Leviticus 18 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Seeing Jesus

In John 14:9 Jesus says, "Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father."
Should a man see only popularity, he becomes a mirror, reflecting whatever needs to be reflected to gain acceptance.
Should a man see only power, he becomes a wolf-prowling, hunting, stalking elusive game.  There's always another world to conquer or another person to control.
Should a man see only pleasure, he becomes a carnival thrill-seeker, alive only in bright lights and titillating entertainment. Driven by passion, willing to sell his soul. Seekers of popularity, power, and pleasure. The end result is the same:  painful un-fulfillment.
Only in seeking his Maker does a man truly become a man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. It is in seeing Jesus that man sees his Source!
From God Came Near

Leviticus 18

Sex

God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, I am God, your God. Don’t live like the people of Egypt where you used to live, and don’t live like the people of Canaan where I’m bringing you. Don’t do what they do. Obey my laws and live by my decrees. I am your God. Keep my decrees and laws: The person who obeys them lives by them. I am God.

6 “Don’t have sex with a close relative. I am God.

7 “Don’t violate your father by having sex with your mother. She is your mother. Don’t have sex with her.

8 “Don’t have sex with your father’s wife. That violates your father.

9 “Don’t have sex with your sister, whether she’s your father’s daughter or your mother’s, whether she was born in the same house or elsewhere.

10 “Don’t have sex with your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter. That would violate your own body.

11 “Don’t have sex with the daughter of your father’s wife born to your father. She is your sister.

12 “Don’t have sex with your father’s sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your father.

13 “Don’t have sex with your mother’s sister; she is your aunt, closely related to your mother.

14 “Don’t violate your father’s brother, your uncle, by having sex with his wife. She is your aunt.

15 “Don’t have sex with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; don’t have sex with her.

16 “Don’t have sex with your brother’s wife; that would violate your brother.

17 “Don’t have sex with both a woman and her daughter. And don’t have sex with her granddaughters either. They are her close relatives. That is wicked.

18 “Don’t marry your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sex with her while your wife is living.

19 “Don’t have sex with a woman during the time of her menstrual period when she is unclean.

20 “Don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife and violate yourself by her.

21 “Don’t give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech—an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am God.

22 “Don’t have sex with a man as one does with a woman. That is abhorrent.

23 “Don’t have sex with an animal and violate yourself by it.

“A woman must not have sex with an animal. That is perverse.

24-28 “Don’t pollute yourself in any of these ways. This is how the nations became polluted, the ones that I am going to drive out of the land before you. Even the land itself became polluted and I punished it for its iniquities—the land vomited up its inhabitants. You must keep my decrees and laws—natives and foreigners both. You must not do any of these abhorrent things. The people who lived in this land before you arrived did all these things and polluted the land. And if you pollute it, the land will vomit you up just as it vomited up the nations that preceded you.

29-30 “Those who do any of these abhorrent things will be cut off from their people. Keep to what I tell you; don’t engage in any of the abhorrent acts that were practiced before you came. Don’t pollute yourselves with them. I am God, your God.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Saturday, December 11, 2021

Today's Scripture
Deuteronomy 15:7–11
(NIV)

If anyone is poorx among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedy toward them. 8 Rather, be openhandedz and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,a is near,” so that you do not show ill willb toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.c 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;d then because of this the Lord your God will blesse you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor peoplef in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

Insight

Before the Israelites crossed to the promised land, God gave them some final commands, one of which addressed how to treat the poor. This involved forgiving debts of fellow Israelites every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1) to prevent any of them from becoming poor (v. 4). It’s even noted that no one would be poor in the land if they faithfully obeyed God and all His commands (vv. 4–5). However, God knew that this mandate could cause bitterness to sprout if an Israelite asked for a loan when those seven years were coming to an end, for the lender would be wary knowing he would likely have a larger amount of debt to forgive. So God warned them that harboring resentment would cause them to be guilty of sin (v. 9), but He also reassured them that they’d be blessed if they gave generously (vv. 6, 10).

Visit ChristianUniversity.org/ML101 to learn more about a biblical perspective of money. By: Julie Schwab

Caring for Those in Need

I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:11

Elvis Summers answered the door to find Smokey, a frail woman who stopped by regularly to ask for empty cans to return for cash. This money was her primary source of income. Elvis got an idea. “Could you show me where you sleep?” he asked. Smokey led him to a narrow patch of dirt about two feet wide next to a house. Moved by compassion, Summers built her a “tiny house”—a simple shelter that provided space for her to sleep safely. Summers ran with the idea. He started a GoFundMe page and teamed with local churches to provide land to build more shelters for others who were homeless.

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are reminded to care for those in need. When God spoke through Moses to prepare the Israelites to enter the promised land, He encouraged them to “be openhanded and freely lend [to the poor] whatever they need” (Deuteronomy 15:8). This passage also noted that “there will always be poor people in the land” (v. 11). We don’t have to go far to see this is true. As God compassionately called the Israelites “to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites” (v. 11), we too can find ways to help those in need.

Everyone needs food, shelter, and water. Even if we don’t have much, may God guide us to use what we do have to help others. Whether it’s sharing a sandwich or a warm winter coat, small things can make a big difference! By:  Julie Schwab

Reflect & Pray

Who do you know or have seen that may be in need of help today? What can you do to help?

Jesus, help me to find ways I can help those around me. Please give me a generous heart.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Individuality

Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24

ndividuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God.  Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

Bible in a Year: Hosea 5-8; Revelation 2