Leviticus 26:1-46


One of the main purposes of Scripture is to reveal to us who God is and what He is like.  Knowing God is truly the ultimate reason for the study of Scripture.  If we what to know Him and understand what He expects of us we must find our answers in the Word of God.  This chapter gives us a very clear insight into who God is, what He wants us to do and how He responds to us.  I believe that if will grasp these basic truths about God and then live according to them; that our lives will be pleasing to Him, bless others and enjoyable for us.  Here are three basic truths about God that we can glean from this passage.

GOD GIVES REWARDS FOR REVERENCE: God has spent a great deal of time reveling His will and law to His people.  There can be no doubt as to what God expects of His people.  He promises that if they will obey these laws and live a life of reverence before Him, He will bless them with many rich rewards.  He promises them prosperity in that their crops will be abundant, have sufficient rain and they will be able to provide for the needs of their family.  He promises peace from the enemies who surround them and protection from the wild animals who might attack them, their children or their animals.  Most significantly He promised them His presence.  He would be with them, guide them and help them in every area of life.  Our lives become full of purpose and we experience great pleasure when we walk in the presence of God and life in obedience to the Word of God.  He has promised to meet all of our needs, grant us peace that does not depend on our circumstances and the promise that we will live for all of eternity in His presence.  God wants us to love Him, worship Him, fear Him, obey Him and live for Him.  If we will do this, we will experience the rewards of reverence in ways that transcend our comprehension.

GOD GIVES RETRIBUTEION FOR REBELION: However, God made it very clear to the children of Israel, that if they rebelled against the law of God and refused to worship and honor Him.  If they worshiped false idols, lived immoral lives and refused to observe the laws He had revealed; they would experience divine retribution.  They would live in poverty because their crops would fail.  They would suffer plagues in the form of insects as well as people who would come and devour their land.  They would become prisoners in foreign lands where they would be taken so that the land God had given them could rest as He had required.  Most significantly, they would receive a sevenfold punishment from God for their rebellion.  We must never forget this basic truth: God judges sin.  He is patient, loving, merciful and kind; but above all of these attributes, God is holy and He is just.  His judgment may be delayed for many years or even generations but it will not be dormant forever.  God does not desire to judge but He most certainly will.

GOD GIVES RESTORATION FOR REPENTANCE: This is the most comforting truth in all of Scripture.  It is such a blessing to know that God forgives us when we repent.  God loves us and He keeps His promises to His people.  Even though Israel would disobey God and rebel against Him; He promised that He would never break His covenant with them.  If His people would humble themselves, recognize their sin and return to Him; He would restore them to the land He had promised and begin to bless them again.  Man’s greatest need is forgiveness because every single one of us have rebelled against what God has revealed to us.  We all deserve divine retribution in the most severe way imaginable.  But God has satisfied His justice through the sacrifice of Christ so that we can be fully forgiven through faith in what Christ has done as we repent of our own self-righteousness and idolatry and turn to worship God alone.  Pride and arrogance will always hinder the work of God in our lives and keep us under the judgment of God.  But humility and repentance will restore us to the favor of God because of His grace, love and the cross of Christ.  No matter how far we have strayed from the Lord, no matter how severe the judgment of God on our lives might be; we have hope in Christ because God forgives.

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