Expecting Pain

Leviticus 26: 14-46

Lots of brimstone here.

So after telling his people the goodness in store for them if they obey God's commands, He let's them know what's in store if they don't follow His commands. No time-out chair is involved.

These punishments come in stages:

Stage One: Sudden terror, wasting diseases, and blinding fever. Farming will be unproductive because enemies will eat their food. Enemies will prevail- in fact they'll be paranoid enough to run even when no one is after them.

Stage Two: Throughout God speaks of punishment for sins seven times over- I'm not sure if each stage is another x7, but the point is- you thought things were bad... but just wait. God will break down their pride. The sky will be like iron (I'm not sure what that means- maybe just a barrier between God and man?), and the ground like bronze- not such a good environment for growing crops. Crops won't grow- trees won't grow fruit.

Stage Three: Wild animals will steal their children, and destroy their cattle. Animals will devour enough of them to make the roads deserted.

Stage Four: God will bring the sword upon them (maybe just a metaphor to express death?). Even when they withdraw into the cities, a plague will follow them. Enemies triumph and capture. And then this puzzling curse-

"When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied."

I guess it means that there will be so little bread that they can all cook it at once in one oven. They'll have to ration it- skinniest person gets the most since he's the closest to wasting away. Even so- you'll still be hungry.

But wait, there's more:

Stage Five: They will resort to cannibalism and eat their sons and daughters. mmm, undernourished offspring. High places will be destroyed, incense altars cut down, dead bodies piled on idols- He will abhor them.

Cities will be in ruins, sanctuaries laid waste. Offerings will not smell good to Him. Israelites will be scattered among the nations and God will pursue them.

While it's hard for me to come to peace with the harshness of the message, it becomes even more complicated when you consider all God has to lose in the deal. These are His people, His children, if He's willing to essentially destroy them, then what purpose does His creation serve? Would He have started over? Would he have grabbed Moses and Aaron and their families and let them repopulate the earth? Would he have washed His hands of us? Would it have caused Jesus to come sooner than He did?

Interestingly, if this comes about- the land will then get its sabbath. It'll be desolate and resting. So even if they neglect the commanded land sabbath, the land will get some rest one way or another. Seems like God is showing concern for the other parts of His creation here too. If you won't care for My land... I'll still see that it's cared for.

People who are left at this point in their enemy's lands will be scared enough by the sound of a blowing leaf to start running. Even if no one is chasing them, they'll be running. While they're running away, they'll trip over each other like the Keystone Cops, but less funny. The enemies lands will devour them- for their sin and their father's sins.

Dying for the sins of their fathers is a pretty hard idea to fathom- but their own sins are part of the equation here, too, so it's hard to argue injustice.

It's easy though to argue harshness. It's scary to think of Abba Father (or Dad) as being a Being willing to threaten severe torture, pain, death, and worst of all hatred. One thing is certain, our God is an emotional being. Our actions matter to Him. He wants our love and obedience and feels rejection in a very personal way. But He's also a God of mercy, love and compassion-

He ends by saying if they'll confess their sins and their father's sins- once they're humbled (or rather once their "uncircumcised hearts" are) and they've paid for their sin (how?), God will remember the covenant with Isaac and Abraham. Even while they're in their enemy's lands paying for their sins, He will remember the covenant.

This must have been a fun message for Moses to report back to the Israelites. It seems like it would have caused them to walk on eggshells and constantly feel paranoid that God's wrath could strike at any time.

Even under our covenant, it's hard for me to come to peace with this God- and the God that Jesus calls Father. I know it's the same Entity- and that Jesus Himself makes a big difference in it all. But even as I type this on Easter day- understanding that Jesus makes the difference, I fear the God who threatens to devour the ones he loves. In the face of such a daunting punishment, it's hard to not respond with legalistic attempts to do everything right and ultimately end the process having failed- discovering it's impossible to get it all right.

It's a good thing the tomb was empty.