Tag: faith

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Pancakes!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Luke Pennystan on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 2.

When the grandkids spend the night, I ask them first thing in the morning, “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Pancakes!”

I knew they would say that. That’s why I’ve already got the batter mixed up and the cast iron pan is heating up on the stove.

But a few weeks ago, I leveled up and asked, “Do you want pancakes or waffles?”

“Waffles!”

I had a feeling they would say that. So now I get to have fun with the new round non-stick waffle iron I found on eBay.

I chuckle when I read the second chapter of Leviticus. “When anyone brings a grain offering” it sounds like they’re baking a loaf of bread, making pancakes, or cooking waffles for God!

The grain offering is different than others. A person plants a field, harvests the grain, grinds and sifts it into fine flour. They mix it with oil and bake it in the over, on a griddle, or in a pan. It’s the work of your hands from cultivation to preparation. It’s not a sin offering. It’s a grateful reminder of and response to God’s provision.

Later in the chapter, we learn that no leaven or honey is to be used. Pagans used honey in their offerings. Leaven symbolizes sin. Animal offerings are to be without blemish. Grain offerings need to be pure, too.

But don’t forget to include a pinch of salt. Salt is not just for taste. Salt was not only of value, but it also represented purity and preservation. A lasting covenant with a holy God is precious!

I love to hear the words, “I made you some cookies!” I’ll stop whatever I’m doing to eat one. I like knowing that God feels the same way.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Something smells good

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 1.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. Leviticus. Supportive friends have thanked me for these “through the bible” devotions. Back in Genesis, I told them, “We’ll see how it goes when we get to Leviticus.” Many “I’m going to read the bible” endeavors get out of the blocks fast in Genesis, plod through Exodus, and stall out in Leviticus.

However, the last few times through the bible, I’ve found the guidelines for sacrifices, ordination of priests, foods, festivals, and holiness to be fascinating. So I’m going to share my thoughts with you. I dare you to hang in there with me.

So much changed when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. There was so much we didn’t know. There was a lot of misinformation, too. I never knew there were so many epidemiologists in my congregation! Everyone had expert opinions on communicable diseases, masks, and immunizations.

To the relief of some, the dismay of others, and the anger of a few, we shut the doors of the church and learned how to stream worship into our homes. As I preached to an iPhone camera on a tripod in an empty sanctuary, I wondered if anyone was watching or listening.

Suddenly, we didn’t have to get up, shower, dress, and drive to church on Sunday morning. We could worship virtually via a streaming device in pajamas as we ate breakfast at the dining room table.

It was convenient. But it wasn’t the same. We didn’t have the chance to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen for a week. For better or worse, our singing voices stood out rather than blending in with others. We missed the flock!

God lays out instructions for worship in Leviticus. “When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:2), it was to be done in a certain place (not your tent or home) and a specific way. With humility and obedience, worshipers focused on God without creativity or personal preference. In other words, it wasn’t about you, but about about the Lord. The whole community did this together.

Worship cost you something. Worship cost you a bull, a sheep or a goat, or if you were poor, a couple of birds. As you laid your hands on the offering, you identified with that gift, giving yourself to the Lord. After all, God doesn’t want some thing from you. He wants you. He desires a relationship with you. He loves you.

Worship in the Old Testament points to Christ, who will be the ultimate sacrifice. The blood of beasts foreshadowed the blood of Christ shed on the cross which truly covers all our sin. “Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2).

It smells amazing when I’m walking around the block and catch a whiff of someone grilling meat on the back porch. In the same way, these burnt offerings were a “soothing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9,13,17). Something smells good because Jesus gave his life for us!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Wow, that’s bright!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by asim alnamat on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 34.

In an episode of Friends, Ross decides to whiten his teeth to look his best for a date. But he leaves the whitening substances on for a whole day, and his teeth turn unnaturally white. No matter what color shirt he tries, none of them distract from the brightness of his teeth. Somehow he makes it through dinner without opening his mouth. But when his date turns off the lights, the black lights in the room make his teeth glow insanely white! (Check out the clip here.)

Just like Moses’ face after he’s been speaking with God.

“Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with [God]. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him (Exodus 34:29-30). Moses had to put a veil over his face after he had been talking with God, so people could look at him.

We know Moses had a unique relationship with God. “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10). But do you think someone can tell that I’ve spent time with God? I think so.

The prophet Isaiah said, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). When Jesus, the “light of the world” comes, he’s not the only one who shines. Our lives reflect his brightness, in the positive, merciful, and helpful things we do.

Wouldn’t it be something if suddenly a whole lot of people needed sunglasses because God’s people reflected so much of his light?

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Imagine what that looks like

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by FotoGuy 49057

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 26.

When I’m working on a jigsaw puzzle, I always look at the picture on the box to try and figure out where some of the pieces go. I do that even when I am working with my grandson on a hundred piece puzzle.

When I’m putting together a piece of furniture that came in a box, it helps to look at the picture of the item online or sometimes on the side of the box.

My finished food preparation rarely looks like the picture in the cookbook or at the top of the recipe page, but at least I know what I’m aiming for. Sometimes I’m even in the ballpark.

As I read through the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, I think there’s a lot of room for interpretation. It’s a good thing God showed Moses what he had in mind.

God told Moses, “You shall erect the tabernacle according to its plan which you have been shown on the mountain” (Exodus 26:30).

I so wish Moses had a camera at that moment. I would love to see what Moses saw and the tabernacle he built. I can find all sorts of pictures online of what it might have looked like. But there’s not even have a sketch to look at.

Sometimes I think it must have been magnificent. After all, this is where the Lord will “tent” or camp out with his people. But other times I think it was ordinary. I think that because Jesus came in ordinary form. His physical “tent” was just like us.

Fancy or plain? Who knows.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

He’s got you covered

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Damir Kopezhanov on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 25.

When he got to his cubicle and logged into the computer, the first email that caught his eye was from the boss.

Come by and see me when you get in.

Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good. Now what? What did I do? What did I forget to do? Should I just clean out my desk?

But it was a different kind of meeting. It was all about a a great annual review, a promotion, and a raise.

In a flurry of instructions about building a tabernacle and an ark, God gives Moses this instruction:

 “You shall make an atoning cover of pure gold…Then you shall put the atoning cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you (Exodus 25:17,22).

Another expression for “atoning cover” is “mercy seat.” God would come and meet with his people from a place of mercy.

This is huge. As David will later sing, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). The gold-covered lid for the ark, topped by two angels, was a visual statement of this truth. The condemning law of God, tablets inside the ark, was covered or “atoned” for by the mercies of God. Ultimately, that mercy would be seen at the cross, where the death of Jesus covers sin.

Now that I think about it, once the ark was placed in the holiest place of the tabernacle, no one but the high priest ever got to see it. When it was time to travel, the ark was covered in blue cloth. But everyone knew about it. The craftsmen made everything according to specifications. And then the cloud of God’s presence filled the tabernacle, it was an awesome and reassuring sign of his presence and mercy.

Posted in Uncategorized

Are you ready to learn?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 20.

Even though my memory gets fuzzier each passing year, I remember some of those September back-to-school days. (I grew up as a public school student). It was great to see my friends. I had teachers to get used to. I had to find all the different classrooms. There was a new locker combination to memorize.

And of course, there were rules. Get to class before the bell rang. This is where you sit. Homework must be turned in on time. Get a physical at the doctor before you try out for a sport. No smoking in the bathroom.

God’s people have experienced his power, provision, and protection, summed up pretty well here: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 20:2).

And then there are rules (Exodus 20:3-17). There are rules about how to live together. Other rules are about taking care of each other. God provides structure for their lives as they journey from a place of hopeless bondage to a new home of freedom and abundance.

Even though the rules aren’t numbered, they will be called the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13). Different traditions have numbered them differently, but it probably doesn’t make that much difference.

But I guess it’s like the first day of school. Are you ready to learn? Are you ready to learn about mercy, grace, and forgiveness? Are you ready to learn what it means to trust God? Are you ready to not only hear his word but keep it and be blessed?

We’ll see. We’ve got a long way to go.

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How close is close enough?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
So what do you think? Do you want to get close to this big girl, or not?

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 19.

When I’ve got the Great Dane on the leash, a lot of people take a step back from her hundred pounds of puppy energy, her tail whipping back and forth, and scorching-hot panting. Except for the kids. Kids line up to pet the dog, get a sloppy kiss, and gaze into those huge brown eyes.

At the base of a mountain, Moses and the people encounter what anyone else would call a volcano.

“Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder” (Exodus 19:18,19).

The one true God isn’t a statue. He’s no inanimate object made out of stone or wood. The ground is moving. There’s fire, smoke, and unbearable heat. The sound is deafening. Everyone takes a step back. You dare not get too close!

Unless you’re one of the kids. It’s the same God, just in human form. Later on, he takes the children in his arms and blesses them (Mark 10:16).

So what do you think? Do you want to get close to this God? Or not? And I suppose the answer is, “Yes.” I never want to forget the God of Mount Sinai. Nor do I want to forget the compassion of Christ.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Do you need some help?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by freestocks-photos from Pixabay

A “through the bible devotion” from Exodus 17 and 18.

It was so easy to do too much. I remember too many “perfect storm” Sunday mornings when not only was I preaching, but also opening up the church, playing guitar to lead contemporary worship, teaching a Sunday School class, and taking out a bag of garbage someone forgot to put in the dumpster. It too me a while to learn that if I spread myself too thin, I really wasn’t doing anything well.

I’ve learned to always answer, “Yes,” when asked, “Do you need help?” I don’t need to be independent and self-sufficient. I used to hate group projects. Now I’d much rather be part of a team.

Moses had to learn this lesson, too. He needed help holding up his hands so Israel could defeat the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13). He needed help settling endless disputes among the people (Exodus 18). He couldn’t – and didn’t have to – handle all the responsibility of leading a nation.

I guess it’s pride that makes us think we have to do it all and do it alone. A more honest word might be conceit. And if we’re honest, it’s idolatry.

Thank God for all those who are there to help!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Tap water

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Swanky Fella on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 15.

“I fill my cup with tap water.”

To me, that seemed like a benign comment. However, I’ll bet I offended those in the car with me. Everyone had brought along their favorite bottled water. One passenger suggested we stop to buy a six-pack of water with added electrolytes. There was a moment of silence when I threw out, “I filled up my cup with tap water.”

It’s not quiet when the grandchildren get thirsty. They demand, “Where’s my drink?” And if we do not provide water at the right temperature in the right container, they turn up the volume, “Where’s my drink?”

I never did that. It’s a generational thing. If I had said that to my parents, in our non-air-conditioned, AM radio, crank down the windows by hand, bump-in-the-middle-seat station wagon, my parents would have threatened corporal punishment.

I chuckle when I read about the nation of Israel’s thirst in the wilderness. It’s been three days since God parted the Red Sea for them so they could escape the Egyptian armies. But it’s been three days since they’ve found any drinkable water. “What are we going to drink, Moses?” (Exodus 15:24)

I’m thinking, “Oh, boy. You’re going to get it now.” But God provides drinkable water. He’s a lot more patient and slow to anger than I am.

I take my water for granted. Too many people in this world do not have drinkable water. When I Googled this, I learned that twenty-five percent of people on planet Earth do not have access to clean water. I don’t even think about it, so I rarely thank God for the gift of water.

But I should be grateful every morning when I get up and drink a glass of water, start up the coffee maker, wash my face, and flush the toilet. It’s all a gift of God.