Leviticus 21 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“The L_rd spoke to Moses: ‘Tell Aaron: None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect is to come near: no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured or deformed…” Leviticus 21: 16-18

Yeshua healed. That is a Biblical fact, and it is generally accepted by many unbelievers.

Before John the Baptist was beheaded, he sent his disciples to ask Yeshua if he was the “One”, or should they look for another messiah. Yeshua’s answer was that people were healed. That was his evidence of being Messiah: healing.

I must admit that I never really considered much, as to WHY Yeshua healed people. Perhaps, I figured He had compassion on people who were hurting, so he made them well.

I have really bad eyes and I’ve always wanted to see clearly, without the aide of glasses of contact lenses. Many times, I have prayed that G_d would heal me. Out of high school, I was nominated to the United States Air Force Academy, but I couldn’t go because my eyes were too bad. It was devastating to me, as a young man and I often wondered why Yeshua would heal some, and not others. In the end, I leave it up to His wisdom and I surrender my will to His choices for me, because He always chooses rightly.

Healing is cool for the recipient, but what does that have to do with Yeshua being Messiah? The TANAKH (Old Covenant Scriptures) tell how Messiah will heal the iniquities of His people, so I understand how Yeshua’s healing fulfills prophecy. I wonder, though, if His healing doesn’t have more to do with today’s passage.

We know from our New Covenant (New Testament) studies that all followers of Yeshua are considered “priests” in His Kingdom. That is, we are all called to serve G_d by serving others and sharing the good news of Messiah. I wonder if Yeshua, in one sense, was preparing us (who were once “ceremonially” unfit for service as priests) to serve as New Covenant “priests”. Literally fulfilling the Law’s requirements on our behalf to the utmost detail.

Perhaps, it was as if Yeshua said, “You can’t serve because you’re blind? You can’t serve because you’re lame, or deformed…? Well, I can fix that!” Our sin has separated us from G_d. By paying our sin debt, Yeshua has made us clean. He atones for our sin, as if we have never sinned. He completes what is lacking on every level and restores us to a ight relationship with G_d.

He has a plan for you, as His “priest”. He has fulfilled all of the requirements for you and offers forgiveness, free of charge. So, do you WANT to be healed?

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Thursday, May 1, 2014