Tue 2020.08.11
Reading from Leviticus Chapter 19 LXX *(to be augmented from old diary notes 28Sep-01Oct2005)
Deeper insight into the Ten Commandments, and beyond.
The Lord reiterated some of the Ten Commandments to Moses in this passage, beginning with the command, "Ye shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy", a verse quoted by the Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:16.
In this reiteration, the Fifth commandment, to revere father and mother, is stated before the Fourth, to keep the sabbaths. This appears to show that the Ten Commandments can be affirmed by the children of Israel in no particular order. (verse 3) (The Fourth Commandment is repeated later in verse 30).
This is followed by a reminder of the Second Commandment, to avoid following idols or making them. (verse 4)
After a brief section of reminder about how peace offerrings are to be sacrificed and eaten so as not to profane "the holy things" of the Lord, in verses 5 through 8, an elaboration is given in verses 9 and 10 about leaving the remnants of any grain that drops to the ground during harvest, or any grapes that are left remaining in the vineyard for the poor and the stranger (foreigner?) who are among them.
These commands in verses 9-10 to leave remnants of harvest for the poor and the aliens, along with a longer section of commands in verses 13-18 to avoid injuring, robbing or reviling the deaf, or making the blind stumble, acting unjustly in favour of the rich against the poor, dealing deceitfully, hating one's brother or taking revenge, or even be angry with anyone, is summed up in the last part of verse 18,
" . . . and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord".
This command to love your neighbour as yourself, though not appearing as part of the Ten Commandments, is described by the Lord Iesou as the Second Greatest Commandment in the Torah of Moses in Matthew 22:39, and also in Mark 12:31.
An interesting verse to note in today's passage is Leviticus 19:11, where the Eighth Commandment, You shall not steal, is separated from the Ninth Commandment, You shall not bear false witness, by an apparently new command, You shall not lie.
I have often asked why lying is not mentioned in the Ten Commandments. Today, I found the answer here in this passage. By putting the command not to lie, just before the Ninth Commandment, not to bear false witness "as an informer against his neighbour", it is now clear to me that the Ninth Commandment does not limit itself to merely bearing false witness (which is a severe form of lying), but also includes all other forms of telling lies.
Finally Leviticus 19:12 elaborates on the meaning of the Third Commandment, You shall not take the Name of the Lord in vain. This is another question I have asked myself over the years, i.e. what does it mean not to take the Name of the Lord in vain? How does one take the Name of the Lord in vain? Verse 12 here tells us, " And ye shall not swear unjustly by my name, and ye shall not profane the holy name of your God: I am the Lord your God."
Yes swearing unjustly by the Name of God, profaning his name thereby, is taking His Name in vain.
In fact, our Lord Iesou teaches us in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:34 - 37, that we should not swear at all, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem, nor even by our own heads.
Today's passage in Leviticus chapter 19 gives us a deeper insight into the Ten Commandments, and points us to the Second Greatest Command of all in the Torah, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself".
Leviticus 19:1 - 18 LXX
1 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.
3 Let every one of you reverence his father and his mother; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.
4 Ye shall not follow idols, and ye shall not make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
5 And if ye will sacrifice a peace-offering to the Lord, ye shall offer it acceptable from yourselves.
6 In what day soever ye shall sacrifice it, it shall be eaten; and on the following day, and if any of it should be left till the third day, it shall be thoroughly burnt with fire.
7 And if it should be at all eaten on the third day, it is unfit for sacrifice: it shall not be accepted.
8 And he that eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy things of the Lord; and the souls that eat it shall be destroyed from among their people.
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, ye shall not complete the reaping of your field with exactness, and thou shalt not gather that which falls from thy reaping.
10 And thou shalt not go over the gathering of thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the remaining grapes of thy vineyard: thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
11 Ye shall not steal, ye shall not lie, neither shall one bear false witness as an informer against his neighbour.
12 And ye shall not swear unjustly by my name, and ye shall not profane the holy name of your God: I am the Lord your God.
13 Thou shalt not injure thy neighbour, neither do thou rob him, neither shall the wages of thy hireling remain with thee until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not revile the deaf, neither shalt thou put a stumbling-block in the way of the blind; and thou shalt fear the Lord thy God: I am the Lord your God.
15 Thou shalt not act unjustly in judgment: thou shalt not accept the person of the poor, nor admire the person of the mighty; with justice shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
16 Thou shalt not walk deceitfully among thy people; thou shalt not rise up against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the Lord your God.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, so thou shalt not bear sin on his account.
18 And thy hand shall not avenge thee; and thou shalt not be angry with the children of thy people; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord.
Matthew 5: 34 - 37 KJV
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
