299
August 1943
IN TERNAT IONA L LESSON Commentary Outline and Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children’s Division Object Lesson Golden Text Illustration By. B. B. S utcliffe By G retchen S ibley By M ildred M . C ook By Ë lmer L . W ilder By A la n S. P earce Points and Problems By H omer A. K ent , Professor at Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind.
righteous treatment, and t h i s again for the simple reasop, God said^that “ I am the Lord” (vs. 15, 16). The only method to fu lfill such de mands is for one to be controlled by love. Hatred is the opposite of love, and’.taking personal vengeance is pre suming to take God’s place of judg ment. Instead of such things, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," because “ I am the Lord” (v. 18). III. H oliness in R elation to S trangers (32-34) The recurrence of the phrase “I am the Lord” gives special force to all these varied commands. No one can really honor God and refuse these exhortations. • The treatment o f strangers should be governed by remembrance, on the part of the Lord’s people, of their own his tory. They must remember they were once strangers in a strange land, per secuted and misused, and they must treat all strangers accordingly. And the stranger must be treated as one “ born a m o n g you” or “ home-born” (vs. 33, 34). Hence there muRt be care that no undue advantage be taken of strangers, but rather t h e treatment that love would dictate. Underneath all these commands and exhortations there lies the fundamen tal truth that all God’s people are to reveal by their actions toward God, neighbors', and strangers, what their God really i§. The only way others have of knowing who and what God is consists in what they see of God in and through His people. Leviticus is the book of worship. In Genesis we see man ruined, in Exodus he is redeemed, but in Leviti cus he is worshiping. Leviticus is also the book of the holy walk. The key word of the book is “ holy.” It occurs at least 87 times. A second key word is “ atonement,” which appears 45 times. These two words are explanatory of the message of the book. The only way to „holiness of life is through atoning blood. In no other way is true worship of God possible. Other im portant words of the book are “ sacri fice,” “ offering,” a n d “ oblation” which occur a b o u t 300 times, and “ clean” and “ unclean” w h i c h are found 200 times. Points and Problems 1.
SEPTEMBER 5, 1943 ISRAEL CALLED TO BE A HOLY PEOPLE B ook O f L eviticus
men may approach Him. The method of approach is seen in “ sacrifice” or ■ “ offering,” occurring over 200 times; i the medium is seen in, “ priest” or “ priesthood,” mentioned a b o u t 165 times; the condition is seen in “ clean” or “ unclean,” cited more than 150 times; and the result is seen in “holy" or “holiness” given about 100 times. The lesson today is occupied with various regulations largely connected with relations and responsibilities in social life. The necessity to heed these regulations is enforced by the recur rence of the words “I am the Lord” no less than eight times in the few verses of the lesson before us. The fundamental demand is that the people of God must be a holy people, on the simple ground that God is holy. Leviticus cannot be understood apart from this basic demand. The manifestation of that holiness w ill be seen in the respect paid to . parents, ' who stand in the place of God before the; children; and in respect for the Sabbath, which was given the chil dren of Israel as a sign and seal tha't they were a special people, separated from all others unto God alone (vs. 1-3; cf. Neh. 9:13, 14; Ex. 31:16, 17). ^ This holiness would automatically deliver the Lord’s people from idols, or “things of nought” (R: V. margin) and prevent them from making molten gods (v. 4). This is b.ased upon the solemn declaration t h a t the living God, the God of Israel, is the only God. II. H oliness i n R elation to • N eighbors (11-18) Stealing, lying, and the bearing of false witness ¿re some of the things that profane the name of God (vs. 41, 12). Israel was set apart for the honor of God’s name, and t h e s e things brought them and it into disrepute among the nations round about. A ll oppression, robbery,; and other unjust treatment of neighbors, serv ants, the deaf and blind, etc., must be put away. In the place of these things there must be the fear of God, that is, reverence for Him. Justice* equity, and truth must char acterize all dealings between one and another, irrespective of the condition of each. E v e r y one must r e c e i v e
* Leviticus 19:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Z Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and. say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy. 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 4 Turn ye not Unto Idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: 1 am the Lord your God. 19:11 Ve shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. 12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord. 13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob -+iim: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblo^k before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord. 15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness In Judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor; nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou Judge thy neighbor. 16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neigh bor: I am the Lord. 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother In thine heart: thou shalt In any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. • 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord. 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor-the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord. 33 And If a stranger sojourn with thee In your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the. Lord your God. LESSON TEX T : Lev. 19:1-4, 11-18, 32-34. GOLDEN T E X T : “ Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1 Pet, 1:16). ■ M | • DEVOTIONAL READING: Lev. 26:3-12. Outline and Exposition V I. H oliness I n R elation , to G od (1-4) f T ^ H E MESSAGE o f the Book of Leviticus may be taken from I several key words found in its pages, such as “ the Lord spake,” occur ring about thirty-six times, and giving certainty to all that is written. What He spoke about was the way in which [ Lesson material is based on outlines of International Sunday School Lessons copyrighted by the International Coun cil of Religious Education and is used by its permission. Scripture portions quoted are from the King James Ver sion unless otherwise stated .]
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