Leviticus - Chapters 17-20

The transcription discusses chapters 17-20 of Leviticus, which contains various laws given by God to Moses and Aaron. The importance of the sacrificial system, particularly the Day of Atonement, is highlighted. The people are instructed to bring their offerings to the tabernacle and not create their own places of worship. The laws also address sexual immorality, idol worship, Sabbath observance, and caring for the poor and outcast. The chapter concludes with punishments for sins and a reminder that the people are set apart by God. The importance of obedience and reflecting God's ways is emphasized. The transcript encourages self-reflection and aligning oneself with the Lord's ways. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today, if by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at cab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're covering chapters 17-20 of Leviticus, and again with this lesson there are various laws that are covered. As I said last year in the lesson called Be Ye Holy Because I Am Holy on February 2, 2023, one thing to note about the book of Leviticus, it is unlike any other book in that over and over and over again we are hearing direct revelation from God. He speaks the majority of this book to Moses and then also Aaron sometimes, and they were to share with the people. God is directly telling His people the way to live and how to worship Him and what holiness looks like. There was no need to guess what God expects, He tells us. Another thing we have already seen in this book is that God expects us to mess up, and so He makes a way to reconcile the relationship, and that is through the sacrificial system. The most important sacrifice was explained in chapter 16 which is called the Day of Atonement, and the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies before the Lord and present blood from the offering. A scapegoat which on his head was placed all the sins of the people was taken into the wilderness and let go taking the sins with him. Chapter 16 verse 34 states this is to be a lasting ordinance for you. Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites, and it was done as the Lord commanded Moses. Chapter 17 begins with the law that the people were to bring their offerings to the tabernacle and not create their own place of worship. They were also instructed to not eat blood, and verse 11 says why, for the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourself on the altar. It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. That is why Jesus' death on the cross was so very important. Chapter 18 verses 1 through 5 declare the Lord said to Moses speak to the Israelites and say to them I am the Lord your God, you must not do as they do in Egypt where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. With this passage we see three times I am the Lord, two of those times adds your God. People who claim to be Christians or followers of the God of the Bible are to act differently than the rest of the world and why is that? Because our God is different than their God. The Lord's laws reflect who he is and when we align ourselves up to his ways we are blessed and these chapters affirm that when we do not align ourselves up to the ways of the Lord then not only do we suffer but so does our land and our country. I have said before that if the Lord God had a love language it would be obedience. Jesus himself said if you love me you will obey my commands. This is found in the Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 15. Sprinkled throughout these laws is the phrase I am the Lord. Again these laws reflect who he is. The first section of the law deals with sexual immorality among various family members. Then adultery which is number 7 of the Ten Commandments, homosexuality and bestiality which is also known as zoophilia are mentioned. In the New Testament in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 18 the Apostle Paul says flee sexual immorality because every other sin a person commits is outside the body but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. They also were not to offer their children as sacrifices to Moloch which was the God of the Ammonites. This would cover number 1 of the Ten Commandments. Chapter 19 covers many of those Ten Commandments. These laws begin with a preface. Be holy because I the Lord your God am holy. They were to respect their father and mother. Number 5 of the Ten Commandments. They were to observe the Lord's Sabbath. Number 4 of the Ten Commandments. Do not make or worship idols. Number 2 verses 5 through 8 cover how to eat the fellowship offering. And then verses 9 and 10 command the people to always leave some food in the fields and vineyards so that the poor and alien have something to eat. God cares for the outcast. Then back to some of the Ten Commandments. Do not steal. Number 8. Do not lie or deceive one another. Number 9. Do not profane the name of the Lord. Number 3. Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. This could tie in with number 10 about do not covet what your neighbor has. Pay workers what is due them. Verse 14 says do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind but fear your God. I am the Lord. The Lord sees and knows what we do even if others do not. Again God cares for the lowly and the hurting. We are not to show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great but judge your neighbor fairly. Underlaws were to not slander or endanger your neighbor. Verse 18 reads do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 22 verses 39 and 40 that this is the second greatest commandment in all the Bible. Just a reminder the first is to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and that is found in Deuteronomy. Then Jesus said all of the laws all of them hang on these two things loving God and loving people. There are laws on planting fields, cutting hair, eating meat, and cutting or marking our bodies. They were not to place their daughters into prostitution. They were to respect elders and the alien living among them. They were to deal honestly with them. Verse 37 reads keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord. In chapter 20 we see the punishment for sins. It begins with those who sacrifice their children to the pagan god Molech. They are to die. Many of the punishments for sexual sins were death or to be cut off from the people or for those who were mediums or spiritists. They were to be put to death. In this chapter we see verses like 7 and 8 which say consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord who makes you holy. What I like about these verses is that God doesn't set up that bar of holiness to see us fail. He said that he is making us holy. The end of the chapter reminded the people that they were to be different from the rest of the world. And then the Lord reminded the people of his promise which he made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I said to you, you will possess their land. I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God who has set you apart from the nations, verse 24. That is why they were to distinguish between what is clean and unclean. Then verse 26, you are to be holy to me because I the Lord am holy and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. So let me ask you, are you different than the world? Do you reflect God and his ways? Do you care for the lowly and the outcast? Do you treat all people fairly? Do you show partiality? Would you say that you are closer to the Lord today than you were last year? If yes, then you can see the Lord's work in your life. Thank him for it. Is there one of these laws that the Lord has convicted you of that you may need to confess and maybe even make amends? The life of holiness comes as we align ourselves with the Lord and his ways a little step at a time and when we do we are blessed with the best blessing for we are his, we belong to him. If you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart, that never ends well. Instead let's be women of faith who hear from the Lord and obey. That is how he knows we love him back. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.