Oh, what sweet memories! The quilt was hand-made, lovingly stitched by an elderly woman to celebrate the adoption of our daughter, a gift for this precious little one, a gift to be cherished forever. A combination of soft tan, eggshell, brown, with some yellow and blue highlights, the quilt blended floral patterns, solids, paisleys, and diamonds in such a delightful, calming tapestry of beauty. The reverse side of the quilt was covered with images of delicate dolls sipping tea, gazing into mirrors, and carrying baskets of flowers. When I unearthed the quilt recently, I noticed how loved this quilt was-all the edges are worn and frayed, the colors are faded, and some of the fabric has torn away completely, exposing the lining. But the quilt still serves as a vivid reminder of a sweet senior who wanted to express her love to a young child.
As pleasant as that reminder is, some reminders bring us back to unfortunate, unpleasant experiences. There’s that stain that ruined an area of the carpet, the result of a clumsy spill, that ugly scar on the chin from a careless, childhood fall from a bike, and oops, that dent in the fender do to a momentary lapse in concentration. Reminders!
If you read through your Bible on a yearly schedule, you may find yourself bogged down while reading endless chapters of instructions delivered by God, through Moses, to the children of Israel. The Book of Leviticus (concerning the Levites) forces God’s people to confront one essential question: How can an infinitely holy God interact with an unholy people, share the same space together? The heart of the matter is holiness, mentioned 95 times in Leviticus, more than any other book. For the Israelites, every time they heard the bleating of the sacrificial lamb, or the cooing of the doves and pigeons, or the mooing of the bullocks and cows, they were reminded. When they saw the “blood…put upon the horns of the altar,” inhaled the odors of those slaughtered animals, or watched the smoke rising from the “altar of burnt offering,” they were reminded. They were sinners, falling short of His holiness, and every sin, intentional or not, demanded a death, a sacrifice.
But those Levitical sacrifices only covered their sin, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin.” Those priests, “daily ministering and offering” could “NEVER take way sins.” Ultimately a final sacrifice, a perfect “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” would come upon the scene.
May I always have those reminders before my eyes, the cross and the empty tomb, reminding me of how short I have fallen and of how merciful God has been to me.
Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered on sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.
Praise God…such blessed reminders of Your love and grace!