Writing off the Word?

Many years ago I came across a cartoon in a rather ill-judged, Christian, magazine. I don't necessarily disagree with the observation and the point it was trying to make (being jolted into self-awareness is a good thing): but in the end it was untrue, unkind and unfair. So what was the sarcastic sketch and its derogatory caption....?

It was a picture of a man, sitting on an armchair, hunched over, rather aggressively prognathic (just to extend your medical vocabulary a little), overly-intense, with a furrowed, knitted, monobrow (two eyebrows that meet in the middle as one piece, and generally, as a rule, particularly dense and black): in his hand was the firmly-gripped dustcover of the book in which he was engrossed - the heavy, fine-print, tome, in which his nose was buried, was entitled "A Commentary on Leviticus." I suppose that was enough to make most pseudo-marcionite (to stretch your theological and church history knowledge a bit) Christian readers laugh. And then, above this apparently hilarious depiction, was a caption in bold - the butt of the joke, I guess: "CLIVE THE CALVINIST!"

Personally, I've never been one for boxing people, using labels, getting into camps, or glorifying "heroes of the past", or being an acolyte: so I wasn't too fussed or offended by the satire, and was able to see the funny side of it - I certainly don't want to convey the negative impression to others, whether saints or sinners, that holding firmly to the doctrines of sovereign grace leaves the kind of impression suggested by the artist; just as I certainly would not want to be written off as Andy the Arminian! As a dear friend in the ministry, now departed, often said to his colleagues: "Take your work very seriously, but don't take your self too seriously!"

All of this is a rather convoluted way of erecting a defense against my following post: I've been blessed and humbled in equal measures, this week, as I have been reading through the Book of Leviticus in the Hebrew Masoretic Text. And in Chapter 5, which deals with inadvertent, unintentional, sins that are committed "by accident", or of which we may be "totally unaware", I've been surprised, humbled, rebuked, encouraged and cheered in roughly equal measures.

15 "If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued in silver shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven. 17 "If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD." - Leviticus 5:15-19.

Sin is far more serious, prevalent, ill-deserving and offensive - to both God and others - than I was conscious of this time last week. In our culture where sin is forgotten, indulged, dismissed or embraced, I have come to believe that if the Book of Leviticus is not a vital antidote, then at very least it is a healthy refresher course, revitalizing tonic and spiritual pick-me-up to oil the wheels of a deepening walk of repentance from dead works, and faith in God, through Jesus Christ.

I'll conclude with the lines of my Facebook "Post of the Day":

In a spiritual climate where sin is denied, ignored, diminished or swept under the carpet by the best of churches & Christians few things are more healthy for the saints than to learn of the extent, offense, guilt & seriousness of sin - and atonement provided for it - in the book of Leviticus, fulfilled in overflowing provision and pardon at the Cross! And then to sing about it in Psalm 19 - who can know his errors? Then I shall be blameless! In other words… the deeper the hole, the greater the debt, the brighter the love, the higher the praise!

So don't shrug-off Leviticus, don't smirk at Clive the Calvinist, and don't write off the Word of God, which is a divine scalpel to let out the puss of the disease-ridden, sin-condoning, God-ignoring, wrath-denying, post-modern, secular pluralistic culture - warm to the Word, let it do its work, and ultimately break your heart, make your soul contrite, and lead you to the Cross, to confess and then celebrate!

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need - Hebrews 4:12-16.

Maybe then, next time, when you gather with the saints, at the foot of the Heavenly Mount, before Christ's throne of mercy and grace, your song will be sweeter, your soul will be warmer, your praise will be louder.

We are blest in the Blood of Christ through the Book of Leviticus - so don't WRITE=OFF but WONDER-AT the WORD!