To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice
Leviticus 26 is wrapping up the context of this most intricate book. The 26th chapter is God's reiteration of the covenant stipulations. There are conditions for the blessing of God upon His people. Make sure you catch that... there are conditions for the BLESSING of God, not the saving of God. The saving has happened. They are His people, His chosen nation. They are even still in existence today. But for His people to experience His blessing, there must be obedience.
Leviticus 26:1–5 (ESV) “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.
The people of Israel are to know that their God is the One who saves them and He alone is the one who has the power to bless them.
If you divide up this chapter into two sections - one of blessings promised for obedience and the other of curses and consequences for disobedience some interesting things begin to emerge.
First, there is one simply call to obey (verse 3) followed by a long list of God's commitment to bless (verses 4-13). It's as if God is saying, just obey me and I'll do the rest.
What is sin? Sin is ultimately disbelieving God. It is rooted in the fear that God will not help us and life will not work out for us, so we must take things into our own hands and accomplish what we think we need accomplished.
In the second section, there's a different pattern. Instead of one sin followed by a long list of consequences, God keeps breaking up the consequences with further warning for not responding to the first set of consequences. God keeps saying, "if this doesn't cause you to listen to me, I'll cause this to happen."
Leviticus 26:18 (ESV) And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins...
Every stage gets more tenuous for the people to the point where they become exiles and die in foreign nations. Yet even there, God is waiting to see if they will respond and turn back to Him.
Leviticus 26:44–45 (ESV) Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”
What do we learn from this passage?
That God's purpose in punishment is always to draw His people back to His voice!
That God refuses to give up on His wayward people.
That every stage of difficulty brought on by sin is instructive for His people.
God is not out to destroy His people. He is absolutely committed to their instruction and deliverance. Christian, you have been saved. Your life belongs to HIM. Obedience is the only path for you now. Every other way will only cause you pain. God will not give up on you. Right now, if you are experiencing pain and trouble from sin it is the evidence of God's amazing grace. Turn to Him and be healed.
In Jesus' Name.
Leviticus 26:1–5 (ESV) “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God. 2 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 3 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely.
If you divide up this chapter into two sections - one of blessings promised for obedience and the other of curses and consequences for disobedience some interesting things begin to emerge.
First, there is one simply call to obey (verse 3) followed by a long list of God's commitment to bless (verses 4-13). It's as if God is saying, just obey me and I'll do the rest.
What is sin? Sin is ultimately disbelieving God. It is rooted in the fear that God will not help us and life will not work out for us, so we must take things into our own hands and accomplish what we think we need accomplished.
In the second section, there's a different pattern. Instead of one sin followed by a long list of consequences, God keeps breaking up the consequences with further warning for not responding to the first set of consequences. God keeps saying, "if this doesn't cause you to listen to me, I'll cause this to happen."
Leviticus 26:18 (ESV) And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins...
Leviticus 26:21 (ESV) “Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins...
Leviticus 26:23 (ESV) “And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me...
Leviticus 26:27 (ESV) “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me...
Leviticus 26:44–45 (ESV) Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.”
That God's purpose in punishment is always to draw His people back to His voice!
That God refuses to give up on His wayward people.
That every stage of difficulty brought on by sin is instructive for His people.
God is not out to destroy His people. He is absolutely committed to their instruction and deliverance. Christian, you have been saved. Your life belongs to HIM. Obedience is the only path for you now. Every other way will only cause you pain. God will not give up on you. Right now, if you are experiencing pain and trouble from sin it is the evidence of God's amazing grace. Turn to Him and be healed.
In Jesus' Name.
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