Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Leviticus 24-25.
We are on our second to the last day in the book of Leviticus.
I found it interesting that in today's reading we find God changing gears to a little narrative passage today tucked inside his holy directives to Moses.
First, we saw Nadab and Abihu nuked by God for disrespecting God's holiness, and here we have a man being stoned for blaspheming "the Name".
To our modern minds, this seems an excessive punishment. But we must fight, it seems, to understand, rather than allow our finite minds to make a judgment against God.
First of all, it seems to be a far more foolish offense when you realize that God's presence is among these people. Couple that with the fact that God has already destroyed the high priest's sons for being disrespectful, and you begin to wonder how big a fool this blasphemer must have been.
For us, this side of the cross, Leviticus should serve to instruct us that God is very serious that we understand who he is, and who we are.
We no longer live under the Law, but this episode can certainly teach us of the honor that God requires of his holy name.
Even when I type these words, I feel an inner rebellion to the thought. Do you feel that too? Or am I the only one with a rebellious fallen nature?
