DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 January 28
The Laundress (1886)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901)
Post-Impressionism Style
Private Collection
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
Explanation: Several of the laws in chapter 19 deal directly or indirectly with how one is to treat the poor person, the common person, and the disenfranchise in the midst of the community. I've chosen the painting above to represent such people.
Leviticus 19 presents a wide variety of laws, as do the rest of the chapters through chapter 27, which is the last chapter in the book. The LORD begins by telling the people of Israel to be holy (pure, clean, set apart) because he is holy. This implies a relationship between the LORD and his people. It also sets the tone for all the laws which follow; they help to explain the concept of holiness. Specifically: the Israelites must fear (or revere) their mother and father. They must keep the LORD's Sabbaths -- which included the feast days which were set aside as Sabbaths in addition to the weekly Sabbath. They were to shun idolatry (1-4). Peace offerings were to be made willingly (or, as some translate it, 'in accord with God's will'). If any of it remained until the third day after it was offered it was to be burned, not eaten; otherwise the person would b cut off from his people (5-8). They must leave gleanings for the poor in their fields and vineyards (9-10). They must not steal, deceive, lie, swear falsely, or profane God's name (11-12). They must not defraud their neighbor, rob him, hold back his wages, curse the deaf, or put a stumblingblock before the blind (13-14). They must not be unrighteous in judgment; they must not favor the poor or the rich in judgment; they must judge righteously; they must not be talebearers; nor may they stand against the blood of their neighbor (15-16). They must not hate their brother in their heart; rather, they must rebuke him and not allow him to sin; they must not be vengeful or grudging; but they must love their neighbors as themselves (17-18). They must not interbreed diverse kinds of animals; they must not sow mixed seed in their fields; and they must not wear garments made of a mixture of linen and wool (19). If a man has sexual relations with a slave woman who is engaged to be married, both will be flogged; and he shall offer a trespass offering (20-22). When they arrive in Canaan and plant trees for food they must let them remain unharvested for four years; and they may eat of it in the fifth year (23-25). They may not eat anything with blood; they may not use enchantments or observe times; they must not cut the corners of their beards; they may not cut themselves for the dead or put any marks upon themselves (26-28). They must not make their daughter a prostitute; they must keep the LORD's Sabbaths; and they must reverence the LORD's sanctuary (29-30). They must not consult those who have familiar spirits or seek wizards (31). They must honor the elderly (32). They must not vex sojourners; rather they must treat them as native-born and love them as they love themselves, because they were strangers in Egypt (33-34). Weights and measures must be just, i.e., accurate (35-37).
Leviticus 19
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.
6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.
11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.
23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.
24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.
26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.
30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard [measuring rod], in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.
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copyright 2014, Scott Souza
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