Obedience Brings Blessing
TEXT: LEVITICUS 14:33-57
KEY VERSE: “This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall, to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy” (Leviticus 14:54, 57).
Jeremy Bentham, a political philosopher, was saying nothing new, when he argued that government in organized human society, should seek the greatest good of the greater number of the people. For God Almighty, in deploying His attributes of love, justice and righteousness has always sought the eternal good of His creatures. In His love, He created the universe, the beauty of creation, the order in nature, and provision of means of sustenance for man to enjoy. In His righteousness, He sets limits and imposes restriction – laws – to govern the activities of man in the universe, and in His justice He inexorably punishes infractions against His laws.
In chapters 13 and 14 of the book of Leviticus, and especially in the passage before us today, God told the Israelites how to diagnose leprosy so they could avoid it or treat it. These laws were given for the people’s health and protection. They helped them avoid diseases that were serious threats. Although they wouldn’t have understood the medical reasons for some of these laws, their obedience made them healthier. Many of God’s laws must have seemed strange to the Israelites. His laws, however, helped them avoid not only physical contamination, but moral and spiritual infection as well.
From the above, the moral lesson for us in this day and age is that the word of God still provides a pattern for living physically, spiritually and morally healthy lives. Immorality and uncleanness can lead to severe diseases; drunkenness or alcoholism causes the cirrhosis of the liver while smoking can lead to lung cancer. Over and above all, there is heaven to lose if one should indulge in any of these vices.
However, true believers have the grace to live above these temptations to sin. As they obey God, their interests are protected in time and their future is assured in eternity.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Obey God and reap the benefits, disobey Him and face the consequence.