Leviticus 1:1-2:16

I had a bit of a chat with the Lord before plunging into Leviticus again.  It went something like, "Ok, God, there's no way I am going to really understand Leviticus without your help; in fact, I may still be too thickheaded to really get it then.  But I want to know and understand Your Word, so I would greatly appreciate it if You'd sit by me and help me to at least glimpse into what You wanted us to know here."  I always encourage those that study the Bible with me to ask for the Lord's help and blessing before plunging in.  After all, He wrote it because He wanted to communicate things to us, right?  If we're willing to listen, He's willing to open His words for us.  This will be my constant prayer throughout Leviticus and through the rest of this Bible reading plan.  I have to say: I'm a little excited to be back.  A little intimidated to be sure, as I know I've already failed once, but I can't wait to read God's Word and hear the things there are for me to learn.

I have nothing really spectacular to say.  I still don't understand the why's and wherefore's like I wanted to the first time through.  But maybe it is not so important to know why you can't present a grain offering with honey or why you discard the crop of a bird in the ash heap, but that if you want to be right before the Holy God this is what is required of you.  If it really came down to it, if I was standing before the Holy God, not right and not covered by His forgiveness, would I really quibble about the why's when performing these actions is what came between getting zapped or not?  I'd hope not.  Wouldn't I much rather do what is required to please Him?  I should hope so!

One thing that did intrigue me and may require some further study is this idea of the covenant of salt in Leviticus 2:13.  I'd never noticed it before.  It's mentioned just two other places in the Bible (that my cross references show): Numbers 18:19, and 2 Chronicles 13:5.  Both talk about the offerings given to the Lord as a covenant of salt.  In Numbers, it says it is their due, and here in Leviticus it talks about their offerings should never lack salt as part of this covenant of salt.  Of course, there are lots of implications from salt: salt's ability to cleanse, to preserve; in the NT we are encouraged to not lose our saltiness just as we are encouraged to be lights in the world: our saltiness is our righteousness in the metaphor.  I need to do some digging to make sure that similar implications are here in this covenant of salt, but it seems likely, doesn't it?  I am intrigued.