First Read Leviticus 19:1-37
The first part of Leviticus 19 dealt largely with how people were to treat one another. The command in verse 18 to love one’s neighbor as yourself encapsulates what we see in in this chapter, and on a larger extent the law in general. The second part of chapter 19 will deal more with the individuals.
19:19 … You shall not breed together 2 kinds of your cattle … What follows are commands not to mix two kinds together. This is symbolic of God’s people being set apart, and not allowing other people’s religions to seep their way into Israelite culture and worship.
19:20 Now if a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave acquired for another man, but has in no way been redeemed nor given her freedom, there shall be punishment. The situation involves a woman who is betrothed to man. Here the one she sleeps with must apparently pay damages to the family or the fiancee, and offerings must be offered.
19:23 When you enter the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden… This is an interesting point in light of how we think about Christianity. When Israelites entered the land they sowed seed. They couldn’t eat it for 3 years, then on the 4th year they had to give their crop as an offering to God. It wasn’t until the 5th year when they could start enjoying the food. In other words they: 1. Worked hard cultivating the seed/plants for 3 years. 2. Then offered what they had to God. 3. Then finally enjoyed it. Sometimes that’s how the blessings of God works. We labor and cultivate for years and years, before we are truly able to enjoy the blessings (after thanking God perhaps even offering in some way a sacrifice back in thanks).
19:26 You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying… From 26-31 we find a list of current Canaanite practices in the land that dealt with religious actions and/or mourning. The point here is not that Israelite shouldn’t mourn, but that they should not physically disfigure themselves in light of it or for religious reasons in the style of the Canaanites. Verse 29 refers to the temple prostitutes that Canaanites would put their daughters into. Note also that the first king of Israel, Saul, turned to the medium of Endor in 1 Sam 28:7ff.
19:32 You shall rise up before the gray headed and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. Honoring our elders isn’t just suggested, it is commanded.
19:33 When a stranger resides with you in your land and shall not do him wrong… Israel is to treat those who are with them, but not of them, rightly. They are not to treat people poorly, for Israel was once slaves in Egypt where God came to them and freed them. Likewise those who are foreigners in Israel’s land are to act the same way so the foreigners can also meet Israel’s great God.
19:35 You shall do no wrong in judgement, in measurement of weight, or capacity. When it comes to financial transactions, they are to be conducted honestly and rightly.
19:37 You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD. The expectation is that God’s people will carry out these expectations because of who He is, and who they are. As they do, He will live with them and they will enjoy all the blessings that come with that.
There are a lot that is covered in this chapter. But the takeaway for us today is the heart behind the commands to figure out how what was given to a specific people in a specific place for a specific time is to be translated to our time today. For example we may not use weights and measures when we sell something on Craigslist, but we should conduct transactions fairly and rightly.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US:
- Sometimes we work and work and work, but won’t see the results of it for years (and Remember to thank God when we do!). Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. – Colossians 3:23-24
- Don’t look down on people. Through us, people ought to see God. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. – Colossians 4:1. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. – James 2:9
- Conduct business honestly and rightly. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” – Luke 19:8