What is the meaning of Leviticus 19:18? Do not seek revenge God begins the command with a negative: “Do not seek revenge.” The instruction is straightforward and literal—personal retaliation is off-limits. • Romans 12:19 echoes this: “Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.’” • Deuteronomy 32:35 reminds us that vengeance belongs to Him alone. • Proverbs 20:22 adds, “Do not say, ‘I will avenge this evil!’ Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.” The principle is simple: trust God’s justice rather than taking matters into your own hands. Civil authorities may punish wrongdoing (Romans 13:4), but personal payback has no place among God’s people. or bear a grudge against any of your people Revenge is an outward act; grudges are the silent, smoldering version inside the heart. Both are forbidden. • Ephesians 4:26-27 warns, “Be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold.” • Colossians 3:13 urges, “Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” • Hebrews 12:15 cautions that bitterness “springs up” to trouble many. Biblically, harboring resentment is spiritual quicksand. Letting it go protects both relationships and fellowship with God (1 John 4:20-21). but love your neighbor as yourself Instead of revenge or resentment, God calls for active love. • Jesus spotlights this verse as the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31). • Paul sums up the entire Law here: “For the whole law is fulfilled in this one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14). • James calls it “the royal law” (James 2:8). Loving “as yourself” assumes we instinctively look after our own welfare; God says to extend that same care outward—practically, sacrificially, consistently. Luke 10:29-37’s Good Samaritan fleshes it out: love crosses ethnic, social, and personal boundaries. I am the LORD The command ends with God’s signature. It’s more than punctuation; it’s the reason. • Exodus 20:2 introduced the Ten Commandments the same way: authority flows from who He is. • Malachi 3:6 declares, “I, the LORD, do not change,” grounding every moral demand in His unchanging nature. • Jesus links love and obedience: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Because He is the LORD—Creator, Redeemer, Covenant-Keeper—we submit to His standards even when our feelings protest. summary Leviticus 19:18 forbids personal payback, roots out simmering resentment, and replaces both with a proactive, self-denying love that mirrors the care we naturally show ourselves. The authority of the LORD Himself seals the command, leaving no loophole: obey because He said so, trust His justice, and let His love flow through you to every neighbor. |
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