Love Your Neighbor
Leviticus 19-21
Love Your Neighbor., Leviticus 19-21. In Leviticus Chapter 19 God expands on the commandments we know as the Ten Commandments. What an amazing land we would live in if everyone obeyed these commandments of God.
9 “When you reap the harvest of
your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither
shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not
strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of
your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I
am the Lord your God.
11
“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to
one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane
the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress
your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain
with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or
put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I
am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall
not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness
shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer
among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your
neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in
your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you
incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a
grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your
neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:9-17, English Standard Version
Love Your Neighbor
Leviticus 19-21
Take just a moment of your time and read through the passage shown above. Just think of what kind of a world we would live in if everyone obeyed just these few short paragraphs.
I lived in Southern Texas for a short time several years ago; some of the vegetable farmers allowed people to glean crops that were left after the harvest. We lived on a very small income at the time, yet we had fresh carrots and several types of lettuce just within walking distance. What a wonderful experience that was.
We
are commanded not to steal. My husband works for a large department
store; the amount of stolen goods from that store alone is phenomenal.
The prices we pay for goods has to reflect the loss a business takes
from stolen merchandise. Think of the impact that has on our national
economy!
What
about our justice system? How many people are "bought off" by being
offered large sums of money for a certain verdict? It does not just
happen in the movies!
We as Christians can make a difference! In this, the 21st Century, these commandments of God still apply to us today. No matter what may be the law of the land, the law of God always takes precedence. God, who created this world, gave us commandments to give us the ability to take care of this land and to live peaceably with one another.
How glorious living on the new earth will be when no sin will decimate the new world in which we live--a world we will live in forever!
Pray,
today, for God's grace to help you obey His commandments; what a world
this would be if everyone really loved their neighbors as much as they
loved themselves!
You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
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