Sin is SERIOUS STUFF!

Leviticus chapters 1 - 18 (6 days in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ reading plan).

I used to find these chapters really dry - a whole lot of stuff about ceremonies and rules that do not seem too relevant to life today. Praise God that the more times I read these chapters, the more of His nature speaks to me. I am gradually understanding how the Old Testament form of atonement & worship is actually very relevant to the entire message of the Bible.

Perhaps above all else, is the very clear message that (1) sin is serious stuff that God abhores and (2) despite how much God hates sin, He still wants to dwell with us and have a relationship with us, hence the very elaborate atonement and worship processes laid out in Leviticus.

There is certainly a very clear message that atonement (for sin) can only be made by spilling blood - I guess this re-enforces the truth that sin brings death, and since blood is the "life of the flesh", blood must be spilled to atone for sin - Leviticus 17:11.

Worship in the Old Testament days was a serious affair, the person who presents the sacrifice has to put his hand on the head of the animal (vivid reminder that the animal is dying in his place), and even kill and skin the animal himself (Leviticus 3 seems to suggest that even though only the priest can minister before God by offering/burning the sacrifice, the requirement is that the animal is killed and skinned by the person who brings it). Even in those days without nicely packed meat in supermarkets, that must have been quite a graphic reminder of the seriousness of sin and the heavy price needed to atone for it so Man can approach God.

This culminated in God coming in the form of Jesus and spilling His own blood as atonement for all our sins - past, present and future - the ultimate and final sacrifice in accordance to His own requirements. It is the perfect way for God to extend His love and grace to us, and yet not compromise His perfect and holy nature.