Leviticus 26:2

Leviticus 26:1 INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 26 In this chapter, after a repetition of some laws against idolatry, and concerning keeping sabbaths, and reverencing the sanctuary of God, Leviticus 26:1; in order to encourage the Israelites to keep the various statutes and commandments in this book, and in the preceding, many promises are made of plenty, and peace, and safety from enemies, and of the presence of God with them, Leviticus 26:3; and on the contrary, to such as should despise and break his commandments, the most grievous things are threatened, as diseases of body, destruction by their enemies, barrenness and unfruitfulness of land, the sore judgments of wild beasts, famine, sword, and pestilence, Leviticus 26:14; and yet after all, when they should confess their sins, and were humbled for them, the Lord promises to remember the covenant he made with their ancestors, and would deal kindly with them, and not cast them away, and utterly destroy them, Leviticus 26:40. Ver. 1. Ye shall have no idols, or graven image,....

26:1-13 This chapter contains a general enforcement of all the laws given by Moses; by promises of reward in case of obedience, on the one hand; and threatenings of punishment for disobedience, on the other. While Israel maintained a national regard to God's worship, sabbaths, and sanctuary, and did not turn aside to idolatry, the Lord engaged to continue to them temporal mercies and religious advantages. These great and precious promises, though they relate chiefly to the life which now is, were typical of the spiritual blessings made sure by the covenant of grace to all believers, through Christ. 1. Plenty and abundance of the fruits of the earth. Every good and perfect gift must be expected from above, from the Father of lights. 2. Peace under the Divine protection. Those dwell in safety, that dwell in God. 3. Victory and success in their wars. It is all one with the Lord to save by many or by few. 4. The increase of their people. The gospel church shall be fruitful. 5. The favour of God, which is the fountain of all Good. 6. Tokens of his presence in and by his ordinances. The way to have God's ordinances fixed among us, is to cleave closely to them. 7. The grace of the covenant. All covenant blessings are summed up in the covenant relation, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and they are all grounded upon their redemption. Having purchased them, God would own them, and never cast them off till they cast him off.

Ye shall keep my sabbaths,.... The seventh day sabbaths, and the seventh year sabbaths; especially the former are meant, in which religious worship was given to the one true and living God, and therefore the observance of them is strictly enjoined; and hence this law follows closely upon the former, though Aben Ezra restrains it to the sabbatical years, or seventh year sabbaths, as he applies the sanctuary in the following clause to the jubilee year, which is said to be holy, Leviticus 26:12 ; supposing that this refers unto and stands in strict connection with the laws of the preceding chapter, concerning the sabbatical, Leviticus 25:1 , and jubilee years, Leviticus 25:8 , and reverence my sanctuary; by attending in it, and on the worship in it, with reverence and godly fear, see Leviticus 19:30, I am the Lord; who had a right to such religious worship, and to command such things, in which he ought to be obeyed, his sabbaths kept, and sanctuary reverenced.

Idols - literally, "things of nought." Hebrew אלילים 'ĕlı̂ylı̂m. There appears to have been a play on the similarity in sound of this word to אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym (God). Compare 1 Corinthians 8:4 . Standing image - Either an upright statue, or a pillar, such as an obelisk or a Celtic menhir, set up for an idolatrous purpose (compare Exodus 34:13 note). The public worship of Yahweh required, first, the exclusion of all visible symbols of deity as well as of all idolatrous objects, and next Leviticus 26:2, the keeping holy the times and the place appointed by the Law for His formal service. The word "sabbaths" must here include the whole of the set times. See Leviticus 23:3 note.

(2) Ye shall keep my sabbaths . . . — This is exactly the same precept laid down in chap 19:30, and is here repeated because of the danger of desecrating the Sabbath to which the Israelite is exposed who sells himself to a heathen. The Israelite will effectually guard against idol-worship, by keeping the Sabbath holy, and reverencing God’s sanctuary.

Leviticus 26:1 and Leviticus 26:2 form the introduction; and the essence of the whole law, the observance of which will bring a rich blessing, and the transgression of it severe judgments, is summed up in two leading commandments, and placed at the head of the blessing and curse which were to be proclaimed. Ye shall not make to you elilim, nugatory gods, and set up carved images and standing images for worship, but worship Jehovah your God with the observance of His Sabbaths, and fear before His sanctuary. The prohibition of elilim, according to Leviticus 19:4 , calls to mind the fundamental law of the decalogue ( Exodus 20:3-4 , cf. Leviticus 21:23 ; Exodus 23:24-25 ). To pesel (cf. Exodus 20:4 ) and mazzebah (cf. Exodus 23:24 ), which were not to be set up, there is added the command not to put משׂכּית אבן, "figure-stones," in the land, to worship over (by) them. The "figure-stone" is a stone formed into a figure, and idol of stone, not merely a stone with an inscription or with hieroglyphical figures; it is synonymous with משׂכּית in Numbers 33:52 , and consequently we are to understand by pesel the wooden idol as in Isaiah 44:15 , etc. The construction of השׁתּחוה with על may be explained on the ground that the worshipper of a stone image placed upon the ground rises above it (for על in this sense, see Genesis 18:2 ). - In Leviticus 26:3 the true way to serve God is urged upon the Israelites once more, in words copied verbally from Leviticus 19:30 .

[Reformed Biblical] Leviticus 26:7 Leviticus 26:8 ## Five of you, i.e. a small number; a certain number for an uncertain. Leviticus 26:9 i.e. Actually perform all that I have promised you in my covenant made with you, Leviticus 26:10 ## Bring forth the old, or, cast out , throw them away, as having no occasion to spend them, or give them to the poor, or even to your cattle, that you may make way for the new corn, which also is so plentiful, that of itself will fill up your barns. Leviticus 26:11 As I have placed it, so I will continue it among you, and not remove it from you, as once I did upon your miscarriage, Exo_33:7. Leviticus 26:12 ## I will walk among you, as I have hitherto done, both by my pillar of cloud and fire, and by my tabernacle, which have walked or gone along with you in all your journeys, and stayed among you in all your stations, to protect, conduct, instruct, and comfort you. ## Ye shall be my people; I will own you for that peculiar people which I have singled out of the mass of mankind, to bless you here, and to save you hereafter. Leviticus 26:13 With heads lifted up, not pressed down with a yoke. It notes their liberty, security, confidence, and glory. See Exo_14:8 Num_33:3. Leviticus 26:14 Leviticus 26:15 i.e. Break your part or conditions of that covenant made between me and you, and thereby discharge me from the blessings promised on my part. Leviticus 26:16 ## I will even appoint over you; I will give them powe

[Reformed Biblical] r over you, that you shall not be able to avoid or resist them. Shall consume the eyes, by the decay of spirits, and affluence of ill humours. Leviticus 26:17 Leviticus 26:18 Leviticus 26:19 ## The pride of your pow er, i.e. your s trength, of which you are proud, your numerous and united forces, your kingdom, yea, your ark and sanctuary. ## Your earth as brass; the heavens shall yield you no rain, nor the earth fruits. Leviticus 26:20 ## Your strength shall be spent in vain; ploughing, and sowing, and tilling the ground. Leviticus 26:21 ## Contrary unto me, or, carelessly or h eedlessly with me, or ## before me, i.e. so as to be careless and unconcerned whether you please me or offend me. This is opposed to exact and circumspect walking with God, as Abraham did, Gen_17:1, and all are to do, Eph_5:15. Leviticus 26:22 By reason of the fewness of travellers and people, and the terror of wild beasts growing more numerous thereby. Leviticus 26:23 Leviticus 26:24 ## Contrary unto you, or, carelessly with you or towards you, i.e. I will put you out of my care and p rotection. Levi ticus 26:25 ## The quarrel of my covenant, i.e. my quarrel with you for your breach of your faith and covenant made with me. ## Into the hand of the enemy; because those few that sha