ArticleBlog | The joy of preaching Leviticus and Deuteronomy
The joy of preaching Leviticus and Deuteronomy
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 19.12.21
The new preaching rota just pinged into the inbox and it’s bad news… Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Send help. How on earth am I meant to encourage the people of God through hundreds of ancient laws, regulations and details of purification rituals? How’s the message going to connect when these chapters make my brow furrow more than my heart sing?
The experience of reading Leviticus and Deuteronomy can be a bit like dropping into a random episode from halfway through an offbeat TV series you’ve never seen before. The unfamiliar theme tune and quirky characters are disconcerting, the narrative arcs and plot throwbacks don’t fully make sense, and you’re not at all sure what this is or whether you like it. It’s only once you get your head around the setting and begin to understand some of the back stories and characters, that you really have a chance of getting into this box set. There is some transferable wisdom here; attempting to preach Old Testament law codes is a reminder of just how much context matters, and how we have to invest time to understand the scriptures.
I actually love preaching from these Old Testament books. That’s not to say they’re not strange (instructions on treating mildew and bringing pigeons to the sanctuary are not the Bible verses we have on our fridge). We need to grapple with these ancient texts. They need appropriating in the light of the work of Christ and the Spirit. But it’s been my experience that once we settle into this particular part of the story of God’s people, once we’re helped to navigate these relatively uncharted waters, once we’re thinking in terms of calling, holiness and love, there’s a real joy about Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
