Leviticus 26 (of all places) lists beautiful, rich, descriptions of the ways in which God desires to bless His people, Israel.
[Let’s talk about #blessed for a second, okay?]
First, do you know that your God desires to bless you? Do you know the heart of the LORD for you? Praise God from whom ALL BLESSING flow.
Second, when the Bible talks about God’s true, real, steadfast blessings, it talks about them like this: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27) And, “Moses chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” (heb 11:25) “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1John 2:17) See, God will bless us, surely and truly, but not as the world blesses us.
So we see that two things will characterize the blessings of the LORD. One—His blessings will not immediately appeal to a heart that has been shaped by the world. Soulish tastebuds trained by puffed-cheese snacks will not properly appreciate something even as splendid as a Thanksgiving Feast. Scripture aims to retrain our sensibilities, but we should expect something of a “growing up” process. And growing-up can be difficult. Two—God’s blessings are of a different kind than that of the world. The world’s are fleeting, pass away, do not abide, are not real. The LORD’s are true, deep, enduring, and not easily shaken.
Now, back in Leviticus 26, toward the end, the LORD summarizes His blessings with two images.
We enter a Renewed Eden.
I will make my dwelling among you… I will walk among you. (Lev 26:11-12)
God will be present to us; we will be present to God. The word “dwelling” is the same word elsewhere translated “Tabernacle.” God will pitch His tent with us, set up camp among us, right there. So we have access to Him. We can see Him, His presence, with us. He is available. But not only this, He walks among us. The one image is of God established among our establishments; the second image is of God journeying alongside us on our journeys. He tabernacles; He walks. We live with God and God lives with us.
This is the very thing that is true for God’s people in Jesus. The Gospel-writer, John, says that Jesus “became flesh and tabernacled among us…” (John 1:14) And when Jesus calls Himself “the good shepherd,” He is calling to mind the hope of Psalm 23, where the LORD Himself accompanies us wherever we go—good, bad, ugly, always.
This is how Jesus Himself lived: “Truly, truly...whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He Himself is doing.” (John 5:19-20a) Jesus walked every step with the Father and laid His head down every night beside the Father.
So this Renewed Eden, the first of the great blessings of God, is ours in Jesus!
We receive a Renewed Image.
I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect. (Lev 26:13)
God made us “in His image.” That is, with dignity, wisdom, nobility, strength, honor, pride, creativity, purpose, energy, and joy. We lost this. But God says that He can infuse us with that image anew. We can know that glory again. Stand firm. Be strong and very courageous. Know your beauty; know you’re beautiful.
By my God I can leap over a wall… my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (2 Sam 22:30, 35)
This too is ours in Christ. Paul talks about “the Spirit of power” that is ours. We’re told to “boast in the LORD.” “Be strong in the LORD and in the strength of His might.” (2Tim 1:7; Eph 3:16; 2Cor 1:31; Eph 6:10)
This is how Jesus lived. Jesus knew who He was: “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going… I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.” (John 8:14, 49)
A Renewed Image, the second of the great blessings of God, is ours in Jesus!
In summary, we see that the blessings of the LORD happen in our relationship to God, and they happen within us. And they are ours in Jesus—they have happened. And so whatever else occurs today, we are with the LORD, the One we want to be with, thanks to Jesus. And whatever else happens to us, we are who we want to be thanks to Jesus.
So rest easy and walk tall. Go from strength to strength… (Psa 84:7)
Photo by Alejandro Ortiz on Unsplash
