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For you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34
Yes, friends, the students are studying Leviticus in the CSBS this week!
The teacher this week, Jo Faringer, has been going through the Canaanite pagan mindsets that surrounded the Israelites in the wilderness... it puts this book into such a different perspective. For example... all the stuff about babies and women who are on their period not being welcomed into the assembly for a time, or men with "discharges" not welcome in the tabernacle... these laws were there because the Canaanite worship practices included using sexual relations (and fluids) as a way to somehow bribe or manipulate their "gods" to give them rain for crops, fertility, or whatever else they wanted. Blood and Semen were sacred spiritual tools for worship in the Pagan system. God wasn't saying menstrual cycles were sinful or babies were evil, or that a husband and wife having sex was wrong... he was saying that the Israelites were not to use their sexuality to manipulate him! They weren't to worship him like the Canaanites worshiped their idols.
The biggest difference was the heart motivation.
Worship for Canaanites was for bribery, appeasement, and manipulation.
--But--
Worship for Israelites was to be for remembrance, repentance, and celebration.
I encourage you to not shy away from books like Leviticus... its part of the Word of God. There's a reason this book of the Law is in there. We can learn truths for today out of what God was teaching the Israelites back in their day... the festivals, the regulations, the laws, the offerings... God was teaching the Israelites that he wanted relationship with them, he wanted to bless them so they might be a blessing to the nations around them. He wanted all nations to know that he was the Lord!
Remember to read the book in CONTEXT! It makes such a difference!
And now, I leave you with some photos of the Tabernacle Model Project made by CSBS Students based on Exodus 36-40 for your viewing enjoyment.
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Aloha ho'omaika'i oe!*
*God bless you!
Good stuff Jill, dont you love knowing background that makes the text pop! Hope your enjoying staffing, jealous in a way because you get to do it all over again! However Thailand is coming together nicely!
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