Prioritizing God
Prioritizing God
Leviticus 21-25
“I Am the Lord”
It is easy to gloss over the ceremonial laws of Leviticus, regarding them as outdated and disconnected from us. However, to do so is to fail to recognize the critical lessons they teach us about life and faith. Throughout Leviticus 21-15, repeated phrases point to profound spiritual principles that shape our lives in the present. As we read through the regulations of the Priests, we see repeatedly that the rituals were to remind the people of the holiness of God and their obligation to be holy people set apart for Him. “They shall be holy to their God.” However, this holiness does not come from themselves; instead, it is a work of God. In 21:15 and 23, we find the statement, “For I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” This points us to the most critical question of all scripture, “How can sinful people be in the presence of a holy God?” The answer is we cannot unless God Himself makes us holy. But this is not just a standard for the Old Testament priests; it is a standard that is true for all of us. We are all called to be priests; therefore, we must live a holy life before God (1 Peter 1:14-16). Central to holiness is the principle that we must be set apart from sin and dedicated to God’s service. Holiness encompasses our total life, not just our “religious” activities. Just as the priests had to be perfect in all aspects of life to enter into the presence of God, so we also have to be perfect. This perfection does not come from ourselves; it comes from God, who makes us holy through our identification with Christ. This then changes our priorities and our view of all we have.
First, living a holy life starts by giving God the best of our possessions. Israel was to only offer sacrifices that were perfect and without defect (22:19,20,21). In other words, they were to give God the best of their flocks. They were to offer the best animal of their flock, not the defective animals that were the least valuable of their herd. The requirement that the animals be without defects was a continual reminder that God is worthy of our best. Tragically, we often give God the leftovers of our wealth and possessions. God requires our best and demands that He be placed as the highest priority in life. God deserves the best we have to offer.
Second, a holy life involves prioritizing our time and giving Him the best of our time. God mandated that the people rest one day from their labors. This was not just to get refreshed emotionally and physically from the rigors of their jobs. It is to be refreshed spiritually by prioritizing God in all aspects of life. The Sabbath day and the various religious festivals were to be “a holy convocation” (23:2,7,20,24,36,37). “Holy convocation” literally means “A holy calling together or holy assembly.” In other words, it was to be a time when they gathered together corporately and joined in the mutual worship of God. It served as a reminder that their relationship with God was to be central and that they were to give God the best of their possessions and give Him the best of their time. We find this same principle in the New Testament. We are to gather together with God’s people (Acts 2:43-474:32-27). The writer of Hebrews warns of the danger of isolating ourselves from God’s people, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together” (Hebrews a0:14-15). Tragically, we often go to church only when it is convenient. We only get involved in ministry when it fits within our busy schedule. However, God demands the best of our time, not just the leftovers of a busy schedule.
To examine our physical health, the doctor starts by taking our temperature. If you desire to take your spiritual temperature, look no further than your time and pocketbook. Do you give God the best of your possessions and prioritize supporting His ministry with your money? Are you prioritizing using your time so that serving Him has precedence over everything else? Do you go to church only when it is convenient, or do you gather together to acknowledge that He is the highest priority of all your activities in life?
Leviticus 21-25
“I Am the Lord”
It is easy to gloss over the ceremonial laws of Leviticus, regarding them as outdated and disconnected from us. However, to do so is to fail to recognize the critical lessons they teach us about life and faith. Throughout Leviticus 21-15, repeated phrases point to profound spiritual principles that shape our lives in the present. As we read through the regulations of the Priests, we see repeatedly that the rituals were to remind the people of the holiness of God and their obligation to be holy people set apart for Him. “They shall be holy to their God.” However, this holiness does not come from themselves; instead, it is a work of God. In 21:15 and 23, we find the statement, “For I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” This points us to the most critical question of all scripture, “How can sinful people be in the presence of a holy God?” The answer is we cannot unless God Himself makes us holy. But this is not just a standard for the Old Testament priests; it is a standard that is true for all of us. We are all called to be priests; therefore, we must live a holy life before God (1 Peter 1:14-16). Central to holiness is the principle that we must be set apart from sin and dedicated to God’s service. Holiness encompasses our total life, not just our “religious” activities. Just as the priests had to be perfect in all aspects of life to enter into the presence of God, so we also have to be perfect. This perfection does not come from ourselves; it comes from God, who makes us holy through our identification with Christ. This then changes our priorities and our view of all we have.
First, living a holy life starts by giving God the best of our possessions. Israel was to only offer sacrifices that were perfect and without defect (22:19,20,21). In other words, they were to give God the best of their flocks. They were to offer the best animal of their flock, not the defective animals that were the least valuable of their herd. The requirement that the animals be without defects was a continual reminder that God is worthy of our best. Tragically, we often give God the leftovers of our wealth and possessions. God requires our best and demands that He be placed as the highest priority in life. God deserves the best we have to offer.
Second, a holy life involves prioritizing our time and giving Him the best of our time. God mandated that the people rest one day from their labors. This was not just to get refreshed emotionally and physically from the rigors of their jobs. It is to be refreshed spiritually by prioritizing God in all aspects of life. The Sabbath day and the various religious festivals were to be “a holy convocation” (23:2,7,20,24,36,37). “Holy convocation” literally means “A holy calling together or holy assembly.” In other words, it was to be a time when they gathered together corporately and joined in the mutual worship of God. It served as a reminder that their relationship with God was to be central and that they were to give God the best of their possessions and give Him the best of their time. We find this same principle in the New Testament. We are to gather together with God’s people (Acts 2:43-474:32-27). The writer of Hebrews warns of the danger of isolating ourselves from God’s people, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together” (Hebrews a0:14-15). Tragically, we often go to church only when it is convenient. We only get involved in ministry when it fits within our busy schedule. However, God demands the best of our time, not just the leftovers of a busy schedule.
To examine our physical health, the doctor starts by taking our temperature. If you desire to take your spiritual temperature, look no further than your time and pocketbook. Do you give God the best of your possessions and prioritize supporting His ministry with your money? Are you prioritizing using your time so that serving Him has precedence over everything else? Do you go to church only when it is convenient, or do you gather together to acknowledge that He is the highest priority of all your activities in life?
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