Leviticus 7-8
June 16, 2014
Are you familiar with the term
“merism?” I wasn’t until reading this passage this morning then doing a bit of
research. A merism is the use of the
parts and/or extremities of something to indicate the whole. As one might say
“both near and far” or “both rich and poor.” One interesting note I found on
this subject:
"It may
very well be that the Bible, as organized, functions as a merism,
beginning in Genesis with Eden lost and ending in Revelation with the 'New
Jerusalem' gained, these two referring to the entirety of human history and
representing the 'Alpha and Omega' (Rev. 21.6) of God's sovereignty. Revelation
11.17 extends merism to the triadic 'one who is, was, and is coming.' Finally,
while it may be to stretch a point, it might be said that the 'Old Testament'
and the 'New Testament' form a merism that represent all of God's word and the
'Bible' as totality." (Jeanie C. Crain, Reading the Bible as
Literature: An Introduction. Polity Press, 2010)
In our passage today we have a merism in 8:23-24. As God
instructs Moses to put the blood of ordination on the right ear lobe, right
thumbs and right big toes of Aaron and his sons, we might say, “They were
consecrated from head to toe.” In
other words, every part of them, all of them, was consecrated to the Lord.
As a kingdom of priests today, we Christians are also
consecrated from head to toe. That
brings to mind another merism which Jesus used that we are to love God with all
our heart, soul, mind and strength. That means all of us. Jesus is not indicating just certain individual parts to
love God. No, he means with every fiber of our being.
Is that the way you love God? Is that how much of you is
totally consecrated to the Lord? An old Christian hymn (not the John Legend
version) was sung:
All of me not a part but all of me
All the heart and soul of me
Jesus, I surrender
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief
On the altar now I lay all I am today
As I am I come to Thee without one plea
Only that Thy saving blood was shed for me
All of me through the ages yet to be
I surrender Lord to Thee
I surrender all of me
Prayer: Father, that
song is my prayer today.
