Leviticus 24-25

In Leviticus 24, we continue to see the care that God’s people should give to His dwelling place and all that goes in it (vv. 1-9). Further, we read of God’s concern for justice and mercy among His people (vv. 17-23), as well as a model that we should utilize when God’s Word is not clear on how He wants us to proceed in a situation (vv. 10-16). Let’s speak to the latter two topics in this section, as we covered in great detail already the provisions that were to reside inside the tabernacle. 

First, I want to address a commonly misunderstood passage from verses 17-20:

Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. 

Many have interpreted these verses as God lacking mercy, often appealing to how a God full of love could offer such a principle. “But this law was actually an expression of God’s justice and compassion, because it helped restrain personal revenge…Apart from this law, the strong could have crushed the weak at the least offense.”[i] In the New Testament, Jesus appears to affirm this emphasized thought, stating that you should not take it upon yourself to retaliate in kind to the one who harms you (Matthew 5:38-42). Further, in Romans 12:21, Paul declares that followers of Jesus ought to “overcome evil with good.” So, in this context, God, in His justice, gave provisions for punishment in a public setting (appealing to the civil magistrates to enforce the consequences). However, in His mercy, He also created a law that was designed to prevent His people from taking matters into their own hands and thereby ensuring any punishment doled out fit the crime. 

There was something else noteworthy in chapter 24, and that was in reference to the action that Moses took when determining the punishment for the man who “blasphemed the Name, and cursed” (v. 11). “And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them” (v. 12; emphasis added). Warren Wiersbe comments that “God had given Israel all the laws they needed to govern their religious and civil life successfully, but Moses and the tribal leaders had to interpret these laws and apply them as new situations arose [like when dealing with this man who had an Egyptian father and an Israelite mother]. When the leaders had no clear precept or precedent to follow, they had to seek the Lord’s direction before they could give a correct opinion.”[ii] My brothers and sisters, we must be careful not to go before the Lord if we are uncertain how He wants us to advance. I realize we live in a society that seems increasingly impatient and demands answers for tomorrow right now (or even yesterday), but we must recognize followers of Jesus are on God’s time, not anyone else’s. Wouldn’t you rather be late by the world’s standards, but in the will of God, than outside of His plans but punching the clock on time? 

As we move into Leviticus 25, we are introduced to the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee. As you read through these instructions, one thing is evident: the people had to trust completely in their God for provision. Think about it; many squirm at the thought of abstaining from work for one day each week. Can you imagine the angst when God calls you to a full year (or two) of not working? What would others say about your extended sabbatical? Perhaps the Israelites felt the same, to which God replied, “I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years” (25:21). Matthew Henry states the following in regards to our radical obedience to God: “To carnal minds we may appear to act absurdly, but the path of duty is ever the path of safety.”[iii] Although it seems so foreign to us, there is no safer prayer to utter than to daily confess to God, “Into your hands, Lord, do I commit my spirit.”  

Our reading today closes with a discussion about how one’s property (or freedom) can be redeemed, and God’s expectation that a person’s unenviable economic condition should not be exploited for another’s gain. From these passages, let us take away a recurring truth about God’s heart: He cares for all His people and makes a way for all to be liberated. How do we, thousands of years later, know that to be true? We must go back to the source of Truth for the answer: God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:4-6). Continually fix your eyes on the Cross, and you will be reminded of God’s great redemption plan for your life! 

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Journal responses to the following prompts:

·       Are you prone to retaliate in kind to an offense directed at you? Or, are you willing to turn the other cheek? 

What is your typical response to a situation when you don’t know how God wants you to proceed?

[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). The Bible exposition commentary: The Pentateuch. David C. Cook. p. 295.

[ii] ibid, p. 294.

[iii] Leviticus 25 Bible commentary. (n.d.). Christianity.com. Retrieved April 22, 2026, from https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-concise/leviticus/25