Playing by the Rules

 When I was a boy we spent some summers in Florida.  I loved the beaches and have fond memories of making sandcastles with an overly tan grandpa who spent hours in the sun.  During our vacation we would always play Bingo. It was one of my grandma’s favorite things to do.  She had all these prizes wrapped up and ready for when you called “Bingo.”  Everyone had to get a prize and fair was something that runs in my mother’s blood, (inherited from my grandma) so it was always a fair game.  You weren’t allowed to touch the prize table until you won a prize.  It was weird how I knew the rules and they are still ground into my head.  These rules never felt like bad rules.  They actually made the game more fun.

           

As a dad deciding what rules I make day-to-day is based on a particular action.  I am sure it is frustrating when I tell my little boys that blankets and pillows are not toys, but when they start bombing their sister with them I don’t appreciate it.

           

Often times it seems Leviticus is a big book of rules that God made up along the way. One time in a Bible study we read a book about a guy who said he was going to follow all the Levitical laws for a year.  There are some crazy stories about him-- not shaving his beard, eating certain foods and even getting his wife pregnant.  It was certainly an interesting topic and an odd take on Leviticus.  But it did bring back to the surface a book that is often overlooked.

           

Leviticus is criticized for its harsh and sometimes even weird laws.  So what was the point?  God is Love; this is what the Bible speaks about God.  He shows it by sending His Son to rescue us.  If God is Love, then all His laws are pointed to that.  This is easy to see with His commands:  Do not murder, do not steal and the like.  But what was the purpose of some of the other laws?  This weekend we dive into this.  We take a look at the depth of the laws of God and how they relate to His love for us.