What if noone sinned?

The start of Leviticus is the rules for the priests how to do the different offerings. It is a bit complicated and would probably take some time to figure out how it all worked the first few times! God provides for the priests in that they get to eat from some of the offerings. Live in Leviticus 7:

9 Every grain offering baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who offers it, 10 and every grain offering, whether mixed with oil or dry, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

Which occurs, I think, because the priests don't have their own land, so can't have livestock or grow grain. So God provides for them out of the offerings. But what if noone sinned? The priests would grow very hungry and probably be very bored!
However, I'm guessing that the priests were very well fed and very busy!

Exodus from Exodus

I finished reading Exodus!

I liked how it ended with

34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.(Exodus 40)

God is Holy. It incredible to try to picture this.

In the end portion of Exodus, God gives a lot of direction to Moses with respect to how to set things up and how to do things. Sometimes, it would be easier if God were that specific these days! But again, the relationship is different and how He chooses to guide us is different.

Relationship

Hi David- thanks for reading!

I realize in reading Exodus that it has been quite a while since I read it. Previously, I think I read it trying to understand God and what he did. This time, I'm trying to FEEL what the people I am reading about felt. I am trying to put myself in their shoes and see through their eyes. And in reading this way, I think it is touching me deeper than before.

In Exodus there seems to be a lot of God threatening to kill people, so I have found it a bit unsettling as the God of the New Testament seems to be a much more compassionate God. I had a hard time putting the 2 together. Did God change? I don't think so, I think his relationship with people changed. When we come to God and are united with Christ, instead of seeing us as a still-necked people (like he saw the people in Exodus- have we really changed?) he sees us through His son's blood. This is just such an awesome thought that it is a bit overwhelming! Wow.

On the shoulders

I am still working on Exodus. It's longer than I thought.

I thought the picture that Exodus 28: 9-12 gives is an excellent picture of what prayer looks like:

9 "Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.

That we hold the people on our shoulders before the Lord.

God spends a long time giving Moses all the details of the plan for what He wants to do. Tonight I am set to read Exodus 32 where the people get impatient with this. I am reminded that there is a lot for us to learn and it takes God a while for us to listen. Be patient.

God is holy

My overall impression from reading Exodus so far is that God is holy. I see it on the mountain, in the plagues and in the rules he puts down.

Some random thoughts from Exodus:
In Exodus 12 the Israelites are protected by the blood of the lamb from the death of their firstborn. Now we are protected by the blood of the lamb of God (Jesus)

In Exodus 13:17-18 God picks the route for the Israelites out of Egypt based on the Israelites weakness. I wonder if He picks the route for our lives based on our weaknesses as well?

In Exodus 18 I like how Jethro tells Moses he's doing too much and suggests a solution to help him. Sometimes you need fresh eyes on a situation.

Last night I read Exodus 23: 28-30

27 "I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.

That seems to be the same way with us too. If He cleansed us and made everything perfect in one day it would probably be too much for us. We have to work day by day and little by little to grow in our souls.