Love and Leviticus

Hi sisters,

Offerings, rules, atonement, more rules. . . yep, that’s Leviticus. Yet, I had a great quiet time in Leviticus 26. It begins:

“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” (26:1).

First things first, God establishes fidelity with His people. He does not want to be one god among many. He must be the ONLY one in their lives. He is Yahweh (I AM), their Elohim (Creator). He has revealed something intimate, His personal name – Yahweh (see Exodus 3:13-15; 6:2-8). I can almost hear God saying, “I, Yahweh, take you Israel . . . “

“You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD” (26:2).

I pondered that for a moment. Why did God state these two commands specifically? With the lens of covenant, it’s brilliant. God established the Sabbath as a gift and reminder to His covenant people. If you read Exodus 31:12-17, you will notice the tenderness and significance of this gift. God states that the Sabbath is a “sign” of His covenant between Him and Israel. I hear Him saying, “With this Sabbath, I thee wed . . . ” Therefore, to dishonor the Sabbath would be the modern day equivalent of a bride throwing her wedding ring in the trash.

What about the sanctuary part? Well, this was God’s dwelling place! He is not a God far off, but a God who is near to His people. He bluntly states this in verses 11-12, “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” No other people group was able to claim their god dwelt with them. I hear Him saying, “. . . to live together in the Holy Estate of matrimony.” He’s building the house (tabernacle), organizing the master bedroom (Holy of Holies) and stating the boundaries. Need I say more?

In examining these opening verses, we can discern immediately that this is not about “do good things and God will bless you.” God is establishing the boundaries for an intimate relationship because intimacy is impossible without boundaries.

As the blessings section closes, God proclaims, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect” (26:13).

This verse reminds Israel where they have been and who they are now. The beauty I find here is that God not only broke the stronghold of slavery in their lives, but He also made them stand tall! They did not have to keep their head down in shame and self-contempt. We might not be an honor/shame culture, but shame is still very much alive here in the West. I see this when women can’t share their stories with authenticity nor vulnerability. Shame keeps them quiet of past sin, current struggles, childhood trauma, addiction, marriage struggles, etc. But this silence-shame is not from God. We can tell our stories and stand tall, knowing our Redeemer will be glorified by what He has done in and through our lives (and continues to do!).

The next section of the chapter can seem harsh at first glance. But as I kept the covenant lens on, I saw God’s steadfast love for His people.

“But if you will not listen . . . but break my covenant, then I will do this to you . . . if in spite of this you will not listen to me . . . if by this discipline you are not turned to me . . . But if in spite of this you will not listen to me . . . I will scatter you among the nations” (26:14-33).

Yes, these verses are tough, but take a “zoomed out” look. God is saying He will provide ample opportunities for repentance! If we fast forward to II Chronicles 36:15-16, we see that God was faithful to His word in Leviticus. He sent messengers persistently to His people to call them back to Him because he had compassion them. Elsewhere in the Bible, the only way God can communicate (on a human level) how He feels when the covenant is broken is a parent tormented in heart over a rebellious child (e.g. Isaiah 1:2-4) or a spouse broken over their unfaithful spouse (e.g. Ezekiel 16). Consequences were opportunities for the people to come to their senses, for the relationship to be restored and intimacy to be re-established.

IF in spite of the discipline and IF these opportunities for repentance were ignored, then God would let His people have their way. And their way would lead to exile: their removal from God’s presence (see II Kings 24:20). God is not a doormat. He’s not a creepy stalker. Even in the parable of the prodigal son, He does not chase the prodigal. He allows him to make a choice. And, yes, this too is LOVING. God continues:

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers . . . if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant . . . I will for their sake remember my covenant . . . I am the LORD.” (26:40-45).

Exile would not have to be the final word. If in exile the people would humble themselves, God would have mercy. This mercy would also help them break the strongholds of generational sins! Notice the calling we have to confess sin in our generational line. This goes back to knowing our story and telling it “standing tall.”

I pray we choose the covenant and find joy in God’s protective boundaries. But even in our failures, I pray we humble ourselves and follow God into restoration. And may we stand tall as we share our stories without shame!