Day 9: Leviticus 14-26 Rules, rules, and aren't they good?

I really love the book of Leviticus.  That's probably odd for me to say because I'm not a big fan of rules in general, but I find comfort in Leviticus.  That may also sound odd because God is pretty harsh.  He's very clear about what is right and what is not.  He's very clear about the blessings the Israelites will receive if they follow him and He's very clear of the darkness that will envelop them if they do not.

I think that's the point though, and this goes back to what I said yesterday, God is making it very clear, you are to be my people and to be my people and serve me you must not act as everyone else does.  God sets up for his people very clear ways that they can pursue God.  He does it for their benefit because he knows what is best for them, he is God after all.  In chapter 18, verses 24 and following, he comes right out and says it.  Don't do this because this is exactly what the people around you do and its sin.  I like how the NRSV puts it, "for by all these practices the nations I am casting out before you have defiled themselves.  Thus the land became defiled; and I punished it for its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.  But you [Israelites] shall keep my statutes and my ordinances and commit none of these abominations...otherwise the land will vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you."

Harsh, but clear: don't be like them.  I am giving you a better way, God says.  If only we were to follow him as he desires.  He clearly says, what you think was okay before, is definitely not now and this is why...  God gives his people clear ways of how to live, how to be holy, and how to worship him.  I think that's really what all this is about, how we come to God to worship him.  We need to recognize that he is holy and good and perfect.  So he deserves our best.  He even put in prescriptions to remind people that the land and what they thought they "owned" was really God's.  He gave them the year of Jubilee.  It's a massive reunion, a great big do-over if you will.

All the while God is trying to show the Israelites a better way, the best way, but they can't and don't understand.  Temptation proves to be too great, but God doesn't give up.  Even as harsh as his judgments are, he still provides a way.  That Way and Truth and Life, that true Jubilee, doesn't come until centuries later, but he plants the seed.  He gives them a glimpse and the ones who truly wanted that "more perfect way" I think they got it, at least the heart of it, and I think they were blessed by God for it.