February 17, 2022
The great enemy of our souls, Satan, is a liar and the genesis of every untruth known to man. His singular target is God. This started in the Garden, for Satan knew that if he could get this new generation to doubt the goodness of God, they would not trust Him. And if they did not trust Him, they would not follow Him and God’s plan to create a nation of people in His image would be destroyed (or so Satan reasoned).
But as always, Satan’s mind, twisted by sin and rebellion, was flawed. He didn’t count on the perfect love and mercy of God. He didn’t reckon on God becoming a man and providing a way of deliverance for all who would believe in Him. And he has never understood the perfect goodness of God.
Leviticus 14 gave the Israelites instructions on how to help a leper be cleansed. Leprosy was always used in the Scripture as a metaphor for sin. Just as leprosy was a disease coming from the inside out and making a man contagious and unclean, so our sin begins internally and has deadly effects. When a man, on rare occasion, was cured of leprosy, there was a ceremony that was to be observed to signify his cleansing.
But in the midst of these instructions is a small passage that shows us one more thing about our great God. Something that should not be missed that reminds us of God’s character and helps us love Him even more.
“He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. He shall offer what he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing.” (Leviticus 14:30-32)
In this simple, beautiful passage, God reminds us that He is always most concerned for the heart. A poor man who didn’t have means to bring the required sacrifice could bring “what he can afford” and that which was “within his means.” This was not to lower the standard for cleansing, but it was God saying to His children, “You bring to me what you are able, and I will consider that enough.”
“God is easy to live with,” Tozer said. Again, this is not God minimizing sin, but maximizing mercy. He meets us where we are as we come to Him. We offer to Him what we have, and He receives it as if we were the richest millionaire. The richest and poorest are on equal footing before God. He is not partial to either, but merciful to all who come to Him. The amount is not the issue, but a heart of humility and repentance are what He desires.
Father, the more we see of You, the more we stand in awe. You are perfect in holiness, yet perfect in mercy. You take us where we are and are willing to cleanse and restore us as we approach you in simple faith. We love You, Lord, for Your great mercy toward any who come to You.
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