Christ in all the scriptures Leviticus 24

 Christ in all the scriptures

Privilege and Responsibility  Leviticus 24

Sandwiched, as it is, between two of the classic chapters of the Old Testament, at first reading chapter 24 seems out of place; however, on reflection, it is this apparent deviation from the flow of revelation that makes it very special.   In chapter 23, the Holy Spirit has treated us to the delight of God's appointed times, from the Passover to the Tabernacles, outlining God's panoramic plan of salvation.  In chapter 25 we shall experience the thrill of the year of Jubilee in which all the consequences of loss and failure will be reversed, and great liberty will be proclaimed.  In the meantime, in chapter 24, from these heady heights, He brings us back down to issues of practical importance, that these wonderful blessings of God should issue in holiness of living for all concerned.  His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than ours, as Isaiah the prophet states, and there is much we can learn from this chapter, while revelling in the wonderful works of God.  He does the same in the New Testament epistles, where doctrinal presentation is followed by hard practice, as in Ephesians 1-3, followed by 4-6; and Colossians 1-2, then 3-4.  There are many other examples and God wants us to translate the doctrinal riches into practical living.  So what can we learn from Lev. 24?

The Spirit takes us immediately into the holy place (24v1-9), where all is pure and in order to the Divine satisfaction; then we are taken to the outside camp (24v10-23), where there are many things imperfect, and characterised by disorder.  It is a picture of the ongoing tension between doctrine and practice, between standing and state, between privilege and responsibility.  What God has planned for His people will, in eternity, be fulfilled to perfection; until then, in this life, there will always be imperfections that need to be dealt with.  This is the message of Leviticus 24, between God's perfect plan and its glorious outcome.  An instance of this is found in Numbers 24v1-5, when the Spirit of God came upon the false prophet Balaam.  From a distance he saw the camp of Israel spread out in the wilderness, and what He saw was the Divine estimate of the glorious spectacle, "He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: HOW GOODLY ARE THY TENTS O JACOB, AND THY TABERNACLES, O ISRAEL!"  This was God's view of things, yet, in the surrounding narrative, on the ground, and from the human point of view, it was somewhat different.  They were murmuring for the lack of water, they challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron, who both reacted badly (chapter 20).  They hankered back for the things of Egypt, and the Lord sent fiery serpents among them (chapter 21).  In the land of Moab where they dwelt at the time, they committed adultery in mass with the Moabites and incurred the displeasure of the Lord (chapter 25).  Yet, through the eyes of a false prophet (chapter 24) they were seen in perfection.  The Lord sees beyond their imperfections to the eternal state when all will be perfect.  This is still how it is, but there is a word of warning here, and that is, we should not be making excuse for imperfections, but deal with them as they arise.  We are in a position of great privilege, as we see in v1-9; but we must act responsibly to put right the things that are wrong in our midst (v10-23).  Those of us who have received such bounty from heaven above, should be concerned with the honour and holiness of God.  This chapter is a deliberate interjection by the Spirit of God.  It is all too common these days, for the "last days scenario" to be used as an excuse for failure.  Repeated excuses like, "we are in the last days, what can we expect"?  The Lord expects us to put wrongs right, to continually strive for perfection.  A reading of the second half of Ephesians 4 will make this abundantly clear, and this refers to every believer and every church.  Anything less is unworthy of the Majesty of heaven

In the oil olive, we have the light of God in Christ shining continually in the darkness of this world (v1-4).

In the bread for the table we have the fellowship of all God's people refreshed on a regular basis (v5-9)

In the outside camp we have the honour and sanctity of God preserved as He continues to dwell among them, even with their failures (v10-23).

These are the three sections of the chapter, which we can now consider in detail.