Leviticus 1
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Leviticus 1:1-2, The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
In this chapter, God is giving Moses instructions on burnt offerings, specifically how to choose an animal out of one's herd or flock. The Israelites would have been familiar with burnt offerings, as the cultures around them used burnt offerings, and we see burnt offerings in both Genesis and Exodus. While familiar, God's instructions were unique to their particular circumstances.
What I find interesting in this passage is that God speaks to Moses from the tent of meeting and then Moses communicates this to the people. Remember, the tent of meeting is the place were God dwells and is a visible reminder of his presence among the people. I try to visualize God speaking to Moses through the curtain. What an interesting sight it must have been! The God of the universe, the one who put the stars in the sky, communicating through his spokesperson in a form his people could understand. He sought a meaningful relationship with his people.
God still seeks a meaningful relationship with his people. Living on the other side of the cross, we know the rest of the story. God sent Jesus, the final sacrifice, so that we could be reconciled to him. Now rather than communicating with his people through a curtain in the tent of meeting, we can go boldly to his throne of grace. There are no more barriers. It’s pretty amazing. We can speak to God whenever we want and he speaks to us as well (it’s up to us to listen!) Best of all, we know his presence is always with us. We can live abundantly, walking hand in hand with the Lord.
Let’s pray…Almighty God, we thank you for your presence in our lives. How amazing that we can have a living relationship with you. When you speak to us, I pray that we will listen. In your name, Amen.