Read: Leviticus 26-27
Focus Verse: “‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.” (Leviticus 26:40-42).
Devotion: The ground rules for Israel’s relationship with God. Simply put, if Israel obeys God they will be blessed, if not they’ll be destroyed and led/scattered among the nations, God will allow them to be attacked. The statement “If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me,” appears five times in chapter 26 (26:14,18,21,23,27). 5 times God says he will try to correct them, and yet they will continue to disobey and not return to God. This in reality foreshadows what happens when Israel falls to Mesopotamia (Babylon) later on, and gives the reason why; Israel’s lack of obedience and faith. What is beautiful to me though, is after God declares all the bad that will happen to an unfaithful Israel he says, “Yet in spite of this, [their desertion of God] when they are in the land of their enemies, I will NOT reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God.” (26:44) So the focus verse read at the beginning is saying if they’ll confess and return to me, they will have been punished for ignoring God, yet God will never reject them or destroy them. God stays true to the promises made with Israel. It also ends by stating: I am the Lord their God. So God is characterized by these statements. Even when we are unfaithful to our end, God doesn’t break his promises! Even when we are suffering in this life our hope is that God will not allow us to be completely destroyed or rejected! That is what our God is characterized by, that is who our God is!
Pray: LORD thank you for always being faithful in spite of my brokenness! Amen.
Additional Scripture: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)