Leviticus 19:23-37
23 ‘When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as uncircumcised. Three years it shall be as uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD. 25 And in the fifth year you may eat its fruit, that it may yield to you its increase: I am the LORD your God.
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying. 27 You shall not shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.
29 Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness.
30 ‘You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
31 ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
32 You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.
33 ‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. 34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
35 ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. 36 You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the LORD.’”
More morality is addressed in the second half of this chapter through obedience to the guiding words of command and in performing them in practice. This performance is not play acting a part for show to appear righteous as our sin-filled flesh gravitates towards, but a sincere consideration of conviction to love out these things in their place (1 John 3:5-6) in daily practice. This includes being good stewards of the bounty He provides as seen in the admonition to plant trees and let them grow and get established before eating fruit from them. Sometimes we need to use this pattern in the work we do and what we receive from the hand of the Lord, allowing time for His work in those things before the harvest. Various other prohibitions are restated such as not eating the lifeblood of animals and not practicing any dark arts of fortune telling or divining the future by ungodly means that do not trust the Lord nor honor Him as our only God. Others have no continuing purpose now such as the trimming of beards or cutting marks to other gods on our bodies, though some interpret the cuttings as modern day tattoos. This is unclear as we have certain liberties in the non-essentials. But moral law commands against prostitution are still valid, as is resting in God’s work (Hebrews 4:9-10) and showing reverence in worship (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2) while in God’s house (and everywhere else). Speaking with the dead through mediums is also a prohibition still in effect as much as the eating of blood (Acts 21:25) in any food, not just in old sacrifices. We are not to be defiled with immoral idolatry of any kind. We should still honor the older ones and fear God in the honor Jesus deserves and imparts to them and us. We are not to mistreat strangers in our midst but show loving grace, keeping in mind that the authorities still have the right to enforce immigrant laws in our day; we are called to obey them, yet still show compassion and not contempt for the foreigners as many do among us in these days. We are still to deal fairly with one another especially in business matters, personal and otherwise. Above all else, we are to obediently follow God’s words of command from the heart and carry them out in daily practice with a humble heart and willingness to follow the Lord in all we do according to His word and Spirit and not the world around us.
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