Today’s Scripture Focus: Leviticus 19:1-18
Leviticus 17-26 is known as the “Holiness Code”. In it, we find special instructions for what sets Israel, as God’s people, apart from those around them. To be “holy” means to be special, to be sacred, to be set apart, to be different. While the first half of Leviticus deals mostly with remaining ritually holy, or pure, the second half begins with instructions for maintaining practical holiness (ethics) and social holiness (justice). God’s people were not to merely worship differently than other people. Holiness meant being different in every aspect of life, from growing crops to marriage, from observing a different calendar to the way you cut your hair.
Chapters 17-20 mostly deal with the holiness of the common people. There were basically two categories of people in Israel—priests and non-priests. As nomadic shepherds, Israel still dwelt in tents. They were grouped along family lines of the father’s side, with three or so generations having their tents together around a common court/fire area. This arrangement would continue when they settled in the Promised Land and built permanent homes. Having close family members as neighbors and co-workers could easily lead to disputes without clear boundaries. The Holiness Code provided these boundaries.
While chapter 18 is the chapter of negative holiness (you shall not), chapter 19 is the chapter of positive holiness (you shall). Chapter 20 lays out the consequences for breaking the code of conduct given in 18 and 19. Most of the holiness code for non-priests deals with sex and food, although many other topics are covered. Clear guidelines were given for who you could marry or sleep with and who you could not. This was in contrast to the surrounding nations, in which sex was about worship of false gods, exploitation of the powerless, and personal pleasure at the expense of community health.
The phrase we see repeated throughout chapter 19 is the key to holiness—I AM the LORD. The people were commanded to be holy because God was holy. God was using a people to show a very corrupted creation what life could be like if people loved God and loved their neighbor as they loved themselves. That’s why so many of the rules we don’t understand today deal with the Oneness of God (don’t mix two kinds of fabric, crops, or animals). Others deal with taking care of the poor and strangers (don’t harvest all your crops—leave some behind). Leviticus 19 would be quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22. The most important laws are found in this chapter—Love the LORD and love your neighbor.
- Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
- Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
- Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
Of all the rules in the first 18 verses of Leviticus 19, which ones are still important for us today? Are there any that really don’t apply to us?
Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?