Devotional 8: Leviticus 11-14

Leviticus 11-14

Compartmentalize is a word that our society likes because it fits in with our notion of humanity. We like to divide ourselves into different parts. For example there is our work self. Our work self says certain words or does certain actions that we do not do any other time or place. Then we might have the self we present to family or to extended family or to authority figures or to our spouse and the list goes on.

Our society often times sees no connection between politics, religion, health, learning, relationships, etc. Consequently we project this understanding back onto the Ancient Israelites and think they did the same thing. But for an Israelite everything revolved around God and Holiness. In today’s reading we see all these laws about what foods they could eat and what they could not eat and we think how strange it was because food has nothing to do with God and worship.

While it is true that foods in general do not make us more holy or less holy, they do say something about our relationship with God. What it says when we eat what we eat is what we think about God. When we compartmentalize, we only think about God during those things when we think we are supposed to (e.g. worship or prayer). But what God has always wanted His people to do is to think about Him in every aspect of their life. He wants us to think about Him as we work realizing that the person we are at work is the person we are before God. He wants us to think about Him while we eat realizing that God has given us this food and that others do not have any food. He wants us to think about Him when we play and to realize that He made this creation to be enjoyed.

From the most basic of choices – what to eat, God expects us to consider Him and the demand to be Holy. He wants us to realize that everything we do from simple to complex; from morning to evening; from work to play from eating to sleeping involves Him and Holiness. No area of life is exempt from Holiness. Moses and Aaron understood this and it is high time we understand it as well.