God outlines punishments

Leviticus Chapter 26

God told the people to not make idols and to keep the Sabbath days of rest. He promised that if the people would keep his laws and obey his commandments, he would send seasonal rains and the land would yield crops and the trees produce fruit. They could then live securely in their land and he would give them peace and slumber without fear. He would removed the wild animals and protect them from their enemies. They would be fierce and all their enemies would fall beneath the blows of their weapons.

In addition, God promised to help multiply the people and fulfill the covenant with them. And their surplus of crops will be so great that they would have to get rid of the leftovers to make room for the new harvest. God promised to live among them, walk among them and be their God; the God who lifted them up from slavery among the Egyptians.

However, if the people chose to not listen to God or disobey his commandments, he would punish greatly. They would be made to suffer terrors and wasting diseases and burn with fevers causing eyes to fail and life to ebb away. Their crops will be planted in vain and their enemies will eat them. God would turn against the people and they would be defeated by enemies and ruled by enemies.

If, in spite of all this, the people still disobey God, he would punish them for their sins seven times over. He would break their spirit by making the skies unyielding as iron and the earth as hard as bronze and all the crops would not yield and no trees would bear fruit. And if the people still remain hostile to God, he promised to inflict the people with seven more disasters and release wild animals to kill their children and destroy their cattle. If this does not work, and they still remain hostile, God said he would send armies against them to carry out the covenant threats. If they flee to the cities, he would send a plague and destroy the food supply. Even after all this, if the people still refuse to listen God would full vent his own hostility and punish them seven times over. They would eat the flesh of their own children and their pagan shines will be cut down. Their corpses will pile up beside the lifeless idols and God would despise the people and make their cities desolate. More threats are listed in verses 32 through39.

God promised that if the people at last confess their sins and sins of their ancestors, then he would remember the covenant he made with Jacob, Isaac and Abraham and would remember the land. The land would enjoy its years of Sabbath rest as it lies deserted. And at last the people will receive the due punishment for their sins.

Despite all of this, God promised that he would not utterly reject or despise the people while they are in exile in the land of their enemies, nor cancel the covenant with them by wiping them out. God would afterall remember the ancient covenant for He is the Lord and their God.

BIBLE NOTES show that the people were warned over and over not to be disobedient and we wonder how they could still idolize statues of stone. Yet here we are in today’s world putting our own kind of idols in place of God. Things like money, looks, success, reputation, security. When you think about these things, it doesn’t make the ancient idols so far removed from the idols of today.

However, God told the people about the punishments, and he described them in detail. Today, we don’t have that option of a God who comes to us and tells us what he is going to do. So many of us forget or overlook the consequences for our actions. Maybe something unfortunate happens and we don’t see the reason is because we disobeyed. Don’t think that every calamity is directed by God. Often these are a natural disaster. But we need to be reminded to be at peace with God at all times.

It’s interesting to note that in spite of all the talk of punishment, in the end God gives the people a chance to redeem themselves. He is all merciful, don’t ever forget that fact. Take your problems to him and let God shine his light on you and bring you peace.

Yours in Christ,
Mary