On 6-10-12 Leviticus 19:9-18, 33-37 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Living as God’s Just People.

Living as God’s Just People

Leviticus 19:9-18, 33-37

International Sunday School Lesson

June 10, 2012

Commentary

By

Jed Greenough

Brush your teeth, pick up your toys, don’t slam the door, clean your room.  Do you hear yourself saying those things or something similar if you are a parent?  How many times did you say them and if the kids are still at home, how many more times will you say something like them?  When you came upon the dirty towels or the unused toothbrush the next day you didn’t say, “Alright that’s it, I told you yesterday to do this and today you aren’t doing what I said.  I won’t tell you again and you are out of here!”  Of course you didn’t do that and God didn’t either.

I know that today is very similar to last week but just like you and your kids, you have to repeat your expectations if you expect them to become a part of them because they aren’t naturally.  By nature kids and people in general will do as little as possible of the things that they don’t want to do.  But like a parent, God knows that without this structure chaos is the result.  Have you ever left your kids to their own devices?

There is also something important in these instructions that we can find in the first verse of this chapter when God told Moses to tell all of Israel to be holy because He was holy.  God wanted them to act in matters as He would act.  God would not be unjust or unfair; He would not be disrespectful or deceitful.  As parents or as Christian examples we want to make sure that we can say as the Apostle Paul did “be like me”.

I mentioned the similarity to last week’s lesson but there is also an additional item that wasn’t readily apparent in the similar scripture we had, it is verse 9 from today.  Not too long ago, well last summer, we saw this charity played out as we read how Ruth picked up the leftover grain from the field of Boaz so that she and Naomi would have food to eat.  Living in an agricultural area I have seen how efficient our agricultural harvesting has become but the reminder remains to give of our excess to those that are in need.  The reminder is a good one because often the practice of charity isn’t as visible as some of the other instructions that we give our children because the giving is done in an anonymous or quiet fashion.

I bet if we took a poll of everyone and asked them what else leaps out from today’s scripture if we applied it to all of the issues that arise in our life so that we wouldn’t need the other rules we would all come up with the same answer.  That answer would be to display the type of treatment that both a neighbor and an alien should receive from the 18^th and 33^rd verses: love him as yourself.

Christ when asked by a testing Pharisee about which of the commands was the greatest said this to seal up the impact that this could have in man’s life:

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I know that you are not all parents but I think we can all get the picture that this behavior is learned and the best way is through repetition.  Unfortunately, again God knew just as a parent knows that he or she will not always get the reciprocal love, respect and honor back that they deserve.  In the end you pray to God that you have raised them up in the proper way that they should go and that there will be enough time for them to make the right choice.

The great thing, and it is a bit shameful to say it, but the reward for those times when the kids didn’t do as they should have is this.  Your kids are going to repeat these same things to their kids; they won’t be able to help themselves!  They will become like you in most cases whether they want to or not!  God wants that for us also, generation after generation needed to hear then and still needs to hear today and tomorrow how to live as God’s just people.

For Discussion:

1.      You may prefer that your charitable activities be quieter but get creative at involving the youth so that they can see the benefits of giving.

2.      Does your class have a charitable cause all its own?

3.      Did you have a parent who had an effective way of leading you in the way you should go?  Discuss.

4.      Ask people for one word that identifies the person who follows these laws of God.

5.      Sometimes people don’t learn by listening, they have to learn things the hard way.  Discuss.

6.      These things in today’s scripture seem rather extreme for the mature Christian to violate.  Is there a danger in our being complacent about our behavior?  Discuss.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries

6-17-12: Celebrate Jubilee Leviticus 25:8-12, 25, 35-36, 39-40, 47-48, 55 or Leviticus 25:8-12, 25, 35-40, 47-48, 55

6-24-12:  The Heart of the Law (Love God; Love People) Deuteronomy 10:12-22; 16:18-20

7-1-12:    Samuel Administers Justice 1 Samuel 7:3-11, 15-17 or 1 Samuel 7:3-17

7-8-12:    David Embodies God’s Justice 2 Samuel 23:1-7; 1 Chronicles 18:14

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved