Daily Manna

Key Verse

“Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 22:2).

TEXT — Leviticus 22:1-16

Message

Food is a necessity for the continuity of life. We eat to sustain life and to meet our body’s basic needs for growth and development. Every cell in the body depends on a continuous supply of calories and nutrients, whether obtained through food or other means. No wonder God made abundant provision of food for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Our passage today emphasises the provision of God for the Levites in the Old Testament. God gave them the responsibility of ministering in the tabernacle. Because of this sacred duty, He made a special provision for them to eat the offerings that people brought for sacrifice. But there were restrictions regarding who among them could and who should not eat. God’s instruction focused on physical cleanliness and holiness in comportment, such that ‘unclean’ people would not eat the holy food.

The New Testament dispensation made a dramatic change to much of the ceremonial demands of the law. Jesus shed His blood on the cross and His vicarious death made the offering of animals for sacrifices unnecessary. Although salvation is free, there is still a need for believers to comport themselves in a manner that shows their readiness to eat God’s holy food daily, which is the Bible, the word of God.

The Scripture is a veritable source of spiritual strength and power for the hungry believer. Thus, the likes of Job and Jeremiah esteemed it highly. Just as God expects those who eat from the tabernacle of old to maintain a life of purity and cleanliness, so does He expect anyone feeding on His word today to live the risen life both in word and deed.

Thought for the day

Spiritual nourishment comes from feeding on the word of God daily.

• Bible
• in one year
• 2 SAMUEL 19 – 20