If I had a child today, these are some of the things I'd say after "When I was your age..."...we used landline phones."...we used landline phone modems to get onto the Internet."...AOL was popular."...we didn't have Google."...we didn't use cell phones."...we used pay phones."...we listened to cassette tapes."...we used paper maps."
When I was younger I'd scoff at older people who said anything that started with "When I was your age..." Yes, we've all heard about our elders who had to walk 14 miles, in the snow, without shoes, without a jacket, just to get to school. This type of storytelling is parodied all the time.
I kind of got it before but I really get it now. The reason for sharing these anecdotes is to exhort the younger listener to seriously, soberly, accurately value what they have now because though they have become easier to approach, the values of the actual things themselves have not changed.
And this is what I've learned this week about the enthralling book of Leviticus.
1:1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. 4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5 Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 6 Then he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into pieces, 7 and the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8 And Aaron's sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head, and the fat, on the wood that is on the fire on the altar; 9 but its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish, 11 and he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron's sons the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar. 12 And he shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood that is on the fire on the altar, 13 but the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.14 “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or pigeons. 15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. Its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar. 16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes. 17 He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
I probably sinned by sarcastically using the word "enthralling" to describe Leviticus because I barely meant it. But what makes Leviticus at least a tad bit interesting to me now is that I am beginning to understand that the 17 verses of the first chapter of this book translate (approximately) into, "When I was your age..."
In other words, this is something like God trying to convey to us, today, how He still values sin and its severity. This has not changed, though thanks to Christ's life, death and resurrection we are now freed from the need to physically deal with our sin in such hands-on, slimy, bloody fashion.
Our elders have a valid point: we've devalued things. The incredible advancements of technology and innovation have hurt us maybe as much as they've helped us. Communication, interaction, landscapes, entertainment, discovery and so much more have turned from being significant events to merely being casual, convenient accessories today. Their worth has waned because of the very things that make them more accessible.
God help us if we've allowed this to happen with our understanding and valuation of the foulness of our sin and, as a result, the beauty of our salvation. Both should enable us to deem the other more seriously.
"Lord Jesus Christ, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but, through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment and offering forgiveness. I turn from my sin and receive you as Savior. Amen." - Tim Keller
