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As Leviticus ends with the Torah reading בחקותי Bechokotai (“in My statutes,” Leviticus 26-27), we should remember the point of this book seen at its beginning: The LORD wants Israel in His presence, but each must be transformed to make that journey. That’s the lesson of the Tabernacle, offerings, priesthood, appointed times and years, distinguishing between clean and unclean, etc.
As promised in the New Covenant prophecy (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–26), the LORD will give us a “new heart,” written upon with His laws and empowered by His Spirit.
These last two chapters are a capoff of the entire book of Leviticus. Keep in mind that these curses and blessings are national or corporate blessings and curses.
Also keep in mind that when these curses fell upon the land of Israel, the innocent suffered with the guilty, as Daniel did when he was captured and taken to Babylon. Daniel “repented” of sins that he did not commit acknowledging God’s justice and asking for God’s mercy.
These blessings and curses mirror the 14 verses of blessing and 54 verses of cursing in Deuteronomy 28. These are national blessings and curses. The leadership of a nation contributes strongly in directing the nation either toward or away from God.
Political and civic leaders, often called “shepherds” by the prophets, largely are a reflection of the leadership in homes and social groups, namely congregations of believers. It gives us a hint as to why Daniel repented corporately for the sins of the nation when they were rounded up and taken to Babylon.
Leaders who aren’t “present” or “with it” in seeking knowledge, wisdom and understanding from God may watch as their “flocks” ― families, congregants, constituents ― drift toward popular trends that lack wisdom and understanding. Knowledge of God grounds us as individuals and as a nation and brings wisdom. Leaders who trust God and see way beyond the horizon are a blessing.
These blessings and curses happened several times in Israel’s history and based on the Book of Revelation, it will happen again.
We are told to “follow your heart” and to go where our desires leads us, but we know the heart can be easily deceived.
“He said, ‘Go, and tell this people: “Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.” ’ ” (Isa. 6:9–10 NASB)
Yeshua quoted from this passage in explaining why He taught in parables (Matt. 13:15). This seems like a pretty raw deal. The greatest witness of the Kingdom of God comes speaking in parables rather than plainly. Why didn’t Yeshua speak plainly?
God speaks through challenging yet spiritually understandable means to encourage seekers to seek further. This is what faith is about. We can’t see over the horizon but God does. The instructions are not about keeping us from having a good time, but God is trying to keep us and our nation from falling off a cliff.
It’s not about how we start, but how we finish. It’s not about karma, tilting the scale of good and bad in our favor. It’s not about a show you put on in public but what happens in private. That is what character is, what you are internally. That is the difference between relationship and religion.
Curses with a happy ending
There are six categories of curses, but there is a happy ending.
Curse 1: Sickness, crop failure and warfare (Lev. 26:14–17)
Does this mean that every calamity comes from God? No, the innocent of a land under God’s blessing can suffer from curses of correction along with the rebellious.
The prophet Daniel suffered exile in Babylon and Medo-Persia, praying for forgiveness, although he wasn’t responsible for the judgment. His example shows that we should take the opportunity to reflect on our problems to see God’s provision or wandering from God’s ways on a personal or group level. It’s not about what happens to us but about understanding.
Job’s life is another example. Those around him were questioning what Job had done to anger God but we see that about punishing Job but conditioning, revealing and conditioning his character. We need to ask God to probe us and show us if there’s a part of our lives that is heading in the wrong direction.
Curse 2: Drought and destruction of the House of God (Lev. 26:18–20)
“‘I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze.” (Leviticus 26:19 NASB)
The ancient sage Rashi connected “I will break the pride of your power” (v. 19) with the Temple. This interpretation is supported by the use of the phrase “pride of your power” in Ezek. 24:21.
“ ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul ….’ ” (Ezek. 24:21)
The leaders were relishing in the ambiance of the House of God but neglecting respect for the teachings of the One Who would be present there. The “culture of God” became more important than obeying God.
Are we simply paying “lip service” to God, our families, our employers or our friends? What message does that send about the One we represent?
Curse 3: Wild beasts (Lev. 26:21–22)
If you have a problem with wild beasts in an area, it’s partly due to depopulation. Also if a community doesn’t properly manage wildlife, the land is not in balance. If there are too many predators, you will have fear that you can be jumped by a wild predatory beast at any time.
Also people who act lawlessly, such as thieves and bandits, act like animals. If there’s a total breakdown of society with either wild animals or bandits running rampant, the people will not live in safety.
Curse 4: Siege (Lev. 26:23–26)
“… I will intensify the famine among you and break the staff of bread.” (Ezek. 5:16)
When you see in books such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Lamentations, which record what lead up to the Babylonians Exile, there is historical proof that the cannibalism prophesied in Leviticus actually did happen.
Curse 5: Starvation and desolation (Lev. 26:27–32)
Prophet Yemeriyahu wrote about the famine before Babylon besieged Yerushalayim and started exiles between 605–581 BC.
“Should women eat their offspring, the little ones who were born healthy?” (Lam. 2:20)
Curse 6: Exile (Lev. 26:33–39)
“‘I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. ‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.” (Leviticus 26:32–33 NASB)
When God sent the people of the Northern tribes of Israel into permanent exile, and the people of Judah into semi-permanent exile, this was something so monumental that even the Gentiles take note of it in history. We have six curses but the seventh topic of the chapter is all about hope. Despite all the bad things recorded in the first part of Lev. 26, it ends on a high note of repentance, redemption and return (Lev. 26:40–45).
Though our world veered away from God by the choice of Adam and Eve, Yeshua came to be our leader and send us toward God and toward life. This is available to all who would choose it (Rom. 5:15–21). The actions of one person can send a family or community in either a good direction or a bad direction.
‘Follow your heart’ off the cliff?
The traditional complementary reading, or haftarah, for Bechukotai is Jer. 16:18–17:18. It is another account of curses God sends to His nation of priests led by ever-more-rebellious shepherds.
Popular advice to “follow your heart” is foolish. Consider carefully your condition, turn back to the true Source of life and fulfillment, and God will forgive and transform the rebelliousness.
Lesson: Be very careful about follow your desires and feelings.
“‘The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.’” (Jer. 17:9–10 NASB)
“‘Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil. Your land is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire, Your fields ― strangers are devouring them in your presence; It is desolation, as overthrown by strangers.’” (Isa. 1:5–7 NASB)
These are the curses we saw in Leviticus coming true in their day.
“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.” (Eccl. 9:3 NASB)
In the midst of this not-so-cheery passage, we see that we all will die. The question is what way do we want to walk before we get there?
“‘That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.’ ” (Mark 7:20–22 NASB)
Do these texts tell us it’s a good idea to follow our heart? No.
Contradicts the Greatest Commandment?
These passages sound like they contradict the Shema (Deut. 6:4–5) with its instruction to “love the LORD your God with all your heart.”
What do you see in the context of the Shema? When you read the verses just after the Shema, there are instructions for the words of God to “be on your heart,” taught to children and family from waking to bedtime in various situations, with tactile reminders for prayer, going into the world and returning from it (Deut. 6:6–9).
Our heart is to be informed by God’s instructions. Our emotions and our responses are to be shaped by God’s word. The difference is the “heart” ― emotions, feelings, desires ― of the leader following God’s leadership has understanding of the way the world is supposed to work.
Be careful about letting your emotions rule your conduct and relationships with others.
God wants us to turn back, and be transformed. The good news is that there is an asterisk to the instruction to “Follow your heart.” Follow your heart if your heart is pointed to God. Psalm 119 is gushing with emotion about God’s law. That is a character that is transformed by God. A transformed heart does not see the book of Leviticus as boring. It should be exciting because we can “look under the hood” of God’s heart, in a matter of speaking. God invites us into his presence, but He also makes it clear that we can’t just waltz into His court.
We have to detox from the world. His world operates different from our world.
When you see the High Priest in the Day of Atonement, remember that it was in one man that sin came into the world and it’s through one man (Yeshua) that sin is resolved. Aaron and his descendants, as a type of Messiah, reenacted this every Day of Atonement, pointing to Yeshua.
The vows in Leviticus 27 are a lesson that one must be very careful when taking a vow. These vows were similar to a securitized loan. This chapter was to show how serious a vow to God was supposed to be. These vows were not required by the people. This is a separate vow from the Nazarite vow.
If you say you are going to do something, do it. This is why Yeshua said it was better now to make a vow at all rather than make a vow and than break it. They are not trivial.
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property….” (Acts 5:1 NASB)
The story of Ananias and Sapphira didn’t end well. They presumed to take credit for a full donation to God’s work when they were actually witholding a portion for themselves. Their vow was voluntary. When one makes a vow, don’t play games and assume that the Apostles, the ambassadors of the Messiah, can be fooled. Don’t try to shortchange God. In the end, you are really cheating yourself. God is not mocked.
This all is a picture of getting back into God’s presence. Being in His presence is not something to take apathetically. He wants us to be in His presence, and we should want to be there too.
Summary: Tammy.
Photo Credit: Heart in my Hands by Freeimages.com/Chelsee Tysoe. Creative Commons License.