I spend a lot of time in my childhood. The fun, the simplicity, the freedom, but mostly in the instruction. I was richly blessed to have amazing, loving parents that loved me enough to teach me the oft times painful differences between right and wrong. If you really think about it, life is not that terribly difficult, it’s just a constant barrage of tests of right and wrong. Sometime the tests are big, sometimes small, but the guarantee is that they are frequent.
This morning in the 19th chapter of Leviticus we see just this, God as a loving Heavenly Father, carefully teaching us the difference between right and wrong. But you know as we are taught these principles in life, well, we have a natural tendency to rebel. Be honest, this is you too. As soon as an authority figure in our lives tells us to do pretty much anything, it just rolls off our lips, the big "W" question...why? Let’s just say it comes naturally. It’s just part of the sin nature we inherited from Adam and Eve as they were the first humans to ask God the big "W" question. "Not that tree....why?" We rebel. Against everything. It’s just what we do.
As rules trickle down to us from authority, we naturally just question who they are and why we should listen to them. Growing up as I would ask why about 236,896 times per week, I would get the standard answer that kids all over the world get. “Because I told you to.” It seemed a rather vague, general answer to my deep, philosophical question of why, but today it makes perfect sense. You see, we’re really not questioning the rule, we’re questioning the authority. Let’s face it, we just don’t like to be told what to do…by anybody. Arrrr…stupid authority!
But as I grew out of childhood, I finally had to admit it, good ol’ Mom and Dad knew a few things about the tricks of life. I slowly realized that the more I listened to them, the less pain I received from making my own poor decisions. Curious. I started not just listening but acting upon their wise advise and well, life got a lot easier.
What floors me is that people really think that God is any different. He made the entire world, He made every single one of us, He knows the absolute best path and decisions for each of us. Every single one. Yet for many years of my life I found myself repeating the same destructive learning patterns I displayed with my parents. Constantly asking why and of course overall questioning His authority. Constantly asking Him the big “W” question…why? Well, if you ask that question enough of God, you’re gonna get the same answer that your parents gave you every 4 minutes growing up. “Because I told you to.”
In fact, God tells us that an amazing 16 times in our study chapter this morning. 16 times! Before I even got a chance to ask the big “W” this morning, God had already given me the Dad answer 16 times. God starts out with “you shall be Holy for I am Holy” and then proceeds to close every rule for life with “I am the Lord.” He proposes a very effective argument indeed. Do what I do and do it because I’m God. Well said, God.
God then goes on to restate and explain many of the 10 commandments. Call them rules for good living. It’ll make your life good and it’ll make the lives of others good too. A real win-win for everybody. Let’s take a look see:
1) Honor your parents…always and in all situations…no matter what…always.
2) Honor God in the Sabbath. You take 6 days for work, take one day off to be with God and simply praise and honor Him.
3) Do not worship any idols besides God. Idols can be houses, money, cars, work, power, sex and especially....yourself.
4) Give back to God with a joyful heart. He gives to you first, after that you give back…with a smile in your heart.
5) Give to the poor. There’s many avenues, pick one.
6) Do not take what isn’t yours. Don’t do it and then justify it, just don’t do it.
7) Don’t lie to anybody at anytime for any reason. Ever.
8) Don’t use God’s name in your profane tirades. If you must use foul language, leave God out of it.
9) Pay everybody what you owe them when you owe it. Don’t you want to be paid on time?
10) Do not take advantage of those that cannot see or hear. If you were blind or deaf how would you feel if people ripped you off?
11) Be fair in all your dealings. That means your taxes, your expense reports and what you told your wife you paid for that new shotgun or golf club.
12) Don’t talk bad about others. You don’t want people doing it to you, so don’t do it to them. People, this includes Facebook!
13) Love your neighbor (think globally) at all times in every situation. Did I say all the time?
14) Don’t mix spiritually with the world. If you do you will lose.
15) Do not have sex with anybody but your legally married spouse. If you’re not married, don’t have sex until you are. By the way, marriage, God says it's one man and one woman.
16) Do not use fortune tellers, magicians, astrologers, soothsayers or diviners.
17) Honor all your elders. And that’s not just your grandparents. Honor the gray hair. (yes, it’s in there! Lev 19:32)
As we look at these rules for good living, do me a favor. Realize that they’re coming from your Heavenly Father, your creator, the giver of everything good. Don’t ask why, just do them. Why? Because He said so.
God bless you today as you seek to bless others before you seek to be blessed.
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