Today, I noticed a special emphasis in the reading. Nestled among a list of civil, moral, and ceremonial laws, “I am the LORD…” appears at least eighteen times. In other words, God is revealing Himself to Israel!
As I thought about this, I noticed a theme of kindness! Here are a few examples: When harvesting the land, Israel must leave a portion of the crops for the poor. Don’t insult deaf people. Don’t trip the blind person. Don’t stand idly by if your neighbor’s life is threatened. Don’t hold grudges, but love your neighbor as yourself. Show respect to the elderly. Love the foreigner. Don’t be dishonest; your measuring containers must be accurate.
Wow! Can't we see some of God’s nature in these things—His kindness? In the end, practicing this might lead Israel to develop a reputation for kindness and graciousness! Why? Because they received it from God! They experienced it firsthand from Him! They didn’t learn this in Egypt. They didn’t learn it from the nations around them. Ultimately, Israel’s God is different from all the other gods around them. Notice this verse from the reading…
And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. (Leviticus 20:26, KJV)
We, like Israel, share the same God—a kind and gracious God! And like Israel, as believers, we have experienced His kindness!
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:3–5, KJV)
Now, this is our God! Because of Jesus, our Savior, we have experienced love and kindness. We haven't experienced this from the world or the god of this world. Instead, we experienced it from the One who is separate from this world, or, in other words, Holy. What does this mean for us?
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31–32, KJV)
Let’s stand out from this world; let’s strive for holiness. What a difference that will make!
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