The saddest people are the ones who squander away good fortune. This is especially true of those who walk away from God. The author of Hebrews put it this way:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I’ve known a few people over the years who have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. These folks move away from the Lord, first in their hearts and then in their actions. Once committed followers of Jesus, the glitter of money or sex or freedom caught their eye, and mind and heart and actions followed. Eventually lives around them shattered, families crumbled and friendships dissolved. No one seems happier than they were before.

How to avoid such a fate? Stay in the mix with fellow believers. Speak truth, seasoned with grace, to one another. Read God’s Word and let it soften your heart. Practice god-pleasing living despite hardship or ridicule. Seek truth, stay connected, stand firm. In other words, keep the faith.

Hebrews 3:12-13

Photo by Luis Santoyo

One of the roadblocks to reading all the way through the Bible is Leviticus. The Bible starts hot with the creation of the world. It next features Satan slithering through the garden, and before you can blink a plague of frogs. Lots to keep the reader occupied. But most of us founder at the detailed instructions for sacrifices found in Leviticus.

I’ll admit, I tend to skim these sections. But why include them at all? Christians have never followed this sacrificial system. Why should we find value in the descriptions of such arcane practices?

I think of two reasons. One, these pages reveal the authenticity of the text. Who else but Moses or one of his contemporaries would know such details and commit them to writing? These instructions came from God, not from a religious leader or committee of experts. Here are ancient practices to wrap our modern minds around as we delve into the complexity of placating a Holy God.

Two, as I read I begin to understand the massive shift brought about by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. His sacrifice, once for all, upended this complicated system. His blood takes the place of all the blood spilled in the past, and cancels the need for such bloodshed in the future.

Jesus served as a substitutionary sacrifice. He satisfied divine justice. He appeased God’s wrath, making God’s love consistent with God’s righteous nature. The barrier of sin is removed. Jesus created open access to God the Father and all the wonders that a life with Him brings.

Page after page of minutia concerning offerings of turtledoves and bulls and grains and fine flour without honey (why no honey?) glaze my eyes. I’ll continue fight the urge to skim as I progress through the work. But a broader perspective reveals both the depth of God’s justice and the magnificence of his love.

Leviticus 1-3

Photo by David Clode

This verse, describing the presence of the Lord God in the midst of Israel always amazes me: The cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

The Lord instructed Moses to build an elaborate tabernacle, a traveling worship center, to focus the people’s devotion. The craftsmen followed the detailed instructions to the letter. When they finished the work and set everything in place, a cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

What an inspiring sight. We’re told the glory of God was so intense not even Moses could approach the structure. Then we discover that the Lord’s visible presence remained over the tabernacle throughout their travels.

Which makes me wonder, if in the center of your camp sits a seething structure supernaturally filled with fire and smoke, how do you ever doubt God? It’s like living next to the cauldron of a volcano, watching lava pop while you eat your Cheerios.

But the children of Israel rebelled again and again. The literal presence of God failed to instill complete obedience. Jeremiah tells us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

I think of Adam hiding from God in the garden after his bite from the apple. I turn away, I defer, and I hide, even though the Holy Spirit lives within me. I may not see clouds and flames, but God’s presence remains near. Still, it would be nice sometimes to have a pillar of fire to follow around. But our hearts are dense. We remain complex, hard-headed, free-willed individuals. God comes near, and we shy away.

While miracles are fabulous, they fail to produce obedience. Thankfully the grace of God cuts through the tough fibers of my soul. Then in what is truly a miracle, God’s unwavering patience hangs with me as I play hide and seek with him.

Exodus 40:34-38; Jeremiah 17:9

Photo by Toby Elliott

You never know where the gospel of Jesus Christ will penetrate next. Millions of people claim allegiance to Jesus in China, a communist state committed to an atheistic world view. When God chooses to work, nothing serves as a barrier.

Along these lines, Paul wrote a fascinating benediction to close his letter to the Philippian church: All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

Those of Caesar’s household represent staff, slaves, and officials working for the emperor. We read earlier in Philippians how Paul (while in chains) spread the message of Jesus to the imperial guard. The word then went from his cell via his jailers to the entourage working in the royal palace. Many came to faith.

Nero, the emperor at the time, saw this new approach to God as a threat. He persecuted the growing Christian population, blaming them for a massive fire that consumed much of Rome. He fed believers to wild animals, and burned others alive as torches to illuminate his garden. I wonder how many of those in his household fell victim to his crimes?

Nero’s savagery failed to quash the faith. Brave people continued to follow Jesus. Eventually so many converted that Christianity became the dominant religion of the empire.

Caesar was not a fan. But Caesar never understood the power of the living God. The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny bit of yeast working its way through a mass of dough, quietly relentless. Nero and his empire faded. Today we stroll through the ruins while eating gelato. But faith in Jesus remains, and will remain, regardless of who’s a fan or not.

Philippians 4:22

Photo by Mauro Grazzi