Leviticus 24: The Light, the Bread, and the Blasphemer
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the Lord continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually.
And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.
And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.
And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God.
And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Leviticus 24 delves into the practical outworking of holiness within the Israelite community, focusing on the responsibilities of the priests and the consequences of defiling God's name. It highlights the importance of maintaining God's presence through symbolic acts and underscores the seriousness of disrespecting His holiness.
The Priestly Duties: Light and Bread (Leviticus 24:1-9)
The chapter begins by outlining two essential duties of the priests within the tabernacle. First, they were responsible for keeping the lampstand burning continually (Leviticus 24:1-4). This was no ordinary lamp; it was a pure gold lampstand, situated in the holy place, and it served as a constant reminder of God's presence. The priests were to diligently tend to it, ensuring it never went out, using only the purest olive oil. This lamp foreshadows Jesus, who declared, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Just as the priests were entrusted with maintaining the lamp, we are called to keep the light of Christ burning brightly within us and to reflect it to the world. We can be confident that His light will never fade.
The second priestly duty involved the weekly preparation and presentation of twelve loaves of bread (Leviticus 24:5-9). These loaves were to be baked fresh for every Sabbath and arranged on the pure gold table before the LORD. Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, this bread was known as "the Bread of the Presence" (Exodus 25:30). It served as a visual reminder that the twelve tribes were perpetually in God's presence. Perhaps it also reminded them that the first of their grain harvest belonged to the Lord. Each week, the priests would consume the old loaves, replacing them with the new. Bread was a dietary staple for the Israelites. Thus, when Jesus proclaimed, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), His message was clear: come to Him for sustenance, for true and lasting life.
A Blasphemer's Fate (Leviticus 24:10-16)
The narrative shifts dramatically with the introduction of a man who cursed and blasphemed the Name of the LORD (Leviticus 24:10-11). The "Name" here refers to God's sacred name, Yahweh, often rendered as "LORD" in English Bibles. In a moment of uncontrolled anger, this man publicly defiled God's name. Since there was no precedent for such a transgression, the people placed him in custody while Moses sought divine guidance (Leviticus 24:11-12).
God's response was swift and decisive: the blasphemer was to be taken outside the camp, and all who heard him curse were to lay their hands on his head, signifying their witness. The entire community was then to stone him to death (Leviticus 24:13-14, 23). This act served as a stark warning that blasphemy would not be tolerated within the covenant community.
The Law of Retaliation (Leviticus 24:17-22)
Between the pronouncement of the sentence and its execution, the LORD delivered a series of laws often referred to as the lex talionis, or the law of retaliation (Leviticus 24:17-22). The core principle is that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. This concept of proportionate justice is still reflected in many legal systems today. However, these laws, including the seemingly harsh prescriptions of "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Leviticus 24:20), have often been misunderstood and even ridiculed. It's crucial to understand that these laws were not intended to empower individuals to seek personal revenge. Rather, they were statutes to be administered by the appointed leaders of the community. These regulations were designed to limit excessive retribution, ensuring that the response matched the severity of the offense. Of all offenses, cursing the covenant God carried the most severe penalty.
Leviticus 24 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of both maintaining God's presence in our lives and treating His name with the utmost reverence. It highlights the seriousness of sin and the need for justice, while also pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of these principles in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World and the Bread of Life.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the Lord continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually.
And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.
And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.
And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God.
And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Leviticus 24 delves into the practical outworking of holiness within the Israelite community, focusing on the responsibilities of the priests and the consequences of defiling God's name. It highlights the importance of maintaining God's presence through symbolic acts and underscores the seriousness of disrespecting His holiness.
The Priestly Duties: Light and Bread (Leviticus 24:1-9)
The chapter begins by outlining two essential duties of the priests within the tabernacle. First, they were responsible for keeping the lampstand burning continually (Leviticus 24:1-4). This was no ordinary lamp; it was a pure gold lampstand, situated in the holy place, and it served as a constant reminder of God's presence. The priests were to diligently tend to it, ensuring it never went out, using only the purest olive oil. This lamp foreshadows Jesus, who declared, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Just as the priests were entrusted with maintaining the lamp, we are called to keep the light of Christ burning brightly within us and to reflect it to the world. We can be confident that His light will never fade.
The second priestly duty involved the weekly preparation and presentation of twelve loaves of bread (Leviticus 24:5-9). These loaves were to be baked fresh for every Sabbath and arranged on the pure gold table before the LORD. Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, this bread was known as "the Bread of the Presence" (Exodus 25:30). It served as a visual reminder that the twelve tribes were perpetually in God's presence. Perhaps it also reminded them that the first of their grain harvest belonged to the Lord. Each week, the priests would consume the old loaves, replacing them with the new. Bread was a dietary staple for the Israelites. Thus, when Jesus proclaimed, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35), His message was clear: come to Him for sustenance, for true and lasting life.
A Blasphemer's Fate (Leviticus 24:10-16)
The narrative shifts dramatically with the introduction of a man who cursed and blasphemed the Name of the LORD (Leviticus 24:10-11). The "Name" here refers to God's sacred name, Yahweh, often rendered as "LORD" in English Bibles. In a moment of uncontrolled anger, this man publicly defiled God's name. Since there was no precedent for such a transgression, the people placed him in custody while Moses sought divine guidance (Leviticus 24:11-12).
God's response was swift and decisive: the blasphemer was to be taken outside the camp, and all who heard him curse were to lay their hands on his head, signifying their witness. The entire community was then to stone him to death (Leviticus 24:13-14, 23). This act served as a stark warning that blasphemy would not be tolerated within the covenant community.
The Law of Retaliation (Leviticus 24:17-22)
Between the pronouncement of the sentence and its execution, the LORD delivered a series of laws often referred to as the lex talionis, or the law of retaliation (Leviticus 24:17-22). The core principle is that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. This concept of proportionate justice is still reflected in many legal systems today. However, these laws, including the seemingly harsh prescriptions of "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Leviticus 24:20), have often been misunderstood and even ridiculed. It's crucial to understand that these laws were not intended to empower individuals to seek personal revenge. Rather, they were statutes to be administered by the appointed leaders of the community. These regulations were designed to limit excessive retribution, ensuring that the response matched the severity of the offense. Of all offenses, cursing the covenant God carried the most severe penalty.
Leviticus 24 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of both maintaining God's presence in our lives and treating His name with the utmost reverence. It highlights the seriousness of sin and the need for justice, while also pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of these principles in Jesus Christ, the Light of the World and the Bread of Life.