A Change of Attitude

Day one hundred thirty-nine

I woke up this morning with two things on my mind, my frustration with my boys and my concern about the Book of Leviticus.  My boys are good kids, but every once in a while they need to be kicked in the butt to make them aware of the issues around them.  Now my boys are way to big for me to literally kick them in the butt, so I have to come up with creative ways to make my point.  The most creative person I know when it comes to discipline is the Lord, so my prayer included a request for ideas on how to reach my boys and have a lasting effect on them.

My second issue is about my attitude towards my scripture study of the Book of Leviticus.  Let's be honest, one word comes to mind when people bring up this book, UGH!  For me this book has always been a bit of a challenge to get through, and even though I have read the entire book before, the thought of doing it again is not so exciting.  (It's a little like doing the chore you hate the most over and over again!)  This is probably not the best attitude to have, especially if I am going to blog about it.  So I prayed that the Lord would bless me with understanding and inspiration as I prepared for my journey through the book of Leviticus. 

Leviticus

I started my study this morning with some research on the book itself.  I'm glad I did because my attitude has been completely changed!  Who would have thought that I would be excited about studying the verses in Leviticus?  Here is what changed my mind:

One of the first things that I read stated that the Book of Leviticus is the first book studied by a Jewish child; yet is often among the last books of the Bible to be studied by a Christian.  That surprised me, what is it that a Jewish child would get out of this book that many Christians can't seem to get?  Maybe I need to approach my reading with a more child-like attitude, seeing things for the first time and enjoying the excitement of what comes next.

Then I read a another statement that made me look at this book differently:  The Book of Leviticus has been described as "the most Christian book in the Old Testament" since it teaches better than any other book the consequences of sin and the redemptive nature of vicarious sacrifice.  We are talking about the atonement here, one of my favorite topics.  This leads me to believe that if I read the chapters looking for the symbolism of the atonement I should find Christ embedded in this book.

But the statement that really got me was:  In the Book of Leviticus we learn that God loves to be approached, but we must do so on His terms.  The overall message of Leviticus is sanctification or holiness (the primary goal of worshippers of the Lord).  I need to read looking for what I need to do to approach God.

And so I have a plan:

• I will read with a child-like outlook instead of preconceived notions.
• I will search for Christ and the Atonement in these verses.
• I will look for the ways that I can better myself so that I can be prepared to approach God.

It feels good to have a plan and a change in attitude.  I am actually excited about exploring these areas and sharing my findings.  It appears that the Lord has answered my prayer on this issue.  One down, one to go!