I remember back some years ago my family and I were invited to go to a private recreational club in Caracas- Venezuela. After some time there, I decided to go for a swim in their pool. Soon after I was finished, I was walking around without wearing my t-shirt; suddenly a worker approached me and asked that I put on my t- shirt. I replied asking him why? He responded back to me if I could see the signs? On the signs, the rules were posted, I had not other option but to put my shirt back on. While I put my shirt on I was also complaining of all the many rules that this place had and how they did not make any sense to me. At that time my brother in law who is an official of the army told me: “So, to many rules? What about the laws of God, will you ask him why so many rules? The comment he made ended all my complaints for that day.
Reading through the book of Leviticus it will sometimes make you feel like there are too many rules and that they do not make any sense, right? But do not worry; just remember like the rules in the private recreational club made sense to their members, so did the rules mentioned in Leviticus make sense to the ancient Israelites. More overwhelming as it may sound to us today, according to some studies the Israelites have fairer laws than the nations around them.
One thing that is very important to keep in mind as you progress in your bible reading is the larger picture of what God was doing. This was forming a nation that will be “a light” for the rest of the world. At the beginning God looks like an authoritarian Father who is after every detail to please himself, but when you read it more carefully, you will see a wonderful and compassionate father who is trying to care for everybody in any means possible.
Keep reading and keep asking questions, together we also will find more sense in our everyday readings.