Day #52

Sermon - Audio
Lev 24-25 - Audio
Lev 24-25 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment


Lev 24

• 24.1-2: The people of Israel are to supply the temple with needed oil so the lamp in the holy place remains lit at night (“continuously” is not the best translation rather the word indicates the lamp needs to stay from the time it is lit until the time it is extinguished in the morning).
• 24.3: The lamps represent the light God shed on his people and the power of life that flows from Him to the people.
• 24.5-8: The “show bread” has a double meaning. First, it represents God’s power to sustain his people. Second, the 12 loaves represent the 12 tribes that are living in constant devotion before God.
• 24.9: Since the loaves of bread absorb the holiness of God by being in the Holy Place they cannot be thrown out or eaten by common people. Only the priests can eat the bread.
• 24.10ff: To blaspheme the name of God means that you speak a desire that something evil happens to God. These verses reveal a focus of Leviticus, namely, words matter. Misuse of words can lead to disastrous results.
• 24.14: “lay their hands on his head” even as the priest laid his hands on the scapegoat to transfer the sin of the people. Here, those who heard the blaspheme transfer the sin that clings to them because of what they heard back to the sinner.
• 24.19-21: The code of “an eye for an eye” is meant to be seen as making sure the punishment fits the crime. Already in the book of Exodus (Ex. 21) we see that exact retribution is not required. What God seeks to forestall is the attempt to mete out a greater punishment than the damage the crime did. Jesus calls on his followers to refuse to demand an “eye for an eye” and instead allow God to carry out the appropriate punishment. Notice, however, this does not mean the state cannot carry out punishment for crimes committed (Romans 13).
• 24.22: No favoritism is shown to Israelites. Everyone is to receive equal justice.
• 24.23: the people take the laws of holiness seriously.

Lev 25

• 25.1: It is good to keep in mind that the people are still in the wilderness when these instructions are given. God is preparing them for life in the land. As he does so he begins to implant his thinking into their lives.
• 25.2-4: A Sabbath rest for the land is needed to restore the land. Continual planting and harvesting would eventually destroy all the nutrients in the soil. A Sabbath year gave the soil the opportunity to be restored. What is interesting is that the Sabbath for humans and for the land have this same thing in common: it is a time to be restored.
• 25.9: Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The Day of Atonement is the day when God purifies the land, the tabernacle, and the people from sin. As they are forgiven and delivered from their sin they are to release the captives from slavery and bring redemption to the whole land by returning land and canceling debts.
• Both the Sabbath Year and the Day of Jubilee impressed on the Israelites that God owned both them and the land.
• 25.13: “own property” means the land God gave the family at the time when they first entered the land (see Joshua 13ff).
• 25.17: The command to “not take advantage of each other” continues to be an important one. Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 chastises believers for taking advantage of each other.
• 25.18-22: To take part in Jubilee one has to trust in God’s provision. God assures the people that they will have more than enough food to eat if they but follow his decrees.
• 25.29ff: Since property in the walled cities was not given as an inheritance it can be sold and not returned at Jubilee.
• 25.44: The setting free of slaves applies only to Israelites. It is God’s people who are his servants and who therefore receive special treatment.
• 25.47-53: Foreigners who live in the land have to abide by the laws of redemption and Jubilee. Even though they are not set free if they are slaves, they do have to set Israelite slaves free if they are wealthy enough to have them.
• 25.54-55: A piece of wonder: “the Israelites belong to me as servants.” These people exist for God, not for themselves.