of the laws. The New Living Translation uses the phrase "they will be cut off from the community." This was the punishment ordained for violating the majority of the laws recorded in Leviticus. Cut off from the community - ostracized, forced to leave one's family, forced to leave the camp, forced to strike out on one's own.

In our (post)modern world, where we value individuality above all else and prize things such as "alone time" and "striking out to find our way in the world," this idea of being cut off from the community might not resonate as strongly. In the world of the Old Testament, though, the community was the defining force in life. Individual identity as we understand it didn't really exist - one's identity came from one's family and one's community. Thus, when Leviticus demands that violators be cut off from the community, it is saying that violators of the law will be stripped of their identity as God's people.

Jack-of-All-Trades

I never noticed before how involved the role of priest was in Old Testament Jewish culture. Reading Leviticus, I noticed that priests were tasked with everything from offering sacrifices to basic medical care (evaluating skin diseases) to property assessment (checking for mold). The priests were pastors, doctors, inspectors - essential to every part of community life.

Quite the difference from today, when pastors (and church in general) are often reduced to a "wherever I have time and space to spare" role, isn't it?