God's Weird Rules

God's Weird Rules

Leviticus 14:33-57

Read "These are the instructions for dealing with serious skin diseases, including scabby sores; and mildew, whether on clothing or in a house; and a swelling on the skin, a rash, or discolored skin. This procedure will determine whether a person or object is ceremonially clean or unclean. "These are the instructions regarding skin diseases and mildew." (Leviticus 14:54-57)

Reflect God's instruction helped the Israelites diagnose serious skin diseases and mildew. This way they could avoid them or treat them. These laws protected the people's health and the community's stability. The people wouldn't have understood the biological reasons for some of these laws, but their obedience made the people healthier. Many of God's laws must have seemed strange to the Israelites, unlike any laws they'd ever known, with reasons they didn't understand. Still, these restrictions were for their good. Do you sometimes feel like God's restrictions don't make sense? Do you ever wonder why obedience in certain areas is so important? God seems to have a good history of giving good counsel in every facet of life—not only physical life, but also moral, spiritual, emotional, and even intellectual life. The Word of God still provides a pattern for healthy living. We may not always understand the wisdom of God's laws, but if we obey them, we will thrive.

Respond Are there instructions that God has given that you don't understand? Faith sometimes involves obeying God before we understand him. If you're facing questions like this, consider obeying and seeing if things begin to make sense afterward.

Our Daily Bread For 06-02-13

READ: John 13:5-17

I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. —John 13:15

If you take a course on writing or attend a writer’s conference, you’ll likely hear the phrase, “Show, don’t tell.” In other words, “show” your readers what is happening, don’t just tell them. Don’t tell readers what you did; describe doing it.

One of the reasons we tend to tell rather than show is that it’s easier and faster. Showing how to do something requires time and effort. In teaching, it’s easier to tell students what’s wrong with what they did than to show them how to do it right. The latter, however, is more effective.

For thousands of years, the Jewish people had only the law telling them what to do and what not to do. But then came Jesus Christ, who showed them how to live the life God had been telling them about all along. Jesus didn’t just say, “Be humble”; He “humbled Himself” (Phil. 2:8). He didn’t just say, “Forgive others”; He forgave us (Col. 3:13). He didn’t just say, “Love God and your neighbors”; He demonstrated love by His actions (John 15:12).

Christ’s perfect example of love shows how great God’s love is for us and how we are to show His love to others. —Julie Ackerman Link

Bless the Lord for love victorious,
Love that conquered on the tree;
For His grace so great and glorious
Flowing out from Calvary.
—John W. Peterson. © 1958 Singspiration.

Love is God’s will in action.

Five Words

Joshua 22:1-9

A 2012 survey of US Millennials—ages 18 to 24— uncovered an interesting trend. The study, led by the Public Religion Research Institute, revealed that one in four young adults chose “unaffiliated” for their religious commitment. But 55 percent of that group had “identified with a religious group” when they were younger. They had simply walked away from the faith they once embraced.

Sadly, many believers in Jesus turn away from their “first love” (Revelation 2:4 NKJV). Knowing that the people of ancient Israel were prone to wander away from God, Joshua called together the “eastern tribes” to commend them and give them counsel. He commended them for faithfully following God’s commands as they helped to clear Canaan (Joshua 22:2-3). The Promised Land had been claimed and was now prepared for God’s people.

But as he sent the three tribes (Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) back to their homes on the east side of the Jordan (Joshua 22:4), Joshua also had some instructions for them (Joshua 22:5):

• “Love”—To maintain their relationship with God, they needed to love Him deeply.

• “Walk”—To stay in step with God, they needed to follow His ways completely.

• “Obey”—To honor God, they needed to obey His commands unceasingly.

• “Hold”—To stay strong in their faith, they needed to hold firmly to God uniquely.

• “Serve”—To live out their faith, they needed to serve God sincerely.

To make sure you don’t begin moving away from God—slipping from unashamed believer (Romans 1:16) to unaffiliated nonbeliever—consider the five words Joshua spoke to the people. As we love, walk, obey, hold, and serve in our relationship with God, our hearts will stay rooted in Him (Joshua 22:5).

— Tom Felten

Read Joshua 1:6-9 and see what God told Joshua at the onset of Israel’s claiming of the Promised Land.

How is your love for God being tested? Which of Joshua’s five words do you most need to consider today in your relationship with God? Why?

Romans 12:16-21

Romans 12

16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!
  17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
  19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

"I will take revenge;
  I will pay them back,"*
  says the LORD.

20 Instead,

"If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
  burning coals of shame on their heads."*

21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Contagion

Contagion

Leviticus 13:1-23

Read "If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons." (Leviticus 13:2)

Reflect Priests were responsible for the health of the camp, so it was their duty to expel and readmit people with leprosy. If someone's leprosy appeared to go away, only the priest could decide if that person was truly cured. The "serious skin disease" in Leviticus 13:2 referred to several different diseases, including leprosy, and was greatly feared in Bible times. Unlike the disease we call leprosy or Hansen's disease today, some of these diseases were highly contagious. The worst of them slowly ruined the body and were fatal in most cases. Those who contracted one of these diseases were separated from their families and friends and quarantined outside the camp. Leprosy is a fitting metaphor for sin. Just like leprosy, sin is contagious. It separated Adam and Eve from God and from each other. It spread from Eve to Adam, then to their sons, and eventually to all of humanity. Like leprosy, sin destroys our bodies with death and brings curses upon the creation we come into contact with as well. Sin is exceedingly ugly and deforming. For all these reasons, Paul encouraged churches to remove unrepentant people from the community (1 Corinthians 5). Sin will spread, dividing and eventually destroying a church when it is ignored.

Respond Is there sin in your life or your church community that has not been confessed? How is it deforming your life or the lives of others around you? Are you willing to take sin as seriously as God does? What would that look like for you?

Our Daily Bread For 06-01-13

READ: John 10:7-14

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. —John 10:10

When our kids were teens, we repeatedly had the following discussion after their church youth group meeting: I asked, “How was youth group tonight?” And they responded, “It was boring.” After several weeks of this, I decided to find out for myself. I slipped into the gym where their meeting was held, and I watched. I saw them participating, laughing, listening—having a great time. That night on the way home I asked about their evening and, once again, they said, “It was boring.” I responded, “I was there. I watched. You had a great time!” They responded, “Maybe it wasn’t as bad as usual.”

I recognized that behind their reluctance to admit they were enjoying youth group were things such as peer pressure and a fear of not appearing “cool.” But then I wondered, Am I similarly afraid to get too excited about spiritual things?

Indeed, there is nothing in this universe more worthy of our enthusiasm than who Christ is and what He did for us. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). That’s the opposite of boring! At any age, we have a gift from the Savior that is worth celebrating. Our salvation is something to get excited about! —Bill Crowder

Father, please fill my heart with the joy of Christ.
I desire that the abundant life I have found
in Him might contagiously reach
out to others around me.

If you know Christ, you always have a reason to celebrate.

Hiding The Flame

John 3:19-21

The London 2012 Olympic cauldron was magnificent. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the spectacular sculpture was built out of 204 copper petals representing the number of competing countries. Despite its beauty, the cauldron elicited scorn from some visitors of the Games who couldn’t view it.

Heatherwick explained that he wanted to achieve the intimacy of the 1948 Games with the cauldron set within the stadium to one side near the spectators. He knew that only ticket holders to the opening ceremonies or athletics events in the Olympic Stadium could view it in person. But he also knew that spectators in Olympic Park could see it on various video screens, and fans around the world could witness it via TV and the Internet.

I’m a bit surprised that the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) approved Heatherwick’s plan. It was definitely an innovative approach, but the cauldron couldn’t be easily seen by many people in London.

Fortunately, by God’s grace and mercy, no person, law, or object can hide or dictate the light of Christ—“God’s light came into the world” (John 3:19). “I am the light of the world,” Jesus proclaimed. “If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12).

Unconfined to a cauldron, the light of Jesus reveals God to the nations (Luke 2:32; John 3:21) and gives us the ability to see His face, His truth, His heart (Luke 1:79). “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6, emphasis added).

Thank you, God, for making “the light by which we see” free and accessible to all (Psalm 36:9).

— Roxanne Robbins

Read 2 Corinthians 4:7 and consider what it says about God’s light: “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.

How do we sometimes hide God’s light in our lives? Why is it true that God’s light will never be extinguished?