Apr 15th

Leviticus 19     Ecclesiastes 2     Psalms 23-24     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Continuing God’s instructions for living a life pleasing to God, we turn today  to laws designed to protect the poor and the alien, and to remind us that it is God who owns the land, and indeed all that we have.    We, as the Israelites, are caretakers only, and in applying these laws God’s nature in caring for the weak and unprotected is reflected.    How can we use the edges of our fields to help others?   Jesus surely summarised the laws in verses 10-35 when he told us to love God with all our heart, and our neighbours as ourselves.  Everything else follows naturally from this. 

The Lord will teach us individually of course, but two particular issues seem relevant today:

V.32 confirms that our elderly are worthy of our time and respect, and it is our responsibility to value them and their wisdom.     What a challenge to us individually and as a society today!

V.33 & 34 – what’s our attitude to foreigners or immigrants?   God is calling us to love and fairness.   Another challenge …? 

 (member of congregation)

Apr 14th

Leviticus 18     Ecclesiastes 1     Psalms 22     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

Leviticus 18-22 bring a whole series of ‘holiness laws’, applied to different situations, beginning with unlawful sexual relations. Most of these laws are fairly uncontentious to us: sex with close relations or in-laws (v6-20) or with animals (v23) is forbidden; as is child sacrifice (v21). The issue of why practising homosexuality (v22) is wrong is far less obvious to our culture.

What’s important to note is why the Lord sets out these rules. “You must not do as they do in Egypt … and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan … Do not follow their practices” (v3). As the Lord’s people, we are to be distinctive, not to blend in with the prevailing culture. Maybe to us, God would say, “You must not do as your friends do … and you must not do as they do in Hollywood … Do not follow their practices.”

There’s even a warning about what would happen if God’s people did blend in too much - they would defile the land, and suffer the consequences (v28), as others had before them. Sadly, God’s people didn’t heed the warning then. Sexual sin still has consequences for us (“All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body”) so the NT urges us to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6.18). Are you following the culture, or fleeing it?

Pray for yourself in this area, and for others you know who struggle with this teaching.

(member of ordained staff)