Leviticus 1

Leviticus kind of has the reputation for being the "dull book in the Bible that everyone skips." Sure, Exodus, Numbers, and 1 Chronicles have portions that are, well, less engaging than they could be, but they also boast their fair share of rip-roaring stories. In contract, Leviticus features only one real story, the balance of the book containing laws and regulations that no longer apply to a world in which Jesus' death has forgiven all our sins. Still, it does contain its own fair share of discussion points. I have to believe that--otherwise, why would I be writing a post on each one of its chapters? (he asked in an endearing tone of naive sanguineness.)

All the burnt offerings, whether they be bulls, sheep, or goats, are supposed to be male. (The Bible doesn't specify whether the birds have to be male, but I imagine it's rather more difficult to make a distinction. Imagine frantically chasing after a bird all the livelong day, desperate to have something to sacrifice to God, finally throwing your spear or whatever at it for the 245th time only to find out that it's a female.) Many societies have emphasized male superiority (probably more attributable to testosterone than any reasonable justification), but if you were a goat in Old Testament times, you'd probably want to be a female so you'd have less of a chance to have your blood sprayed all over creation like you were some unfortunate Sweeney Todd victim. And in any case, the Israelites would have been rather hard-pressed to find a female bull.

I find it fascinating that God specifies on which side of the altar various tasks should be done--north for the slaughtering (verse 11) and east for throwing away the crops and feathers for the birds (verse 16), which I guess are body parts that God isn't such a fan of. Also intriguing is the arrangement of the head, fat, internal organs, and various other pieces of the animal before every part is burned to a lovely crisp.

Perhaps such formal rituals helped the Israelites to keep a reverent mindset while doing God's work. And the burning of the whole animal (or most of it, in the case of the birds and the bulls) perhaps represents the wholehearted attitude with which we should offer our gifts and resources to God. Shades of Cain and Abel--I shouldn't be grudging about holding back my money, time, or talents from God because He entrusted them to me in the first place. And when I squander my time watching video game fails on YouTube or reading those listicles that make my IQ drop by several points, I'm telling God that I don't value what He's given me. While I should of course heed all the practicalities and logistics required of a livelihood on Earth, I should also be continually mindful of the kingdom of Heaven.