Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Leviticus 22:17-33 NKJV ¹⁷ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁸ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the Lord as a burnt offering— ¹⁹ you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. ²⁰ Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. ²¹ And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. ²² Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the Lord. ²³ Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

²⁴ ‘You shall not offer to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land. ²⁵ Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’ ”

²⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²⁷ “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. ²⁸ Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day. ²⁹ And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will. ³⁰ On the same day it shall be eaten; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the Lord.

³¹ “Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. ³² You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, ³³ who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.”

In Dr. Kleinig’s commentary on Leviticus, he draws an interesting correlation between the disqualifying defects in priests (spoken of in chapter 21) and the sacrificial animals (spoken of in chapter 22). Here is that comparison that’s well with pointing out:

      Priests                                     Sacrificial Animals

Blindness (21:18a)                        Blindness (22:22a)

Lameness (21:18b)                        Injured limb (22:22b)

Defect in leg (21:18c)                   Defect in leg (22:23)

Crippled hand/foot (21:19)           Maimed limb (22:22c)

Hunchback/dwarf (21:20a)          

Growth in eye (21:20b)                Growth in eye (22:22d)

Festering boil (21:20c)                 Festering boil (22:22e)

Eczema (21:20d)                           Scabies (22:22f)

Crushed testicles (21:20e)             Damaged testicles (22:24)

Apart from the hunchback and dwarf deformity, there is, clearly, a close parallel between the defects of each. As Dr. Kleinig suggests: “This indicates that just as the priests represented the people of Israel, ritually the sacrificial animals represented their herd or flock. (Leviticus Commentary, John W. Kleinig, CPH, pg. .477)

By God graciously revealing His Holy Scripture to us, we cannot help but draw the direct correlation between the sacrifices offered to God in the Old Testament era to be of the same demand upon Christ’s arrival; namely, without blemish. Jesus, the victim and priest, is entirely without sin. He offered Himself as the One and only all-availing sacrifice — the perfect lamb of God, to ransom all people and purify them — so that they too could serve with Him as priests and eat “the bread of God” the life-giving flesh of Christ (Jn. 6:33, 51).

Rejoice, dear Christians! God provides the perfect remedy for the defects of His people and their offerings of service through the perfect priesthood and sacrifice of His Son!

Let us pray: O Lord, thank You for Jesus! Amen.

Leviticus 21:1-24 NKJV

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, ² except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; ³ also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. ⁴ Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

⁵ ‘They shall not make any bald place on their heads, nor shall they shave the edges of their beards nor make any cuttings in their flesh. ⁶ They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. ⁷ They shall not take a wife who is a harlot or a defiled woman, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God. ⁸ Therefore you shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy. ⁹ The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.

¹⁰ ‘He who is the high priest among his brethren, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear his clothes; ¹¹ nor shall he go near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother; ¹² nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the Lord. ¹³ And he shall take a wife in her virginity. ¹⁴ A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife. ¹⁵ Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the Lord sanctify him.’ ”

¹⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁷ “Speak to Aaron, saying: ‘No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God. ¹⁸ For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, ¹⁹ a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, ²⁰ or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. ²¹ No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. ²² He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy; ²³ only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the Lord sanctify them.’ ”

²⁴ And Moses told it to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

The laws in this section legislate for the protection of the holy things of God. The most significant of these holy things is the holy name of God, by which the Lord gives access to Himself in the sacrificial ritual (21:6). God instituted the ritual so that He could present Himself to His people by name in it. Through the sacrificial ritual He sanctifies them by means of that holy name (21:8, 15). God’s holy name is revealed as most important in that it is the very first petition taught by our Lord to His disciples when asked how they should pray.

We are blessed to have revealed to us the fulfillment of these rigid rituals through Christ Jesus, our Lord. Jesus was appointed by God both as the Messiah and the great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. He became human being and was anointed at His Baptism (Acts 4:27, 10:38) so that He could serve as the High Priest of the human race.

Following the holiness understanding (the importance of the holy name of God as mentioned above), Jesus shares His holiness with His disciples and sanctifies them so that they serve God the Father together with Him.As proclaimed in Heb. 2: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me” (Heb 2:10-13).

God has called all Christians to share in His holiness and God brings that to be in Holy Baptism where He bestows His holy name upon them and accounts to them Christ’s holiness (righteousness) though the faith that is therein created.

Let us pray: O Lord, thank You for our great High Priest, Jesus, keep us steadfast and rejoicing in the holiness of Your name and Christ’s righteousness given in Holy Baptism. Amen.

Psalm 101:1-8 NKJV 101 I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.

² I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

³ I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
⁴ A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.

⁵ Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.

⁶ My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
⁷ He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
⁸ Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

This psalm applies to the humbler, yet perhaps more substantial, task of the governance of one’s own home. Twice here is found the expression “my house’ — “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” and “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;” (7, 2). This text can be read, then, as a text concerned with the godly governance of a man’s household.

Now the following may seem confusing but hold to the line of thought and you’ll be able to see the point. Many understand ‘economics’ as the handling of money on a grander scale, but… proper, godly governance of one’s house is also called “economics” (aka: household management).

With this new angle of looking at it, our unique Economist affirmed that if we will “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… all these things shall be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33) The standing or falling of houses has less to do with the material of the house — for the pursuit of righteousness is the true foundation of a house. So, what sort of things are banished and who will not be welcomed in this well-ordered house? Answer: anything “wicked” and those with a “perverse heart” who have “a haughty look and a proud heart” who “work deceit” and “tell lies”!

 The house in this psalm can also, of course, refer to the house of God — the great hall of the supper of the Lamb, to which, once again our unique Economist tells us, many are called but few are chosen. This psalm describes what it means not to be clothed in that proper wedding garment, the wearing of which saves a man from being ejected from that great hall into the outer darkness.

The economics of this nation (and world) are always in flux and ever left wanting. But, with this new view of the word, and being accounted fully righteous through God-created and sustained faith, the economics of your house are rock solid!

Let us pray: O Lord, keep me steadfast in Your Word! Amen.

Psalm 94:12-23 NKJV

¹² Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord,
And teach out of Your law,
¹³ That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
¹⁴ For the Lord will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
¹⁵ But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

¹⁶ Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
¹⁷ Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
¹⁸ If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
¹⁹ In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.

²⁰ Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
²¹ They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn innocent blood.
²² But the Lord has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
²³ He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
The Lord our God shall cut them off.

Teachers are helpers and they can be a wonderful blessing to us. Within their classrooms, they can help us to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as we develop into the people that God wants us to be. However, being taught can be a painful and difficult process as it means changing how we think and behave. Changing how we think and behave requires humility on our part as we recognize our limitations and our need for change and growth. Sadly, the sin of pride often keeps us from changing, learning, and growing. This is true for the people of God as well.

In a real and profound way, God is our greatest teacher, and His Word is our classroom. With this in mind, our reading for today states, “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law” (Psalm 94:12). Learning to walk with God and grow in Christ requires that we humble ourselves before Him as we look up to Him as our Teacher. The proud cannot learn. They are too busy celebrating themselves or looking down on others to look up to God and to focus on Him. God’s word reminds us today that there is blessing for those who receive instruction from the Lord and look to Him for help.

 With the psalmist we too recognize and confess that, “Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence” (Psalm 94:17). Though our foot would slip, God’s love and mercy has held us up by the work of His Son who has saved us from our enemies of sin, death, and the devil. In the classroom of God’s Word, “we put on the mindset of Christ Jesus…who humbled Himself by being obedient to death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5, 8). 

Let us pray: Guide me in Your truth, O Lord, and teach me, for you are God, my help and my Saviour.

Leviticus 20:1-27 NKJV

20 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. ³ I will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from his people, because he has given some of his descendants to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and profane My holy name. ⁴ And if the people of the land should in any way hide their eyes from the man, when he gives some of his descendants to Molech, and they do not kill him, ⁵ then I will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut him off from his people, and all who prostitute themselves with him to commit harlotry with Molech.

⁶ ‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. ⁷ Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. ⁸ And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

⁹ ‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.

¹⁰ ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. ¹¹ The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. ¹² If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. ¹³ If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. ¹⁴ If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. ¹⁵ If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. ¹⁶ If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.

¹⁷ ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his guilt. ¹⁸ If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people.

¹⁹ ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister nor of your father’s sister, for that would uncover his near of kin. They shall bear their guilt. ²⁰ If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. ²¹ If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.

²² ‘You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. ²³ And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them. ²⁴ But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. ²⁵ You shall therefore distinguish between clean animals and unclean, between unclean birds and clean, and you shall not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or by any kind of living thing that creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. ²⁶ And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.

²⁷ ‘A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’ ”

In our reading for today, the Lord continues to teach His people about His law and what it means to be set apart for Him. “Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy” (Leviticus 20:7). Through word and deed, through all our actions and conversations, we are to be obedient to the law of God that our lives would resemble the One to whom we belong. God’s people are not only called to hear His word but to do it. This is what it means to consecrate ourselves and in real and practical ways holiness becomes His house and the household of His people.

However, we also read today that God is the one who sanctifies us. “I am the LORD, who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 20:8). This is a good reminder that none of us is holy by means of our obedience to the law, none of us is holy and pure in and of ourselves. We may be reminded of the words of St. Paul, “We know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; I can will what is right but I cannot do it” (Romans 7:14, 18).

Through law and gospel, God is working to draw us closer to Him. The law of God shows us our sin and our need for our Saviour. Although sin separates us from God, “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” (Timothy 1:15). Through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are justified and set apart for God in Christ. By the means of His grace, His word and sacraments, God sanctifies us, conforming us to the image of His son through the sanctifying work of His Holy Spirit.   

Let us pray: Lord God, draw me closer to You and guide my steps so that I may walk in Your righteousness. Let my words and actions be a testament to Your love and grace. Amen.

Leviticus 19:19-37 NKJV

¹⁹ ‘You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

²⁰ ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. ²¹ And he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, a ram as a trespass offering. ²² The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he has committed. And the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.

²³ ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. ²⁴ But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord. ²⁵ And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the Lord your God.

²⁶ ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. ²⁷ You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. ²⁸ You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.

²⁹ ‘Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.

³⁰ ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.

³¹ ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

³² ‘You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.

³³ ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. ³⁴ The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

³⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. ³⁶ You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

³⁷ ‘Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord.’ ”

We notice in our reading today how God once again carefully identifies Himself with the statutes and ordinances that He gives to His people. It is as if God signs His name to each instruction. Twenty-five times in three chapters (Leviticus 18, 19, 20), God invokes His holy name, “Yahweh.” This is the name God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Although we usually translate “Yahweh” as “LORD,” the Hebrew name for “Yahweh” conveys the meaning, “I am who I am” or “I will be who I will be” or “I bring into existence whatever exists.”

By linking His name to His instructions, God is underscoring His authority as the one and only, true God of heaven and earth. All things exist by His authority. He is the living and eternal God, and we live according to His reality. What God says, what He sees, and how He looks at life is the way it is. To follow worldly ideas and practices is to fall out of step with reality. Right and wrong, truth and error, is established on the basis of His holy Word. Therefore, God says to His own, “I am your God, and I am telling you the truth, the way life is, what will hurt you and what will not. So, believe me because I am the LORD your God.”

God’s people broke the covenant they made with God at Sinai. Disobeying God’s Word always leads to pain and brokenness. Although we are prone to lawlessness because of our sin, in His mercy, God sent His Son to redeem sinners. His plan for our redemption is fulfilled in the Word made flesh, Jesus. He came as the mediator of the New Covenant in His blood and in doing so He used for Himself the very name of God when He proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, sanctify me in Your truth that that I may live for You alone. Guard me from the errors and deceptions of this world and keep me steadfast in Christ Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Leviticus 19:1-18 NKJV

19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

³ ‘Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

⁴ ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.

⁵ ‘And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will. ⁶ It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. And if any remains until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire. ⁷ And if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It shall not be accepted. ⁸ Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.

⁹ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

¹¹ ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. ¹² And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

¹³ ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. ¹⁴ You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

¹⁵ ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶ You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

¹⁷ ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Role models are people we look up to as we are positively influenced by their example. Most of us can immediately recall certain people who encouraged and inspired us to be the best versions of our self. Role models are a blessing.

In our reading for today, God continues to teach His people not just how to live in the world but how to live in His presence. “You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). When God says, “be holy as I am holy” He is not just telling His people how to behave – He is telling them what He is like. As God continues to teach the living out of the Ten Commandments, He is also describing Himself and His own qualities of love and faithfulness.

God called Israel to be a holy people, set apart, and an example to the world around them that through them, others would come to know God. Like Israel in the Old Testament, our example of holy living often fails to reflect the holiness of God. Our example of God’s love and faithfulness to our friends, neighbors, family members, and community is marred by sin.  

The holiness of God is perfectly lived out in Christ Jesus. He showed us who God is by perfectly keeping God’s commands. He was perfectly holy as God is holy. St. Paul tells us that Jesus, “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). The One who perfectly kept the law also perfectly took its punishment on our behalf as he was cast outside the city gate to be beaten and crucified for our transgressions. He was cast out and forsaken by God bearing our iniquity so that we could bear His righteousness and stand in the eternal presence of God. Through word and sacrament, we are transformed to the image of God’s Son and made holy to show God’s love and character to the world around us.

Let us pray: Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness in molding me to be like your Son. Help me to love as You have loved me and strengthen me to be a faithful witness for Christ. Amen.

 Leviticus 18:19-30 NKJV

18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. ³ According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. ⁴ You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. ⁵ You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

⁶ ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord. ⁷ The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. ⁸ The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. ⁹ The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. ¹⁰ The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. ¹¹ The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness. ¹² You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father. ¹³ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. ¹⁴ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. ¹⁵ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness. ¹⁶ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. ¹⁷ You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. ¹⁸ Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

As a holy people, set apart and consecrated to the Lord, Israel was not to imitate the practices of the nations around them. In our reading for today, God continues to instruct His people and further define His moral law. He says in verse 27, “you shall keep my statues and my ordinances and do none of these abominations.” To disregard God’s word would come with a heavy cost. The transgressor would be cut off from the land and from among God’s people.

This is always the cost of sin going all the way back to our first parents. Adam and Eve were cut off from the land of Eden when they transgressed the word of the Lord. No longer would they enjoy walking with the Lord in the midst of the day. This is the consequence and curse of our sin; it severs our relationship with God and with one another.

Into this brokenness God sent His son to reconcile us with our Heavenly Father and bring us into His eternal presence. St. Paul tells of the work of Christ in reconciling us to God when he says, “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile to all things to Himself, by Him, whether on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Colossians 1:19-22).

Let us pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Amen.

Leviticus 18:1-18 NKJV

18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. ³ According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. ⁴ You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. ⁵ You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

⁶ ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord. ⁷ The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. ⁸ The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. ⁹ The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. ¹⁰ The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. ¹¹ The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness. ¹² You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father. ¹³ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. ¹⁴ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. ¹⁵ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness. ¹⁶ You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. ¹⁷ You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. ¹⁸ Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

Egypt and Canaan were filled with the worship of false gods and practices detestable in the sight of the Lord. God’s message to His people is clear, do not live like the world around you lives.

God’s ways are always better than the ways of this world. Whenever we walk in the statutes of the Lord there are wonderful blessings for our life and our relationships. This is part of the Lord’s design in calling a people unto Himself. 

Sadly, as the young nation of Israel would demonstrate in the years ahead, sin causes us to gravitate to the ways of the world rather than the ways of God. The law is given to God’s people as a guide for holy living and for a mirror that shows us our sin and our need for a Saviour. Thus, life and salvation does not come through obedience to the law.

The full design of God’s blessing for His people can be found in the New Covenant established by our Saviour, Jesus. He is the man who kept the Law of God perfectly and then laid down His perfect life as a sacrifice for our sin. Through the merits of Christ and faith in His atoning sacrifice, we are made partakers of His life and salvation. For those who trust in the completed work of Christ, God’s Word tells us, “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now you have obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Let us pray: Almighty God, Heavenly Father, of Your tender love You gave Your only-begotten Son, that believing in Him, we would have eternal life. By your Holy Spirit, keep me steadfast in this one, true faith unto eternal life. Amen.

Psalm 94:1-11 NKJV

94 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
² Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
³ Lord, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?

⁴ They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
⁵ They break in pieces Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
⁶ They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.
⁷ Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob understand.”

⁸ Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?
⁹ He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
¹⁰ He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
¹¹ The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.

Many of Hollywood’s most popular movies are based on the theme of revenge. Perhaps the reason for this popularity is that we like to see wrongdoers punished and get what is coming to them. 

The Bible has a great deal to say about revenge. Both the Hebrew and Greek words translated “vengeance,” “revenge,” and “avenge,” have as their root meaning the idea of punishment. This is crucial as to why God reserves the right to avenge for Himself. Unlike us, God never takes vengeance from impure motives. His vengeance is for the purpose of punishing those who have offended and rejected Him. We can, however, pray for God to avenge Himself in perfection and holiness against His enemies and to avenge those who are oppressed by evil. In our reading for today (Psalm 94:1-2), the psalmist prays for God to avenge the righteous, not out of a sense of uncontrolled vindictiveness, but out of just retribution from the eternal Judge whose judgments are perfect.

It is tempting to try to take on the role of God and seek to punish those who we feel deserve it. But because we are sinful, it is impossible for us to take revenge with pure motives. This is why God tells his people, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18).

As God’s people in Christ, we are to follow the Lord’s command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), leaving the vengeance to Him alone – to the God of vengeance poured out His wrath against our sin upon His Son who hung on the cross for our offenses – to our Saviour, Jesus, the “judge of the earth” who will return in His glory to render punishment to the proud – to the Holy Spirit who through word and sacrament, calls us to saving faith, comforts, teaches and sanctifies us unto eternal life.

Let us pray: Thy will be done, O Lord. Amen.