Tag Archives: Leviticus

Keeping the light on

Scripture crumb from Leviticus 24:1-4

The Lord spoke to Moses: “Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, in order to keep the lamp burning continually. Aaron is to tend it continually from evening until morning before the Lord outside the veil of the testimony in the tent of meeting. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations. He must continually tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand in the Lord’s presence.

Aaron was to continually keep the lamps burning in the Holy Place – a permanent statute throughout all generations. There would then always be light in the Lord’s presence.

My high priest, Jesus Christ, also forever will keep tending the light that emanates from His presence. There is no darkness with Him. He is always at work, constantly listening to my prayers and acting on my behalf. He is forgiving, cleansing, redeeming, rescuing, listening, healing and refining. The light is always on because Jesus is always interceding for me.

So, when it seems like darkness is all around, suffocating me, I must turn to Jesus’ light that never goes out. When I feel like I am praying and praying with no result or answer, I must remember that Jesus is listening and at work, even if I cannot yet see.

God is always present. He never leaves me. He sees me, He protects me and He guides me.

His lamp, like His love, is never extinguished.

Namesake

Scripture Crumb from Leviticus 22:31-33

You are to keep My commands and do them; I am Yahweh. You must not profane My holy name; I must be treated as holy among the Israelites. I am Yahweh who sets you apart, the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh.

Over and over in the book of Leviticus, God reminds His people – I am your God. I rescued you. I set you apart. Obey me. Follow my commands. Be holy.

In this passage, God emphasizes that I must not profane His holy name. The people of Israel honored God’s name by obeying the law and reverencing Him in worship through proper sacrifice. They were God’s chosen people and were to act like it.

I’ve been chosen, too. God has rescued me – from myself, from my sin and from an empty future of no consequence. I bear His name as His daughter – Christian. I must not profane His holy name.

I must not accept what God says is unacceptable. I must do what He says, even if it is completely contradictory to what the world around me practices. I must continually work to have a right relationship with my God, following His plan of grace in my life.

Lord, purify my heart, my mind and my attitude. Give me your vision so I may distinguish between right and wrong, according to Your standards. Thank you for sending Jesus as the perfect sacrifice to atone for my sins. Help me to practice extending Your forgiveness and hope to those around me. Amen.