The Priestly Duties - Sick!

I am now trudging through Leviticus and Numbers. I wish I could say I'm excited about it, but I'm not really. Last time I read through the Bible in a year, I actually did get kind of excited about the latter half of the Torah. It was actually at that point when I thought about how I would want to write or journal about my journey through the Bible the next time I read through it. At that time, I was apparently experiencing divine insight into these books of law... but not this time. These are the only three things I continually think about as I read about the decapitation of birds (Lev. 1:15) and the fatty entrails of herd animals (Lev. 3:3) over and over again...

1) Sick. The sacrificial rituals are disgusting. When I think about all the blood being thrown on the altar every day, and Aaron and his sons having to rip up animals, and having ram blood smeared on their ears, I am slightly revolted. Even the thought of throwing oil all over everything in the tabernacle to consecrate it seems sticky and oily and relatively gross to me. It's wierd to think that it was such an honor to be a Levite and be of the priestly family...but that basically meant you killed animals for a living...day in and day out. Not my dream job. That's for sure.

2) Praise God for sending Jesus to be our sacrifice! It's humbling to think that Jesus became the bloody, disfigured sacrificial lamb that disgusts me so much. I don't even like thinking about the sacrificial system of the old covenant. He EXPERIENCED the system for me! He became the sacrifice. What a faithful, loving Savior I have. He is not only the great high priest interceding on my behalf, but he is also the priest's sacrifice.

3) This is probably the only bit of new insight I have had this time around... how merciful and loving is our God to even be willing to accept animal sacrifices from the Israelites? I mean, God is so holy and powerful and worthy, and yet for a set amount of time, He was willing to accept mere animals to atone for man's sin. He didn't have to do that! We know that the tabernacle is "a copy and shadow of the heavenly things" (Hebrews 8:5) and that the sacrfices were a foreshadowing of Christ, our sacrifical lamb, but how merciful of God to allow them to be acceptable for a time and to be willing to meet with his people in a tent. He is the King of Heaven and He was lovingly willing to dwell in a tent to be near his rebellious, sinful people, because they were His beloved. So, even though the sacrficial system seems gross and tedious with all its regulations in my earthly eyes, I am realizing that God's kindness is so extravagent in permitting such a temporary, insignificant system to intercede for sinful man.