Leviticus
19 shows us that God’s standards never change. The chapter begins
with Gods’ commandment, “Be
holy because I, the Lord your God, am Holy“.
One of the biggest mistakes we make is not treating God as Holy.
Holy means unique, set apart, not common. Our error is in ascribing
to God, human characteristics. That is why the Psalmist repeats,
“Fear
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom“.
God is not part of His creation; He is the creator. Just as God is
set apart from His creation, all believers are called to be set apart
from non-believers in their behavior. The chapter reaffirms the Ten
Commandments and adds God’s commentary. Often, as a parent we must
demand obedience from our children with no more explanation than,
“Because I said so”. “I
am the Lord your God“,
is repeated 15 times in this chapter. Fittingly, the first command
given is, “Each
of you must respect his father and mother“.
If a child does not learn to respect his earthly father, how will he
learn to respect his heavenly father? The commandments continue,
“Observe
My Sabbaths”
and “do
not turn to idols“.
Next we are reminded of the Israelis welfare system, “When
you reap the harvest… do not harvest the very edges… leave them
for the poor“.
God’s plan never included the government to take over the role of
providing for the poor. The able poor were expected to provide for
themselves. Thessalonians 3:10 says plainly, “If
anyone will not work, neither let him eat“,
but notice the phrase WILL NOT indicated a lack of desire. As
someone once said, hunger is a good motivator!
The
chapter continues, “Do
not steal. Do not lie… Do not swear falsely… Do not defraud your
neighbor…Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of
the blind“.
Those that are spiritually blind or deaf do not have the Holy Spirit
of God and yet we expect them to behave as if they do. There is not
cure for sin in psychology, or education, or incarceration; the only
way to treat sin is with salvation. Next these Israelites are told,
“Do
not hate your brother in your heart… do not seek revenge… but
love your neighbor as yourself“.
Yes, this is in the Old Testament! The Hebrews understood this
command, but did not understand who their neighbor was. In Luke
chapter 10, an expert in the law, asks Jesus this question and Jesus
explains by telling the story of the Good Samaritan. In the parable
it is not the priest, nor Levite that helps the Jewish man that had
been robbed and beaten, it was the hated Samaritan. The lawyer
rightly concludes the “neighbor”
is “the
one who shows mercy“.
And Jesus tells him and us “Go
and do the same“.
God did not intend for the Jewish people to exclude the rest of His
creation from salvation. Even Peter in Acts chapter 10 cannot
understand God’s grace was for the Jew as well as the Gentile.
Finally after God’s intervention he accepts, “God
has shown me that I am not to call any man unholy or unclean“.
The
chapter continues, “Do
not practice divination… Do not cut the hair on the sides of your
head…Do not cut your bodies…or put tattoo marks on yourselves…
do not turn to mediums or spiritists… rise in the presence of the
aged and show respect for the elderly… do not use dishonest
standards… the alien living among you…must be treated as
native-born, Love him as yourself“.
And the chapter concludes, “Keep
all My laws and follow them. I am the Lord“.
If no one asks you why you are different from the rest of the world,
perhaps you are not being holy. May others see God’s mercy in you.