Leviticus 24: We need Jesus

Key Verse
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, “Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin…” 
 
Meditation
God’s steadfast love for His people is evidenced in the finished work of Jesus, the path for His passion to permanently restore His presence with His people. 
 
Today’s reading highlights the ritual for continual light and food to be on the table in the tabernacle, (1-9) emphasizing the Lord’s longing to be present with His people. The opening verses can be summarized saying, “When the lamp is lit, incense ignited, and bread is on the table then someone is home.” The someone was the Lord.
 
God’s holy presence demands justice for sinful people, and the difficult narrative of execution for blasphemously taking the Lord’s name in vain (10-16) is an introduction to more familiar principles of justice. (17-23) The third commandment is expanded to include sojourners among Israel and the sacred honor for human life is elevated through punishment fitting crimes.
 
Jesus quoted today’s reading in Matthew 5:38-42, raising the bar of expectations by highlighting the highest interpretation of the law: Love, not retaliation, is the mark of a righteous person. Jesus’ teaching on higher living came before He gave His life, executed for the blasphemous sins of His people. 
 
Leviticus established a judicial precedent for God’s people living in a theocracy, illustrating the truth Romans 3:23 teaches- the wages of sin is death. The cross is judicial satisfaction, God’s love demonstrated in paying the just penalty for our sin. The Spirit of God seals believers as children of God, empowering us to return home to our Father’s love- restored in presence and personal relationship with God.
 
Today’s Reading
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. 3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.

Bread for the Tabernacle
5 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. 6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the Lord. 7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever.9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord's food offerings, a perpetual due.”

Punishment for Blasphemy
10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, 11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

An Eye for an Eye
17 “Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.18 Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him,20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. 21 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.” 23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the tie of today’s reading, especially God’s passion for permanent presence with His people and the need of justice for sin?
 
-How does the judicial precedent laid out in this Scripture and the judicial satisfaction through the finished work of Jesus Christ drive home the grace of God?
 
-Where can you grow to be more intentional in celebrating the grace of God in Christ, returning to the Father’s love and rejoicing in the presence of your Redeemer? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
15 And speak to the people of Israel, saying, “Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin…”