Leviticus 9; Leviticus 10; Leviticus 11; Leviticus 12; Hebrews 4

Leviticus 9

1 On the eighth day, Moses called in Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel.

2 He spoke to Aaron: "Take a bull-calf for your Absolution-Offering and a ram for your Whole-Burnt-Offering, both without defect, and offer them to God.

3 "Then tell the People of Israel, Take a male goat for an Absolution-Offering and a calf and a lamb, both yearlings without defect, for a Whole-Burnt-Offering

4 and a bull and a ram for a Peace-Offering, to be sacrificed before God with a Grain-Offering mixed with oil, because God will appear to you today."

5 They brought the things that Moses had ordered to the Tent of Meeting. The whole congregation came near and stood before God.

6 Moses said, "This is what God commanded you to do so that the Shining Glory of God will appear to you."

7 Moses instructed Aaron, "Approach the Altar and sacrifice your Absolution-Offering and your Whole-Burnt-Offering. Make atonement for yourself and for the people. Sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, just as God commanded."

8 Aaron approached the Altar and slaughtered the calf as an Absolution-Offering for himself.

9 Aaron's sons brought the blood to him. He dipped his finger in the blood and smeared some of it on the horns of the Altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the Altar.

10 He burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the Absolution-Offering on the Altar, just as God had commanded Moses.

11 He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the Whole-Burnt-Offering. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar.

13 They handed him the pieces and the head and he burned these on the Altar.

14 He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them on top of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar.

15 Next Aaron presented the offerings of the people. He took the male goat, the Absolution-Offering for the people, slaughtered it, and offered it as an Absolution-Offering just as he did with the first offering.

16 He presented the Whole-Burnt-Offering following the same procedures.

17 He presented the Grain-Offering by taking a handful of it and burning it on the Altar along with the morning Whole-Burnt-Offering.

18 He slaughtered the bull and the ram, the people's Peace-Offerings. Aaron's sons handed him the blood and he threw it against each side of the Altar.

19 The fat pieces from the bull and the ram - the fat tail and the fat that covers the kidney and the lobe of the liver -

20 they laid on the breasts and Aaron burned it on the Altar.

21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before God as a Wave-Offering, just as God commanded.

22 Aaron lifted his hands over the people and blessed them. Having completed the rituals of the Absolution-Offering, the Whole-Burnt-Offering, and the Peace-Offering, he came down from the Altar.

23 Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out they blessed the people and the Glory of God appeared to all the people.

24 Fire blazed out from God and consumed the Whole-Burnt-Offering and the fat pieces on the Altar. When all the people saw it happen they cheered loudly and then fell down, bowing in reverence.

Leviticus 10

1 That same day Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, took their censers, put hot coals and incense in them, and offered "strange" fire to God - something God had not commanded.

2 Fire blazed out from God and consumed them - they died in God's presence.

3 Moses said to Aaron, "This is what God meant when he said, To the one who comes near me, I will show myself holy; Before all the people, I will show my glory." Aaron was silent.

4 Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, Aaron's uncle. He said, "Come. Carry your dead cousins outside the camp, away from the Sanctuary."

5 They came and carried them off, outside the camp, just as Moses had directed.

6 Moses then said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "No mourning rituals for you - unkempt hair, torn clothes - or you'll also die and God will be angry with the whole congregation. Your relatives - all the People of Israel, in fact - will do the mourning over those God has destroyed by fire.

7 And don't leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting lest you die, because God's anointing oil is on you." They did just as Moses said.

8 God instructed Aaron,

9 "When you enter the Tent of Meeting, don't drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, lest you die. This is a fixed rule down through the generations.

10 Distinguish between the holy and the common, between the ritually clean and unclean.

11 Teach the People of Israel all the decrees that God has spoken to them through Moses."

12 Moses spoke to Aaron and his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the leftovers of the Grain-Offering from the Fire-Gifts for God and eat beside the Altar that which has been prepared without yeast, for it is most holy.

13 Eat it in the Holy Place because it is your portion and the portion of your sons from the Fire-Gifts for God. This is what God commanded me.

14 Also, you and your sons and daughters are to eat the breast of the Wave-Offering and the thigh of the Contribution-Offering in a clean place. They are provided as your portion and the portion of your children from the Peace-Offerings presented by the People of Israel.

15 Bring the thigh of the Contribution-Offering and the breast of the Wave-Offering and the fat pieces of the Fire-Gifts and lift them up as a Wave-Offering. This will be the regular share for you and your children as ordered by God."

16 When Moses looked into the matter of the goat of the Absolution-Offering, he found that it had been burned up. He became angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's remaining sons, and asked,

17 "Why didn't you eat the Absolution-Offering in the Holy Place since it is most holy? The offering was given to you for taking away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before God.

18 Since its blood was not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten the goat in the Sanctuary as I commanded."

19 Aaron replied to Moses, "Look. They sacrificed their Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering before God today, and you see what has happened to me - I've lost two sons. Do you think God would have been pleased if I had gone ahead and eaten the Absolution-Offering today?"

20 When Moses heard this response, he accepted it.

Leviticus 11

1 God spoke to Moses and Aaron:

2 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them: Of all the animals on Earth, these are the animals that you may eat:

3 "You may eat any animal that has a split hoof, divided in two, and that chews the cud,

4 but not an animal that only chews the cud or only has a split hoof. For instance, the camel chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof, so it's unclean.

5 The rock badger chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof and so it's unclean.

6 The rabbit chews the cud but doesn't have a split hoof so is unclean.

7 The pig has a split hoof, divided in two, but doesn't chew the cud and so is unclean.

8 You may not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

9 "Among the creatures that live in the water of the seas and streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales.

10 But anything that doesn't have fins and scales, whether in seas or streams, whether small creatures in the shallows or huge creatures in the deeps, you are to detest.

11 Yes, detest them. Don't eat their meat; detest their carcasses.

12 Anything living in the water that doesn't have fins and scales is detestable to you.

13 "These are the birds you are to detest. Don't eat them. They are detestable: eagle, vulture, osprey,

14 kite, all falcons,

15 all ravens,

16 ostrich, nighthawk, sea gull, all hawks,

17 owl, cormorant, ibis,

18 water hen, pelican, Egyptian vulture,

19 stork, all herons, hoopoe, bat.

20 "All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.

21 But you can eat some of these, namely, those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground:

22 all locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers.

23 But all the other flying insects that have four legs you are to detest.

24 "You will make yourselves ritually unclean until evening if you touch their carcasses.

25 If you pick up one of their carcasses you must wash your clothes and you'll be unclean until evening.

26 "Every animal that has a split hoof that's not completely divided, or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; if you touch the carcass of any of them you become unclean.

27 "Every four-footed animal that goes on its paws is unclean for you; if you touch its carcass you are unclean until evening.

28 If you pick up its carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

29 "Among the creatures that crawl on the ground, the following are unclean for you: weasel, rat, all lizards,

30 gecko, monitor lizard, wall lizard, skink, chameleon.

31 Among the crawling creatures, these are unclean for you. If you touch them when they are dead, you are ritually unclean until evening.

32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that becomes unclean no matter what it's used for, whether it's made of wood, cloth, hide, or sackcloth. Put it in the water - it's unclean until evening, and then it's clean.

33 If one of these dead creatures falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot is unclean and you must break the pot.

34 Any food that could be eaten but has water on it from such a pot is unclean, and any liquid that could be drunk from it is unclean.

35 Anything that one of these carcasses falls on is unclean - an oven or cooking pot must be broken up; they're unclean and must be treated as unclean.

36 A spring, though, or a cistern for collecting water remains clean, but if you touch one of these carcasses you're ritually unclean.

37 If a carcass falls on any seeds that are to be planted, they remain clean.

38 But if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, you must treat it as unclean.

39 "If an animal that you are permitted to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass is ritually unclean until evening.

40 If you eat some of the carcass you must wash your clothes and you are unclean until evening. If you pick up the carcass you must wash your clothes and are unclean until evening.

41 "Creatures that crawl on the ground are detestable and not to be eaten.

42 Don't eat creatures that crawl on the ground, whether on their belly or on all fours or on many feet - they are detestable.

43 Don't make yourselves unclean or be defiled by them, because I am your God.

44 "Make yourselves holy for I am holy. Don't make yourselves ritually unclean by any creature that crawls on the ground.

45 I am God who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Be holy because I am holy.

46 "These are the instructions on animals, birds, fish, and creatures that crawl on the ground.

47 You have to distinguish between the ritually unclean and the clean, between living creatures that can be eaten and those that cannot be eaten."

Leviticus 12

1 God spoke to Moses:

2 "Tell the People of Israel: A woman who conceives and gives birth to a boy is ritually unclean for seven days, the same as during her menstruation.

3 On the eighth day circumcise the boy.

4 The mother must stay home another thirty-three days for purification from her bleeding. She may not touch anything consecrated or enter the Sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.

5 If she gives birth to a girl, she is unclean for fourteen days, the same as during her menstruation. She must stay home for sixty-six days for purification from her bleeding.

6 "When the days for her purification for either a boy or a girl are complete, she will bring a yearling lamb for a Whole-Burnt-Offering and a pigeon or dove for an Absolution-Offering to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

7 He will offer it to God and make atonement for her. She is then clean from her flow of blood. "These are the instructions for a woman who gives birth to either a boy or a girl.

8 "If she can't afford a lamb, she can bring two doves or two pigeons, one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering and one for the Absolution-Offering. The priest will make atonement for her and she will be clean."

Hebrews 4

1 For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified.

2 We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith.

3 If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest."

4 Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,"

5 but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest."

6 So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient.

7 God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear . . .

8 And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today."

9 The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people.

10 God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God.

11 So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.

12 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.

13 Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it - no matter what. The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

14 Now that we know what we have - Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God - let's not let it slip through our fingers.

15 We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin.

16 So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.