Day 27: Leviticus 17-20

Summaries:
God tells Moses of the importance and sanctity of blood, such that animals are only to be killed at the entrance of the sanctuary, and the blood of an animal is not to be consumed (17). Then there are lots of people who you are not to have sex with, such as someone of the same gender, a relative, or an animal (18). The next chapter contains various rules of conduct, some of which are a part of the 10 Commandments, like not worshiping idols or lying, while others are additional laws, such as not eating meat with blood in it, not cross-breading different animals, and not molesting aliens residing with you (19). Then after giving many laws, God lays out the punishment for such laws, most of which are death or being cut off from the community. God concludes the punishments by encouraging the people not to do wrong, but to do what is right (20).

Reflections:
Well, these are some interesting chapters that I feel are often misunderstood. Many people, when opposing the Christian stance of being against homosexuality and gay marriage, will quote Leviticus as if that's the only thing that Christians have as their belief about homosexuality. I've heard it quoted, where the person says "it is an abomination and should be stoned" as the Christian view. Is this really what they think we believe? While it is true that God gave his laws which included forbidding homosexuality, the thoughts behind the Christian view of homosexuality are much deeper than that, and I'm not going to really get into that fully at this time. I just find it ridiculous that this is where other sources turn, seeing it as the only biblical teaching on homosexuality.

I sometimes have trouble with verses like these, when I read a law and go "Yeah!" and then another and go "Say what?" Some seem to make more sense for the time, some are universal, and I guess it's important to read with both the literal sense and the spiritual sense of Scripture in mind.

One more thought: I've been reflecting on eye-for-an-eye and death punishments, trying to find God's love and mercy in the midst of his justice and judgments. Some might see this as an unloving God, or a God who changed. I see it as love in a form we are not used to. God gives everyone his laws so that they are informed. Moses is given the responsibility of telling the laws to everyone, so that it is in their hands. If they choose to sin against God's commandments, just like Adam and Eve, they are cutting themselves off from God, and breaking the terms of the covenant. For the people to respect God, they ought to know that their life is at stake should they choose to sin. We too should think of it as if our lives were at stake if we choose to sin, instead of just writing sins off and making up for it later. Maybe we should spend more time thinking before we do things. But thankfully for us, God has given us the opportunity to go to Confession and be reconciled with God and the Church. Just like the Israelites were to be cut off until they were made clean, we too cut ourselves off when we sin until we are made clean by God's forgiveness.

Quotes:
Leviticus 17:12 - "Since the life of a living body is in its blood, I have made you put it on the altar, so that atonement may thereby be made for your own lives, because it is the blood, as the seat of life, that makes atonement."

Leviticus 20:22 - "Be careful to observe all my statutes and all my decrees; otherwise the land where I am bringing you to dwell will vomit you out."