Today's Scripture Reading (November 6, 2021): Leviticus 9
There is tension in modern politics, regardless of the country in which you might find yourself. The modern idea of
political leadership is almost always that the leader represents the people's needs and desires. The leader is there to care for
the people, sometimes doing the bidding of those they serve and, at other times,
making the difficult decision to do what is best for the people and the nation.
Every action of the political leader should begin with this question; 'does
this action benefit those who have chosen me to serve them? But every effort
should be made to make their futures brighter. It is a complex dance, and
different political leaders might answer the questions in very different ways,
but their intention should always be to make life better for the people they
serve.
But there is an opposing force. That force has to do with what those who hold the money needed to run the campaign want. Often political donations, especially large
ones, come with strings attached. The donors who give the money often want something for their contribution, and sometimes that something is directly opposed to the needs of
the people or even the politician's beliefs. It is simply the reality of modern politics.
Winning elections takes money, and those who have the money to give usually want an advantage for their patronage. As a result of these donations, a
war begins within the politician between the desire to fulfill what they believe needs to be done for the betterment of those who elected them and a need to please their monetary masters so that the required donations
will continue.
Up until this point, Leviticus has outlined how the
sacrifices were to be performed. But here, the knowledge becomes more practical.
The ministry of Aaron and his sons, as the priests of the nation, now begins. For the first time, they perform the sacrifices that God had prescribed
for the priests to do. They carry out the sin offering, the burnt offering, the
grain offering, the fellowship offering, and the wave offering. And then Aaron lifts his
hands toward the people and blesses them. Everything that Aaron has done, all of the sacrifices, has been done on behalf of the nation's citizens. There is no tension in these sacrifices. There can
be no temptation to make the sacrifices in such a way as to benefit some, but
not others. The totality of these acts of worship are for the people, all of
the people. God's
blessing is on the nation. All of these sacrifices were made as servants of
Israel, making Israel holy, and not so that Aaron and his sons, or even the broader tribe of the Levites, could be holy in their own right.
And when the sacrifice was completed, and the people had been blessed, Aaron simply left
the stage. He did not wait for the adoration of the people. He understood that any praise did not belong to him. Any honor that was offered belonged to God. But the ministry
of priests on behalf of the people would continue just as God had prescribed. As a result of the humble
ministry of these men, the people would have an opportunity to be joyful in the
presence of their God.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 10
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