Come Follow Me: Reading: Leviticus 20-27

 Readings: Leviticus 20-27

Readings: Leviticus 20: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/20?lang=eng

The death penalty is prescribed for sacrificing children to Molech, cursing father and mother, adultery, homosexual behavior, bestiality, spiritualism, and other abominations—Various laws and ordinances are listed.

7 ¶ Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.

8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.

Verse 10 speaks to the hypocrisy found in the New Testament, when some men bring a woman to be stoned who’d been caught in the very act of adultery.

10 ¶ And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Readings: Leviticus 21: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/21?lang=eng

The priests are to be holy—The high priest is not to marry a widow, a divorced person, or a harlot—Descendants of Aaron with physical blemishes may not offer the bread of God upon the altar.

If Jesus married Mary Magdalene, as our High Priest, surely it was showing that forgiveness is possible and that he was fulfilling the Law of Moses.

Those that pass the sacrament should take special care to keep themselves clean.

8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the Lord, which sanctify you, am holy.

Those of the sons of Aaron who had blemished could not offer the sacrifices; but, they could still partake of them.

22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.

23 Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the Lord do sanctify them.

Readings: Leviticus 22: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/22?lang=eng

Those of the priests and their families who may eat of the holy things are described—Sacrificial animals are to be perfect and without blemish.

If any of the priests do something that makes them unclean, they should not eat of the holy bread until they have washed themselves and waited until the evening; so they can partake of it clean.

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the Lord.

32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you,

33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.

Readings: Leviticus 23: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/23?lang=eng

Israel is to hold a holy convocation on each weekly Sabbath—Israel is to keep the Feasts of the Passover, of Unleavened Bread, of Pentecost or Firstfruits, of Trumpets, of the Day of Atonement, and of Tabernacles.

The Sabbath Day is always a sacred celebration.

3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Readings: Leviticus 24: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/24?lang=eng

A perpetual fire is to burn outside the veil in the tabernacle—A blasphemer is put to death by stoning—Israel’s law is one of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Vs 3: Reckoning of days: from the evening unto the morning before, (then from morning until evening).

The Sabbath cakes for Aaron and his sons:
8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.

I’m so glad that in our day we are not put to death for all the times we have said wrong things against the Lord or each other. The Law given to Moses was harsh.

Readings: Leviticus 25: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/25?lang=eng

Each seventh year is to be kept as a sabbath year—Each fiftieth year is to be one of jubilee, in which liberty is proclaimed throughout the land—Laws are revealed for the sale and redemption of lands, houses, and servants—The land is the Lord’s, as are the servants—Usury is forbidden.

The Sabbath wasn’t only observed by days, but also by years.

After 7 Sabbaths of years, after 49 years, then comes the year of Jubilee; the 50^th year is to be hallowed.

10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another:

17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the Lord your God.

18 ¶ Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

38 I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

Readings: Leviticus 26: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/26?lang=eng

Temporal and spiritual blessings will abound in Israel if the people keep the commandments—Cursing, scourging, and desolation will be theirs if they disobey the Lord—When His people repent, the Lord will show mercy unto them.

Vs 1 No idols.

2 keep Sabbaths

3 ¶ If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (ff)

So many promises of safety and prosperity.

9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.

11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: …

27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;

28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

41 And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Readings: Leviticus 27: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/lev/27?lang=eng

How properties are consecrated unto the Lord is explained—Israel is commanded to pay tithes of their crops, flocks, and herds.