Leviticus 27:34 “These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai.”

SIMPLE WORDS

After all the instructions and commandments, Leviticus ends with these simple words.  That’s it!  Now obey.  These words remind me of James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says.”

My dad was a man of few words when it came to giving directions to me and my brother about a chore.  When he told us to do something, he expected us to do it, without questioning.  Now, he had taken the time to show us how to do it, but then we were expected to do it.  For example, after mowing the yard with our riding mower, we were expected to blow off the grass, grease the fittings and get it ready for next time.  Simple directions.  Just do it.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to be shown how to follow the Lord.  We can read them the Word, but we must live it out for them also.  Jesus showed us how to do it.  We just need to follow His example.  “Right Carl!  Jesus never met my boss!”  Oh really?  He was tempted by Satan himself.

Our children need to learn obedience is simple. Just do it.  They need to experience reward for obedience.  That encourages obedience.  Now we don’t reward just to reward.  And we don’t reward when it is undeserved.  But we can bless them because of their obedience, just like the Father does for us.

Are you just reading the Word or are you obeying the Word?  We know what the Hebrew children did.  They went into the Promised Land with all these instructions and failed miserably.  Shoot, they failed before they even got there and ended up walking in the desert for 40 years.  Is that what you want?  I didn’t think so!

It’s simple, just do it!

Psalm 33:13-14 “13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,”

WATCHFUL

One of the great advantages of a tree stand when you are hunting is the line of sight.  You can get up above most of the bushes and smaller trees and see a lot further.  You can spot that deer a lot sooner than they can spot you.  You also can get above the ground level winds that can take your scent a lot further than you think.  You don’t want that deer smelling you before they are in range.

I started thinking about that when I was reading these verses.  God is way above us (wherever heaven is) and can see without any distractions or disruptions.  He is ALWAYS watching us.  It doesn’t matter which side of the globe we are on or what time zone we are in.  He still “looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;…”

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children will accuse of us of having eyes in the back of our heads sometimes.  We have to be alert, don’t we?  We have to be very mindful of their movements, especially when they are young.  Remember those days?  When a child starts getting mobile your whole world changes.  Things that you thought were safe are now within their reach.

God has the same concern for us and is watching us.  Unlike me in that tree stand, God is not waiting for me to get close enough to shoot me.  He is watching to protect me.  He is watching to guide me.  He is watching to warn me.  We, as parents, have the same responsibility for our children.  It is our job to protect, guide and warn.

How are you doing with that parents?  Are you being watchful?  Are you aware of all the dangers your child faces?  Have you monitored their television viewing or their internet access or their text messages to friends?  Dangers come from all directions.

Be diligent!  Be watchful!  You have the perfect example in our Lord.

Psalm 92:6-7 “6 A senseless man has no knowledge, nor does a stupid man understand this: 7 That when the wicked sprouted up like grass and all who did iniquity flourished, it was only that they might be destroyed forevermore.”

FOOLISH THINKING

I know what you are thinking.  “We don’t use the word “stupid” in our house!”  Well, I agree, but here it is in God’s Word. The Hebrew word can be translated as fool or stupid man.  So, if God uses the word in His Word I guess it is a legitimate word.  Right?

But the point is not that word.  The point is what follows.  Verse seven says the fool or stupid man does not understand that although the wicked seem to be getting away with everything, they will be punished.  Have you ever felt that way?  It seems the wicked just keep getting richer while you struggle to make ends meet.

TEACHING MOMENT

I bet your kids come home sometimes complaining about a neighbor kid who is mean and gets all the cool toys.  They don’t ever get punished by their parents.  Your little Gertrude doesn’t understand that.  That is the time to pull out this verse.  Explain to her that one day those people will suffer a much harsher punishment.  But your child will grasp the importance of obedience and humility.

It’s hard for little boys and girls to see that, I agree.  It’s hard for teens to grasp it.  But as we continue to pour the Word of God into their hearts and minds, they will begin to get the bigger picture.  You see, the fools or stupid only see what’s in front of them.  The wise see the eternal, and that is the important thing.

How are you doing, Mom and Dad?  Are you so focused on now that you don’t see ahead?  Are you so worried about your children now that you are not preparing them for eternity?  Forget your worries of today.  Turn them over to the Lord.  Focus on the eternal value of everything and everyone you encounter.  Then the Lord will give you the wisdom and understanding you need.

Leviticus 20:26 “’Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.’”

ME?  HOLY?

Twice in chapters 19 and 20 of Leviticus God tells the people they must be holy.  Because He is holy, He demands holiness from His people. He is saying, “Be like me!  Be like your Heavenly Father.”  Come on now, doesn’t He know that isn’t possible?

How many of you have seen boys act just like their dads?  I mean the same mannerisms, the same behaviors and the same words used.  How does that happen?  Most of the time it’s because the boys have watched their dads and tried to emulate them.  Other times it is picked up without knowing and before they know it they are a “mini-dad.”  That only happens because of the time spent with them or because they share the same DNA.

TEACHING MOMENT

Did you know we share God’s DNA?  I don’t mean the actual chromosomes.  But I do mean His Spirit.  At salvation, He gives us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us.  We CAN be holy because His holiness lives in us.  We just have to let Him have complete control of us.

Our children need to know that they can be like God.  They have to believe His Spirit dwells in them, and each and every time they are tempted to be unholy they need to remember He is there.  His holiness can be lived out through them.  But they have to give up their desires and their wants.

Mom and Dad, have you done that?  Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of your every action?  Be Holy because He is holy!

Leviticus 18:3 “You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes.”

NOT LIKE THE WORLD

Do you know how to catch a unique rabbit?  Unique up on it!  Sorry, just couldn’t help myself.  But seriously, we are called to be unique people in a fallen world.  The Hebrew children were told by God to not be like the Egyptians or the Canaanites.  He was basically telling them to be different.  Don’t adopt other people’s norms and customs.

What have we done in the world today?  We have invited the world’s culture into the church.  We have allowed our uniqueness as believers, as followers of Christ, to be blended into the cultural norms of America.  It’s hard to tell sometimes where the world ends and the church begins.

TEACHING MOMENT

I remember my children saying sometimes, “Dad, why do we have to do (so and so)?  Johnny’s family doesn’t do that.”  I would explain to them that as believers we had different guidelines to follow.  We have to obey the Word, not the world.

Your children will face that same challenge from the world.  They will be tempted to yield to the pressure to conform.  Don’t let them.  Encourage them to be different, to be unique.

How are you doing as a parent?  Are you setting a unique example for your children?  Can they tell the difference between you and their lost friend’s parents?  Better yet, can their lost friends tell that you are different?  Are those friends drawn to Jesus in you.  If not, examine your walk.

Get off the wide path that leads to destruction and choose the narrow one that leads to Jesus.  It may be a more difficult walk, but the final destination is worth it.

Leviticus 13:46b “He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

STAY AWAY

The chapters in Leviticus which talk about how to deal with lepers seem harsh and unforgiving.  But you must remember the setting.  Leprosy is a contagious disease.  Incubation periods can be as long as 20 years. And back then leprosy usually meant a long and nasty death.  God had to give some instructions on how to deal with this disease to protect the nation.

People were banned from the camp once it was determined they were leprous.  This wasn’t a punishment for them.  Rather, it was a way to keep the infection from spreading.  I know there had to be heartache and even personal sacrifice by many.  But the bottom line was, and still is, that God desires to protect His people.

TEACHING MOMENT

Now this is one of those verses that you may find hard to explain to your child.  Remember, every verse is inspired – even these verses on leprosy.  So, the next time your child gets a rash or skin issue, why don’t you talk about how God put things in place for the people to protect against disease?

I know what you are thinking – “Wow Carl, this really blesses me!”  Listen, God cares about our deepest issues. He cares about our deepest losses.  But He also cares about our bodies and how we take care of them.  This is no small thing.  Teach your kids that.  They need to know that our bodies also belong to God, and He wants us healthy to serve Him.

So, how are you doing keeping your own body healthy?  Are you doing all you can to keep physically fit to serve Him?  Are you allowing your physical limitations to pull you back from what He has called you to do?  Will you recommit yourself today to keep yourself prepared physically to do whatever He asks of you?  He needs soldiers who can fight!

Leviticus 10:1-2 “1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.”

STRANGE FIRE?

Wow!  This passage always hits me hard!  Aaron and his sons had just started offering the sacrifices.  They had just received all the instructions from God through Moses.  They were very detailed, even to the point of using fire sent by the Lord.  But Nadab and Abihu decided to take a shortcut.

In His Word, God gives us very detailed instructions for life.  Now He may not strike us down like Nadab and Abihu, but we will suffer for not following His commands.  We would be so much better off if we would just listen to Him and do what He says.

TEACHING MOMENT

Has your child ever insisted on doing something their way even though you have shown them the best and perhaps the correct way to do it?  But no!  Little Elrod insists he knows how.  So you let him try it his way.  What happens?  He inevitably messes up and then looks to you to fix it.

What a perfect passage to share with them.  Now don’t scare them to death and make them think God is going to zap them, but they need to know that choices have consequences.  Choosing to follow God will bless them.  Choosing not to follow the Lord – well – will have other consequences.

Moms and Dads, are you choosing to follow the Lord?  Are you measuring each decision by God’s Word?  Or are you doing it your way and then running to God to bail you out.

Don’t offer the strange fire!  Let God light your fires!  His fire is pure and holy!

Leviticus 8:4a “So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.”

NO HESITATION

In this passage the Lord has been giving Moses a bunch of instructions regarding the sacrifices and the establishment of Aaron and his sons (Moses’ nephews) as Priests.  I love how verse 4 begins.  It simply says that Moses jumped to it.  In fact, the Hebrew word for “just as” can mean “as soon as.”  Moses didn’t wait for it all to sink in.  He just began doing what God had told him to do.

Have you ever known people who knew exactly what the Lord wanted them to do but just kept waiting for ANOTHER sign to begin?  You have probably heard the phrase “they are too heavenly minded to be any earthly good.”  Well Moses wasn’t like that.  Daylight was burning.  He had to get on with the instructions of the Lord.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to learn that procrastination is not conducive to a healthy walk with the Lord.  There are times to wait when we have no answer from the Lord, for sure.  But when He directs we need to respond without fail.

We expect our children to follow our directions, right?  Most of the time we can give them time to comply or a choice.  But sometimes, we expect immediate obedience – like when we yell at them to get out of the path of a speeding vehicle or to stop hitting their little sister.  There are some directives the Lord gives us that demand immediate obedience.  Knowing His will and His direction is key to walking with Him.

How about you, Mom and Dad?  Are you willing to get off “Ready, Set” and “Go”?  Are you able to do what the Lord says WHEN He says to do it?  Or are you too busy rationalizing why now is not the best time?

God expects us to be like Moses – do it “as soon as” He commands.

Psalm 40:1-2 “1I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”

I CAN’T MOVE

A few years ago I was hunting in a swampy area which required me to walk through several inches of water to get to my tree stand.  I had really intended to get some new hunting boots, but just had not gotten around to it.  The boots I was wearing were kind of water proof, but not completely.  I managed to get to my stand with damp but not horribly wet feet.  Thankfully, it wasn’t a cold day.

The problem came as I started to exit the woods at dark.  I had not realized when I walked in (in the light) that there were several muddy areas along my path.  As I walked out I accidentally got off the path and into one of those areas of mud.  Not only did I get my feet very wet, but I was trudging along in several inches of thick, clingy mud.  I was so thankful to finally reach solid ground, thoroughly exhausted.

TEACHING MOMENT

What a fun verse to share with your kids the next time you get to play in the mud outside.  Most kids love mud.  Take a walk with them through it.  Compare how different your walking is in the mud and on grass.  Let them feel the tug and pull of the mud on their feet.

Now you can tell them how sin does the same thing to our spirits.  It pulls us down.  It bogs us down.  It makes walking with Christ so hard.  But Jesus is our Firm Foundation upon which we can walk confidently.  As we keep our feet on the solid ground we can navigate the paths He has set before us.  We must allow Him to show us the safest path to follow through the swamps of life.

How about you today?  Are you tired of pulling your feet out of the mud?  Are you tired of walking through the mud of life?  Are you tired of cleaning all that mud off your shoes?  Then walk with Jesus.  Even if He leads you into a swamp, He is there to pull you through!

Leviticus 3:2a “He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and slay it at the doorway of the tent of meeting,”

No, I am not thinking about one of those footlong sandwiches.  Lol.  I am referring to the substitute for our sin.  We see in these first three chapters of Leviticus the process which was required for the people to offer their sacrifices.  They were to lay their hands on the head of the animal before it was slain, thus “transferring” their guilt on the animal.

Jesus came and took our place as the final sacrifice for sin.  He was in heaven observing with His Father the hopelessness of man.  I can imagine He said, “Put me in Coach.  I can take care of this.”  I am not trying to be sacrilegious when I say that.  Christ was our substitute for our sins.  The difference in His death and the death of the millions of animals that were sacrificed is His death was the fulfillment of the Law.  He was ONE AND DONE!

TEACHING MOMENT

The next time your child complains about not being able to do something use this thought to explain how they also cannot do enough to gain their salvation.  They are helpless to appease a Holy God.  But Jesus took their place and perfectly fulfilled all God required.

When is the last time your child volunteered to do an unpleasant task for someone?  You can use this truth then too.  Jesus came of His own will to take on a task that He did not deserve.  He willingly laid down His life for the sins He never committed.  In fact, the Word says He BECAME sin for us.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!  He was the best sub ever.  Have you thanked Him today for “jumping in” for you?  Have you given Him the glory He deserves for taking upon Himself the sins you have and will commit?  Have you even acknowledged that?  If not, then stop right now and give Him praise!