Leviticus Chapter 19
At first glance it would seem that the laws and rules put forth in this chapter are unrelated and somewhat random. But the congruent theme of all of God’s laws is the very purpose for which He gave them to us. And that is, that He is holy and since we are made in His image, He wants us to be holy as He is. God is separate from sin. He cannot sin. And while we are sinful creatures God has instilled within us an ability to choose not to sin. We can choose to be holy.
Sadly, we all miss the mark of holiness. We need God to help us and to forgive us of our shortcomings. I think about the Israelites at this time in history. They had just spent some 400 years under the thumb of the Egyptians who were a people who worshipped many gods. The Israelites had a lot to learn about being separate and being holy. I think about how amazing it is that God was willing to teach them (and us) about how to be separate and how to choose to be holy as God is. God wants us to be like Him. So, I see these laws and rules as teachings from a father to His child. And we sure have much to learn.
Let's Reflect
1. Many of these laws are the same laws that God gave to us in the Ten Commandments. But of course, we need to hear these laws over and over, so we learn their importance. In the first four verses what laws do you read that were included in the Ten Commandments?
2. When they recognized that God is their peace they were to offer sacrifices to Him. God even made provision for the people to enjoy food from the sacrifices offered as long as they did not abuse it. What is specifically named in the passage as an abuse of the peace offering?
3.Verses 9-14 could be summed up as rules that the Father established on how we are to love our neighbor. In what manner should we love our neighbor?
4. I think you would agree that many of God’s rules were rules that were for their own benefit and made common sense. An example would be they were not to harvest from a brand-new fruit tree but instead allow it a few years to mature and then the tree would produce a better harvest. How many years did God set forth that they should wait for a fruit tree to mature?
5. There are some of God’s laws that do not make sense to us because we do not understand the cultural implications of the subject matter. Verses 26-31 all deal with things God was calling them to do to show themselves as separate from the ungodly culture that was practiced by pagans and the occult. For example, cutting themselves or tattoos were ways that pagans tried to reach out to the dead. That is not to say that getting a tattoo in our culture is a sin necessarily, but it is wise to think about how our culture would view the meaning of a tattoo on a believer. You may have observed that much of the world of tattoos includes depictions of skulls and a romance of death and destruction. God even wanted the men to do something to show that they were separate. What did God instruct the men to do regarding their grooming?
6. When we look at the context of verse 27, we see in the preceding verse that God was calling them to be separate from what exactly?
7. What did God say not to do in verse 31 because He is our God and our only source for truth?
8. Then in verses 36-37 God reminds them of their story of redemption and rescue. What testimony do you have of how God redeemed you and rescued you from the sin of your past?
Devotionals
