SCRIPTURE: Leviticus 22
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
1. Doing the right thing is not enough, doing it for the right reason matters too. The Lord challenges the people to do the right thing – that is, offer the sacrifices in a proper, honourable way – and to do it for the right reason – that is, to honour the Lord and respect Him as holy. Some people think that good deeds are enough, others think that good motivation is enough. The Lord wants us to aim for both.

2. Jesus affirms this when He challenges the Jewish leaders about their technical rightness, but their inward hypocrisy and greed. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” [Matthew 23:25-26]

3. The Lord is reminding the leaders and the people again and again to take Him and His laws seriously. Its not about going through the motions, or doing ‘just enough’ to appease Him. Its about a love for God and people that shows itself in obedience, sincerity, loyalty, compassion. This goes against the natural inclination of our sin-twisted hearts. We naturally look for ways to serve ourselves, make ourselves look good. And so the reminder again and again in the bible is to remember God, honour God, obey God – from the heart.

4. These commands are a part of the old arrangement with the nation of Israel, before Jesus came. We are now a part of the new covenant. We are to learn and obey what Jesus taught us. His commands, which are less specific than the old covenant laws, are nevertheless more important. Jesus means it when He says to love, forgive and serve our neighbour, to be merciful, patient, humble, compassionate, generous, etc. These are not just suggestions, they are the new (and better) arrangement with God. He loves us, so we can love Him. He forgives us, so we can forgive others.

5. The Lord is not just looking for occasional good deeds, to appease Him. He does not care what we look like on the outside, so much as how we look on the inside. He wants our whole life to be offered to Him as a living sacrifice, this is how we worship Him today [Romans 12:1-2]. The same challenge for old testament concern for sincere obedience applies today.

PRAYER:
Lord, obeying You in the old covenant took serious and sincere effort. Help me to be even more serious, and sincere, in how I honour, love and obey You.