Leviticus 19: 1 – 37
Break it down
19 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. 3 ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4 ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God. 5 ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it of your own free will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. 7 And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from his people. 9 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God. 11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. 13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD. 15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD. 17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. 19 ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you. 20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. 22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him. 23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD. 25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the LORD your God. 26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. 27 You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD. 29 ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness. 30 ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD. 31 ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God. 32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD. 33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 35 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 36 You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 ‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.’”
Today we are going to follow our Lord’s Great Love for us by His breaking down or clarifying His Commandments for us so we may more fully understand them. So, as I was thinking about today’s scripture I came up with a rap song on today’s message. I hope you like it. It’s called Let Me break it all down for you.
I love you don’t break My heart in two
I will give for you like only God can do
I will hear you out and tell you truth for your good
I would take your doubts and teach you what I should
Let Me break it all down for you
Let Me break My Commandments down
For your sake I will break them down
I will clarify for you and walk you through
I will fight for you to prove that I am true
Let Me break it down for you
Let Me break My Commandments down
For your sake I will break them all down
Let Me break
Let Me break them down
For your sake I will break them down
Break, break them down
If you obey My Truths they will alleviate a lot of pain
I will clarify My Truth for you time and time again
Let me break My Commands down for your sake
Let Me break each Direction down for you
Let Me break them down
For your sake
I will break all My Commandments down
Having spoken of what God requires of His people especially as regards sexual relations which had a vital place in a patriarchal society, God now moves on to remind them that they are to be holy in every way. They must not be spiritually skin-diseased.
19 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
We now come to the central point of all these statutes, ordinances and regulations. It is that God’s people be holy as He Is holy, be set apart from the world’s ways as He Is set apart from them, be pure as He Is pure. They all know the purity and moral demands of Yahweh that reveal Him as distinct from all gods. They are therefore to be as pure and holy as He Is, for they are His people. Their aim must therefore be to be like Him. Thus what scripture follows closely and expands on the ten Commandments of the covenant of Sinai and the spirit of the covenant. Note the constant refrain, ‘I am Yahweh your God’. The covenant God was speaking to them constantly, personally and powerfully.
3 ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
They are to show godly and reverent fear for mother and father. It is interesting that we see listed here that ‘mother’ comes first. In spite of it being a patriarchal society her influence is seen to be very important. But the point is that to obey parents, set in their place by God, is to obey God and recognize His authority (fifth commandment).
Their obedience to God will also be shown by keeping His Sabbaths, both every seven days and on special occasions (fourth commandment). Observing the Sabbaths was a positive way of demonstrating that they belonged to Yahweh, that they were obedient to His will, and of keeping their minds on Him.
4 ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God.
They must not turn to idols, or make themselves molten gods. The first are the regular ‘gods’ of other people, compared with the God (elohim) of Israel. The second are the home-made ones made from molten metal that Isaiah describes so graphically in the book of Isaiah 44.9-18. This covers the first two commandments which by the way were immediately broken at Mount Sinai with the molded image.
5 ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it of your own free will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.
The one offering by which the Israelite could show his full obedience was the peace sacrifice. The others were ministered by the priests, but this one he had a part in himself, and made the choice as to what should be done with it. He is to treat it rightly and with reverence.
They were to offer their peace/wellbeing sacrifices exactly in accordance with how they had been told and to ensure that it was ‘accepted’ by not keeping any meat until the third day. Any that remained after the second day was to be burned with fire.
Limiting the time available in which to eat the meat in fact enabled more to be called to the feast. It was part of God’s desire to benefit all. The point was that those who would be at peace with Him and enjoy wellbeing must be also be obedient and hospitable. The obedience looks back to recognition of God’s authority (‘I am Yahweh’). The being hospitable looks forward to the thoughtfulness for the needy.
7 And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted.
Any attempt to eat the meat on the third day will make their sacrifice an abomination. It will then not be accepted. They will just be being greedy and forgetting Whose sacrifice it is. It will be an affront to God.
8 Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the LORD; and that person shall be cut off from his people
Indeed anyone who eats of it on the third day will have to bear the punishment that his iniquity deserves. It is the holy thing of Yahweh and he will have profaned it. He will be cut off from the people. It is probable that the punishment here is left to Yahweh as He would be the one who knew of the failure to obey His command. Often the cooked meat which had been in the hot air for more than two days would have turned bad and would bring its own judgment!
9 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.
God’s concern for the poor and needy constantly comes out is His provision for them. It comes out here in that the farmer was to leave in his fields what was in the corners, as well as any gleanings (stray pieces that fell when they were gathering the grain). These were to be left as available for the poor to gather ( Ruth 2.2-3).
10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
Nor should the vinedresser gather all the spare grapes nor should he pick up what falls to the ground. These are to be left for the poor and the resident alien who had no land.
11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
As well as generosity, honesty is required. Three aspects of honesty are in mind here;
1. Avoiding stealing
2. Avoiding cheating
3. Avoiding deceit.
There are not many societies where people can be trusted but Israel’s was to be one of them. They were not to take other people’s property, nor to cheat them in their dealings. Not to lie to one another meant that all should be able to believe what they said. It was to be an open and honest society.
12 And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
When called to testify on oath they were to speak truly as required. (ninth commandment), and not to bear false testimony against a neighbor, for this would profane the name of God, and He Is Yahweh, the God of truth and justice. They could also profane His name by neglecting to take note of when they were ‘unclean’, by misusing the Sanctuary, by sexual misbehavior (21.9) and by idolatry (21.5). These represent the third and ninth commandments.
13 ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.
They were not to use their superior position or strength in order to oppress a neighbor in order to get their own way, or in order to get from him dishonestly what they wanted. And if they hired workers they were to pay them the same day. For the poor would need what they had earned immediately, and they must not take advantage of them. Thus in all their dealings they were to be fair and honest.
14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
They were not to take advantage of the weak and helpless. To deliberately shout comments at someone who is deaf which they cannot hear, often derisory, or to put obstacles in the way of a blind person so as to cause him to stumble, is the sign of a sick mind. It should never be done or even considered. That this had to be said suggests that the doing of such things was not unknown among some who had a coarse humor, or even a nasty and cruel temperament.
Sadly the need for this command demonstrates that there must have been quite a good number of severely deaf and blind people among the people of Israel.
15 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
They were to be absolutely honest in their system of justice. Every decision must be fair and square. Those responsible for carrying out justice should favor neither one side nor the other; they were to favor neither the poor on the one hand, nor the wealthy or the powerful on the other. They should rather judge absolutely fairly, and seek to come to the right and true verdict, regardless of the influence of others and the importance or need of the people that they have to deal with.. Prejudice on behalf of the poor is as bad as prejudice on behalf of the rich and powerful, and perverts justice.
16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
This was an important provision. They were not to go about spreading lies and gossip and rumors, whether malicious or otherwise. They were to have consideration for each other’s reputations and feelings and not to seek to destroy them. Nor were they to stand by and do nothing when their neighbor’s blood was likely to be spilled, or engage in violent activity against their neighbors themselves. For Yahweh Who knows all Is present here, and requires of them right and considerate behavior towards their neighbors.
It will be apparent from these laws that they would provide a foundation for the true and just society where all were honored equally, and where men sought to do the right and obey God’s commandments. This should be the godly aim of all societies. Once they come short of it society itself is undermined.
17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
This principle is then applied to the thoughts of their hearts (tenth commandment - ‘you shall not covet’). They were not to hold hatred in their hearts. Thus they were not to hold grudges or secret resentments, or carry in the hearts a continual hatred of a brother in the covenant community. Rather they should bring up with their neighbor any grievance that they might have and clear the air, thus preventing themselves from carrying sin in their own hearts which might result in activities which would bring judgment on them so that they had to ‘bear sin’. If we would but keep short accounts we would not end up in troublesome situations.
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Thus they were not to carry vengeance in their hearts, nor exact it, nor should they continue to bear a grudge against others. They were not to be negative. Instead they were to love their neighbors as themselves. This was one of the two great commandments which summed up the whole law, cited by our Lord Jesus (Luke 10.27). To have as much concern for one’s neighbor as for oneself, and to reveal it by loving action, is to be like Yahweh. And that is what Yahweh desires of His people. Life should be lived out in full consideration and thoughtfulness for others and with a desire for their good.
The fallen angels we are taught back in Genesis that they polluted the pure seed of humans by mating with women and produced giants. Our Great and Holy Master is going to spell it out for all that there is not to be any attempts in changing the ‘kinds’ that He has created in all instances.
19 ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.
‘You shall keep my statutes.’ This general statement introduces the section that follows and stresses the need for observing the instructions carefully. There is also the reminder here that they must keep no one else’s statutes but His.
No attempt was to be made to breed hybrids. God made animals after their kind, and men should be satisfied to leave them so. There should be no interfering with nature. This was how God wanted it to be.
Hybrids cause fear that one ‘confusion’ could lead to another and that before long men could be involving themselves. It was not a dictate against interbreeding of the same species (for example – different types of dogs) but against inter-mixing species. The very fact that such animals cannot breed demonstrates that it is against creation ordinances. It is against nature. Once men begin to play with nature dreadful results can follow.
The intermingling of seed could result in neither of them achieving their best growth, and could help to exhaust the land by overproduction. The intermingling of cloths could result in the garment losing strength and being more easily torn; in discomfort in wearing them; and even in the discomfort of static electricity.
But the principle to be got over by all these regulations was that God did not favor the blurring of distinctions. Distinct things should be kept separate. His purpose then was that this would pass over into the religious and moral realm, so that again distinctions might not be blurred. No one is better than man at blurring distinctions to his own benefit in order to get his own way. His people therefore had to recognize from daily life that this was not pleasing to God, either in religious practice or in practical living. This comes out once more in the next example.
20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
Adultery between a bondwoman and a free man is not automatically to be punished by death as it would be with a freewoman. That would not be fair on the bondwoman who was possibly not in a position to have any choice in the matter, especially if it was her master who was involved. Rather the courts must investigate the situation and decide on the punishment to be meted out to each depending on the circumstances. If the bondwoman had been redeemed or given her liberty before it happened that would be a different matter. She would have been a freewoman. Then the death penalty would apply.
From this point of view we need to recognize that in those days betrothal was the equivalent of, and as binding as, marriage, and presumably this bondmaid was betrothed to a bondman (otherwise the penalty would have been stronger). Thus the act was one of adultery. Yet she would have had no option but to obey her master if he wanted her. Thus the person involved needed to be aware that he would be liable to be judged for his offence. For being betrothed (presumably with her master’s agreement) she should be seen as untouchable
The very law meant that a master was aware that a bondmaid could lay complaint against him in circumstances like this and make the situation less likely to arise. It provided her with some protection. The death penalty was excluded because having been rejected for the bondmaid it would not be right to punish only one in that way. The bondmaid could in fact benefit more in other ways as now outlined.
21 And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. 22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.
The man involved must also, on top of any punishment meted out, offer a guilt offering in the form of a ram, a pretty hefty preventative fine in itself. This was to be offered in the usual way at the door of the tent of meeting. There atonement would be made for him and he would be forgiven. There was probably in this a suggestion to the court that the bondmaid should be compensated if she was innocent, for compensation and guilt offerings regularly went together. Compensation would be more useful for her than vengeance. It is noteworthy that she does not have to offer a guilt offering. It is recognized that she has offended no one.
Overall it should be noted here from a practical point of view that the consequences of having had ‘pressurized’ sexual relations would probably not be so severe for a bondwoman as for a raped freewoman, as her marriage options would probably not have been so much reduced, unless she was a blameworthy participant, because her partner would recognize that she had had no choice. The responsibility was put on the courts to defend her interests, or to blame her as the facts determined, and yet to leave her employable and still acceptable in society. But for the man the minimum punishment he could receive was the high cost of a ram, and any other punishment the court may decide.
While in some ways this might not seem ‘fair’ it actually probably left the bondmaid in the happier position of not having to face up to the resentments of an unfair society, while at the same time possibly being compensated. If the law was too heavy it or demanded too much it would just have been ignored. Good law takes into account the likelihood of it being carried out.
23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten.
When they arrive in the land and begin to plant trees they are to allow them to grow for three years without picking their fruit. They are to look on them as though they were like uncircumcised babes, not yet a part of the covenant, and therefore not available for their use.
24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD.
Then in the fourth year they were to be seen as now within the covenant, but with all their fruit seen as holy and available for giving praise to Yahweh. It was His, and still not to be eaten. It was to be seen as an offering of praise and gratitude and recognition that the trees, like everything else in the land, were His. This practice was good for the trees which thus had time to develop without being depleted. It was good horticultural practice.
25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the LORD your God.
From the fifth year onwards, they could eat the fruit from the tree, and its increase would be theirs. It was given to them by Yahweh their God. Thus this provision resulted in healthy trees, acknowledged God’s ownership of the land, and finally was beneficial to all. It was also a reminder of the good things which were to be theirs.
There now follow in the name of Yahweh a number of provisions banning various aspects connected with ‘other-worldly’ practices which were forbidden. They were to look to Yahweh and Yahweh alone, and He was against these things. They were contrary to what He was.
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.
As has already been noted nothing must be eaten with its blood. The blood must be drained out. They must not seek to eat the life principle of the animal, for that is the practice of pagan ceremonies. This repetition brings home the vital importance of the pronouncement. It was a reminder of the strength of the prohibition.
Nor were they to use enchantments or practice sorcery or divination. All magic was forbidden. Divination was a means of discovering what the ‘portents’ pointed to in the making of ‘right’ choices, especially with regard to the future. But they were to leave their futures in the hand of God, not look to superstitious and evil practices.
This makes clear to us today that all contact with the supernatural and the occult apart from prayer and worship to God are forbidden and can only lead people into harm. They are firmly and strongly forbidden, and we disobey at our peril.
27 You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.
These were idolatrous or magical practices. They were not to be tempted to follow the ways of the idolatrous ‘world’ outside.
28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.
‘Cuttings in the flesh’ for the dead were pagan mourning practice and were also forbidden (Deuteronomy 14.1-2). To follow them was to enter the sphere of the dead. Tattoos were a forbidden mark of ownership. The invisible God needed no visible marks of ownership, and they were not to mark themselves as belonging to anyone else. Thus tattoos were also totally banned.
29 ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.
For a man to make his daughter a prostitute so that he could profit by it was to be seen as obscene, whatever the circumstances, and if permitted would be the first beginnings of a downward slide for Israel. Men should have a higher regard for their daughters. Sexual relations on this basis were forbidden.
30 ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I Am The LORD.
Indeed rather than sinking to the depths of the other nations they should look to exalt Yahweh. The regulations had begun with a reference to the God-given authority of mother and father, and the need to keep God’s Sabbaths (verse 3), now as we draw to a close the keeping of Sabbaths is confirmed along with the need to reverence God’s Sanctuary.
The keeping of the Sabbath was an open sign of obedience, and marked them off as belonging to Yahweh, and their attitude towards His Sanctuary revealed their attitude towards Him. Thus they were both very important practices. But this meant keeping all His other commandments, for breaking the regulations, both ritual and moral, would profane His Sanctuary. They were therefore to recognize the effects on Him of their sins. For He Is Yahweh God.
31 ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Reverencing His Sanctuary includes turning away from familiar spirits and wizards. They are at the very opposite extreme. Seeking God and His guidance at the Sanctuary was the true way of looking to the future. Thus familiar spirits and wizards were not to be sought out or approached. Their effects could only be defiling. They dealt with the dead. Such attempted contact with the dead could only defile God’s camp and God’s land. They needed to be free of both because God Is the living God and death is foreign to His ways. Rather they should look to Yahweh their God, and keep His Sanctuary holy. They must remember Who their God Is. He Is Yahweh, and Yahweh has nothing to do with such things.
32 ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.
Honoring the old is something also required of His people. They are to be treated with the honor due to those who have lived long lives and faithfully served God for He is Yahweh and looks on such with love and compassion. Furthermore they often have the wisdom that hotter heads do not. To honor them is to fear God and to acknowledge Yahweh.
33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
The resident alien who lives among them is not to be wronged. Rather he is to be treated as though he were a native of the land, and is to be loved by them as they love themselves. This is because Israel will remember how they were in the same position in the land of Egypt, and will recognize that they must treat him as they would have wished to be treated.
This application of the principle of loving one’s neighbor to all who came to live among them is one of the most remarkable teachings of the Old Testament. Had it been carried through it would have been a beacon to the world.
35 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 36 You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
The chapter finishes with concern about the public administration of justice and rightness in all dealings. The courts are to be fair and just, and their systems of weights and measures are to be accurate and honest, as are their balances for there is nothing crooked about Him. They have been delivered so that they can be like Him, and this must be revealed in everyday life.
37 ‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.’”
So are they to observe all His statutes and ordinances and are to do them. This is the requirement of Yahweh. We are all very good at ‘observing’ His statutes and ordinances but how good are we at doing them? This chapter of practical moral teaching is one that we all need to take to heart. We need to go through it item by item asking ourselves how it compares with our own lives. Are we truly obedient to God in all things?
