Leviticus Chapter 26

Blessings for Obedience

¹ “Don’t make idols, set up images or sacred pillars, or put stone figurines in your country to bow to. ² Keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary. ³ If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments, ⁴ I’ll give you rain in its season so the ground will grow crops and the trees will bear fruit. ⁵ Threshing time will last till grape harvest, and grape harvest will last till planting season. You’ll have plenty to eat, and you’ll live securely in your country. ⁶ I’ll grant peace so you can lie down without feeling afraid. I’ll eliminate dangerous wild animals from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. ⁷ You’ll chase your enemies, and they’ll fall by your sword. ⁸ Five of you will chase 100, and 100 will chase 10,000. ⁹ I’ll favor you, multiply you, and confirm my covenant with you. ¹⁰ You’ll eat the old supply and clear out the old because of the new. ¹¹ I’ll live among you ¹² and be your God, and you’ll be my people. ¹³ I’m the LORD your God that brought you out of Egypt so you wouldn’t be their slaves. I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.                                                                  Lev 26:1-13                             

Punishment for Disobedience

¹⁴ “If you don’t carry out these commandments, ¹⁵ if you reject my statutes, abhor my ordinances, and break my covenant, ¹⁶ I’ll bring panic over you. Consumption and fever will make your eyes sink in and depress you. You’ll plant your seed for nothing because your enemies will eat it. ¹⁷ I’ll oppose you, and your enemies will strike you down. The ones that hate you will rule you. You’ll run when nobody’s chasing.

¹⁸ “If you still don’t obey me, I’ll punish you seven times over ¹⁹ and break your strong pride. I’ll make your sky like iron and your ground like bronze. ²⁰ You’ll spend your strength for nothing, because the ground won’t grow crops and the trees won’t bear fruit.

²¹ “If you’re still hostile toward me and refuse to obey, I’ll strike you with plague seven times over. ²² I’ll let wild animals loose among you to terrorize your children, destroy your livestock, and decimate your population till your roads are deserted.

²³ “If you’re still hostile toward me and don’t return to me, ²⁴ I’ll be hostile toward you and strike you seven times over. ²⁵ I’ll bring on you a sword to avenge the covenant. When you retreat to your towns, I’ll send a plague and deliver you to your enemies. ²⁶ When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven and bring it to you in rations. You’ll eat and not be satisfied.

²⁷ “If you still don’t obey me, but act hostile toward me, ²⁸ I’ll act hostile toward you and punish you seven times over. ²⁹ You’ll eat your sons and daughters. ³⁰ I’ll destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols because I’ll abhor you. ³¹ I’ll lay waste your towns too, and make your sanctuaries desolate. I won’t smell your pleasing aromas. ³² I’ll make the land so desolate it will appall your enemies that settle in it. ³³ I’ll scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you as your land grows desolate and your towns become ruins.

³⁴ “The land will enjoy its Sabbaths during its desolation while you’re in your enemies’ country. ³⁵ It will get the rest it didn’t get on the Sabbaths while you were living in it. ³⁶ You that are left, I’ll make lose heart in your enemies’ countries. The sound of a blown leaf will chase you. You’ll run when nobody’s chasing you. ³⁷ You’ll stumble over each other and fall like you’re running from the sword, even though nobody’s chasing you. You won’t have the strength to stand up to your enemies. ³⁸ You’ll perish among the nations that consume you. ³⁹ You that are left will rot away in your enemies’ countries because of your ancestors’ sin.  

Lev 26:14-39

Future Restoration

⁴⁰ “If you confess your and your ancestors’ sin in your unfaithfulness and hostility toward me— ⁴¹ if your uncircumcised heart becomes humble and you make amends for your sin, ⁴² I’ll remember my covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well, and I’ll remember the land. [ ⁴³ ] ⁴⁴ I won’t reject you so completely that I destroy you and break my covenant with you. ⁴⁵ I’ll remember the covenant with your ancestors that I brought out of Egypt in front of the nations so I could be your God. I’m the LORD.”

⁴⁶ The LORD established those statutes, ordinances, and laws for Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai.     

Lev 26:40-46