9/12/2008 10:30 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Sacrifice
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Leviticus 12:4-8
Message of the verses: “4
‘Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three
days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until
the days of her purification are completed.
5 ‘But if she bears a female
child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she
shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days.
6 ¶ ‘When the days of her purification are
completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the
doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a
young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7
‘Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and
she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who
bears a child, whether a male or a female.
8 ‘But if she cannot afford a
lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for a
burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make
atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”
There are
only eight verses in this entire chapter, but although it is brief it is all
about the family showing God’s love for the family.
Forty days
after the birth of a male child or eighty days after the birth of a female
child the parents were to go to the doorway of the tent of meetings and offer
animals for a burnt offering and a sin offering. Depending on how rich or poor the parents
were they could offer a lamb for the burnt offering or they could offer two
pigeons or turtledoves for the burnt offering and the sin offering. In the case of Mary and Joseph they offered
the two birds for the burnt and sin offering.
The burnt offering was a dedication offering to the Lord and the sin
offering was for the defilement of bearing a child. The sin offering also reminded the parents
that all of the little babies, even as cute and beautiful as they were, were
born in sin and needed a savior and these offerings pointed to the One who
would be born to take away the sin of the world.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: God cared for all of the people as can be
seen in this section by allowing a poorer family to offer the two birds instead
of a more expensive lamb. God cares for
me whether I am rich in material blessings or poor in material blessings.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
- Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
- Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
- Trust the Lord to teach me and for me to learn contentment.
- Trust the Lord for the meeting that Ann will have with Andrew today, that all will go according to His plan for all of this, and that He will give us all grace to handle the outcome.
Memory verses for the week: Exodus
20:7-10
7. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,
for the Lord will not leave Him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
8. Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9. Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
10. but the seventh
day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall do no work, you or your
son or your daughter, your male of your female servant or your cattle or your
sojourner who stays with you.
9/12/2008 10:56 AM
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