The Choice is Yours
“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them…I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”
Leviticus 26:3,12
Though some may think Leviticus is a book full of do’s and don’ts, it actually reflects the fatherly love the Lord has for His children. Like the Good Father He is, the LORD explains to the Israelites in chapter 26 the consequences of obedience and disobedience and tells them the choice is theirs to make.
For their obedience, the Lord will provide many blessings, including peace and security in the land. Most importantly though, the LORD will make His dwelling among them. These are not small blessings. He’s providing them with a peace and a security that can only come from Him.
God doesn’t command obedience from the Israelites only, but from us as well. Through our obedience, we are putting our faith in God, not in ourselves or this world. Obedience is also a hallmark of our love for God. Jesus mentions several times that if we love Him, then we will obey Him (see John 14:15, John 14:21, John 15:10, and John 15:14).
The blessings of God surpass anything we could ever imagine or desire. Just as He provided His peace, security, and presence to the Israelites, He provides them to us as well. Through our first steps of obedience (acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior), we are given forgiveness of sins (peace with God), eternal life (security in salvation), and the Holy Spirit (the presence of God), and this is just the beginning.
When we are obedient, Jesus says we are like someone who builds a house on a rock, not to be shaken when the storms of life hit us (Luke 6:47-48). When we are obedient, we are called brothers and sisters of Christ (Matthew 12:50). And, when we are obedient, we remain in the love of God, our Father (John 15:10).
But what about disobedience? In verses 14-39, the LORD lists the consequences of disobedience. Should the Israelites choose to turn away from God and His ways, then they would lose their peace and security and the LORD would turn against them.
Just as the Israelites have consequences, we do as well. When we choose to live a life of disobedience, we can no longer please God. In fact, we are actually growing in enmity against God (Romans 8:7). And if obeying God shows our love for Him, then wouldn’t disobeying Him show our lack of love for Him?
The LORD also reminds the Israelites that by choosing not to obey Him, they would be the ones breaking their covenant with Him. This is important to note because God is always faithful and true to His promises. He’s not breaking His covenant with the Israelites, they are. Obedience is always a choice.
Is it too late to turn back to God? No. Again, like a loving father, He offers hope in verses 40-45 by telling the Israelites if they humble themselves and repent, then He will remember His covenant and no longer abhor them. Again, this applies to us as well. Just like the story Jesus told of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32, if we humble ourselves and repent, then like the father in the story, He will forgive us, embrace us, and celebrate our return.
Our Heavenly Father requires obedience as it means we are trusting Him and truly loving Him. A life of obedience will yield peace, security, and eternal life with God – blessings that only He can give. The choice is ours though. Which will you choose?
Author’s Note: I wrote this post for a writing challenge last year. I didn’t win (only 5 participants out of 5000+ entries were selected). The assigned text was Leviticus 26:1-45, though I could focus on any verse within that range. I hope you enjoy the teaching.
Image by PixxlTeufel from Pixabay
