Leviticus 19 is an interesting chapter. There's so much here. How to love the Lord and keep his commands, how to be a good neighbor and friend. The second portion of the chapter really begins the discussion on how to treat others: leave some of your harvest for the poor (not as a handout, as they had to work for it, but an opportunity to work), don't steal, be impartial in judgment, do not hate or seek vengeance or bear a grudge. Be kind to strangers and show hospitality to all. Be just. Be honest. I don't think anyone would quibble that these characteristics make a good person, an admirable one. But I think that's it's important to note that what comes first is a devotion to the Lord, that the Israelites should be holy because the God in their midst is holy. If you are devoted to the Lord, then these things would be the fruit of that devotion. Someone once referred to a book (I regret that I don't know what it is), where the author suggested that a good barometer of how your relationship with the Lord is doing might actually be how well your relationships with other people are going. There are exceptions to ever rule, of course, as we are not responsible for others' choices or attitudes. However, this chapter suggests that to be generally true: if you are swindling a neighbor, false in your testimony, stingy against others, or hold a grudge or hate someone, can you be truly devoted to the Lord? It's a heavy thought.
Tomorrow's Reading: Leviticus 20:1-27
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