When Touching the Basket Meant Death

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been studying the books of the Old Testament. And one thing keeps jumping at me — the level of grace we as believers under the New Covenant enjoy today. Grace freely brought to us through Jesus Christ. Just recently, we got a new offering basket for the fellowship. While washing it in readiness for Bible Study this evening (it had gathered some dust and stains from the store), my mind drifted back to those Old Testament times — when everything used in God’s temple had to be handled in a very specific way and only by certain people. In those days, if you weren’t a descendant of Aaron or a Levite, you had no right to touch anything connected to the temple. And it wasn’t just a rule — it was a matter of life and death! I remember Uzzah, who died instantly for touching the ark of the covenant when it was about to fall (2 Samuel 6:6–7) . He was trying to help, yet he died for it. But here I was — washing the fellowship’s offering basket with ordinary kitchen so...