God's Puts Highs and Lows in Place

God's Interactions, Day 9 of the 90-day Bible through.  Today the reading was through Leviticus 17 - Numbers 2.

I have loved reading the steps to God's building a nation and setting up living conditions under His leadership. He had already proven His commitment to care for and protect the people; now, in Leviticus 26, He would hold them accountable to becoming a holy people.

Leviticus 26:2-4a "... You shall keep My sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary; I am the Lord. 3If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, 4then I shall give you..." God looked to bless His people if they chose obedience; he would provide fruitful vineyards and peace in the land, keeping out savage predators and thwarting their enemies from attacking. He would reveal himself to be a Lord over the land unlike any other.

All of those coming under His rule had just lived long lives of harsh slavery in Egypt. It would be easy for them to fall back into the habits formed by their rulers, copying the worship and lifestyles of those they served. God warned them what not to do by outlining with specificity what to do through the law given through Moses. He dictated their new way of worship, and everyday living as those who were set apart for Him. Leviticus 18: 3-5: "You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord." In those commands, He addressed the reason why they are not to duplicate the idolatry of the Egyptians, "I am the Lord." In His interactions with the people of His nation, He would remind them of the importance of His being Lord. While they were lorded over by their Egyptian slave masters, through hard labor, His rule would be filled with His blessings and care. His goal would be to attract the world around Him to His Lordship by establishing a Holy Nation—a peculiar people who lived distinct from the nations around them.

There is a flip to the coin of the blessings He promised. This care was filled with mercy and grace. However, He would not be mocked by people who would not heed the lifestyle requirements or follow the demands for holy worship He set up without a stutter. He made them aware if they chose not to live as a holy people unto Him, there were consequences, Leviticus 26:14-16a: "‘But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, 16I, in turn, will do this to you:..." The basic understanding of a nation that dishonors the Lord and walks contrary to all He commanded, He says, "17 I will set My face against you..."

In this interaction between God and His Nation, holy people, He set up unambiguous and clear conditions, leaving His people without any excuses. At the end of Leviticus the decision to obey was in their court. He left them without any doubt.