Tag: Leviticus

Simple strategies for navigating scripture

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Christmas might be all packed away, but the search for ornaments on the tree may offer some strategies for navigating scripture.

Have you ever wondered how the Bible all fits together or how to find anything in it? Like locating each ornament on the tree, I’m all about understanding where to find content in the Bible. I think one of the biggest obstacles I faced when first trying to read it was how much time it took to find anything. Then when I did open it, many times the information felt a bit random. I didn’t know how it connected to the rest of the Bible.

As I was putting away Christmas ornaments, I saw similarities to scripture navigation which could prove useful.

All you have to do is find it

Most of the ornaments on our tree don’t have specific boxes they go in. Much of packing up Christmas is about making a space to store all of the holiday decorations. But some do have a specific box they go in, and a handful of those boxes have a picture of the ornament on the front so you know what’s supposed to go inside. Truth be told, those are the easiest ornaments to put away, because a particular ornament goes into a specific box – all you have to do is find the ornament on the tree.

Search becomes a treasure hunt

With the picture on the front of the box, you know what you’re looking for. Now the fun begins as the search becomes a treasure hunt.

I’ve seen that before

Next comes, “I know I’ve seen that somewhere before,” and you try to remember where on the tree you recall having seen the ornament nestled in among the fir branches, lights, and garland.

Sometimes I’ll remember I saw it when I was sitting on the couch looking at the tree, which helps narrow the search area.

How I find it

During the search one of several things generally happens:

I find the ornament right away.

I realize when and approximately where on the tree I remembered catching a glimpse of it.

I do a grand sweep of the whole tree (which rarely unearths the sought-after object).

My husband finds it, but that’s only if I let him know what I’m searching for.

I momentarily stop looking and find a box for another ornament. Eventually the one I was looking for appears.

The process

This year while engrossed in this process, which in some ways is like a game, I noted the similarities to navigating scripture, whether looking for Jesus or another connecting point in the Bible.

Sometimes Jesus’ presence in scripture is obvious, like in the Gospels when He’s with His disciples, and all those red letters highlighting what Jesus said if your Bible references Jesus’ words in red.

Other times His appearance or what I’m looking for isn’t obvious, but I’ll remember that it’s somewhere in the vicinity of or related to another story or passage I’m familiar with.

In other instances, I think about where and when I saw a particular scripture reference last.

What else was I reading at the time?

What other aspect of a passage of scripture do I remember?

Storyline

For example, the book of 1 Samuel begins with Samuel’s mother Hannah, hoping desperately for a child. Her fervent prayers are answered in her son Samuel who grows up to be a servant of God. He anoints the people’s king, Saul and eventually God’s choice for king, David. If we remember Samuel’s role in God appointing a ruler, we have clues to place people like Saul and David in the line up to help us find their stories in the Bible.

Other times I’ll release the search, keeping the concept I’m looking for in the back of my mind, knowing the Holy Spirit will catch my attention at the right time.

Name recognition

Genesis is another great place to establish some name recognition. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are a multigenerational trio that shows up throughout the Bible. Their storylines start in Genesis, but they continue to be mentioned from Exodus into the New Testament. Remembering these three goes a long way to keep us in the know as we read and see them reappear in various places in scripture.

Also, when we see something like “city of David” we can remember that’s connected to the David mentioned in the book of Samuel.

Connecting concepts

Leviticus holds some of the biggest treasure in the Bible, but for now, we’ll just focus on the offerings. In this third book of the Bible, we read about several different types of offerings. Just remembering the reference to these offerings in Leviticus goes a long way toward connecting other concepts in scripture.

Grand sweep

The grand sweep. This works well if you have a Bible with subheadings. It’s also helpful if you’re getting your bearings. You can skim the contents of a few books of the Bible, like all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, located at the front of the New Testament. A skim of the beginning of these four books of the Bible helped me find the missing manger. I also began to notice the similarities and differences between the Gospels, noting which stories and aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry are covered in each.

A quick view of the Bible

Another way to get your bearings is with a quick overview of the entire Bible. If you’re not sure how to go about approaching the Bible, I have a handy quick view of the Bible. It’s a tri-fold brochure that doubles as a bookmark, offering a quick overview of the whole Bible.

Bible quick view

What’s important is to simply start the process of looking. You’d be amazed at what you’ll find.

So next time you open your Bible, begin your search.

The trouble of reading the Bible and one possible reason we don’t

Piano books and Bible books – an easy way to learn

Two things that kept me from reading the Bible – and what changed my tune

A bike and the Bible – long dark tunnel – part 7

The beginning of the Old Testament can feel like a long dark tunnel. Here are insights to shed some light on the first five books of the Bible.

Tunnel entrance

The moment had arrived. No more stalling. I clumsily made my way to the tunnel entrance. I couldn’t see daylight. This was like the beginning of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. At the risk of being redundant, Genesis means beginning.

Darkness

In the beginning of Genesis the earth is formless and void. Darkness covers all. That’s what this tunnel felt like. Pure black nothingness. I had no idea where I was going, what to expect, what I would find, and all the while I felt like I was going to fall.

Fall

Which is actually a good metaphor for the beginning of Genesis because a fall happens pretty quickly. It’s “the Fall” that gets referenced everywhere. I heard that phrase a lot growing up but wasn’t exactly sure what it meant. What fall? Who fell?

Well, Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. They listened to a voice other than God’s, then questioned what they thought they knew, but more importantly questioned God’s love for them. The resulting consequence was a fall from grace and a boot out of the Garden, not because God didn’t love them, but because He did.

Before God sent them away from the Garden, He clothed them to cover their shame of being exposed.

God wants to cover our shame too.

Grateful for the light

Back in the long dark tunnel I was grateful for the light on my bike though it seemed pretty dim compared to the darkness that surrounded me. I was thankful to have my husband riding in front of me so I had some sense of direction and a little more light to guide my way.

In fact, this tunnel was filled with other cyclists, many who appeared to be experienced with the layout of the tunnel, or at least to me it seemed that way. With all those riders, this really dark tunnel had a constant stream of light flowing through it. This perpetual light may not have been bright but it was fairly steady.

Not alone

We are not alone when we read the Bible. We may know other people who have already read the stories we are just experiencing. I personally appreciate the people who like me are in the process of learning what’s inside.

Connection

The best part of reading the Bible is finding connection to God. When we read the Bible we take a step toward Jesus. The moment we open our Bibles we open our hearts to the possibility of time with Jesus.

Tried to maintain control

It took all my concentration to stay upright and not ride into the gutters that flanked the sides of the tunnel. For some reason the wheels kept leaning toward the gutters. Later I would find out the tunnel was slanted so the water that dripped from the ceiling could run off into those handy water troughs but for me they were reminders of how quickly I could go off course. I gripped the handle bars while I tried to maintain control.

Two-way tunnel

Did I mention this was a two-way tunnel? Yes, not only was I conscious of the riders behind me – who probably wanted to pass – but I had to watch for the ones sailing back up toward the entrance.

Funny, I didn’t grasp what was happening at the time, but some point later in the ride I realized I, too, would have to make the return trip. God was kind to keep me out of the loop at the start of the ride.

Foundation

Reading the Bible has similar characteristics. When I led a group of people through the whole Bible we spent a lot of time in Genesis. So many of the stories in Genesis lay the foundation for other sections of Scripture. If you haven’t read Genesis I encourage you to start there. If you want an overview of what’s in it, here’s a reference point:

Through Genesis – shedding light on the journey

If you read through Genesis you’ll find it flows into Exodus, which also continues with the story concept, though this one focuses primarily on the story of Moses and the Israelites. Here are some tips on how to navigate Exodus:

Find your stride – how to navigate Exodus

After Exodus comes the stumbling block of Leviticus. Most people like to skip this one, but reading with a group kept me accountable and I read through it. Leviticus is worth the trouble if you’re up for it. Here’s some help to survive the ride through it:

How to survive the journey through Leviticus

Much like the tunnel that never seemed to end, Leviticus can feel like a plunge into darkness. But if you even take the time to skim it, you’ll find some content that relates to Jesus in a most profound way.

And if you survive the journey through Leviticus, you have the reward of Numbers which begins with a mind-numbing census. Here are a few highlights of what can be found in Numbers:

How to find knowledge in the narrative of Numbers

Rounding out the first five books of the Bible is Deuteronomy, the book of remembrance. I personally find it ironic because if I make it this far through the Bible, it’s doubtful I remember what I read up to that point. Here are a few highlights to what’s in Deuteronomy:

Finding reminders in the book of Deuteronomy

If you followed me through this list then congratulations, you just made it through the long dark tunnel of the first five books of the Old Testament.

I want to give you permission to forget what you read. The Bible is always available for us to come back to and open it to remember what we’ve seen. But most of all, God is always available to reach out to – that’s all I need to remember.

Catching up on this series?

A bike and the Bible – an adventure – intro – part 1

A bike and the Bible – reservations – part 2

A bike and the Bible – what I thought – part 3

A bike and the Bible – getting started – part 4

A bike and the Bible – finding a Bible – part 5

A bike and the Bible – before the ride – part 6

For the Love of Leviticus – Finding Jesus

How I discovered a love of Leviticus on a journey through the Bible.

I entered a writing contest. I didn’t win, but I did. Before you write that off as an “everyone’s a winner” statement, let me explain.

Back in March a week before we all had to stay home, I woke up one Saturday with the notion I should enter a writing contest.

I had been writing on a project for fun since January. A book about Leviticus, the road block in the Old Testament. I had always struggled getting passed Leviticus on a Bible read through. But after I read through the entire Bible with my Bible study, I discovered a myriad of connections to Leviticus throughout the whole Bible.

I began writing about my experience in hopes of helping others find connections too.

Big picture

Having decided to enter the contest, I soon realized I had one week to pull together the writing sample. I needed a big picture view of the book, chapter summaries, and sample chapters. Doing this gave me a vision for the project that created momentum.

A few months went by and I was notified I was a finalist in the Oregon Christian Writers Cascade Awards. Talk about validation! The judges’ comments were encouraging, insightful, and helpful.

I wrote some more.

Then life happened. I continued working on other projects, but didn’t spend much time on the Leviticus book, though I kept it on my to-do list.

Motivation

Two weeks ago I dove back into writing on this book. My new motivation? Finish writing a bad draft before the winners were announced. I didn’t know what the contest outcome would be, but I did know it’s more fun to write while you think you could win than if you know you didn’t.

So I did. Write, that is. I wrote like crazy. And that’s when I won. Not the contest, but something better.

A profoundly deeper understanding of the sacrificial love of Jesus.

Every writing session brought another jaw-dropping insight into the connections between Leviticus, that oft-ignored and neglected book of the Old Testament, and the compassion-filled love of our Savior.

Connections to Jesus

Most of us will never know just how much Jesus loves us. Oh, sure, we know from the children’s song, favorite Bible stories, and personal experience. But we don’t know from the perspective of Leviticus. We can only know if we look and nobody wants to look at what’s in Leviticus. It’s gross.

So I’ve been writing a somewhat humorous, yet insightful look into the connections to Jesus found in Leviticus.

I met my goal. I finished the bad draft. Now comes the fun part. Pulling all the pieces together to shape it into something you, my reader, would enjoy perusing.

Don’t worry, it won’t be a thick book. And if you’ve ever attended my Bible study you’ll find it to be much the same: motivating, encouraging, thoughtful, and a little entertaining.

The book is still in its early stages, but here’s the first line:

“Ask anybody what book of the Bible they’ll never read, chances are you’ll hear Leviticus.”

My title?

For the Love of Leviticus – Finding Jesus in the Least-loved Book of the Bible

I look forward to sharing it with you when it’s finished.

If you want a basic orientation to Leviticus:

How to survive the journey through Leviticus

Through the tunnel and into the light

This was the view that awaited me after the long dark tunnel at the start of the bike ride.

waterfall view after tunnel
The peaceful view just outside of the 1.661 mile long tunnel.

Catching my breath. A place to pause.

Did you follow the journey through the long dark tunnel on the Hiawatha bike ride? The Hiawatha bike trail is a 15-mile trek along an old train route which starts in a pitch black tunnel. A tunnel 1.661 miles long.

Daylight

After a very rocky ride through this darkness, we finally emerged into daylight. This waterfall awaited us at the entrance. Thank you, Jesus.

Waterfall

I stopped, a bit awkwardly, but managed to find my footing. I stepped off my bike and walked right up to the waterfall. Pausing. Breathing. Soaking in the peaceful view in the middle of the chaos with my feet firmly planted on the ground.

After the rocky start, the shaky ride, the turbulent trek, I took a moment to stand and be still.

Confidence to keep going

We were, after all, still at the beginning of our journey. We had barely started our trip. This glimpse of refreshment gave me a way to gear up for the next phase. I had made it through the dreaded tunnel, which gave me a boost of confidence to keep going.

First five books of the Bible

Did you make it through the first five books of the Bible?

  • Genesis
  • Exodus
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers
  • Deuteronomy

If you did, wonderful. If you didn’t, just note the names of them as we continue looking through our Bibles.

Rest

We have more ground to cover, but for now let’s take a moment to rest and enjoy the view.

How to survive the journey through Leviticus

The journey through Leviticus

Leviticus is one of my favorite books of the Bible, not because of the content, but because of what it represents. Someday I’ll write a book about Leviticus. In the meantime, I’ll point out some of the cool stuff and show you how to survive the journey through Leviticus.

Orientation

Leviticus, more than any other book of the Bible, most often feels like a long, disorienting and confusing dark tunnel. If Genesis and Exodus presented challenges, but we still persevered to make it through, Leviticus is often where we give up or quit. I want to help change this for you!

Open to Leviticus

I also want to challenge you to stick it out, bear with me, and challenge yourself to open to Leviticus and read something in it. Don’t worry I’ll provide guidance and some manageable (and hopefully) rewarding options. So let’s get started.

See the connections to Genesis and Exodus

Remember Exodus 2:1 the tribe of Levi? That’s where Leviticus gets its name. These are the instructions and procedures for the priests who came from the tribe of Levi. Levi was one of Jacob’s sons. (Genesis 35:23). Moses and his brother Aaron are from the tribe of Levi. Aaron is appointed by God to be a priest. (Exodus 28:1). See the connections between the first three books of the Bible?

Intro to Leviticus

Leviticus starts out with descriptions of several types of offerings found in the first five chapters.

Ch 1-5 The offerings: burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, guilt

The next several chapters are instructions for the priests, including Moses’ brother Aaron, with a bit of narrative included. Following that are rules and regulations for dealing with that which is considered unclean.

Chapter sixteen describes instructions for a ceremony for a specific day.

Ch 16 The Day of Atonement

The rest of Leviticus is instruction from the Lord. Each section begins, “The Lord said to Moses…”

The whole book ends with, “These are the commands the Lord gave to Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites.” Leviticus 27:34 New International Version (NIV)

Think of Jesus

Leviticus more than any other book of the Bible is one to look at, skim over, and constantly ask, “Is there something in here that makes me think of Jesus? Is there a story in the New Testament or a situation where some of these details come up again with Jesus in the picture?”

If you keep that in front of you, you will discover some of the most jaw-dropping, sacred moments in scripture.

Challenge

I feel so strongly about the significance of Leviticus that I want to issue a challenge. Choose the option that looks most manageable, the one that speaks to you. Then challenge yourself to try the one above it.

Read the book of Leviticus.

Skim the book of Leviticus and read a section that stands out to you.

Read all the chapter headings and subtitles.

Read chapter 1-5 and 16.

Read chapter 16.

Which will you choose?