For anyone that thinks God is a vengeful, hateful, angry God that only wants to torture us and make us miserable, think again. God’s love and generosity is seen on every page, if we’ll but give it a chance.
Consider what God says in the middle of Leviticus 19—a long passage that deals with not creating idols, not swearing falsely, and not stealing.
Right after He tells the people that they need to consume their voluntary peace offering by the end of the second day (a callback to the specific offering is in Leviticus 8), He commands, with equal force, not to glean to the edges of their field. Or pick up any fruit that falls on the ground.
Why not? Because those are for the “needy and the stranger,” according to Leviticus 19:9.
We see this in action in the story of Ruth. She has three strikes against her in life—poor, widow, and a foreigner—so any likelihood of her sustaining herself by her own merits are slim to none, at least in that society.
Instead, what her former mother-in-law Naomi tells her to do is to head to the field of Boaz, a rich landowner who is in Naomi’s family, to glean the edges of the field. Ruth does this and comes back with enough food for her and Naomi to survive.
On the one hand, this ability to “glean” from the edges of the field is an example of a great and generous God who absolutely looks out for those members of society who are vulnerable. His command in Leviticus 19 is what allowed Ruth and Naomi the opportunity to eat.
On the other, Leviticus 19 as a whole is a testament to the character of God. If you read the entire section, it ping-pongs between a command from God to honor Him, then a command to honor each other. This interplay reflects the dual relationship that God’s people are called to maintain with both the divine and their fellow humans. The instructions found in this chapter highlight the moral and ethical principles that are essential to the community, showcasing what defines God’s people. Ultimately, these commands illustrate that true reverence for God is demonstrated through genuine love and respect for one another.
In Leviticus 19:3, God tells people to “reverence” their mother and father. In Leviticus 19:11-18, they are forbidden from “dealing falsely” with each other, oppressing each other, cursing a deaf man, slandering their brothers, or taking vengeance upon each other.
As if to summarize the entire thought, they are even told to not “hate” your countryman “in your heart.” As Jesus would explain in Matthew 5, hating your brother is the source of all conflicts with each other (James 4:1). Nuke it at the outset, and make a habit of treating other people better than yourself.
Why would an almighty and holy God care about things like this? Most deities (created by man) are consumed by their own glory; they care little about the welfare of their subjects. And even if they do, they certainly won’t regulate things like kindness and slander.
But the God we serve not only cares about the oppressed of society, but commands those with resources and capabilities to look out for them in everyday life. This isn’t about politics—this is about basic decency. The Lord is abundant in it.
And as His subjects, so we should be too.
