How to Be Perfect, by Daniel M Harrell

As Christians, we typically feel that we do not need to follow Levitical law, at least most of them, because Jesus was the fulfillment of the law.  But what would happen if we tried?  The idea is that the law does not lead to grace; grace leads to a desire to follow the law.  So, what would a group of modern day Levites learn over a month of living Levitically?

I think this concept is extremely interesting.  I know I have tended to discount a lot of what is written in Leviticus, even going so far as to call some of it ridiculous.  I would imagine it difficult to follow, yet millions of Jews do it.  This book really changed the way I viewed Levitical law, in terms of its purpose and motivation.  While I am not in any hurry to give up shellfish, or stop wearing material blends, I will think differently about this particular book of scripture.

One small bit of dissatisfaction for me- the book makes multiple mentions of a Facebook group that the modern day Levites utilized, but I was not able to find it on Facebook.  I am not sure if it still exists, and I wish this had been clarified more in the book; if it does exist, I wish the web address had been given, as well as addresses to any pertinent blogs and the church's web site.  It would have made for interesting additional reading, and would have made for a much more personal reading experience.

Similarly, I loved hearing from the individuals in the group, and wished it comprised a bit more of the book.  As it was, it started to lag a bit at the end.  However, overall, I found the book to be highly interesting, and it certainly gave me much to think about.  It would be a great companion text for a Bible study on Leviticus, or simply good reading for any interested Christian.

You can read an excerpt here.

A review copy of this book was provided courtesy of the publisher.