pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: curses


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Not So Tightly

Readings: Leviticus 24, Leviticus 25, Leviticus 26, Leviticus 27

Leviticus 25:23 – “The land must not be permanently sold because the land is mine. You are just immigrants and foreign guests of mine.”

Photo credit: Javardh

We draw to the close of our time in Leviticus today. The last four chapters begin with commands concerning the eternally burning lamp stand, its oil, and the bread for the table of God. Punishment for blaspheming and assault are clarified. Standards are set so that the punishment fits the crime. Standards are also set for the land’s sabbatical year and for the Year of Jubilee. The land is given a year to rest, to lie fallow. God promises to provide generously, as was done with the manna, to carry Israel through.

The Year of Jubilee is a 50-year reset. Land and debts are restored or forgiven. Values are set according to this special year – both in buying and selling, even for those in servitude or hardship. This year of restoration is grounded in the spirit of verse 23: “The land must not be permanently sold because the land is mine. You are just immigrants and foreign guests of mine.” The land, the crops and herds… our time, our resources, our wealth – it is all God’s. Don’t cling so tightly to it.

In chapter 26 covenant blessings are followed by covenant curses. The blessings are fewer numerically – ample food, peace, victory in battle, prosperity, population growth, God’s presence. The curses are stacked in if-then, escalating scenarios. Verses 14-39 remind me of the plagues in Egypt. Yet as bad as it gets – and it does get bad as all of these curses unfold – we still have verses 40-42. If Israel confesses, if they humble their hearts and repent, then God will remember the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – “because I am the Lord their God “

Leviticus closes with dedications and gifts to the Lord. Dedication values are set for people (??!); homes, land, and livestock belong to the Lord. Jubilee rules apply. We close with the command that 1/10 of the produce of the land and 1/10 of the herd or flock belongs to God. Again, don’t cling to it so tightly.

Prayer: Lord God, your grace and mercy, your love and care flow freely. Yet we are to live in covenant. We have responsibilities. Or are they responses to your blessings? Help us to understand this relationship correctly. Amen.


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Blessings or Curses?

Blessings and curses. Like the ‘life or death’ choice this one seems so easy. Who wouldn’t choose blessings? Who in the world would ask for a big old heaping of curses? (At least not on themselves!)

When our choice is life with God, then we are committing to love Him, to listen to Him, and to trust in Him. Notice that all of these things involve us choosing to engage God in some way. All of these things involve us saying we are plugged into God and His plan for our life. The result is blessings. The blessings go both ways too!! We are blessed by God’s presence and how it affects the way we live out our days. God is blessed because when we are in this right relationship with Him, we are also in a right relationship with those in our worlds. We love and care for others.

When our choice is to not do all of these things, the result is curses. Maybe these sometimes come in the form of calamity and bad things. Maybe it looks like things just are not quite going right for us. But in either case, this is not the work of God. We are more suspect to the lies and work of the evil one when we are not close to God. When we are far from God we see things in a different way. Instead of turning to Him, we turn to ourselves or food or …

This choice between blessings and curses can be seen in big and small ways. In big ways we can see it in a tragedy. The family that loves and trusts in God looks at the loss of a loved one so much differently that a family of non-believers. Both families hurt for the human loss of life and grieve over the missing relationship. But the faithful family has a sense of peace and hope. They do not have the ‘what now’ questions and doubts.

In small ways faith allows us to get through a trial at work, an argument with our spouse, a challenge with one of our children a little differently – we know there is a higher purpose, a greater calling to our life. Our trust and faith in God allows us to see past the crisis while we are yet in the midst of it. The hope and peace that comes from Him allows us to work through the crisis filled with a sense of His presence – we know we are not alone. And this makes such a difference!

Blessings or curses? Just as Moses loved and wanted the people to choose God and life and blessings, so too should we want all people today to choose these things. And it is in the way we live out our faith in the real places of life that we are a witness to those in the dark. It is in the way we do the day to day things and it is in the ways we engage the world. May we choose to share faith, life, and blessings today!!