I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Leviticus 22-23.

    Today’s passage describes how the priests were to handle the offerings they received as God’s representatives. The important thing about these instructions for us is that the priests were to be careful not to defile those offerings. Those instructions included being careful to avoid handling the sacrifices improperly and appearing to handle the sacrifices improperly. The passage went on to instruct that the things which were offered needed to be first class. You did not get credit for offering to God your second-hand goods. When we make offerings to God we need to give from our best.

    I want to talk a little more about what this means. As I said, this means that we need to offer God from our best. If you would not use it/eat it yourself, don’t think it is a fitting sacrifice to God. That does not mean that we cannot give our second hand goods to the poor. However, we should not expect the poor to be grateful for our gift (If we are the poor receiving the gift, we should still be grateful). To put this another way, we should feel obligated to give back to God in thanksgiving for all that He has done for and given us. Giving things we have used as much as we desire should not fulfill that feeling of obligation.