Man's Relationship to God Leviticus 19

 

Leviticus 19 Man’s Relationship to God

 

How wonderful it is that God has given us the Holy Spirit to indwell in us. He commands Holy conduct on the basis that He is Holy. “Whether, therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31. The major difference between the conduct required under the law and under grace is that today the dynamic is supplied to the believer in the person of the Holy Spirit.  We are joined to the Living Christ.  “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.”  Romans 8:3-4

The parent stands in the place of God for the child and that the child learns to obey God by first obeying the parent. 

The Sabbath law was a command given to the children of Israel.

They were not to look on idols and they were not to make idols.  God ridicules the idols because they are nothing and can do nothing.

The peace offering was given voluntarily but the detail had to be followed precisely.  God says, “If you are going to do it voluntarily, then do it right.” Don’t volunteer to do God’s work unless you are going to give it everything you have.

Whatever a farmer did not reap his first time around must be left for the poor.  God’s method of dealing with poverty enabled both rich and poor to acknowledge the good hand of God.  In business God’s man is to demonstrate the holiness of God’s name by honesty. “Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor” Godless labor is a terrible thing and so is godless capitalism. It is God’s concern for the weak, helpless, and infirm, and it is His rebuke against the hardheartedness of man.

Talebearing is slander. It is best to remain silent if to tell the truth will ruin a neighbor. There is to be no mingling of truth and error.

“Thou shalt not lie carnally with a handmaid.” God is recognizing the sinful situation caused by the hard hearts of men, just as He did in the case of divorce. Matt. 19:8

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them.”  The supernatural and satanic character of this practice is recognized in the scriptures and rejected. 

The stranger among them was to be treated kindly and was to be loved. God is the Lord.  That is reason enough to obey His commands.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary, NKJ Bible