Leviticus 21 – Pastor Mac Daily DEVO

And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, No one shall make himself unclean for the dead among his people. Leviticus 21:1 – Likely you are not an expert on what pagan cultures were like around 1400 B.C. when the events of Leviticus were taking place (nor am I an expert). What we can gain from Leviticus is a snapshot of what these cultures were like and what practices they held to. What we are seeing with many of the laws God was giving is a call to separate from the practices of the cultures around them. The pagans were living this way, so God’s people were to live the opposite. We see this sort of separation outlined in the laws given in our chapter around the priest’s role with dead bodies. In the pagan world the priests were the primary ones to handle the bodies. Whether it was the simple removal and burial of the body or having dead bodies as a part of their rituals, these priests were often in contact with the dead. Yet we see God’s priests were called to separate from the dead. No contact with these bodies and only with certain family members passing were they allowed to participate in the funeral arrangements. Why was this so? Again, God wanted a distinction between His people and those of the world. He is holy and He is calling His people to be holy within an unholy world. God cares deeply about this distinction within the lives of His people; is that a distinction you care deeply about? So much of our culture today is about blending in and carefully examining what we do, say, and post so we don’t get canceled or hated on.  The Lord though is calling His people to be distinct and distinct doesn’t blend in. Take then a look at your life, would it blend in with the lives of those who don’t follow Jesus or would it stand out and be distinct? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3223

Question To Ponder: What is a way our lives can be distinct from the lost world around us?

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