Shunning
This week is on Leviticus 20:1-5:
This is another case of how God calls us to participate in his work. We're not going around stoning people in modern times, but the principle of what God says here is still valid. In the old testament, which these verses describe, Israel was still forming its identity, and people were still confused about holiness and worshiping God. Some people would, then, still worship idols and sacrifice their children to evil spirits. At the time, there was no forgiveness of sin. God commanded that these people be put to death, and that the Israelites would be the ones to carry out the sentence. He also commands a punishment for people who "close their eyes" to the sin of the idol-worshiping human-sacrificers.
Can you imagine being asked to carry out a death-sentence on the family down the street for doing something that used to be considered normal, or which is "multicultural" or "diverse"? That's rough! What's more troubling is that God is capable of cleanly executing anyone he wants, any time he wants. Why would he make us do it?
In a nomadic society like the Israelites were, social relationships were everything. You stuck to your family first, then your tribe. Cousins were preferred choices as spouses, because it kept the family's resources consolidated. A good relationship with your tribesmen was more important than truth itself. It was a huge problem for someone to be intolerant of a member of their tribe. Everyone had to stick together.
So, for God to insist that they kill someone who is inside of that protected boundary, for doing something that only matters to God, there is a choice that is being forced. Do the Israelites prefer the company and protection of their family, friends, and neighbors, or do they prefer God? The two are placed side by side, and the Israelites are forced to choose. There's no room for compromise. You can't tone down the human sacrifice just a bit, and maybe slightly kill the offenders.
God even includes a penalty for people who close their eyes when their pals are doing evil. What about live and let live? Why is action compulsory? Why can't somebody else do it? Closing your eyes to something, and forgiving something, aren't the same thing. When you close your eyes to something, you're either pretending it's not happening, or you're saying it's OK. When you forgive something, you acknowledge that it was a problem, but that you will not press charges.
We're called to action, just like the Israelites are, because we're connected to the same God. Our action isn't stoning a person to death, or throwing them out of our camp. Our action is to forgive the sin, and possibly also to confront it and/or pray for it. Inaction and blind acceptance aren't cool. Tiptoeing around people because they're friends or family, or people of our race or culture, is not cool. In doing that, you're putting them before God.
There are some shades of this in Jesus' comments on how he will divide people from their families, even their closest family members. He isn't making some boneheaded proclamation to not visit your family during holidays, or to not listen to what they may try to speak into your life. He's saying that there may be choices which will require you to choose his plan over their plan, or times when you may need to confront things in them, either of which may make them turn on you. You're supposed to be friends with your family. He's just saying that God is more important!
When you ignore things God tells you not to ignore in others, you're submitting yourself to that sin, and not to God. When the Israelites refused to root out the human sacrifice to Molech, they were effectively bowing to Molech, because their actions said "Given the choice between doing what God wants, and doing what Molech wants, we're going to compromise and go with what Molech wants." Bad idea! God is bigger.
Definitely love and accept your neighbors, but if you notice they're caught in a trap, or are doing bad things, then forgive them. Address it, if you feel like that's God's will, and pray for it. Don't just sit there and pretend it isn't happening, or decide that it's OK, just because that's easier than acting on it. You're part of God's body, and you have responsibilities to keep it running healthy.
The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.
This is another case of how God calls us to participate in his work. We're not going around stoning people in modern times, but the principle of what God says here is still valid. In the old testament, which these verses describe, Israel was still forming its identity, and people were still confused about holiness and worshiping God. Some people would, then, still worship idols and sacrifice their children to evil spirits. At the time, there was no forgiveness of sin. God commanded that these people be put to death, and that the Israelites would be the ones to carry out the sentence. He also commands a punishment for people who "close their eyes" to the sin of the idol-worshiping human-sacrificers.
Can you imagine being asked to carry out a death-sentence on the family down the street for doing something that used to be considered normal, or which is "multicultural" or "diverse"? That's rough! What's more troubling is that God is capable of cleanly executing anyone he wants, any time he wants. Why would he make us do it?
In a nomadic society like the Israelites were, social relationships were everything. You stuck to your family first, then your tribe. Cousins were preferred choices as spouses, because it kept the family's resources consolidated. A good relationship with your tribesmen was more important than truth itself. It was a huge problem for someone to be intolerant of a member of their tribe. Everyone had to stick together.
So, for God to insist that they kill someone who is inside of that protected boundary, for doing something that only matters to God, there is a choice that is being forced. Do the Israelites prefer the company and protection of their family, friends, and neighbors, or do they prefer God? The two are placed side by side, and the Israelites are forced to choose. There's no room for compromise. You can't tone down the human sacrifice just a bit, and maybe slightly kill the offenders.
God even includes a penalty for people who close their eyes when their pals are doing evil. What about live and let live? Why is action compulsory? Why can't somebody else do it? Closing your eyes to something, and forgiving something, aren't the same thing. When you close your eyes to something, you're either pretending it's not happening, or you're saying it's OK. When you forgive something, you acknowledge that it was a problem, but that you will not press charges.
We're called to action, just like the Israelites are, because we're connected to the same God. Our action isn't stoning a person to death, or throwing them out of our camp. Our action is to forgive the sin, and possibly also to confront it and/or pray for it. Inaction and blind acceptance aren't cool. Tiptoeing around people because they're friends or family, or people of our race or culture, is not cool. In doing that, you're putting them before God.
There are some shades of this in Jesus' comments on how he will divide people from their families, even their closest family members. He isn't making some boneheaded proclamation to not visit your family during holidays, or to not listen to what they may try to speak into your life. He's saying that there may be choices which will require you to choose his plan over their plan, or times when you may need to confront things in them, either of which may make them turn on you. You're supposed to be friends with your family. He's just saying that God is more important!
When you ignore things God tells you not to ignore in others, you're submitting yourself to that sin, and not to God. When the Israelites refused to root out the human sacrifice to Molech, they were effectively bowing to Molech, because their actions said "Given the choice between doing what God wants, and doing what Molech wants, we're going to compromise and go with what Molech wants." Bad idea! God is bigger.
Definitely love and accept your neighbors, but if you notice they're caught in a trap, or are doing bad things, then forgive them. Address it, if you feel like that's God's will, and pray for it. Don't just sit there and pretend it isn't happening, or decide that it's OK, just because that's easier than acting on it. You're part of God's body, and you have responsibilities to keep it running healthy.
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