Thought from today’s Bible reading from Leviticus 26-27.
Leviticus 26 outlines certain blessings and curses the Israelites could receive from God. Whether they received the one or the other would be conditioned upon their actions.
“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out…” (Leviticus 26:3).
If the Israelites obeyed God, He promised to bless them greatly with prosperity, peace, freedom, and fellowship with God (Leviticus 26:4-13).
“But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you…” (Leviticus 26:14-16).
The children of Israel were God’s chosen people. Yet if they disobeyed Him, they would be punished. If they did not learn from these divinely given penalties for their sins, they would be punished further (Leviticus 26:18-39).
“If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me… if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob…” (Leviticus 26:40-42).
Though God was willing to punish disobedience, He was also willing to receive the penitent. But they would have to recognize their error and make correction.
We live under a different Law today (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:8-13), but we do not serve a different God. The New Testament shows that God will deal with us in similar fashion.
- He will reward obedience (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9; Revelation 2:10).
- He will punish disobedience (Matthew 7:22-23; Ephesians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
- He is willing to receive those who have rejected Him if they will turn back to Him and obey (Acts 3:19; 8:22; 2 Peter 3:9).
Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 1-2
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.
