LEVITICUS
Week 11
Chapter 26 If You Obey and If You Don’t
Chapter 27 Giving to the Lord
Discuss Study Questions Week 10
CHAPTER 24
1. The eternal light, which you will find in all synagogues today, symbolizes God’s eternal presence. We who believe have the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, within us, as Jesus promised in John 14. The fruits of the Spirit are listed in Gal. 5:22. Look them up. When you are lacking in any one of them, what do you do? What is the result?
2. The commandment about the showbread show us that it is not just out of thanksgiving and sin we make our sacrifices. We have an obligation to support, provide for our clergy regularly. Do you tithe? If not, why not? If so, what have your learned from your experience tithing?
3.How seriously do you view taking God’s name, Jesus’ name lightly. How do you respond when you hear God’s name taken lightly by others? Do yo speak up when you are around others, or change the channel or leave the theater?
4. What are the arguments for/against capital punishment? Where do you stand? Why?
CHAPTER 25
1. these commandment are for after they are in the Promised land, when they have cities and fields. Leaving the land fallow the seventh year must have been very hard for the Israelites generations after the manna in the wilderness, when God showed them they could pick enough manna on the sixth day to sustain them for the Sabbath. Are there any of God’s commandments that you avoid or do reluctantly, even resentfully perhaps? How does knowing His ways are not only always what is right, but what is best for you affect how deal with His commandments?
2. Unfortunately, the economy is such that people have foreclosed on houses because of economic hardships, not unlike selling one’s house back to the bank. Yet, today we can only imagine the buying and selling of people to be slaves because we have the history of slavery in our country that is a blight on us. If slave owners followed god’s commandment of treating slaves, would our attitudes about slavery be any different? If so, How? Why/why not?
3. God says He will protect us because we are His servants. How does it make you feel?
CHAPTER 26 If you obey and if you don’t
Vs. 1-2 Twice the Lord follow the commandments with “I am the Lord.” He is God who created the universe and who holds all things together. He has the authority. As with the 10 commandments and every time He gives commandments the first is that we must worship Him only. Discuss: What are some of the idols modern people put before God?
Our keeping the Sabbath is very important to the Lord. It is an act of obedience that is against our nature, to work, to stay busy. Yet, He knows it is important. Jesus told “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31) Discussion: Have you begun to set aside a day? What do you do on your day of rest? Do you realize it is a mandated vacation God gives us? Is is as if He is saying, “If you obey me you’ll take a day off.”
vs. 3-12 Are the blessings. Notice they are all in this life: Rain in its season (v. 4), long growing seasons and plenty of food, enough to need to finish the old to make room for the new produce. (vs. 5, 10) Security: Peace throughout the land, including protection from beasts and success over enemies even when greatly outnumbered (vs. 6-8). They will be fruitful and have many children. (vs. 9) and He will confirm His covenant, IF THEY OBEY. Discussion: What blessings in this life Has He blessed you with. Which do you thank Him for daily?
Finally, leaving best for last, He will dwell among them. They will be His people. He is to be their God. (vs. 12) Discussion: He has fulfilled this promise, even though we are disobedient, in the person of the Holy Spirit. Do you feel His presence? Tell of times you asked and He was there.
vs. 13 is why we can, indeed, must trust Him. He is the one who brought us out of slavery to sin, broke the power of sin over us. He has the power and loves us so much, He will save us, has saved us, if we will only follow Him, obey Him, we will reap the blessings. How does remembering His sacrifice help you walk in His ways?
Vs. 14-15 Bring us the other side, if you don’t obey and reject His instructions, the hardships will follow.
Vs. 16 starts “I, in turn, will do this to you.” So we make no mistake when natural disasters befall us they are by unlucky coincidence or accident. God is always in control. Discussion: Do you know people who blame God when things go wrong, but do not acknowledge Him when things go well? If so, what do you say to them? What of people who are angry with God when things go wrong? Do they ever look to themselves to see if they have been disobedient? Disobedience is NOT the only reason He will let us suffer!! Do you know or know of people who only look at suffering as punishment? What of those who protest at military funerals?
Vs, 18, 21,23 and 27 interrupt the list of hardships with “If “ you do not turn or return to Him. One of the reasons God will let us suffer is to get us to turn, or return to Him. Trust. Love. Obey. Discussion: Until Christ returns, it is never too late. What are the steps people need to take? Recognizing we are not on the path is the first. Then what? What role does repentance play?
Vs. 33 Tells that God will scatter the Hebrews among the nations. Hundreds of years after He warned them, and they ignored the warning, He scattered them. Discussion: Read Isaiah 53:1-3. There is no physical description of Jesus. We are no to be drawn to merely physically beautiful people. Can you picture the scene described in Luke 23:20-24? How does it relate to Isaiah 53:3? Read Is. 53:4-6 and Luke 23: 27-37. What does this teach you about the Bible? What is the effect of studying fulfilled prophecy?
Vs, 40-45 contain not only the promise of renewal, it promises to sustain us even in our sin. vs. 44 “I will not abhor them as to destroy them.” Yet, our renewal is dependent on action. Discussion: What must be done for renewal (vs. 40-41)? Is this any different for Christians today?
Chapter 27 Giving to the Lord
This is a surprising last chapter for it mainly focuses on valuation of everything promised to the Lord, people, animals, land. The valuation was so that the individual could pay money and keep the thing having been vowed to give. Vs. 11-15, and 27 To the valuation, to substitute, the owner must give one fifth. Vs, 9-10. Once an animal is given and deemed holy, another animal cannot be substituted for it. These vows were expressions of thanks, over and above the required and expected sacrifices. How do you express your overwhelming thankfulness to God for all He has done for you?
Vs. 30-33 Establish the tithe as a commandment. Do you tithe? Why or why not?
Looking back, what is/are the enduring lesson(s) you take away from this chapter?