Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Wednesday prior to Proper 10

 


Leviticus 19:9-18 - Obedience demanded from the Lord your God. Notice throughout the Old Testament reading that the people are reminded, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: “I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 18:1) God’s people are given instructions concerning a morality reflecting God’s holiness. God was preparing His people for a life different from their pagan neighbors, whose life-style was deplorably immoral. Our lesson is an expansion of the Ten Commandments as the Lord gives detail as to how and why we must live. We live in obedience because of the relationship with have been given with our God.

The Old Testament Lesson for this Sunday is written in the third book of the Torah. The text is Leviticus 19:9-18 and it follows the declaration of an important reality in verse 2 of the chapter. “You are (will be) holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Contextually this is a far superior translation than: “Be holy, because…” So, the set-up for our text is the declaring to the Israelites the reality which is theirs because they are the children of God, people of the Covenant. “You are holy because the LORD your God is holy, and this is what that looks like.” In other words, because of the relationship of presence the LORD has with His people, His holiness ‘gets on them,’ and, as a result, this is what their life now looks like because the holy LORD is their God. The LORD says, “You are mine, I am yours and this is how we live and walk together.” United together in covenant and communion, the people are holy because of their union with the Holy One.

When considering these chapters of Leviticus, it comes down to identity and relationship. These laws, statutes and commands, given at Sinai, anticipate the people of Israel living with their LORD in the Promised Land.[2]

Collect for Pentecost 5: O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide and govern those whom You have nurtured in Your steadfast love and worship, make us ever love and adore Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[3]

Collect for Wednesday of the Week of Pentecost 5: O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide and govern those whom you have nurtured in your steadfast love and worship, make us ever revere and adore your holy name through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen [4]– 06 July, 2022



[1] The Good Samaritan copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] https://www.1517.org/articles/old-testament-leviticus-199-18-pentecost-5-series-c
[3] Collect for Pentecost 5, Lutheran Worship, © 1980 Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis
[4] Collect for Wednesday of the week of Pentecost 5, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

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