Leviticus 26 -- Responsibilities toward the Lord

My commentary says there are three responsibilities in this chapter that every Christian believer has toward the Lord (and one additional one in the next chapter).

First, OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS --  “If I’m walking one direction and God is walking another, I’m moving away from His presence; and God isn’t about to change His direction! … A.W. Tozer reminds us, ‘The essence of idolatry is the entertaining of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.’ … The Jews turned from reality to illusion, from truth to deception, and the consequences were disastrous … Our bodies are the sanctuary of God, and we must be careful to use them for God’s glory … When we lose the sense of the Lord’s presence and the privilege it is to serve Him, then we begin to despise His Word and disobey His commandments.”

Second, SUBMITTING TO HIS CHASTISEMENTS – “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”  “Privilege brings with it responsibility, and no nation has enjoyed more spiritual privileges from the Lord than the nation of Israel … In verses 16-17, ‘sudden terror’ means confusion of mind, the kind of terror you feel when you can’t control what’s going on.”

Third, TRUSTING HIS COVENANT – “Whether in blessing, chastening, or forgiving, God always keeps His covenant and is true to His Word.  God may punish His people, but He will never reject them or cast them away.  In fact, one reason for His chastening is to bring His erring people back into His arms of love where He can enjoy them and bless them once again.”

Father, thank You for such awesome love – so much that You discipline and chasten and punish solely to bring us back so You can love us and bless us again once we ask for forgiveness!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford