Leviticus 20:7,8
The laws presented in Leviticus are given to a people who were already saved. They were rescued by God through miraculous events, they didn’t even really know who God was, let alone know what he was like or what he expected.
He called the Israelites out from the slavery of the cruel and oppressive Egyptians, promising them a very different life. It was to be a life of freedom, peace and prosperity, but those ideals could only be experienced if they followed these laws. Why is freedom, peace and prosperity dependent on rules?
Imagine a life where there were no rules to:
- Manage traffic
- Deter burglary and violence
- Control inflation
- Ensure safe ways of travelling and working
- Restrict emissions and pollution
- Oversee the manufacturing of food and medicines.
Well, as I see it, those things all help to make a harmonious society and are all somewhat in line with many of the laws God gave the Israelites.
Imagine for a moment a world where all of the things God prohibits exist and then picture the overwhelming and unbearable anarchy, fear and oppression.
After all that, our obedience can never meet the expectations of a perfect God, which is why, in the end, it is God himself who makes us holy, through Jesus, not us.
Our works and sacrifices do not save us, but they do reflect our appreciation and our allegiance to the One who made us and knows what is best for us and the world.
CamisGWare 