Well congratulations, if you are still reading you are about to finish your first week of reading through the bible, and reading Leviticus no less.. The reading for Feb. 18th begins a major transition in the Book of Leviticus, from the Priestly Code to a conversation about what things in life will make one unclean and how one can take actions to cleanse themselves. While some of these issues involve the community, most involve in the actions of individuals.
In Ch. 10, we again revisit a common theme within scripture, God teaches the people how to behave and almost immediately they fail and face the anger of God. In this instance two of Aaron's sons, who have just been ordained to the priesthood create "unauthorized fire" and are killed for their transgression. What the unauthorized fire is is not really clear. It is possible that they lite their braziers from coals that were not part of the alter or perhaps it is possible they were drunk, which if we follow the reading, seems was quite possible.
No matter the reason for the judgment, it is clear that God is holding the priests to a very high standard and expects much out of them. God has outlined the proper behavior God is looking for, and the priests are expected to live up to it.
The theme continues as a sin offering is giving for Nadab and Abihu, but their brothers Eleazar and Ithamar, fail to eat of the sin offering as is appropriate. Moses has words with Aaron and they seem to come to an understanding that this was a youthful mistake. It would seem that this new endeavor of sacrifices is not going to be as easy as it seems.
Chapter 11 begins the conversation over what food is clean. To simplify, cattle, goats and sheep are clean as are most fish, those with scales anyway. Other than that, meat is not clean. Some opinions about animals are based just upon superstition while others are concerns of animals that eat blood or dirt. Within scripture, there is no real reason given for some of these concerns. In commentaries they talk about how an animal will eat "cud" but I will spare you that analysis.
Now what would Leviticus be without a passage that really offers no strong rationale for its statements? So we have Ch. 12, which speaks of the need of a woman to purify herself after childbirth. Besides the fact that blood is present, and blood is considered holy, there is no real rationale given for what is noted in the chapter. It is just presented as is. One thing it is not, is a place for misogyny, I say this because the issue of bleeding is not used in other places to denigrate women. Further study would be needed, but for our purpose I think we just have to chalk up this passage as the people not really understanding human biology and the superstition about the power of blood holding particular influence. People were afraid of this bleeding and created a system to deal with this fear.
Psalm 22
It is hard to read Psalm 22 in its original seeking its meaning in the life of Israel because Psalm 22 has become so intertwined with the story of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Within its life of Israel, the Psalm reflects an individual who feels surrounded by travail, who calls out to God, yet gets no answer. Perhaps on the verge of giving up, the author recalls the actions of God in the past who hears the cries of Israel and responds. This hope rekindles the faith of the one crying out. Yet this hope does not last long as despair sets in once again. Near death, one final supplication is offered up. As God responds, new life is found, one of rejoicing. The actions of God reinforces the worship that had been offered in the past and a new story of God's salvation can be told.
For Christians, the sense of abandonment, the talk of bones being out of joint and of clothes being divided for lots, remind us of the Crucifixion, but the Psalm then ends with a Resurrection as well, with new life.
No comments:
Post a Comment