Leviticus 26 outlines certain blessings and curses the Israelites could receive from God. Whether they received the one or the other would be conditioned upon their actions.

“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out…” (Leviticus 26:3).

If the Israelites obeyed God, He promised to bless them greatly with prosperity, peace, freedom, and fellowship with God (Leviticus 26:4-13).

“But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you…” (Leviticus 26:14-16).

The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people. Yet if they disobeyed Him, they would be punished. If they did not learn from these divinely given penalties for their sins, they would be punished further (Leviticus 26:18-39).

“If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me… if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob…” (Leviticus 26:40-42).

Though God was willing to punish disobedience, He was also willing to receive the penitent. But they would have to recognize their error and make correction.

We live under a different Law today (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8-13), but we do not serve a different God. The New Testament shows that God will deal with us in similar fashion:

• He will reward obedience (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9; Revelation 2:10).
• He will punish disobedience (Matthew 7:22-23; Ephesians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
• He is willing to receive those who have rejected Him if they will turn back to Him and obey (Acts 3:19; 8:22; 2 Peter 3:9).

Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 1-2

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

“If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death. The one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life. [...] Thus one who kills an animal shall make it good, but the one who kills a man shall be put to death. There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 24:17-22).

This is a reminder of penalties that were already given. The punishment for murdering another man was death (Exodus 21:12). When a neighbor’s animal was killed, restitution was to be made (Exodus 21:33-36), but a man who killed an animal was not to be put to death. There are some lessons we can learn from this law:

• We must recognize the great value God places upon human life. The reason why the death penalty existed for murdering one’s fellow man was because man was made “in the image of God” (Genesis 9:6).
• Animals are not equal to human beings. Animals, while having been created by God, were not made in His image. Animals do not have eternal souls. The concept that some have today that animals should be given the same rights and protections as people have is completely foreign to the Scriptures.
• Animals are still important and serve a legitimate function in the world. While they are not equal to humans, we ought to take care of them and not abuse them. It is a matter of stewardship (with our own animals) and respect for private property (with other’s animals). It only makes sense then for restitution be made when we destroy another man’s property.
• This law was for the stranger and the native. Regardless of one’s country of origin, all have been made in the image of God (Acts 17:26). Therefore, we must not view others as being somehow inferior to us and then think that harming them can somehow be justified.

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 26-27

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

In Leviticus 22, instructions were given regarding who could and could not eat of the gifts that were offered to the Lord. One of these rules affected the daughters of the priests:

“If a priest’s daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the offering of the gifts. But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no child and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it” (Leviticus 22:12-13).

A rule was given that no layman was to eat of this food that was dedicated to the Lord. This food was reserved for the priests. A priest’s daughter could eat only under certain conditions.

• If a daughter was unmarried and still living at home, she was allowed to eat of this food – “…as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food” (Leviticus 22:13).
• If a daughter was married to a layman, she was prohibited from eating, despite the fact that her father was a priest and she was once allowed to share in this food (Leviticus 22:12). Her husband was to provide for her now, not her father.
• If she became widowed or divorced and returned to live with her father, she could once again eat of this food (Leviticus 22:13).

The lesson here is that a man is responsible to provide for his own. In the beginning, Adam was to work hard to provide for his family (Genesis 3:19). Paul describes this as a serious matter pertaining to our faith (1 Timothy 5:8).

A man should provide for his own, whether this is his young daughter, his wife, or his unmarried adult daughter.

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 24-25

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

Sadly, helping the poor is a contentious issue in our society. It is not so much that people do not want to help the poor – most good, moral people want help to be provided. The issue is over how to best help the poor and whether this help should come from individuals, churches, charities, or government agencies.

The Law of Moses contains a way to help the poor and the stranger among the people. While we do not live under the same Law or with the same circumstances, there are principles that should help us determine how we can best help those in need.

“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:9-10).

Notice some reasons why this arrangement would be beneficial to all:

• There would always be help for the needy. As long as the ground was producing for the land owners, the needy could also be fed.
• One had to be willing to work (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10). He could not take advantage of others. The help was provided, but he would have to exert some effort to go out to the fields, work, and provide for himself.
• There would be no government involvement as bureaucracies are always too inefficient to carry out such a work as well as they intend (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:8).

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 22-23

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

As God gave His Law to Moses to pass down to the people, He explained how the people were to conduct themselves compared to the other nations.

“You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the Lord your God. So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:3-5).

There are a couple lessons to be learned from this passage. First, God’s people are obligated to live according to His standard, not the world’s standard. You must follow the Lord, even if those around you do not. Paul writes, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Second, we follow God’s standard because He is the Lord and will either reward us or punish us based upon how we live up to His standard. If we claim to believe in the Lord, we must obey Him (Luke 6:46). Our future reward of heaven or punishment in hell will be based upon how well our deeds matched His standard (John 12:48; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Even Christians who began to follow Him, but later reject Him, will not be exempt from punishment (Hebrews 10:29-31).

Our responsibility is simple: Obey the Lord. Rather than conform to the world, let us conform to God and to His perfect standard.

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 19-21

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

The Law of Moses contained very specific instructions regarding leprosy and those who had the disease. It can be tempting for us today to quickly skim over these sections, but there are still lessons to be learned.

“The Lord further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: ‘When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, ‘Something like a mark of leprosy has become visible to me in the house’” (Leviticus 14:33-35).

The main point of this passage has to do with a priest inspecting a house for leprosy. But a statement is made in passing that can help reinforce our faith in God’s promises.

These instructions were to be followed when, not if, they entered the land of Canaan. God was going to lead them into the land. He was going to give them the land and drive out the current inhabitants. He promised it and He would carry it out. As we are familiar with the Scriptures, we know that He did this. Of course, it was the second generation of Israelites that entered, as the first generation that left Egypt did not have enough faith in God to take the land.

We must remember that God’s promises are true as we eagerly look forward to the promises that remain for us:

“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago” (Titus 1:2).

We will be rewarded with heaven if we remain faithful to Him (cf. Revelation 2:10). God’s role is certain. But we must “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14).

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 16-18

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

“For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44-45).

This chapter goes into great detail showing the Israelites which animals were clean and which ones were unclean. One of the reasons for these commands was so the Israelites would be a peculiar people, distinct from the nations around them. When God called them out of Egypt, He set them apart as His people. Therefore, they were to be holy just as God is holy.

Peter quotes this passage to show us that Christians today have a responsibility in this regard as well:

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14-16).

We are called to the same standard of holiness. That standard is God Himself. Therefore, we must not be like the world, but like the Lord. We must be obedient, not disobedient. We must not follow after the lusts of the flesh, but desire and seek after the things above. We must do this, as Peter says, in all of our behavior.

Holiness is not a part-time profession, nor is it accomplished by accident. We must be diligent and serve God with our whole being.

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 14-15

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:1-2).

The account of Nadab and Abihu is an excellent example of the need to do those things which God has authorized and refrain from those things which He has not. But this event is not without a context. This happened during the time when Aaron and his sons – which included Nadab and Abihu – were consecrated and sacrifices were offered to God. Notice some of the phrases that describe what was done during these events:

“So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.” (Leviticus 8:4).

“…just as the Lord had commanded Moses” (Leviticus 8:9,13,17,21,29).

“Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord had commanded through Moses” (Leviticus 8:36).

“…just as Moses had commanded” (Leviticus 9:21).

Then along came Nadab and Abihu offering “strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Leviticus 10:1). Did God overlook this one transgression on account of all the meticulous attention to detail up to this point? No, He did not. He expected complete obedience.

God expects the same careful and complete obedience from us today. Just as Moses was to “make all things according to the pattern” (Hebrews 8:5), we must “retain the standard [pattern, NKJV] of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13).

We do not have the liberty to decide what we would like to do to please God. We must simply follow His will that He has revealed to us.

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 11-13

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

If one of the Israelites under the Law of Moses sinned, he was to offer a sacrifice.

“He shall also bring his guilt offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin” (Leviticus 5:6).

Specific instructions were given regarding this sacrifice. But what if one did not have this to sacrifice? Would he be exempt? Would be unable to have atonement made for his sins? No, God made a provision for one who was not able to produce this sacrifice.

“But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering” (Leviticus 5:7).

If one did not have a lamb or goat to offer, he was allowed to offer two turtledoves or pigeons. The Lord even made an allowance for those who could not even bring this sacrifice.

“But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering” (Leviticus 5:11).

Humble circumstances would not exempt one from his obligations before God, nor would they prevent one from pleasing the Lord. God is willing to accept everyone, regardless of our circumstances (cf. Galatians 3:28). He has made His commandments such that all can obey His will.

As John writes, “His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 8-10

[I'm using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you'd like to follow along, too.]

Below is a clip from the Bible Talk radio program by the South End church of Christ in Louisville, KY. Aaron Erhardt, the host of the show, had a caller who was obviously a Calvinist. Aaron posed a simple question to the caller: Why aren’t the lost saved? Listen to the exchange at the link below.

BibleTalk – Stunning Calvinist Admission (MP3)

Calvinism is a false doctrine of despair and unavoidable damnation. The gospel is a message of hope for all (cf. John 3:16; Acts 10:34-35; Titus 2:11; 2 Peter 3:9).