Just a thought

This is my first blog post where I’m not coming to the keyboard with a bee in my bonnet over something. No specific topic or thing to address, just a train of thought that hasn’t been derailed despite my best efforts. I have tried… I am trying still. Bear with me.

When I first left home at 18 and moved into a college dorm, my mother and father taught me ways to discern between clean and unclean. Specifically, while visiting, they showed me signs that my sweaty practice clothes had become something a little more than funky. They explained the dangers of mildew and mold, reminded me to always wear my flip-flops to the shower, lectured me in that annoying way parents have, and extracted a promise from me to do laundry on a more regular basis. My dad even forked over a handful of quarters that he just happened to have in his pocket. I probably rolled my eyes, shrugged my shoulders, and nodded—accepting the quarters. I don’t remember thinking this then, but deep down, I knew they did this because they loved me. Fast-forward to today.

First, some background. 1) my church is doing a read-the-Bible challenge and 2) we have just closed the book of Leviticus. Praise God! I have read Leviticus before; but I don’t recall ever being this bored, so I either skimmed it or just plain skipped vast sections of the book. That bit over bodily discharges for instance. Yawn. Together with the final chapters of Exodus and parts of Ezekiel, the book of Leviticus is remarkable for its ability to induce yawns. It is crazy boring. Before there was Valium, there was Leviticus. In fact, Leviticus makes me wonder why there was ever a need for Valium…or pillows. Reading from certain parts of the Bible often reminds me of some of the more absurd lectures of my youth. Like the one about sweaty clothes sitting too long in a laundry basket. But just like then, between yawns, shrugs, and some rolling of the eyes, I am reminded of the great love prompting the message. I rarely appreciate it until the chapter or book is closed, but so too with life.

Do you know how surprised I was to see God’s plan for mold and mildew in my NIV text? How did I ever miss that? Actually, I know exactly how I missed it. My first time to read the Bible was in the NKJV, and it uses “plague” in Leviticus chapters 13 and 14 instead of mold or mildew. Nothing causes the eye to skip quite like the word “plague” in a Biblical context. It’s like a deep scratch on a CD (DISK ERROR: UNABLE TO READ). But seeing God’s instruction to the Levites interpreted as it is in my NIV Bible makes me wonder why I don’t hear more about it. There really ought to be a sermon devoted to nothing else.

“For God so loved the world…”—everyone knows this New Testament Scripture—“…He gave His only begotten Son…” Awesome gift, thanks for that. But where do I find Old Testament proof of His love and my standing as His child? Yeah, yeah, that thing in Egypt was cool, but I’ve heard it argued that He did that primarily for Himself. Where else?

Hmm, Leviticus? Well, it isn’t sexy, but yep, that definitely fits my understanding of parental love. If it does not fit yours, then you probably never had to follow rules that seemed, at the time, to do nothing but make things harder than they had to be. In which case, I am sorry for you. Not every expression of love is exciting. Sometimes it will bore you to tears and take you years to appreciate. Even omitting the special acknowledgement of the bald and balding (Lev 13:40-41), which I am loath to omit mind (notice it has just been included, therefore omission now is impossible), the book of Leviticus will still preach. This message should begin, “For God so loved His children…”