104 My Panacea (Lev 14)

Well, it wasn't meant to be this long.
In between a trip away and getting this stupid virus while coming back, my energy to do anything has been non-existent.
Getting off the couch has been an effort, let alone think.
I find thinking hard.
It's not a natural thing.
I have to practice diligently.
Otherwise it gets awkward.
Like training wildebeest to tapdance, it's something you just shouldn't see.
So I have risen from my deathbed, my temperature is still 38.
My feet are hot.
I'm sick of coughing.
And I hope you had a really good day.
I am behind my schedule and need to continue.
Maybe this is my panacea.

Leviticus 14
Oh the irony of dealing with diseases again on today of all days.
I feel unclean.
Friends popped by on Sunday. We don't see them as much as we would like and it would have been great to catch up. But Donna was crook too and I wasn't sure how contagious I was. I felt the disappointment as they left without entering. We felt it too. I guess that's what it felt to be an Old Testament leper.
Only a lot worse.
Megaworse.
I'm not going to die.
My skin will stop being pasty when I return to the sunlight.
And I have a choice whether I shave off all my hair.
As an aside, Donna can't wait till the end of "Movember".

I see the sense in the total body shave.
Chapter 13 talks about the hair on the diseased skin being white.
If a person is healed, cleansed, he may still have white hair until new hair grows back.
Every hair gone.
All new hair should be ok again.
Just a big process.
These are generally pretty hairy guys.
Also another reason, given my current follicle challenged dome, that I'm glad I just went to a doctor for a script and a medical certificate.

The second part of this chapter talks about problems with mould and mildew in houses and buildings. How to get rid of it. How to cleanse the dwelling.
Interesting.
Because, they are a nation still living in tents.
Preparation for the Promised Land, years in the future.
Another indication that when setting rules, God laid everything out from the start.
There is no adding bits and pieces as He goes.
God is a planner.

Phew got through it.
Now for more panadol.

103 Some Time Away (Lev 13)

Well sorry for the lapse in my output.
Something important came up.
I had to go fishing in Victoria for a couple of days.
Did I have to?
Well of course.
Donna paid for some flights in March or April and it would have been rude to not go.
The fishing was a bonus.
New water usually is.
Productive new water.
I had a ball.
A mate took time out of his busy schedule and did the "guide" thing.
Superbly.
I caught fish, so he must be good.
I caught a lot of fish.
For me.
Had a real blast.
I so will go back one day.

Leviticus 13
It concerns me when I first had a look and see subtitles such as
"Regulations about Mildew"
"Regulations about Infectious Skin Diseases"
Yet I headed on regardless.
It's all ok.
Practical and wise advice in a situation where the spread of these things ultimately could bring catastrophe to the whole encampment.
Close proximity to your friends, neighbours and sheep in a hardly sterile environment equals disaster from a nasty spreading infection.
It just makes sense.
How important was it to get this right?
It's a whole chapter in the Bible.

A priest now needs to know mycology as well as dermatology as well as "normal" priesty stuff.
These were amazing guys.
So much responsibility.

Gifted by God to ensure the longevity of His people to the maximum.
Sometimes, just sometimes, I'm sure they even got to have some sleep.

102 Hmmmm (Lev 12)

Leviticus 12
A brief chapter today.
One where I need to be a bit careful.
God's value on blood is clear.
In ANY circumstance.
The shedding of blood required atonement.
The joy of birth was no exception.
A time of happiness mixed with the sorrow of separation.
Complicated.
Painful.
Harsh? (The Hmmmmm moment)
Finished with thanksgiving for the beauty of creation.

That is all tonight.
Sleep well.

101 Bruised from Sticks (Lev 11)

I was kidding about the pointed sticks!!
Ouch!!!
It wasn't meant to be literal!

Too many things happening tonight.
Donna must be out.
Editing. (Only 2 months late I think. My poor muso friend)
Study.
Fly tying quotas required.
So just another quickie tonight.

Leviticus 11
Things not to be eaten.
It's a fairly exhaustive list.
Then:
v13 " "And these you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, ..........................the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the BAT."
Didn't think the bat was a bird.
Not that I'm going to argue here.
We know what happened last chapter.....
Also no shellfish :(
No Moreton Bay Bugs :(x2
But they can eat locusts AND bald locusts.
Not that these are shellfish.
But locusts and not "bugs"!
Bummer.

Some of these seem odd selections, such as pigs or hares.
Some not so like geckos, seagulls or mole rats.
Whatever we think of these inclusions and exclusions, they demonstrate again God cared for His people.
Some of these animals shouldn't be consumed due to health reasons.
You wouldn't want to have a full stomach of fatty meat while wandering in the hot conditions.
Some seem like common sense.
"everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean."
Well, hel-lo.
It also called the people to show discipline in an area we should all use some.
There has just been a whole wack of stuff about covering sins and becoming whole in a spiritual sense.
Now we are looking at the physical body.

Does there need to be reasons other than God thinks it's a good idea?
Hmmmm.
Possibly. But I think that comes from an inherent desire to just need to know stuff.
Do we really, really need to?
I think that's where trust comes in.
God, has shown throughout that He does care and He does wants what's best for His people.
Including what goes into their stomachs.

100 Consequences (Lev 10)

Sometimes I sit here and just wonder what I'm doing.
You know I'm not consistent.
I don't think clearly under pressure.
I get rattled and say odd things.
There's heaps I don't get or understand.
I keep blurring the lines I set for this endeavour early on.
Often this blog has become a task. Something that I said I would do and so I do it.
Rereading some early stuff seems eons away from where I am now.
Sorry for the moaning.
Actually more like inward seeking of confidence and validity.
Don't respond to that.
It'll only feed it.
In fact next time you see me, poke me with a stick.
A pointed one if you must.
Not hard.
More a prod than a real poke.
Can you buy more head space?
Is there a shop somewhere?
Can you grow more?
I've seen some people with pretty big heads.
They could spare some you'd think.
I am reminded of the eternal words of a close friend:
"Suck it up princess!"

Leviticus 10
Let's just start back a bit.
Ch 9 v24 "And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces."
Ok now what happens in v1
" Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them."
And they got killed by fire as a result.
So intense, it burned them without burning their robes.
What happened in between chapters?
Was it pride?
Was it self importance?
Stupidness?
Harsh consequences?
By today's standards, you could argue that the punishment didn't fit the crime.
But gee, they had warning.
Their responsibilities weren't light, and they knew it.
They must have known God could and would follow through with consequences.
But that's it there isn't it?
We sometimes come at something thinking we know.
Sure that stove is hot, but I know how to touch it without burning myself.
Pride(?) gets in the way of logic and commonsense and knowledge.
We can treat our responsibilities lightly and get burned.
Because you can say what you think all you like.
It won't change the unchangeable.
Hopefully the consequences won't be as extreme.

99 Post 101(Lev 9)

Yesterday passed without me recognising Post Number 100.
Cue fanfare, balloons and small furry animals covered in tinsel.
Which of course makes today's number 101.
For those with numeracy deficiency, no need for thanks. Money will suffice.
On a completely unrelated train of thought,
Gee, my hamstrings are sore!
Stooping low to coerce water from the floor into a bucket repeatedly will do that I guess. (Don't ask. Long story. Not mine.)
Tighter than a Scotsman's wallet.
Yeeearrrch.
Oh look, a bridge!
Oh look, there's me getting over it.
Taadaa.

Leviticus 9
The process is complete and God shows the people His glory.
Boy, did He what!!!
Moses and Aaron experience it close up.
Then the people.
Then
BAM
The fire consumes the already burnt sacrifice.
What had been seen from afar was now so very, very real.
A close encounter with God.
And exactly what was needed.
The people needed to know the process undertaken had purpose.
They needed to know it worked.
They needed to know God would respond.
I guess despite all they had seen before (plagues, Red Sea, etc), they needed a reminder of God's presence.
And His promise He would look after them.
The sacrifice made it possible.
God responded in a way you'd think would not be forgotten.

98 Pressed for Time :( (Lev 8)

Sort of in a rush tonight.
Brief and to the point is required.
Little head space but I'm feeling bad for no output over the weekend.
Again.
It's going to be a hard week.
Let's see what I can come up with.

Leviticus 8
Aaron and the priests are ordained before the people.
Everybody needed to realise who the priests were.
They are identified.
They are set apart.
The responsibility of representing the people before God now starts.
This was no picnic for the priests.
There was a lot of physical work to come.
Sacrificing animals wasn't easy.
Caring for the tabernacle wasn't easy.
Cleaning all the goldy sparkly things wasn't easy.
Lugging everything around once they started the wandering in the wilderness wasn't going to be easy.
On top of that, each offering needed to be precise.
Exact.
If not, it was unacceptable before God.
Fail.
That's youth speak.
Because I'm cool.
Yeah!
A lot of pressure and if they cracked, the guilt fell onto the entire tribe.
No wonder priests were generally bald.
;)

97 Steve Thinks. A Bit (Lev 7)

I thought I should try and make up for another lax evening.
Well, I wasn't really laxing.
I had been out all night since work had merged into the coming of weekend land.
I had only seen Donna for maybe half an hour all day.
I felt the need to reconnect with her stronger than the prearranged plan to blog.
So sue me!
It was a pretty easy call to make, despite the earlier recognition to get some consistency in the regularity of my postings.
As I figured, the breaks I needed to take due to different circumstances, have created the precedent that has become easier to defer to.
No blog for that day.
Fine, but detrimental to the initial goals I had for this process.
But I will get over it all.
Fairly easily to boot.

It looks like it's going to rain today.
I'm hungry so must get this done.
I also hear a paint brush call my name.
Possibly...........

Leviticus 7
Ok here's an "out there" thought.
In v6 it reads that every MALE priest may eat of the "guilt offering".
I haven't noticed this distinction before.
When the priests are mentioned earlier, it has always been the "SONS" of Aaron or just priests.
Can this reference to only the male priests infer female priests existed?
My limited knowledge of the cultural aspect would initially say "I doubt it."
It was just a small statement that jumps and and goes "think about that Steve."
So I have.
And I will.
(I'm not even sure that if it means there were or were not, that it's a big deal anyway. Just a curiosity.)

The importance of using blood in the sacrifices and never for food.
God's instruction to His people, don't eat blood or be cut off from everybody else.
The atoning power of the blood is recognised.
There is only one use for the blood.
Covering guilt.
Giving thanks.
Seeking peace.

Ok, technically that's 3.
It is morning time.
;)

96 Do the Right Thing (Lev 6)

Officially I can't nail into wood.
Don't want to talk about it any further.
Luckily I'm good at fishing. Oh hang on.......

Great day let down by a sucky after work hammerfest on my fence.
Not really let down.
Just have to try again tomorrow.
At the rate I was going this afternoon, the cost of nails will outstrip the cost of wood.
Grrrr.
Stupid lack of handyman skills.

Leviticus 6
Y'know it's all about treating your neighbour alright.
If you do the right thing in the first place, life's good.
It's easy to get caught up in our own little part of the world, we sometimes neglect to look out and see what we can do to help others.
Sometimes something that we do that is good for us, may effect others adversely.
A bit more thought.
A bit more care.
Not much is required to fix that.
Do you know your neighbour?
I know her name is Lee.
Her son is Finn.
That's it.

All this sacrifice happens as a result of one thing.
Doing wrong.
The wrong stuff is what separates us/them from God.
Back then something had to die to make up for that wrong stuff.
Today someone already has.
Do you know that?
Do you know He did it for you?

I thought it would be hard coming up with titles for the stuff I blog.
I thought it would be hard not to repeat myself.
I haven't really checked but I don't think there has been any repetition.
That's a lot of different twoddle.
If there has been, I've just been reiterating a point.
An important point.
Like this one *points randomly at wall behind computer monitor*
Ha ha ha. I crack me up.

95 Donna Contributes. She's So Cute and Cheeky (Lev 5)

I was quite hungry the other day with not many options around.
I dug into a cupboard and discovered a pack of Milk Arrowroot biscuits.
Not my first choice but in the absence of a cooked steak or burger they'd do fine.
I had one and experienced a flashback to my childhood.
Not twenty years beforehand, I had almost repeated identically each step.
Probably except for desiring a steak.
The only difference was this time I'm sure the biscuit was half the thickness of it's earlier incarnation.
Now time does do funny things to a person's mind, and I may well be a bit deluded here, but I'm sure today's version was lacking substance.
Now I don't want to get into an argument about how good things were "back in the day"
But this was a MILK ARROWROOT biscuit!
Is nothing sacred?
Also I don't want to take this medium and refer to a large multinational company as being cheap.
But come on Arnott's stop being so cheap!
Anyway I had another and then another and then one more because once I had discovered the pack I really wanted to have 2.
After 4 I felt like I had had 2.

I've just re-read that and realised I've surpassed turning into my father, I am now my granddad.
Now get off my lawn and leave me alone.
Ya whipper snapper.

Leviticus 5
The awareness of one's guilt is the signal to do something about it.
No matter who you were, there was a way to be made right again.
Because everybody does something wrong.
At some stage.
Everybody.
If you could afford a lamb, sacrifice a lamb.
If you could afford a couple of doves, sacrifice them.
If all you could afford was flour, offer that up.
Make it right before God.

Wow. My wife is great. Really great. Really really great. Oops. She just side-tracked me with her beauty.

I really shouldn't leave this open when I go to another room.
Where was I?
Atoning for one's sins.....
Hmmmmm, appropriate.

I guess the big thing I extract from here is that everybody does something that is wrong.
Sometimes we just don't realise at the time.
But it happens.
Even with me....

I really should shave off my moustache. My wife hates it. And she's always right. All the time.

Donna needs to be in the spotlight.
She is such a shy delicate petal. Totally gorgeous and caring.
And such a cheeky saboteur.

Back to it.
We sin. Even when not trying to.
The important thing is to make it right when we realise.
Not just to God.
But definitely to those we may have hurt.
It's going to happen.
Just be thankful we don't need to kill stuff now to gain God's favour now.

94 Omitting and Committing (Lev 4)

I mowed the lawn this afternoon.
Yay.
I often tell myself that I'll come home from work and mow the lawn.
Never seems to happen.
But today it did.
Yay x2.
Part of our yard is on a bit of a slope.
Not completely inconvenient, but can be harder than I require at times, particularly if the grass is a bit longer.
Today was okay.
Ish.
But I was a bit weary after a long day and was finding coming back up the hill tiresome.
Going down was easy enough, so I devised a cunning plan.
Instead of pushing the mower back up the hill, I just kept it pointing downhill and eased it backwards.
It had to be easier as it was still facing the best of the two directions.
My ingenious astounds me sometimes.
Still...
I didn't quite experience the lightening of the load as much as I expected.
Probably the wind had picked up by that stage.
Maybe......
;)

Leviticus 4
Oooo if a priest sins it brings guilt onto ALL the people.
Talk about weight of responsibility.

I can't recall a previous chapter that also deals with unintentionally sinning.
But the Israelites have God's commandments now.
There is detail.
There is reason.
Things that shouldn't be done were.
Things that should be done weren't.
And there was a need to make things right before God.
The shedding of blood and a burnt offering.
It is also interesting to discover that God viewed the sin differently, depending on who committed/omitted it.
The priests, the nation, leaders, the common man all were separately mentioned.
The consequences differed as well.
If you had authority and sinned it was of higher significance because you had authority.

It does confuse me reading the details for each sacrifice.
They seem so similar, yet there are differences.
I just need to read and re-read and re-read to sort it.
Short version.
You sin.
You sacrifice.
All good.
You sin.
You sacrifice.
All good.
Repetitive.
But good.
Until you sinned again.....

93 A Problem (Lev 3)

I think I have a problem.
Probably more than one.
But one in particular.
Recently.
That has been obvious to me.
No, I fib again. I'm aware of many shall we say "issues" that abound in me.
Not that I'm alone.
In seeing my problem, that is.
Or having a problem.
I doubt there are many of us who have no problems.
Some, are maybe a bit less obvious than others.
But we all have some.
Der!
But that's not my point.
I have this problem.
The one I started typing about earlier.
And when I say it's become obvious to me.
I mean PAINFULLY obvious.
Not painful as in a physical pain.
But it's just really, really obvious to the point of "pain".
Yes, metaphorical pain.
Not literal pain.
Maybe it's not even that.
It's just annoying that it may have been around for a while, yet I have only just become aware of it.
Actually I'm not even sure if the word "pain" should be used in this case.
Okay.
I have a problem.
I just can't remember what it is now.
What a pain!
Nothing to write about now.
Bother.

Leviticus 3
The burning of the peace offering. It would appear that excellence of the animal sacrificed is required. Actually demanded.
There would be no cost in sacrificing something inferior. A blemished animal would not be valued by the owner hence tarnishing the value of the offering.
Sort of defeating the purpose.
I assume the peace offering was a kind of chance for reconciliation between the offerer and God.
More than a chance.
I need to stop talking in indefinitive terms.
Grrrr.
Sincerity dictates the perfect offering be given.

I wonder, with the number of sacrifices that were carried out, how hard did it become to find an unblemished animal?
Did this in turn increase the value of the sacrifice?
If unblemished animals were required, how much care would be given to those animals required for the sacrifices?
You know, to ensure supply.

There was a need for a special sacrifice to provide the way to peace with God.
Very special.

92 Time Vortexes (Lev 2)

I seemed to just chase my tail around in circles today at work.
I had soooooooo much to do.
However, my schedule just opened itself to enable all these tasks to be achieved.
I just couldn't have planned it any better.
Now some of this is a result of having a few "short" weeks.
Holidays.
Public holidays.
Children with dislocated knees.
Multiple day training.
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
But today was mine to claim back my lack of productivity.
When I left work this afternoon. A bit later than normal.
Well, I don't know. I'm not sure what happened to my day.
It's a bit hazy.
I do know I was really busy all day.
Yet for all that busyness, I was still dealing with the same bit of paper at the end of the day that I had at the start.
Hmmph.
Uuuunnnllllllleeeeessssss....
there was some sort of split in the time vortex surrounding my office and as I left in the morning it actually sent me into the afternoon and what I thought was me being busy was just a random collection of memories I had of being busy and this enabled me to assume I had been doing stuff all day which was absurd because I still had the same bit of paper in my hand that I had at the start and I can't remember having coffee but there was an empty glass on my desk as well and I always wash up after I've had a coffee because I don't like a messy desk so I mustn't have had a coffee because it was just a memory caused by the same split in the time vortex and I should use space time continuum but that would sound too trekkie and I am not a trekkie what was I saying?

Anyway my plans came to naught and I need to try and catch up again tomorrow.
I did have some pleasant chats with people though.
Apparently.
Parts of it are a blur.
Maybe I fell asleep.
Egad! I hope not.
A dream?
A dream within a dream?
But.........................

Leviticus 2
So we have a grain offering.
Burning flour and oil.
In some cases it would appear as making a small loaf.
Possibly for those who own no livestock.
Maybe for those who were poor. They could at least bring flour.
As long as it was the best they had.

I've said it before, but I think I'll repeat it.
God is interested in receiving your best.
It may not be THE best, but as long as it's YOUR best, God would like you to do it, give it, use it or honour Him with it.

The fiery part of this is interesting me.
All the sacrifices include burning.
Purification?
All consuming?
When the grain offerings are burnt, frankincense is added.
A fragrance added to something that in my mind doesn't need it.
I love the smell of bread being baked.
Isn't that what grain and oil burned together would smell like?
Although I've smelt burnt toast as well.
Maybe it does need the fragrance.
But compared to burning meat, heads, fat, doves, I know which I'd put the nice smelly stuff.
Okay, leap of faith....
Maybe because the grain is not the most ideal offering, the frankincense is a way of God saying "You've given your best, I can use that. I'll cover the imperfections. You've done all you can."
My thoughts for the moment anyway.

91 Pendantic Steve (Lev 1)

Okay new book, I've played around with the titling again.
Not that it really matters, but I've been discontent with the way it's been reading for a while.
The pedant side of me wouldn't let the change happen though until I started the new book.
Need to have words with that side of me.
Slows everything down.
And makes simple things, complicated.
I don't like complicated.
I do like simple.
There are so many lines I could follow that with but I will behave.
It will create less complication later.
I don't like complications later.
I also don't like sore arms.
Or dirty looks.
I've had a few of both lately.
I better stop and get on with the real reason I'm tapping away.

Leviticus 1
The people need an unblemished, blood sacrifice as an offering to God.
Every time before they come into the presence of God.
Every single time.
And you can bet there would be a queue each time.
Only one lot of priests.
A lot of time to cut up a beast into pieces and then burn it.
A very precise process.
But it was instituted for a reason.
Without the sacrifice, there was no atonement.
No reconciliation.
No way of getting close to God.
There needed to be a better way.
One would come.

Two Down (Ex 40/ 90)

Well the end of my second book of the Bible.
A few breaks through the process has made it seem like it's taken forever.
There has been some moments of assessing and reassessing.
Obviously my initial goal of 1189 consecutive days failed.
But this overall process has been cathartic to me.
Cleansing some of my odd perceptions about my ability.
Reinforcing some ideas of my stubborninity.
Clarifying my urges to be creative, especially with the English language.
Adding to the list of things I've started and yet to complete.
There has been encouragement and support.
Kind words filtered through to me via the interwebs and spoken in person.
My stats tracked has shown at least momentary interest from 16 countries.
Over 3000 individual pages opened.
A few of those by me admittedly.
But not that many.
I'm learning.
I'm enjoying.
I'm pretty amazing.
But special thanks must go to Donna.
For enduring my jibes, my queries on grammar and for being the defenseless butt of many of my posts.
I love you.
If you've kept up with me, I thank you for your patience and your misled loyalty.
My prayer is you've gained something other than bewilderment at the ramblings of my confused mind.
Shall we continue.

Exodus 40
So with all the work done, everything finished.
It gets used.
This is above all, a functional building/ tent/ thingy.
Nothing can hide that despite all the glitter and glam, this is to be used.
God will meet with the priests here.
God will communicate here.
God will be worshiped here.
Ornamental?
Yes.
Magnificent?
Yes.
Designed with purpose?
You betcha.

God displays His glory and it fills the tabernacle.
Fills it so much, Moses cannot enter.
Moses who just spent time on Mount Sinai in the presence of God,
(Twice!)
couldn't enter the tabernacle when God filled it with His glory.
The cloud descends and covers the tent.
God is here.
God is with you.
You don't need to fear.
You don't need to look for other options.
God is here.

Today we don't need an external reminder that God loves, protects and provides for us. We don't need the lavishness of the tabernacle. We don't have to do hours of preparation and ritual to come before Him.

He is with us always.
We need but pause and think and speak.
The magnificence is around us in the natural beauty God has created.
The stars in the sky that stretch forever.
The lashings of colour in the plants that surround us.
The intricacy of a butterfly's wing.
The mightiness of a mountain range.
All scream and testify that God loves you.
He loves me too.

The Horn of My Ute (Ex 39/ 89)

I had to use the horn on the ute today.
Not an emergency or anything. Just a friendly "hello" toot.
It was embarrassing.
It had less oomph then the last breath of an asthmatic duck.
Not even a beep.
Just a be..................pthhhhhh.
Sadly I did it twice just in case I hit the spot wrong.
I didn't.
It wasn't a very manly sound.
Unless it was a man blowing one of those party blowy things that was broken and underwater and he farted at the same time.
That's it.
My ute's horn sounded like a duck fart.
A duck on a high fibre diet.
Can I use that word?
It's a bit risque.
I don't think I've used it around here before....
Ok, just this once.
You won't see the word "duck" used again.
Here.
Today.

Exodus 39
They made thread out of beaten gold leaf!
No extrusion here.
Wow that must be hard.
The terms "in skilled design", " skillfully woven", "in skilled work", "it was square", attest to the abilities of those craftsmen.
These are the clothes for the priests, God's direct representatives to the people.
They needed to be fine.
They needed to be magnificent.
They couldn't be shabby.
Or sort of okayish.
They were perfect.
Moses thought so.
God thought so.
The people were blessed.
God wants our best.
If we do our best, then it is perfect.
Notice the "our best" bit.
It may be THE best. It may not.
But it does need to be OUR best.
Others may not know.
But God will.
You will too.