Today Daily Devotional

“Take the finest flour and bake twelve loaves of bread. . . . Arrange them . . . on the table of pure gold before the Lord.”

— Leviticus 24:5-6

In the tabernacle there is a table stacked with 12 loaves of bread, representing all of God’s people. The table and the utensils on it are made of pure gold. Since the tabernacle was the place to enjoy fellowship with God, it made sense that there would be a place to sit and eat! But what would God feed his people?In the Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis uses food to show how we often hunger for things that cannot satisfy. Young Edmund is swayed to follow an evil witch who promises to give him Turkish delight—only to learn that candy cannot really satisfy him. Many of us hunger for “food” that cannot nourish our souls. We chase after wealth, career success, athletic trophies, and social status, hoping to satisfy the longing in our souls. But these are all just stale bites that leave us hungry.The bread in the tabernacle is meant to remind us that, just as God nourished Israel with bread and meat in the wilderness (Exodus 16), he will continue to nourish us. The bread God gives us is himself! Jesus had this in mind when he declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)! Looking to Jesus in faith is to feed on him, and he nourishes us in ways that no earthly “food” ever can. In Jesus, we are drawn into fellowship with the God who loves us more than anything, who promises never to leave us, and who removes our sin from us once and for all! That is food that can satisfy.

Father, thank you for filling us with the true bread that can satisfy the longing in our souls. Nourish us each day, we pray. In Christ, Amen.

“Outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps before the Lord from evening to morning, continually.”

— Leviticus 24:3

The tabernacle was the place where God’s presence came to rest among his people, and our passage today brings us into that tentlike structure. Covered with several layers of fabric, the tabernacle was dark inside. So a large solid-gold candlestand was provided to give the priest enough light to perform his duties.On a deeper level the candlestand communicated that God’s presence was a light amid the darkness of this world. The light of God’s presence shone clearly to draw people into the clarity and safety of his guidance and care.Later God’s presence moved from the tabernacle (a tent) to the temple (a building)—and then when Jesus came, he declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:10), showing that he, as Lord and God, was even better than the temple lighting! Jesus also said to his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), and he called them to share his light with everyone.Today, in a morally and spiritually confused world, Jesus calls us to shine his light. In our work, schools, families, communities, and more, we can shine God’s light to others. But we can only do that by living in a right relationship with the Lord. How will you reflect the light of Jesus today?

Jesus, you are the light this world needs! Thank you for bringing us into the light of your presence, and help us to shine your light wherever we go. In your name, Amen.

“You are to have a day of sabbath rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts.”

— Leviticus 23:24

Do you ever feel distant from God? Sometimes busyness can crowd out so much of our lives that we forget to spend time with God in prayer or worship. The Feast of Trumpets was designed to reawaken God’s people to the beauty of his presence among them.The Feast of Trumpets occurred toward the end of the agricultural year. For months the people labored under a hot sun to grow food—tilling, planting, pruning, and finally harvesting. But through long days, heavy demands, and the uncertainties of their daily work, it could be easy to lose sight of the God who had come to live among his people. The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of the religious year. On this first day of a new year, trumpets blasted throughout the community of God’s people, announcing the nearness of God. The unmistakable sound of the ram’s horn called Israel to revival and renewal.One day we too will hear the unmistakable sound of a trumpet, announcing that Jesus is returning to make his kingdom complete! Amid the busyness of our work, our schooling, or the worries and cares of this world, we can lose sight of the certainty of Jesus’ return.But we are called to be ready for that day! Let us live each day eagerly awaiting and preparing for the clear, triumphant note of the Lord’s trumpet call.

Lord Jesus, we are easily distracted, and we can even become apathetic about your return. Wake us again today to the glory and greatness of your presence, while we await that day when you will return. Amen.

When the day of Pentecost came . . . they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

— Acts 2:1-3

Many of us view rules or laws negatively. Speed limits can seem to bog us down, and who wants to pay extra taxes? Even God’s law can feel restrictive at times. But, of course, all of these things are important.The Feast of Weeks—taking place seven weeks after the Feast of Firstfruits (see Nov. 20)—celebrated the wheat harvest, and it became an occasion to thank God for the gift of his law. Yes, that’s right—as the Israelites lived in the presence of a holy God, his law taught them how to live in a way that was pleasing to the One who had redeemed them.Of course, Israel’s struggle was that obedience was not just difficult—it was impossible. And the same is true for us. Look back over the past day or so, for example. Have you kept from saying unkind words? Have you resisted every bitter thought? Have you avoided the subtle sins of greed and impatience? Not one of us can obey God’s law perfectly.On the Feast of Weeks, God sent his Spirit to renew us in terms of celebrating the harvest as well as the law. The Spirit empowers us for the greater harvest that God has prepared, bringing people from every nation into his kingdom! And the Spirit transforms us to act with true obedience from renewed hearts. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, his Holy Spirit is shaping you for mission and obedience!

Father, help us to live with glad obedience to you, in gratitude for all that you have done for us in Jesus. Amen.

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

— 1 Corinthians 15:20

A member of my church was diagnosed recently with terminal cancer. Another family close to me is watching as dementia robs their family member of memories, one at a time. A colleague recently died unexpectedly, leaving behind a dear wife and two children. Daily headlines announce war, disease, and natural disasters. In short, we live in a world marked by death.The Feast of Firstfruits pointed to a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The people offered God a portion of the first crops of their barley harvest. The offerings were given in gratitude and as an act of trust that God would continue providing for his people. This feast signaled that the first of the crop would lead to more.On the Sunday after Jesus’ death, the sun rose bright on the Feast of Firstfruits. Jesus, the firstfruits of resurrection, opened his eyes from the sleep of death and walked out of the grave, alive! He was the first, but he will not be the last. All who believe in him will also rise from the grave, brought out of death into life!To know what we will be like after rising from the grave, we need only look to Jesus. A perfected body and mind. No more dementia, no more cancer, no more Parkinson’s, no more depression, no more wearing out of bodies and minds!The Feast of Firstfruits invites us to trust that Jesus’ resurrection was just the beginning—and there is more to come!

Lord of life, comfort and sustain us with the hope that we will join you in resurrection! In your powerful name we pray. Amen.

Let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

— 1 Corinthians 5:8

For one week, some years ago, I owned all the bread in the Jewish community in Salem, Oregon, where I live. When local Jewish families celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they did so not by removing all the yeast from their homes (as their biblical ancestors did) but by signing a contract that gave ownership of all their leavened food to someone else.The Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated alongside the Feast of Passover, and it communicated how God had set his people apart as his own. Many years later, the apostle Paul explained to the Corinthians that since “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed,” we are to keep the festival by removing evil from within us and from our Christian communities. Like yeast, sin has a way of working into our lives until it taints every part of who we are. An addiction will grip our behaviors at home and at work, destroying both in the process. Gossip will erode trust in a community. Greed will poison ambition, turning it into something ruthless instead of productive. Like leaven, sin is pervasive. By removing the leaven from their homes, God’s people were to remember they were redeemed to be holy.Is sin taking hold in an area of your life? What might it look like to remove that poison from your life? Jesus, our Passover lamb, was sacrificed so that we can be holy. Let’s resolve to live as God’s holy people!

Jesus, we confess that we often find sin alluring. Help us, by the power of your Spirit, to remove sin from our lives. Amen.

“Tell your son, ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’”

— Exodus 13:8

Many people would rather avoid talking or thinking much about death, but the Bible is straightforward about this problem—and about God’s promises and acts of deliverance. The feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread reminded God’s people about his care and salvation for them.For the Passover feast, families chose a lamb that was free of defects, and it was slaughtered in memory of Israel’s rescue from slavery in Egypt. Many years earlier, the king of Egypt had refused to set the Israelites free, so the Lord sent a plague of death on the land. But in every Israelite house marked by lamb’s blood on the doorposts, the plague would not enter. The plague “passed over” those homes, but death came to the firstborn sons in all the other households in Egypt, and the king finally let the Israelites go free (Exodus 12).This event pointed to Jesus’ sacrifice many years later as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Though Jesus was blameless and without sin, he gave his own life as a sacrifice so that all of God’s people, who believe in him, can be freed from their slavery to sin and the sentence of eternal death. Now anyone who takes shelter behind the shed blood of Jesus is spared—and freed to enjoy new life in him!Thanks be to God for bringing us out of death into life, so that if we are in Christ, nothing but the shadow of death will fall on us, and we will be spared its full effect!

Jesus, thank you for taking on the judgment of death for our sake. May we live each day in gratitude to you! Amen.

“You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.”

— Leviticus 23:3

Our culture tends to wear busyness like a badge of honor. We work long hours; we juggle family, church, and school responsibilities; and we take our work with us when we go on vacation. When people ask us how we’re doing, though exhausted, we take pride in sighing, “Busy!” We need to ask, “Are we doing all this just to be seen, valued, and affirmed?”Leviticus 23 opens a section about feasts and festivals that God called his people to observe. These events created a sense of rhythm and structure for God’s people, and the first of these was the weekly Sabbath. Every seven days, the people were to set their work aside and rest. As noted in Exodus 20:8-11, resting reminded Israel that God, not their labor, sustained the world, and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 made clear that God, not their labor, was their salvation.Today most Christians observe Sunday as their day of rest and worship. Why? Because Jesus, who rose on the first day of the week, gives us a greater rest than the people of Israel had in the time of Leviticus. Jesus’ death and resurrection mean that the work of perfect obedience has been completed; he has provided the rest that our souls long for. In Jesus we are free from the relentless work of trying to earn our worth and to live as if we bear the weight of the world on our shoulders.Are you weary and burdened? Jesus invites you to find rest in him. Set aside time this week to enjoy the rest and worship that God graciously gives us.

Lord, you invite us to find in you the only true rest that can satisfy our souls. Help us to enjoy the rest you provide. Amen.

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you.”

— Leviticus 18:3

Our culture today is immersed in sex. Many advertisements use suggestive messaging to promote fast food, clothing, video games, and more. Streaming services allow viewers to watch provocative scenes on demand. Sex is presented as bringing ultimate joy and fulfillment.Leviticus teaches us how the Lord’s presence transforms every part of our lives. God’s presence shapes the boardroom, the family room, the classroom, and, yes, the bedroom.While our culture’s moral compass is set by individual desire, God calls his people to look to him and his Word. Since God liberated us from slavery to sin, we must not become enslaved again by sinful desires. Anyone who has struggled with sexual temptation or sin can testify to the way it can imprison us. Instead of indulging in an “anything-goes” approach to sex, we are to honor God’s design for sexuality by enjoying it in the context of marriage between a husband and wife.While this message may seem outdated or restrictive, God’s Word leads us to true enjoyment and flourishing. Sexual sin promises excitement but leaves us feeling empty and ashamed. Jesus has graciously paid the penalty for our sin and removed our shame so that we can live into the full enjoyment of all that God intends for us. May we live free from the slavery of sin and instead delight in living out all parts of our life in the joyful presence of God!

God, help us to live in the freedom you have won for us in Jesus. Amen.

“The life of a creature is in the blood. . . .”

— Leviticus 17:11

We have about 30 trillion blood cells moving through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our bodies. And if we lose more than 40 percent of our blood, our life will be at serious risk. The words of Leviticus 17:11 are true: “The life of a creature is in the blood.”Many of our readings in Leviticus this month have mentioned something about blood. Leviticus 17 explains why. First, blood is treated with respect because it represents life, and life is a gift from God. Our culture may emphasize that we should do as we please in life. But because life is God’s gift to us, God is the rightful authority over our lives. For this reason Israel was called to safeguard the well-being of God’s creatures. We must value and protect all life against needless harm and death.The shedding of blood also symbolized how one life was given in exchange for another. Blood was God’s gift for making atonement, showing that sin was serious and would lead to being cut off from God and his people.On the night of his arrest, Jesus explained how his blood would be poured out, and his life given, for us (Luke 22:20). Though we are guilty, Jesus was cut off from his Father and his people so that we could be restored to the joy of God’s presence. God not only requires a sacrifice as payment for our sin, but he also provides it through Jesus!

Lord Jesus, your blood was poured out so that we can have full, eternal life! Though we cannot repay you for this gift, help us to live in thankfulness to you. Amen.