Leviticus 26:14-46
I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. – Leviticus 26:17
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After detailing the manifold blessings that result from obedience to his laws, God also lists down the consequences for disobedience. At first glance, this paints a picture of a God that is vindictive. The blessings portion was only 13 versus long, while the punishment section of today’s passage goes on for more than 30 verses. We might be prompted to question: What kind of a God are we serving?
But when we look more closely, even in laying down the punishments for rebellion against him, God demonstrates his mercy and patience. While the blessings are one blanket promise that include all the good things, for punishments, there are five “levels” of discipline that escalates in harshness each time the Israelites choose to continue in disobedience.
v.16 But if you will not listen to me… v.18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me… v.21 Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me…
v.23 And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me…
v.27 But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me…
In other words, God was telling his people he was not going to exact the full measure of his justice at their first offence. In sending them certain disciplinary measures in differing degrees, God wasn’t just trying to make them suffer. God wanted them to be awakened to their sinful state, how far they had come away from his holiness. The purpose of allowing these bad things to happen to his beloved people was so that they would repent of their sins, humble themselves and return back to their covenant relationship with him. God shows his heart for his children’s wellbeing even as he describes all he will do in detail as a deterrence.
If God were more like us humans, when his rebellious people returned to him, he could have put them on probation, a gradual returning back into his favour, level by level, to pay them back for the grief they caused him. But our God isn’t like this. He’s like the father who is looking out for his prodigal son to come home. He welcomes the ashamed son with open arms, and at once he restores his blessings upon his wayward child.
While we should not be too quick to conclude that every suffering we experience is God trying to punish us, as Christians we should be constantly in an attitude of reflection and examination of our relationship with God. As David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, we can ask our merciful Father: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Reflection:
Is there any grievous way in my life that God has been trying to awaken me to?
As a child of God who has received such great mercy, am I as generous and “prodigal” with my forgiveness to others as he has been to me?
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for your loving kindness and mercy. Forgive me my sins as I also forgive those who sin against me. Don’t give me over to my sinful ways, but deliver me from temptation and rebellion. Help me to continue in obedience of your commands even when it’s hard, so that I may experience the joy of living in covenant blessedness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Click to read
After detailing the manifold blessings that result from obedience to his laws, God also lists down the consequences for disobedience. At first glance, this paints a picture of a God that is vindictive. The blessings portion was only 13 versus long, while the punishment section of today’s passage goes on for more than 30 verses. We might be prompted to question: What kind of a God are we serving?
But when we look more closely, even in laying down the punishments for rebellion against him, God demonstrates his mercy and patience. While the blessings are one blanket promise that include all the good things, for punishments, there are five “levels” of discipline that escalates in harshness each time the Israelites choose to continue in disobedience.
v.16 But if you will not listen to me… v.18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me… v.21 Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me…
v.23 And if by this discipline you are not turned to me but walk contrary to me…
v.27 But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me…
In other words, God was telling his people he was not going to exact the full measure of his justice at their first offence. In sending them certain disciplinary measures in differing degrees, God wasn’t just trying to make them suffer. God wanted them to be awakened to their sinful state, how far they had come away from his holiness. The purpose of allowing these bad things to happen to his beloved people was so that they would repent of their sins, humble themselves and return back to their covenant relationship with him. God shows his heart for his children’s wellbeing even as he describes all he will do in detail as a deterrence.
If God were more like us humans, when his rebellious people returned to him, he could have put them on probation, a gradual returning back into his favour, level by level, to pay them back for the grief they caused him. But our God isn’t like this. He’s like the father who is looking out for his prodigal son to come home. He welcomes the ashamed son with open arms, and at once he restores his blessings upon his wayward child.
While we should not be too quick to conclude that every suffering we experience is God trying to punish us, as Christians we should be constantly in an attitude of reflection and examination of our relationship with God. As David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24, we can ask our merciful Father: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Reflection:
Is there any grievous way in my life that God has been trying to awaken me to?
As a child of God who has received such great mercy, am I as generous and “prodigal” with my forgiveness to others as he has been to me?
Prayer:
Father God, thank you for your loving kindness and mercy. Forgive me my sins as I also forgive those who sin against me. Don’t give me over to my sinful ways, but deliver me from temptation and rebellion. Help me to continue in obedience of your commands even when it’s hard, so that I may experience the joy of living in covenant blessedness. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.