Leviticus 19:1-10 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:1-10. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage. Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage? After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Leviticus 19:1-4 (NIV)
1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3 “‘Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
4 “‘Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.
On verses 1-4: Just as God is holy (i.e. without sin and set apart), we, being made in God’s image, are called to be holy as well. Here the LORD tells Moses that or the Israelites part of being holy is respecting our parents (v3), observing a Sabbath (a weekly time to rest) (v3) and turning away from idols (v4). What can we learn from this? Holiness shows up in how we respect God, how we respect others (including our parents), and how we respect ourselves and the way God made us to be.
Leviticus 19:5-8 (NIV)
5 “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.
6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.
7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.
8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated what is holy to the LORD; that person must be cut off from his people.
On verses 5-8: Unlike other offerings described in Leviticus, in the case of a fellowship offering, the person giving the offering was expected to eat part of the meat being offered as a fellowship offering (see Leviticus 7:11-18). Here verses 6-7 say that by the third day the meat should not be eaten any more but should be burnt up. Why? It is not entirely clear, but keep in mind that the Israelites did not have refrigerators. So a possible reason could be to protect people from pathogenic bacteria like salmonella and e coli. If that is the reason for the prohibition, then this is one more of numerous examples in Leviticus of how God’s commands are for our protection and our good.
Also, Jesus laid down his life as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2). You could call Jesus our fellowship offering, for in dying on the cross Jesus made reconciliation and fellowship between God and humanity possible. I find it interesting that Leviticus 19 required the fellowship offering (or whatever was left of it) to change its nature and be decomposed through burning on the third day after being sacrificed. Our fellowship offering – Jesus – was raised on the third day, changing his nature from being dead to alive again.
Leviticus 19:9-10 (NIV)
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
On verses 9-10: In Leviticus 19:9, God commands His people not to reap to the very edges of their fields or go through their fields a second time to pick up any left over crops they may have missed. Why? Is it because God is promoting waste or laziness? No. It’s because your Heavenly Father has a heart for the poor. He wants us His children to have a similar heart as well. It’s as if God is saying, “Work hard. Provide for your family. But don’t forget to leave something for those who have less than you do.”
Question: is there margin in your life for those who have less than you do? Or do you use your time, your money and your talents “to the very edges” on yourself such that there is nothing left over for others in need?
Perhaps you already have a group of people that you’re focused on serving, but let’s remember to leave some for those who may not fall within that group and who may not be our main focus. That’s what Jesus did. His main target group was “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), but he still left something for those who didn’t fall within his main target group, like the Canaanite woman whose daughter was desperate for healing (see Matthew 15:21-28). He didn’t sacrifice his mission to serve the non-target people, but he served the non-target people “along the way”.
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us that holiness shows up in very practical ways, in the way I treat You, others and myself. Thank You for having a heart for the poor. I pray that I would leave margin in my life so that I can care for those who have less than I do. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
