Bible Reading Plan | Devotion for the week of May 29, 2022

Weekly Reading: LEVITICUS 1, 8, 16, 23, 25; Psalm 119-120
Passages REFERENCED: LEVITICUS 1, 8, 16, 23, 25;
PSALM 119:11,37,97,160,174; 120:7; Matthew 5:9

I don’t know about you, but when I read Leviticus, I often have many different feelings. It’s hard to read and hard to make sense of it all. Many times, if we had the choice, we would choose to skip the book of Leviticus altogether. We may read something we don’t like or understand, and thus we dismiss the book altogether and read a different book in the Bible that makes us feel good.

This week’s reading in the book of Leviticus covers chapters one, eight, 16, 23, and 25. The book of Leviticus is outlined this way: laws pertaining to sacrifice (1:1-7:38), beginnings of the priesthood (8:1-10:20), prescriptions for uncleanness (11:1-16:34), and guidelines for practical holiness (17:1-27:34). Chapter one lays out the laws for burnt offerings and how they are supposed to be done. There is a specific order and reason to why the burnt sacrifices were organized and done the way they were, and it’s important for us to see that and realize that. Whenever we read of the sacrifices and burnt offerings, like in chapter one of Leviticus, we should always be able to see Jesus as the “lamb without blemish” and that He is the true sacrifice for our sins for all time. Chapter eight shows us the consecration of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. The chapter lays out how Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons as priests and what God wanted to be done concerning the order and details of their consecration.

Chapter 16 shows us the day of atonement and the significance of this day. Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, still goes on today in the Jewish community. In 2022, it will take place on October 4-5. The day of atonement, seen here in chapter 16 of Leviticus, was ordered by God to be observed one day a year to cover the sins of the nation (corporately and individually). As Christians today, we should study Yom Kippur and see how it points towards the true atonement for our sins, the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 23 shows us the days that are sacred to God and how they are supposed to be observed. This chapter includes the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of First fruits, The Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. Chapter 25 describes and lays out proper care for the Lord’s creation. Specifically, things done during the sabbatical and jubilee year. Many things were attributed to the sabbatical and jubilee year, which were the redemption of poverty and laws concerning the poor and slavery.

This week, our Psalms are 119 and 120. If you know your Psalms, you know that Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and longest chapter in the Bible. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, which is a lot! Psalm 119 is one of the most glorious Psalms and one of the most glorious chapters in the whole Bible. Psalm 119 is built on the emphasis on God’s sufficient and perfect word. There are many “hidden gems” in Psalm 119 that we all should look at and meditate on. Here are a few I’d like to highlight:

Verse 11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Verse 37: “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.”

Verse 97: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Verse 160: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Verse 174: “I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your word is my delight.”

These aren’t the only good verses in Psalm 119 (Duh!), but these are some verses that stood out to me. I think a vital and personal question we all should ask is, are we delighting in God’s laws? Are we seeing them as good for us and thus praising God for His laws? I may be quick to say that I do delight and enjoy God’s laws, but if I am honest, there are times in my life that I don’t desire to keep God’s laws and delight in them. We need to constantly remind ourselves that God’s laws and commandments are perfect and are established for His glory and our betterment.

Psalm 120, the other Psalm in our reading, is only seven verses compared to 176 verses. Even in those seven verses, there is so much in them. Psalm 120 starts the Psalms of ascent, which range from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134. These were the Psalms that the Israelites sang going to Jerusalem to worship God. I want to focus on verse 7, which says, “I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!” I don’t know about you, but I can relate to the Psalmist. According to Dr. John MacArthur (MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV), “the psalmist actually lives among the pagans who do not embrace his desire for peace.” The Psalmist literally and physically lived amongst those who did not want peace and only wanted war. We live in a society and culture today where everyone is constantly at each other’s throats. Everyone wants the final say in the argument, and very rarely do most want to make peace. I am reminded of Matthew 5:9, which says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” As followers of Christ, we should be all about making peace with those who are not for peace while knowing at the same time we may never be able to fully have peace with everyone on this earth. – Trenton Parker

• Check out The Bible Project’s overview video of the book of Leviticus. It is an excellent source for background information and context that walks through the book’s sections and themes. It can be really helpful for those who appreciate some visuals while learning.

• Do you have questions about this week’s Bible reading? We’d love to help! Rather than relying on the first thing you find on the internet, email us at biblequestions@warsaw.cc. We are more than happy to answer that nagging question you have, provide you with some clarity, or point you in the right direction for further study.