Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20080326.htm

THROUGH THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Leviticus: Fellowship With A Holy God
Part III: Acceptable Living Before A Holy God, Leviticus 11:1-27:34
H. The Believer's Need For Holiness In Daily Practical Life
(Leviticus 19:1-37)
  1. Introduction
    1. Moses' Ten Commandments form the foundation for the laws and ethics of those like us who live in lands in Western Civilization, cf. Edward M. Burns, Western Civilizations , 6th ed., p. 100.
    2. Yet, when God gave the Ten Commandments, He did not intend for them to form only the foundation for social law and order, but to be the basis for how we think and act in daily living as Leviticus 19 reveals:
  2. The Believer's Need For Holiness In Daily Practical Life, Leviticus 19:1-37.
    1. The principles of the Ten Commandments are utilized in Leviticus 19, but "not in the same order and not always with the same emphasis," cf. Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 201.
    2. Rather, "'The diversity of material in this chapter reflects the differentiation of life'" to show that "'All aspects of human affairs are subject to God's laws.'" (Ibid., citing Wenham, Leviticus , p. 264)
    3. Accordingly, we view Leviticus 19:1-37 for insight on how God wants us to apply His Word in daily life:
      1. The Lord opened the Leviticus 19 chapter with a call for His people to be holy as He was holy, 19:1-2.
      2. Then, He urged everyone to respect his parents, to keep His sabbaths, to avoid making for himself molten gods and to offer his sacrifices as prescribed, commandments Israel later notoriously broke and so needed to focus on keeping, Lev. 19:3-4, 5-8; J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible, vol. I, p. 411.
      3. Then, moving to the realm of harvesting their crops, God directed His people to avoid harvesting all of their crops, but to remember the poor by leaving behind ample gleanings for them, Leviticus 19:9-10.
      4. The Lord then warned against stealing or dealing falsely, especially by taking oaths in the Lord's name in business dealings so as to cheat, Lev. 19:11-12; hired workers in one's business affairs were to be paid each day they worked since day laborers often needed the pay for that day's food, Leviticus 19:13.
      5. Besides the poor, physically handicapped people like the deaf and blind were to be treated honorably and not be abused in respect for one's own accountability to God for such relationships, Lev. 19:14.
      6. Unrighteousness in court cases was forbidden (Lev. 19:15) as was destructive slander (Lev. 19:16a) or remaining silent in a court hearing to the unjust harm of the innocent, Leviticus 19:16b.
      7. Internalizing one's hatred of his neighbor was not allowed, and if one had a rebuke to share with his neighbor, he was to state it candidly so as not to harbor hatred or share in another's guilt, Lev . 19:17.
      8. No one was to bear a grudge against his neighbor, but he was to love him as himself, Lev. 19:18.
      9. God wanted His people to respect the creative order He had made and not breed different animals together or sow diverse kinds of crops in a field or wear different kinds of clothing, Lev. 19:19.
      10. In the case of an espoused bond woman's intimate union with a man to whom she was not engaged, due to her helpless bond status, she was not to be punished, but the man was to bring a sacrifice, 19:20-22.
      11. The produce of fruit trees was not to be eaten for three years; the fourth year's produce was for the Lord, and the owners on the fifth year could then eat the produce in honor of the Lord, Lev. 19:23-25.
      12. The pagan practices of eating blood, divination, sorcery, rounding the corners of the head or beard or cutting the flesh were to be avoided, Lev. 19:26-28 NIV; Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn . to 19:27.
      13. One was not to subject his daughter cult prostitution, Lev. 19:29; Ibid., Bib. Kno. Com., O. T., p. 202.
      14. Respect for the Lord's Sabbaths and for His sanctuary was required in daily living, Leviticus 19:30.
      15. God's people were to have nothing to do with spiritism or with spiritists, Leviticus 19:31.
      16. Regarding the elderly or foreigners, people who were typically physically or socially vulnerable to harm by others, God's people were to treat them with honor and love, Leviticus 19:32-34.
      17. Regarding weights used in business transactions in the marketplace, God's people were to be just, trusting God Who had brought them out of Egyptian slavery and caused them materially to spoil their Egyptian masters to supply all their needs without cheating others, Lev . 19:35-37; Ex. 12:33-36.
Lesson: In EVERY conceivable activity in EVERYDAY LIFE, God wanted His people to be HOLY!

Application: May we FOCUS on UPRIGHT living THROUGHOUT ALL the DAYS of our LIVES.