Leviticus 19:23-37 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:23-37. 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 19:23-25 (NIV)
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.
On verses 23-25: Why would God forbid the Israelites from eating the fruit from a fruit tree they planted for the first three years? Isn’t this a waste? Why is God depriving His own people of food? God’s purpose was not to deprive His people but just the opposite: so that “your harvest will be increased” (v25). Apparently, according to some horticulturists, fruit trees that are not stripped of their fruit in their first few years but are maintained with care have the ability to produce much more fruit in subsequent years.
What can we learn from this? When God is seemingly depriving you or keeping you from enjoying a blessing, it’s not to be cruel to you but ultimately to bless you. Also, the fact that the Israelites were told to give the fourth year’s harvest to the Lord before eating of the fruit themselves suggests one more truth: that the land that the Israelites were going to live in ultimately does not belong to them but to God. It’s a reminder for us that whatever we think we own actually belongs to God. We are just stewards and trustees of what God has given to us.
Leviticus 19:26-28 (NIV)
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it. “‘Do not practice divination or sorcery.
27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
On verses 26-28: Applying what we learned yesterday about how to read the regulations of Leviticus, what can we gather about these commands we find verses 26-28?
– “Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it”: revoked in the New Testament, so no need to worry about this too much (see, for example, Matthew 15:11)
– “Do no practice divination or sorcery”: affirmed in the New Testament, so this command still applies (see, for example, Acts 19:19 and Galatians 5:20)
– “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard”: I’m one of billions of people who cuts the hair at the sides of my head. Am I in trouble because of this verse? Many scholars believe that the background behind verse 27 is that the nations living around the Israelites would engage in cutting the hair at the sides of their head and clip off the edges of their beards as part of their idol worship. The same could be said about tattoos in verse 28. Since the New Testament does not talk about this explicitly and since this appears to be highly specific to the cultures of that time, we ask ourselves, “Is there a timeless principle or a spiritual lesson behind this regulation that we can still apply today?” Perhaps the timeless principle here is that we want to live in ways that don’t cause others to reasonably think that we are worshiping anything but God. In the words of Romans 14:13, it’s about trying not to be – within reason – a stumbling block to others’ faith through our actions.
Leviticus 19:29-34 (NIV)
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32 “‘Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.
33 “‘When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.
34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
On verses 29-34: All of the commands in these verses are affirmed in some way in the New Testament and are all fueled by moral concerns. Thus all the commands in these verses can be seen as applying to us today.
Leviticus 19:35-37 (NIV)
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.
36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
37 “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD.'”
On verses 35-37: What is an “ephah” or a “hin” in verse 36? These were units of measurement in Moses’ time. Back in Moses’ time scales and measuring sticks were important tools in business. That’s because people would trade and barter goods in addition to using currency. Businesspeople might be tempted to tamper with their scales and measuring sticks so that they could make or save some extra money.
God comes down on such dishonest practices. In Leviticus 19:35-36 God tells His people that they must use accurate scales and accurate weights so as to not cheat in their business dealings.
What’s the timeless principle we can learn from here? We all deal with money and business in some way, whether it’s buying or selling goods in the open market. God expects us to be honest and trustworthy when it comes to our dealings in business and money, and He will bless us accordingly. As Jesus says, “if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11)
Heavenly Father, thank You that every decree and law You give is for our good. May we follow Your decrees and laws closely, both for our own good and for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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