Leviticus 24 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
24:1-9 Rules for the Tabernacle
21:10-23 Rules for Blasphemy
Or
1 Introduction
2-9 Laws about the Holy Place
2-4 Lampstand
5-9 The bread of presence
10-23 The Case of Blasphemy
10-12 The offense
13-22 The judgment of God
23 Execution by the people
Commentators struggle to understand how this chapter fits with the surrounding chapters and book. You will see in v. 22, “I am the Lord your God” and v. 3, “This is a permanent rule for your descendants” and in v. 6, “a permanent due.” But we are given an indication how laws and their punishment came to be. We have a narrative section that seems to detail an event that possibly came after Moses taught about the laws regarding the holy place. The laws of blasphemy and lex talionis follow this story.
In 24:10, a man curses God as he is fighting. This man is the son of an Israeli woman and Egyptian father. The punishment is not in doubt; they issue is whether this man who has an Egyptian father should be treated differently. He was not treated differently. In verse 14, the very people that heard the curse lay their hands on this man’s head moments before he was to be stoned.
The next section lays down some basic concepts of punishment. The famous eye for eye, tooth for tooth phrase in 24:10 used by Ghandi who said if we hold to eye for eye, tooth for tooth, the whole world will be blind and toothless. Not so fast with your quick quips. Are these verses laying down a literal standard of justice to be administered regardless of circumstances and individuals? I doubt it. These are the maximum penalties and this phrase ‘eye for eye’ is a saying that may mean: the punishment should be commensurate with the wrongdoing. That is just. A younger person who commits a crime is less liable that a mature adult who commits the same, all things being equal. We ought not to read these laws and think that the nation of Israel applied these punishments without variation or reflection on the people and circumstances.
In Wenham’s commentary on Leviticus he provides an excursus titled Principles of Punishment in the Pentateuch (pp. 281-286) bases off Deut 19:19-20, “then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil3 from your midst. 20 And the rest shall hear and fear and shall never again commit any such evil among you.”
- The offender must receive his legal desert. The penalty must correspond with the crime.
- Punishment is designed to “purge the evil from the midst of you.” According to the Bible there is guilt that rests upon the land and its inhabitants. Gen 4:10-11– his blood cries out; Lev 18:24-28 where the people of Canaan were removed from the land due to their sin; Deut 21:1-9, where in verse 8 the elders say, “Forgive, O Lord, . . . and set not the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel.”
- Punishment should deter others from committing the offense: “the rest shall hear and fear and shall never commit any such evil among you.” (Deut. 19:20; 13:11; 17:13; 21:21).
- Punishment allows the offender to make atonement and be reconciled with society. Deut. 25:3.
- Punishment allows the offender to recompense the injured party. See Ex 22; Lev 6:1ff. In these cases the injured party is compensated not the state.
Father, this world is created by You and all should glorify You. But so many do not and actively despise You. We have so much to learn about justice from both Old and New Testament. We thank You that You are just, and all Your ways are perfect and true. Help us to learn from Your Word so we will treat people fairly and value justice. We pray for those over us in spheres of family, church, and government. Help them to understand the importance of justice. Thank You that in the gospel we see justice but mercy so much more. We plead not for justice, but mercy from You our great King and Savior. In the just and perfect name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen