Leviticus 6:14-30 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 6:14-30. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 6:14-18 (NIV)
14  “‘These are the regulations for the grain offering: Aaron’s sons are to bring it before the LORD, in front of the altar.
15  The priest is to take a handful of fine flour and oil, together with all the incense on the grain offering, and burn the memorial portion on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
16  Aaron and his sons shall eat the rest of it, but it is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
17  It must not be baked with yeast; I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. Like the sin offering and the guilt offering, it is most holy.
18  Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire for the generations to come. Whatever touches them will become holy.'”

On verses 14-18:  In these verses God stipulates that after a select portion of the grain offering was burned on the altar, the rest of the grain offering was for the priests to eat.  Here we see God’s heart to provide materially for those who dedicated their working hours and working lives to serving God “full time”.  The timeless principle here is that God intended that those who serve Him full time in the church should be able to live off of the offerings given by the people.  That’s a very practical reason why it is so important for Christians to be faithful in giving their tithes (10% of their income to the church).  If Christians are not faithful in tithing to the church, those who work hard to serve God and God’s people in the church on a full-time basis are the ones who will suffer, not to mention their families.

So whenever it’s time to collect tithes and offerings at church, always remember that tithing is not only to demonstrate our faith in God, our obedience to His commands, or our trust that He will provide for all our needs.  Even more, giving tithes and offerings demonstrates that we truly love our church, in particular those within the church who have dedicated their working lives to serving God and His people.

Let’s take great care of those who work in the church, ensuring that they get plenty of support, including financial support, from all of us who benefit so much from their hard work and sacrifice. Just as God intended, let’s take great care of our church leaders.

Leviticus 6:19-23 (NIV)
19  The LORD also said to Moses,
20  “This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the LORD on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.
21  Prepare it with oil on a griddle; bring it well-mixed and present the grain offering broken in pieces as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
22  The son who is to succeed him as anointed priest shall prepare it. It is the LORD’s regular share and is to be burned completely.

23  Every grain offering of a priest shall be burned completely; it must not be eaten.”

On verses 19-23:  These verses describe the kind of offering that the high priest Aaron would need to give on the day he is anointed as the high priest of the nation of Israel.  I find it interesting that on the day that Aaron is to be anointed as the first high priest of the nation of Israel (v20), God required that Aaron’s successor should have already been chosen and is in charge of preparing the grain offering (v22), which was to be an offering given on a “regular” basis (v20), possibly daily given the words “half of it in the morning and half in the evening” (v20).

To me, this suggests that God is very much about preparing the next generation of leaders.  Unlike us who often think only about the here and now, God thinks ahead.  God thinks long-term.  God thinks generationally.  Likewise, instead of just thinking about the here and now and doing short-term planning, have a longer term perspective when you look at your life and your ministry.

Also, notice that Aaron’s successor would prepare the grain offering day after day, and in so doing was getting ready for the time when he would become the new high priest.  So it wasn’t just that Aaron’s successor was preparing the grain offering; the grain offering was preparing Aaron’s successor.  What’s a lesson here?  When we serve God regularly and faithfully, our service prepares us for greater things in the future.

Leviticus 6:24-30 (NIV)
24  The LORD said to Moses,
25  “Say to Aaron and his sons: ‘These are the regulations for the sin offering: The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the LORD in the place the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most holy.
26  The priest who offers it shall eat it; it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.
27  Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place.
28  The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water.
29  Any male in a priest’s family may eat it; it is most holy.
30  But any sin offering whose blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten; it must be burned.

On verses 24-30:  These verses stipulate what to do with clothing, utensils and tools when they have come into contact with blood while being used in the offering of sacrifices.  The emphasis in Leviticus on washing, rinsing, and even discarding certain items has led some scholars to conclude that the Bible may have provided some the earliest evidence of public health and sanitation practices.  Praise God for the purifying effect that God’s Word has on our lives, not just for our physical health but also for our relationship with God.

Finally, notice that both in verse 18 with the grain offering and verse 27 with the sin offering, whoever touches it “will become holy”.  I’m reminded today of Jesus, who was God’s grain offering, the bread of life given to us that we may live.  Jesus is also God’s sin offering for us, our atoning sacrifice.  When God’s perfect grain offering and sin offering, Jesus, touches our lives, by God’s amazing grace we become holy.

Thank You Lord for Your heart for those who dedicate their working lives to serving Your church.  I pray that my church and I would take good care of them.  Thank You also for having a heart for the next generation.  Thank You that my current responsibilities are preparing me for greater things in the future.  And thank You that by the touch of Jesus, Your perfect grain offering and sin offering for us, we are made holy.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

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