Common Sense or Lawfulness?
Leviticus - The Lost Book • Sermon • Submitted
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Hook
Hook
Kindness Example
Large movement out there right now to “Be Kind”… This should not be a movement - it should be a choice we all make every day to be kind.
Be Kind Stories -
Kindness Diaries Docu-story
God laid out a set of rules, precepts and guidelines for behavior that seem like behavior traits we should not have to be told to do but simply come with the decision to respect our fellow humans.
These look like rules and commands but in reality, this is simply living a life that cares for others. It is behaving like a decent human toward others. It is living unselfishly toward the rest of humanity instead of being mean, selfish and judgmental toward others.
Don’t hate, Don’t talk bad about people, don’t carry a grudge, do not rob each other, pay people what they are due when it is due, do not lie in court, do not show favoritism to the poor or the rich, do not lie to each other, honor God, Honor your mom and dad.
In short - do the right thing and you KNOW what the right thing is.
Book
Book
God: Can we just do the obvious?
Don’t steal from each other - its not nice (v. 11)
Don’t cheat each other - its not fair (v. 11)
Don’t lie to each other - it is easier to tell the truth (v. 11)
Don’t swear on the name of God or profane His name - this is dishonoring to God (v 12)
Be fair and just to to your friends and those you have hired.
Be nice to those with infirmities - look out for them (v. 14)
Those who lead, judge and make decisions need to do so kindly and impartially. (v. 15)
Speak kindly - do not tear people down with your words (v.16)
Do not hate, do not seek revenge, do not bear a grudge - instead LOVE (v. 17-18)
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
19 “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.
Interesting interlude of things not to mix -
breeding cattle
sowing seed
cotton blends
20 “If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a slave, assigned to another man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, a distinction shall be made. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free; 21 but he shall bring his compensation to the Lord, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram for a guilt offering. 22 And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven for the sin that he has committed.
Slave girl respect
Forgiveness of sin
23 “When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, then you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be forbidden to you; it must not be eaten. 24 And in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat of its fruit, to increase its yield for you: I am the Lord your God.
When to Harvest Fruit from a new orchard
Timing for new trees - give them a chance and honor God with the first fruits - this gives you the greatest blessing for that tree to produce great harvests in the future.
26 “You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. 27 You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
Statutes to avoid the Occult practices
Do not eat flesh with blood in it
Do not interpret omens
Do not tell fortunes
Do not trim you hair in a way that mimics the occultic priests
Do not cut or tattoo your body in the fashion that the pagan priest do
29 “Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, lest the land fall into prostitution and the land become full of depravity. 30 You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.
Do not abuse or disrespect your daughters by submitting them to temple prostitution
Honor the Sabbath - it is a day to focus upon God and what He has done
31 “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.
Avoid letting mediums, or sorcerers advise you
32 “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
Honor the aged
33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Love the alien - treat them well and love them.
There were other laws for how they were to be managed and held at bay but overall they were to be loved and cared for.
Their love and care was not meant to supersede the “family type statutes” for caring for each other within the nation of Israel
35 “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Be honest in your dealings with each other.
37 And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the Lord.”
Took
Took
I don’t think I am telling you anything that is not already obvious to us - we should choose these things, not because they are commanded of us or of the Israelites but because it is the right way to treat people. It is the right thing to do.