The LORD said to Moses at Mount Sinai … Leviticus 25:1

Today's Scripture Reading (January 8, 2025): Leviticus 25

I tend to be a "camper." That doesn't mean I like to go out to a resort with a tent, trailer, or even a motor home. There was a time in my life when that was part of who I was, but I have to admit that that era of my life didn't last long and has been firmly placed in the rearview mirror. When I admit to being a "camper," it just means I tend to stay in one place. When I go out for lunch, spending some time at the restaurant isn't unusual. I am sure the servers are not enthused to see me walking through the door. On vacation, of late, I usually rent a vacation home for about two weeks. I don't want to move around; I want to "camp out" at one location. 

There was one restaurant that I frequented many years ago. The restaurant no longer exists, and I hope I am not the reason for the closure, but the waitress at the time started giving me the staff table. While I was there, the staff sat at another place. But the staff understood that I would be there for a while. They also served as my personal greeter, often asking guests if they were there to see Pastor Garry. Frequently, my extended stay is not premeditated; I just get talking with people, and time flies by. But I admit that even at a restaurant, I tend to stay put for a while.

The phrase "The Lord said to Moses" or variations on that theme is repeated ninety-six times in Exodus, forty-two times in Leviticus, and another seventy-nine times in Numbers. But this is the only time Moses tells us, "The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai." This assertion is a reminder that Israel has been camped at Mount Sinai since their arrival at the mountain, an event we are told about in Exodus 19. Overall, they have been camped out at the base of Mount Sinai for almost a year, and it has only been about a little longer than that since the Israelites escaped their time of slavery in Egypt.

Israel will soon begin to move. But for now, they are camped out at the base of the mountain of God. They have been busy building the Tabernacle and learning what God expected of them so that they could live and journey in obedience to God when they left the mountain base. With this amount of time and the teaching that was going on, no one could honestly claim that they didn't know right from wrong. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 26