Terror: The Beginning of God's Judgement
Terror: The Beginning of God,s Judgement
Outline of Comments on Leviticus 26:1-39
God's Commands (verses 1-2).
Blessings for Obedience (verses 3-13).
Punishments for Disobedience (verses 14-39).
Especially notice that the beginning of God's Judgments upon the nation of the disobedient Professed Saints-- is terror (verse 16)-- which means that the Professed Christians need to repent as much as their nation needs to repent. "For the time is come that Judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?" (1Peter 4:17).
• "1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God." The Almighty reminds us of the Second of the Ten Commandments. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them" (Exodus 20:4, 5). These may be the icons of secular business, or statues of the Virgin Mary. Since an idol is any work of men's hands that receives the trust and affection that belongs only to God, idolatry may wear a business suit or prostrate itself before images in a Buddhist shrine-- they are the same. "15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands... 18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them" (Psalm 135:15, 18).
• "2 Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary: I am the LORD." In perspective of this Old Testament passage, Sabbath keeping in Christ's day became more than the rest from their labours coupled with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures; instead, it became traditions and pageantry that served only to confuse the Truth and impress the ignorant. "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). However, the present neglect of the Fourth Commandment is no badge of honour against legalism, but it robs God's people of rest, spiritual re-creation, and further transformation into the Image of Christ through the ministering of the Word of God. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8).
• "3 If ye walk in My Statutes, and keep My Commandments, and do them;" Obedience to God is no more or less than an honest heart complying in Faith with all that is understood of God's Commandments, because of heartfelt Love to the Saviour. "15 If ye Love Me, keep My Commandments... 21 He that hath My Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him" (John 14:15, 21).
• "4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."
Prosperity comes from God and results from obedience to God. Cursed are the Professed Saints when they believe that the prosperity of their land is due simply to their labour, acumen, or skill. "11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His Commandments, and His Judgments, and His Statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage... 17 and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17).
• "5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely." The Proverbs teach us that "safety is of the LORD" (Proverbs 21:31), and not our trust in a strong national defence-- as important as it is. In the security that God provides, we are promised that the threshing of our amber waves of grain will last until the vintage, which is the yield of wine at the gleaning of the grapes, and will complete the cycle of plenteousness until the next season of threshing. "And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the Name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be ashamed" (Joel 2:26).
• "6 And I will give Peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land." Peace is given by God for obedience. "Peace I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Obedience to Jehovah Jesus' command-- "Let not your heart be troubled"-- not only gives us immediate Peace of heart, but will grant us and our unbelieving neighbours a ridding of "evil beasts" (26:6) and the absence of the sword going through the land. Remember, God promised Abraham that He would have spared even wicked Sodom and Gomorrah, if there were but ten righteous found therein-- meaning that those who are actively practicing righteousness, are the preservation of their cities and nations. "I will not destroy it for ten's sake" (Genesis 18:32).
• "7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword."
Your enemies will still be your enemies, but they will fear you and "fall before you" (26:8), if they should foolishly attack you. Obviously, a Righteous Nation must have the right and necessity of self-defense granted to it by God, for it to be able to put its enemies to flight. "These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time" (2Samuel 23:8). It is immaterial to God whether or not a Righteous Nation should possess more or fewer men or logistics than its enemies. He has promised, "Five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight" (26:8). "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).
• "9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you."
When God orders prosperity upon the land in which obedient Professing Christians dwell, the population will grow, and will be benefited by His Covenant of Peace. "10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My Kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of My Peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath Mercy on thee... 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the Peace of thy children. 14 In Righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me [i.e., if anyone assaults you, it will not be from Me]: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake" (Isaiah 54:10, 13-15). The absence of Peace in a nation is the absence of Righteousness in the multitudes of the Professed Christians that constitute its citizenry. "But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king" (1Samuel 12:25).
• "10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new." The cycle of the old producing the new, which becomes the old, continues as the material prosperity of a Righteous Nation is manifested from God's own hand. But, the unbelieving world will only covet the material prosperity, while rejecting the God that gave the prosperity. Even worse, what calamity, if Professed Christians forget the Source of their prosperity! "11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His Commandments, and His Judgments, and His Statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 17 and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. 19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish" (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17-19).
• "11 And I will set My Tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people. 13 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright." For the Saints of the New Covenant, God's Tabernacle and dwelling among His people, is within His people. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). His assurance to us that we are His own, is based upon our walk in present obedience-- not on our recollection of any past actions on our part. "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep [present tense, are keeping] His Commandments" (1John 2:3). And, any right actions committed on our part, are "according to the Gift of the Grace of God given unto [us] by the Effectual Working of His Power" (Ephesians 3:7).
• "14 But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these Commandments;" Our relationship to God is to be based upon our love and appreciation of Who He is and what He has done. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life" (John 3:16). "If ye love Me, keep My Commandments" (Jn 14:15). "He that loveth Me not keepeth not My Sayings" (14:24). "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him" (1John 2:4).
• "15 And if ye shall despise My Statutes, or if your soul abhor My Judgments, so that ye will not do all My Commandments, but that ye break My covenant:" It is impossible to separate between our heart attitude toward God and His Statutes, Judgments, Commandments, and Covenant, for He identifies Himself as One with His Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). To despise, abhor, not do, and break His Word, is to commit that against Himself. "His Name is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13).
• "16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague [fever], that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it."
The opening salvo of God's contention with His Wayward People-- is terror. Intense, overpowering fear is promised upon us, when we obstinately continue in disobedience. "Behold, the LORD, the LORD of Hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled" (Isaiah 10:33). Before He begins any further dealings with the nation of His Disobedient Professing Saints, He conducts a warfare upon their hearts and minds, in preparation for even greater and more difficult judgments. "For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword" (Jeremiah 20:4). All of this from the Almighty for the purpose of the repentance of those that still may repent. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19).
• "17 And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you." Just as it is true that "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31); conversely, if we stand against God, He will stand against us. "Therefore thus saith the LORD GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute Judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations" (Ezekiel 5:8). To the degree that the Almighty will bless our obedience, to that degree will He curse our disobedience. He can do it, and He will do it! "24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die... 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a New Heart and a New Spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 18:24, 31).
• "18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your Heaven as iron, and your Earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins."
If we continue in impenitence, He will escalate our punishment "seven times more" (26:18). This is much like the series of Seven Judgments of the upcoming Tribulation Week, i.e., Seven Seal Judgments, Seven Trumpet Judgments, and Seven Vial Judgments, each increasing in severity. "And when He had opened the Seventh Seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour" (Revelation 8:1). Sin always exhibits itself in pride against God, i.e., the "pride of your power" (16:19). And, Impenitent Professing Christians will not humble themselves to confess that God's Terror or Judgments are because of their disobedience, but they will loudly insist that the ungodly citizenry of their nation is responsible for all their calamities. "Knowing therefore the Terror of the LORD, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences" (2 Corinthians 5:11).
• "22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. 23 And if ye will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will walk contrary unto Me; 24 then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins." Wild beasts may be rabid, have Mad Cow disease, be demon possessed, hungry, thirsty, or simply dispossessed of their wilderness. They shall war against the Disobedient Professing Christians, destroying their children, their cattle, and themselves. "For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through" (Ezekiel 33:28). Instead of calling for a government program to control wild beasts, they should repent. "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
• "25 And I will bring a sword upon you [war], that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence [epidemic] among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread [famine], ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto Me, but walk contrary unto Me;
28 then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat [cannibalism, e.g., as Josephus recorded about the siege of Jerusalem].
30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols [destruction of your places of worship], and My soul shall abhor you.
31 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation [urban warfare and destruction], and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.
32 And I will bring the land into desolation [ruination of the countryside]: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
33 And I will scatter you among the heathen [captivity], and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths [as it did during the 70 years of the Babylonian Captivity], as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her Sabbaths.
35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your Sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.
36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.
37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them."