Still Messy

Good old Leviticus ... where many a "Read Through the Bible in a Year" dreams go to die.

I just powered my way through the following verses in Leviticus. I offer my humble insights at the end of this bloody post.

¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² "Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands-

³ " 'If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. ⁴ He is to present the bull at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it before the LORD. ⁵ Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull's blood and carry it into the Tent of Meeting. ⁶ He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. ⁷ The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The rest of the bull's blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. ⁸ He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, ⁹ both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys- ¹⁰ just as the fat is removed from the ox ^[a] sacrificed as a fellowship offering. ^[b] Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. ¹¹ But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the inner parts and offal- ¹² that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it in a wood fire on the ash heap.

Three simple insights:

1. The job of the Old Testament priest was a bloody, messy, nasty, brutal, painful job.

2. The job of today's pastor/priest/leader is often equally as bloody, messy, nasty, brutal, painful job. Different, but messy nonetheless.

3. Praise God for grace!