Friday, January 24, 2014
“For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45 KJV).
Today’s Scripture summarizes a book most burdensome to many.
Indeed, Israel had a motivation to keep the Mosaic Law. Essentially, Moses told them, “Obey God’s laws or experience His wrath!” Nevertheless, history testifies that Israel spent more time experiencing JEHOVAH’S judgments—outside of her Promised Land, scattered amongst the Gentiles, et cetera—than she did enjoying His blessings.
Today’s Scripture is an excerpt from that strict system of Law-keeping (here, kosher food laws are being dispensed). Israel was to obey JEHOVAH, to act differently from her Gentiles neighbors (in the context of today’s Scripture, to maintain a unique diet). “I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean” (Leviticus 20:24b,25).
Read Leviticus 20:26: “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.” And Leviticus 22:31-33: “Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow [sanctify] you, That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.” Israel was JEHOVAH’S people, and all the Gentiles should have seen that difference in their lifestyles.
Absolutely, the Mosaic Law was an extremely strict system (many Jews died for breaking it!). Yes, God foreknew that Israel could never keep it, that they would never measure up to His righteousness. So, if He knew they could not keep it, then why did He give Israel the Mosaic Law in the first place? The Bible explains….
333 Words of Grace 