Hiking in the mountains can be exhilarating! Gwen and I have hiked quite a bit, often with our kids.
Any hike in God’s beautiful creation is wonderful. However, we have discovered over the years that our time is much more enjoyable when we have a preview of what to expect. When we are able to do some research through trail maps, locally published books, or even Ranger Stations, we are much more attentive to what we are doing and where we are going.
A preview of a trail allows us to decide how long we want to spend on the trail (or how long the trail might be). It helps us determine if there is a creek or river in which we can wade or swim. Maybe we can choose a scenic overlook to stop and eat our lunch.
There are times when it is wise to know the wildlife and their habits as well. We want to see the elk herds of Rocky Mountain National Park at dusk or the moose in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the morning. We want to avoid the grizzly bears in Glacier National Park at all hours.
Previews provide for a plan in hiking with an increased sense of joy because we know what to anticipate.
I have found that the same truth holds for Bible reading. Getting a preview allows me to anticipate where a book of the Bible is going. Understanding the layout or structure of a book, helps me better understand what God is communicating to us. When I preach through a book, I like to chart it out in order to keep it in context.
Previews reveal the Big Picture so I can understand how the pieces of the book fit together.
In the past, I have found that reading Leviticus can be a struggle. I have read it numerous times. I studied it briefly in Seminary. My understanding, my attention span, and my joy has increased as we are reading through it now because of a preview I received of it after I had started it.
I recommend to you the Bible Project video (8 minutes, 16 seconds). You can reach it if you click on this LINK. Or do a simple search on YouTube for Bible Project Leviticus. You can find every book of the Bible previewed there. Part of our reading today was Leviticus 19:2.
You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
That verse captures the heart of Leviticus. God is holy. Humanity is not. God lays out how the sinful Israelites could live in the presence of a holy God.
Reading about skin diseases, bloody sacrifices, and Aaron’s sons being killed can leave you in a daze. All the purity rituals had me confused and the purposes of the priests seemed laborious.
Getting the preview completely changed my attitude toward reading the book. The little video reveals the heart of the book (holiness of God) and His desire for His people (holiness in all areas of life). Helpfully, it points out the symmetry of three key subjects: Rituals, Priests, and Purity. That alone helps the book make so much more sense.
It shows why chapters 16-17 are centrally placed. And how God provided a way for sin to be covered so that people could enjoy His presence.
When you read it with that kind of background, you also gain greater insight into God’s grace through Jesus in the New Testament.
God’s Word is authoritative, God-breathed, and useful for training us in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). I encourage you to let God shape you spiritually by this highly unusual book which we are tempted to set aside.
May we anticipate God’s transformation of us as we read through His Word. I’m glad you are joining us in this effort.
Love and blessings,
Dave