READ: Leviticus 6:8-7:38 /
Psalm 61
Verse
chosen for meditation: Leviticus 6:8-9
8 The Lord spoke to
Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is
the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the
altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept
burning on it.
REFLECT
For
many Christians today, the message of Leviticus is not known, as it goes largely unread. Yet Jesus and his listeners knew Leviticus well and took its
teachings to heart. For those who have persevered with the text so far, we may ask, are
these laws of offerings binding on us Christians today? Bible scholar Craig
Blomberg provided a take: “Every command from the OT reflects principles at
some level that are binding on Christians.” The coming of Christ may have fulfilled
many OT laws in a way they no longer bear on believers directly and change the
way we display our holiness and offer our sacrifices, but the principles behind
the laws remain binding on us.
What
are the principles behind the law of the burnt offerings then? The burnt
offerings mentioned in chapter 1 were instructions for the lay people for their atonement
of sins, highlighting the seriousness we should have towards our sins, and the attention required in our atonement. In chapter 6, the instructions addressed the priesthood,
in their leading of the people’s worship to God. We observe the emphasis on
keeping the fire burning on the altar, which was repeated twice more (Leviticus 6:12-13). Rather than thinking why God is so long-winded (if we dare), it will help
more to think of why He felt the need to emphasis it repeatedly. This ceremony
reminded the Israelites of their need for ongoing and uninterrupted worship of
God. The perpetual fire is then a powerful symbolism of our life in Christ, to have
continuous and unceasing worship to God.
RELATE
Interestingly,
I’m reminded of the secular song “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles, later covered
by Atomic Kitten. The song has nothing to do with God, but a romantic’s hope to
keep the flame burning for her lover. How I wish I have this same attitude in
my worship to God. Often, in times of renewal and commitment, we find ourselves
needing a reminder to keep the fire for God burning. Even Paul had to urge Timothy
to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). In other words, Paul is
asking Timothy to shake off the ashes and stir up the God-given fire in him.
This fire is in us. It may not be extinguished, but perhaps it is flickering. How
can we rekindle this fire? A good place to start may be a re-examination of our
relationship with God, our attitude of worship we bring to Him in church and
challenging the concept of worship only on Sundays when it should be every day.
We obviously do not have worship services every day, so how then can we worship
in other ways each day?
On
the notion of corporate worship service, today’s chapters also remind us of
the care and attention needed in preparation and conduct of worship, both on the part of
the worship planning team and the worshippers. Today, we recognise many forms
and styles of worship, but what should not change is the measure of our devotion
during worship. We sometimes get distracted by our own preferences in
styles, sequence, and choice of songs (not disregarding them as they are essential
in helping us worship better), when the most important ingredient is still our
posture of worship. If we are not careful, we may find ourselves attending as "audiences" trying to judge "performers", when it should be God as our audience, and we are
the ones impressing Him with our devotion (not only during singing, but through
the prayers, offerings, sermons, everything).
On the notion of rituals in worship, we may hear complaints across generations of how some may be over-legalistic regarding
rituals, and at the other end, how some disregard rituals altogether. Today’s reflection
reveals that both sides may have valid, but incomplete points. Do we explain
why some rituals/actions are important rather than judging people for not doing?
Do others try to find out why these may be important rather than downplaying them as "outdated"? The emphasis
perhaps should be having an attitude that embodies the principles of the said
rituals (e.g., the Levitical sacrificial system), which is better than merely
carrying out ritualistic actions without understanding, or downplaying them.
REST
Dear Lord, forgive me for my lacklustre worship to
you each day when you deserve the best attitude. Give me oil in my lamp, to
keep me burning for you every day. Amen.
Chris Chong
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