Lev. 19: What Not to Do/Wear

Leviticus 19 further widens the separation between Israel and the surrounding nations. This is really a list of laws and regulations. Some of it is review. Some of it is common sense. All of it comes from God, because as He says, He is the LORD.

The first command out of the gate is to be holy. To be separate, consecrated unto God.

Then, honor your father and mother.

Respect the Sabbath. This is rest, being emphasized again. As well as pausing from a busy life to think about God. To not forget about God.

The Israelites must have needed a reminder not to eat sacrificed offerings on the third day (Lev. 7:18). That is brought up here, separate from the other sacrifice rituals.

There was a law against going over a field a second time after harvesting. If a person had enough to reap a harvest, chances are they could leave some stuff behind for the poor and the foreigners. It's just nice.

There is also a law against cursing the deaf and putting a stumbling block in front of the blind. Was God against practical jokes? Hilarious practical jokes? I suspect that there is more to this, such exploiting someone's weakness for personal gain.

Interesting thing about justice. People were not to be partial to the poor show favoritism to the great. Justice and fairness trumps tugging the heartstrings or lining up for favor.

Do not mate different kinds of animals? Probably different species, I would guess. But curiosity would be piqued sometimes. God's creation was final, apparently, and meant to be so. But this also speaks to keeping what's separate separate. As in two kinds of cloth in one garment, and two kinds of seed in one field. Not only are those horrible fashion choices and ridiculous farming schemes, there's not sense of consecration.

What about this part in Lev. 19:20-22 where a guy sleeps with an engaged female slave, and there must be due punishment? They are allowed to live if the girl has not been freed. The slave is apparently someone's property, or someone's fiance. Or both. The man has to offer a guilt offering for this, though.

Israelites were not allowed to eat a tree's fruit for three years after they plant it in a land they enter. Nor the fourth year, as that fruit was an offering to God. But the fifth year, that fruit is fair game. Why? Does it speak to permanence of residence? Abstaining from something? Maybe the fruit isn't its best until the tree is four (or five) years old?

Divination was off limits. Even for Laban back in Gen. 30, when he said he learned by divination that Jacob was the reason he was getting wealthy? But, we know what kind of person Laban was... Seeking omens was bad. Everything had to be purposed, nothing left to chance, I guess. Mediums and spiritists will defile people. Why would these be forbidden if there was no power behind it.

Clipping the hair: More visual separation from the other nations.

Cutting your bodies, tattoos...off limits. Again, probably more pagan stuff.

Lets see, respect the elderly, observe the Sabbath...

Don't mistreat foreigners, use honest measuring standards..that would suck if I wanted 5 cubits of scarlet thread, and someone had a short cubit, I'd get cheated out of scarlet thread, for Pete's sake. So that command is acceptable.