Quizzes
Clash of Cultures
THE MOVEMENT OF GOD
Part of our difficulty with the book of Leviticus is proximity
We are far away both in space and time.
Reading from our cultural context can paint Leviticus in a different light than it would have been read originally. Often our modern context picks up on the strangeness and seemingly oppressive nature of much of the content. Leviticus is frequently accused of being:
- Misogynistic, promoting slavery, and blood-thirsty and violent.
- An example of how women were treated badly in the past.
So how can we as Christians read this book as a guide to worship when it contains such harsh content?
In its place in redemptive history, the law served to sketch the profile of God to a fallen race who no longer had any idea who God was or what he defined as “good.” Because of the Mosaic law, the Israelites learned that Yahweh (unlike the other “gods” of the ancient Near East) abhorred human sacrifice, self- mutilation and temple prostitution. They learned that Yahweh was immune to magic and competed with no one. They learned that unlike the deities of surrounding nations who were embedded in the created order, Yahweh was independent of his creation. He did not need humanity to feed or clothe him, nor was he impressed or swayed by the construction of fancy temples. Yahweh would not welcome the immolation of their children, nor would he speak to his people by means of the entrails of slaughtered beasts. This god was different, and what he expected of his people was different as well. This is what the Mosaic law brought into focus in Israel’s world. And it was a very good thing.
What Should Our Focus Be?
The movement of God becomes the primary lens for Christians reading Leviticus.
As we go through this course, we will frequently ask: “What is God doing that is moving people closer towards redemption, relationship, inclusion, etc?”And further, “How does the movement of God compare to the history of Israel’s surrounding cultures, as well as our culture today?”
Our goal is not to sanitize the book of Leviticus, but to face head-on the hard questions Scripture raises. I never want to brush the hard things under the rug and try to argue them away. Rather, we need to engage with the difficult texts in Scripture without fear that our faith will be shattered, or that God won’t be good anymore.
Do we recognize that God primarily is good, truthful, all-powerful, and seeking a relationship with his people? Or do we think that God primarily seeks to punish, is cold, distant, and uncaring? It comes back to presupposition. Where did we learn these truths about God? Are they right? Do they stand up to the overarching truths of Scripture? Have we talked about our ideas in the context of a loving Christian community?
Knowing our own presuppositions, as we talked about in the last topic, gives us insight into where we start, not just with Leviticus but the whole of God’s revelation to us. As you seek to engage with this clash of cultures, examine not only the texts themselves, but also the lenses through which you read them.
Consider the Following Questions:
- What issues in Leviticus have you found most difficult, why?
- What in this video and surrounding text did you find helpful?