Remember the three laws of Newton? The third was “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This is how some smart person at Stanford explains the third law. “Newton's third law implies conservation of momentum. It can also be observed as following from the second law: When one object pushes a second object at some massless point of contact using an applied force, there must be an equal and opposite force from the second object that cancels the applied force. Otherwise, there would be a nonzero net force on a massless point which, by the second law, would accelerate the point of contact by an infinite amount.” Did you get all that? For our correlation purposes today let’s just boil it down and with great “scientific license” just call it cause and effect. One thing causes another to happen. In God’s Word it’s paraphrased as, “you reap what you sow.”
And that’s exactly what we see this morning in Leviticus 26. We see a chapter full of cause and effect, a chapter full of reactions dependent upon precursory actions. We see God telling the Israelites what they can expect from Him depending upon how they react to his laws, commandments and statutes.
In order to verbalize a cause and effect statement you have to have two certain words present, “if” and “I will.” For instance, I say to you “if you do this…then I will do this.” Example, “if you give me $50,000, I will buy a Corvette.” (seriously, it would be red) As proof of this cause and effect theme in Leviticus 26, we see God’s Word use the word “if” 9 times and the words “I will” a whopping 24 times. God has clearly laid out His laws thus far in Leviticus and here He is informing us of what He will do if His laws are either held uprightly or the opposite, ignored and spurned. As a result, we see two options, if the people are in obedience to God's law, He will bless them. If they are in disobedience to His Law, He will judge and punish them. Every action has a reaction.
What we see in chapter 26 is thoroughly against the world view of God today. The world creates a God of love. And that is true, but He is not just limited to love. God is multi-faceted and unending love is just one of those facets. Another facet that the world does not like to acknowledge is righteous and just. God demands that we do what is right before Him and He enforces justice for our rebellion towards Him. God as a judge of our disobedience to His laws is not the God that people want or desire today. And rightfully so as you read about what He says He will do to the Israelites if they reject Him and His laws for them. You see, God deals with the heart the same way it deals with Him.
I think that I am safe in saying that a high percentage of all people had a mom and a dad. Now I realize not all would say that they had fine parental guidance, but we did all have some type of parental, guiding force in our early lives. Let’s just cut to the chase folks, you know the drill. You were young and impetuous, and at moments, stupid and goofy. You cooked up all kinds of hair-brained schemes and you tried to get your parents to go along with them. And again, be honest, most of them totally trashed the rules that your parents had carefully and loving put in place to keep you from doing exactly what you were trying to do. And as a result, they told you, if you do this, then I will do this. In my home as I did stupid stuff that defiantly broke the rules, it usually resulted in “an equal and opposite force to my rear end.” Looking back, the correction of my parents was the most valuable thing I ever could have received.
But as we mature and become adults, we move into flat out anarchy. Or should I say monarchy. We create little thrones in our hearts, and we place ourselves on that throne. Kings of our own lives. We say, now that I’m an adult, I can do whatever I want, anytime I want, with anybody I want and there will no longer be any ramifications. As a result, we create a God of love that we think is powerless to correct or rebuke us. Folks, my parents loved me more than anything, yet out of that love they corrected me. God is no different.
As you read through chapter 26 today, see God as the loving Father that He is. He has very specific rules for you that will protect you. Protect you from things that are in your path that only He knows about. He can see far down your path and He and He alone can protect you from the dangers and obstacles in that path. But only if you listen to Him. Only if you know His rules, listen to His rules and then obey His rules. As you do, you will experience God’s rich and abundant blessings, just as a child that lovingly obeys His earthly father. But if you openly and rebelliously disobey those rules and recklessly move forward in your own prideful desires, there will be judgement and punishment. You can’t avoid it or deny it, it’s simple cause and effect, Isaac Newton said so.
Praise God that He loves us enough to constantly correct us. He loves us enough to continually guide our steps in the ways of His perfect plan. May you today, take each and every step He asks of you, and as a result, walk in the beautiful blessings of God our Father.
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