Leviticus 19:1-8

HOLINESS IN CONDUCT TOWARD GOD AND MAN 19:1-37
THE FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW 19:1-8
TEXT 19:1-8

1

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.

3

Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.

4

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

5

And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.

6

It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire.

7

And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it shall not be accepted:

8

but every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the holy thing of Jehovah: and that soul shall be cut off from his people.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 19:1-8

416.

Just what did the expression You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy mean to the assembly of Israel when first they heard it? Were they discouraged? encouraged? afraid? resentful? or what? Discuss. (Count in this one chapter the number of times this expression appears.)

417.

How does respect for parents relate to sabbath observance?

418.

How are idols described? Which two commandments of the ten are here involved?

419.

How do peace offerings relate to idol worship?

420.

Why the strict regulations of Leviticus 19:6-7?

421.

Isn-'t Leviticus 19:8 a very severe penalty for eating the peace offering on the wrong day? or is this all that is involved?

PARAPHRASE 19:1-8

The Lord also told Moses to tell the people of Israel, You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. You must respect your mothers and fathers, and obey My Sabbath law, for I am the Lord your God. Do not make or worship idols, for I am Jehovah your God. When you sacrifice a peace offering to the Lord, offer it correctly so that it will be accepted: eat it the same day you offer it, or the next day at the latest; any remaining until the third day must be burned. For any of it eaten on the third day is repulsive to Me, and will not be accepted. If you eat it on the third day you are guilty, for you profane the holiness of Jehovah, and you shall be excommunicated from Jehovah's people.

COMMENT 19:1-8

Leviticus 19:1-8 We can organize these verses under the general heading: The First Table of the Law, and divide it as: (1) Honor to parentsLeviticus 19:3; (2) Sabbath observanceLeviticus 19:3; (3) Avoiding idolatryLeviticus 19:4; (4) The peace offeringLeviticus 19:5-8.

The interrelationship of these laws is not easy to observe. Honor to mother and father relates to sabbath observance possibly because it was on the sabbath parents would instruct their children. The respect given to the parents would be easily transferred to God and His day. The mention of mother before father in Leviticus 19:3 is unique. It would seem God is saying that honor for mother is just as important as honor for the father,

The word for idols means non-entities or nothings. It is what Paul means when he says in 1 Corinthians 8:4, We know that an idol is nothing in the world. The content of idol worship adds up to zero. Therefore give them no time or thought. Do not turn toward them, either mentally or physically. The second commandment in the Decalogue is covered by the prohibition against molten gods Cf. Exodus 20:4-6 and Exodus 34:17.

We learned in Leviticus 17:3-7 that Israel was in a habit of sacrificing their cattle and herds to the idols before they prepared them for use at their meals. The transference in thought from idol worship to peace offering is an easy one when such a practice is known. We seem to catch a hint of attitude in the little phrase so that ye may be accepted in Leviticus 19:5. Put your heart into the effort. Do not go through the form of killing your animals before Jehovah God in the same meaningless manner you do in your field-sacrifices to your idols. God will not accept your peace offering when given in that manner.

Authorities point out that there were two classes of peace offerings: (1) Those to be eaten on the same day they were slain, Cf. Leviticus 7:15 and (2) the second class peace offerings which could be eaten the day following, Cf. Leviticus 8:16. In Leviticus 7:17-20 we have a thorough discussion as to why the meat should not be held till the third day. Perhaps the third day was somehow associated with idol worship, otherwise it would seem the penalty attached to eating the meat on the third day to be very severe.

FACT QUESTIONS 19:1-8

424.

How does the honor of mother and father relate to the observance of the sabbath day?

425.

This text contains a strong rejection of idols. For what reason?

426.

How do peace offerings and idol worship relate?