Day 11 - What the Bible Really Says (or whatever the title is - I really need to settle on one...)

Today's Reading: Leviticus 8:1-15:33

What's in today's reading: Rules, rules, rule and ew, did we really need to talk about that?

We are reading lots and lots of rules. We start with the consecration of the priests and move on to rules about what to eat, illness, leprosy, mold in houses, and ew.... bodily discharges.

Why so many rules (which continue for the next 2 days of readings)?

As with any part of the Bible it is important to know who the things we are reading were written for. In this case, we are reading rules and laws given by Moses (or through Moses from God) to the newborn nation of Israel. At this time they are still in the wilderness, after having been in Egypt for generations, and they are encountering wild animals, water that has who knows what in it, and diseases. Lots of diseases. Many of the rules we have in today's reading are meant to help them avoid disease or to treat a disease before it spreads.

So what do these rules mean to us today? Well, honestly, not much. This is history we are reading now. This is the legal and moral code for Israel and not for everyone. Yes, it's kind of dry and boring, but it's history. If historians are right, these rules may be 7000 years old. Seven Thousand. The fact that we can see these things so many centuries later is an amazing testament to the importance of these writings to the people of Israel, for them to have preserved them into modern times.

Tomorrow's reading: Leviticus 16:1-25:7