Before the Altar

In Genesis 4:4-7 it shows the result of not doing our best for God. This chapter is of course the recounting of Cain and Abel. If we choose not to do our best for God, God will not look favorably on what we do. If we delude ourselves and say, “God doesn’t care” He is again not pleased. It doesn’t mean we will succeed at everything that is put before us and certainly doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us, just that He wants our best try and He wants us not to give up. These verses also show that our initial reaction is the lie we tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter what we bring to God and then blaming God for wanting too much of us. Then we become jealous of others without others not really having done us wrong. And finally we sin against each other and ultimately God because after all we know better than God.  All the while, throughout this whole process God awaits to see what choice we make.

Give us this day

God provided for us as He provided for His people throughout time. He provided for His priests as in Numbers 18:14. And because we are now considered to be His priests, we will also be provided for, when we choose to do exactly as He wishes and when we give back to God of our bounty. (I Chronicles 26:26-27).

I am the Lord Your God

God tells Moses in Leviticus 22:18-23 to give Him the best animal without spot. And that is us. We come before God, without spot because of Christ. Christ keeps us pure by His blood. If anyone gave God something “corrupt” or blemished then the LORD was not pleased, to say the least, as shown in Malachi 1:14. Again this is us as well, when we come to God and don’t admit we sin. He is just not pleased.

And God wants us to come to Him of our own volition, not out of obligation but out of our own choice. (Leviticus 1:3, 22:19). He wants us to come to Him in joy both individually and collectively. (Ezra 6:16-17)

I am the Lord Your God... (part 2)

Leviticus 27 teaches all Christians and all peoples to take seriously any vow we make to God and before God because we are expected to follow through on what we say, not because we are supposed to do this but because God wants us to be like Him who is not remiss in keeping His promises. His most important promise was Christ, by whose blood we are saved. He stood by His vow, we should as well. Over and over in the old testament we see people dedicating themselves and the temple to Him. (Num 7, I Kings 8:2)