Today's Daily Lesson comes from Leviticus chapter 19 verses 9 through 18:
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
11 “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. 12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. 14 You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Today's Lesson is a set of instructions for community. As the Israelites make their way out of Egypt, through the Wilderness formation, and into the Promised Land they must be prepared to live together as a people in community with one another. They do not already share the practices which make for community. Living under Pharaoh for 400 years, the people were taught to look after themselves and not the weak and to be at enmity with and suspicion of their neighbors. Pharaoh's society was cutthroat, every man for himself, win or die. This was intended to break any sense of communal spirit or cooperation within the slaves. It was the way Pharaoh divided, conquered and ruled.
Today's Lesson is a description of the practices necessary for building community: care for the poor, the disabled, and the sojourner. Respect for others rights to property. A fair shake in trade and labor. An honest and impartial court system. All this, summed up by the command to love neighbor as one love's oneself, and by extension then treat the neighbor as one would wish to be treated.
Interesting in this lesson is something that is said over and over again after each section. Five times these words: "I am the LORD." It is as though the LORD is trying to tell the Israelites again and again that they are no longer under Pharaoh's whip; they have a new Master now. And He is very, very different from the old Master, and so too will His people be.
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