Readings for today: Leviticus 26-27, Psalm 39
I’m a huge fan of the John Wick movies. I know they are violent and pretty gory but one of the main messages in the series has to do with the consequences a person faces for their actions. I grew up in a home with consequences. Good behavior was rewarded and bad behavior punished. Positive. Negative. Otherwise. There were always consequences to one’s decisions and actions. It is tempting to read Leviticus 26 and assume the Kingdom of God works in much the same way. Follow God’s rules and you will be blessed. Ignore God’s rules and you will be cursed. Obey God and it will go well with you. Disobey God and life will get hard. The text itself promises rain, good harvests, great victories, and the abiding presence of God to those who are faithful and it warns those who are unfaithful of famine, drought, defeat, and abandonment.
There is a branch of Christianity that makes much of verses like these. They promise health and wealth to those who have enough faith. They challenge people to put God’s Word to the test, treating the Bible like a book of magical incantations. They even go as far as to encourage people to use their obedience to get what they want from God. But when God refuses to to be manipulated, they blame the victim. They tell people they obviously failed to be fully obedient or they don’t have enough faith or they tolerate too much sin in their lives. It’s a toxic version of the Christian faith.
So what can we draw from verses like these? They seem so clear. Their promises so sure. Like every passage in Scripture, we have to read them against the backdrop of the larger story. The covenant of works was first established with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were given clear instructions, a law to follow, and the promise of paradise. However, they disobeyed. In their disobedience, the very ground began to reject them. All the curses listed in Leviticus 26 came to pass as humanity was exiled from Eden into a broken, hostile, and sinful world. From this point forward, life would be chaotic and unstable. One could do all the right things but still experience the curse. One could do all the wrong things and seemingly receive the blessing. The world had turned upside down.
Only God can make things right and thankfully, He establishes the covenant of grace. Founded on His unconditional love and predestined according to His sovereign will, God reaches out to humanity. He clothes Adam and Eve after their sin. He saves Noah and his family from the flood. He taps Abram and Sarai on the shoulder in Ur. None of these people are perfect. None of them are able to keep the Law or earn the blessings promised in Leviticus 26. But all of them walk with God. Their hearts are hungry for more of His glory. More of His presence. More of His love. They want nothing more than to serve Him faithfully all of their lives. Sin prevents them from being able to do so perfectly but it never stops them in their tracks. Even more important, sin presents no barrier for God. He reaches out to them in spite of their sin, in the midst of their disobedience, in the face of their rebellion and He grants them grace. He rejoices with them when the rains come and harvests are good and their enemies are put to flight. He grieves with them when they face drought, famine, disease, and death. No matter where they go or what they do, God is with them.
God is with you as well, friends! He promises never to leave you. He is with you when you wake up in the morning. He is with you when you go to sleep. He is with you when you work. He is with you when you play. There is never a moment when you are alone. He sees every choice you make. He knows every feeling you feel. He watches over every action you take. And He is at work turning every decision towards His perfect will.
Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 1-4, Psalm 40