Your threshing will continue until the grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until sowing time; you will have your fill of food to eat and will dwell securely in your land. Sermons
I. THE INCENTIVES WHICH GOD HELD OUT TO HIS ANCIENT PEOPLE. These were importantly spiritual, but prominently temporal. If they did but "walk in his statutes, and keep his commandments, and do them" (verse 3), they might reckon on (1) fertility in the field (verses 4, 5, 10); (2) sense of security from without and disturbance from within (safety and peace, verses 5, 6); (3) victory in war (verses 7, 8); (4) national growth (verse 9); (5) God's presence with them (verses 11, 12); (6) his pleasure in them (verse 11); and (7) his guarantee of their liberty and self-respect (verse 13). II. THE PROMISES WHICH HE HAS MADE TO US. These are partly temporal, but principally spiritual. They include: 1. Sufficiency of worldly substance. God does not now say, "Serve me, and you shall be strong, wealthy, long-lived," but he does say, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God,... and all these things" (food, clothing, etc.) "shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). "Godliness has promise of the life that now is" (1 Timothy 4:8). Those who are his children in Christ Jesus may reckon upon all needful support from his bountiful hand. 2. Consciousness of spiritual integrity. As God made his people to be delivered from the yoke and to "go upright" (verse 13), so he makes those who have returned to him, and who have escaped from the yoke of sin, to "walk in uprightness of heart." Instead of shrinking in fear, bowing down with a depressing sense of wrong-doing, we have a happy consciousness of integrity of soul. We say with the psalmist, "As for me," etc. (Psalm 41:12). 3. Sense of reconciliation with God. God promises peace and a sense of safety (verses 5, 6) to those who seek his favour in Christ Jesus. Being justified by faith in him, we have peace with God; and we know that, whatever may be our circumstances, we are secure behind the shield of his almighty love. 4. Victory in the battle of life. If it be not wholly true that "our life is but a battle and a march," yet it is true that there is so much of spiritual struggle in it, from its beginning to its close, that we all understand only too well what is meant by "the battle of life." There are many foes with which to wrestle (Ephesians 6:12), and we need the invigorating power which only the Spirit of the Strong One can impart. If we are his, he will help us in the strife. "Our enemies will fall before us" (verse 7; see 2 Corinthians 2:14 and Romans 8:37). 5. His presence with us and his pleasure in us. "God will set his tabernacle among us;" he "will walk among us" (verses 11, 12). He will be "with us always," and his sustaining presence will uphold us in the darkest hour, in the most trying scene. "His soul will not abhor us" (verse 11); he will take Divine pleasure in us; we shall be his children, his guests, his friends, his heirs. 6. An everlasting heritage in him. He will be our God (verse 12). The sacred page does not speak of any duration; but that which is adumbrated in the Old Testament is revealed in the New. Jesus Christ has brought life and immortality out into the light, and we know that "him that overcometh will the Son of man make a pillar in the temple of his God, and he shall go no more out," etc. (Revelation 3:12), and that "to him that overcometh will he grant to sit with him on his throne," etc. (Revelation 3:21). The present and the future, the best of the one and the whole of the other, are the heritage of those who "know the will of God and do it." Surely it is the choice of the wise to "make haste and delay not to keep his commandments." - C.
If they shall confess their iniquity. I. WHAT IS THAT REPENTANCE WHICH GOD REQUIRES?1. That we acknowledge our guilt. Our fathers' sins as well as our own are first grounds of national humiliation. Our own sins are the chief burden of personal contrition. But sin should be viewed in its true light, as "walking contrary to God" (Psalm 51:4). 2. That we justify God in His judgments. If we have dared to walk contrary to Him, is not He justified in "walking contrary to us"? Whatever inflictions He imposes we have reason to own it as less than our deserts (Ezra 9:13), and that His judgments are just (Revelation 16:7). 3. That we be thankful for His dealings by which He has "humbled our uncircumcised hearts." Only real contrition can produce this. It realises mercy in judgment, and love in affliction. II. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR REPENTANCE AND GOD'S MERCY. Repentance is void of merit. Even obedience is destitute of merit; "when we have done all we could we are unprofitable servants." The acknowledgment of a debt is a very different thing from a discharge of that debt. A condemned criminal may be sorry for his offences, but that sorrow does not obliterate his crime, still less entitle him to rewards. Yet there is connection between repentance and pardon, and meekness in the exercise of mercy towards the penitent — 1. On God's part. For repentance glorifies God (Joshua 7:19). 2. On the part of the penitents. It incites to loathing of the sin, and to adoration of Divine grace. So God insists on the condition, "If they be humbled, then will I pardon." For then God can do it consistently with His honour, and they will make a suitable improvement of the mercy vouchsafed them. III. THE GROUND AND MEASURE OF THAT MERCY WHICH PENITENTS MAY EXPECT. God's covenant with their ancestors was the basis and warrant of His mercy to Israel (vers. 42, 44, 45). His covenant with us in Christ is our hope and guarantee. 1. Be thankful that you are yet within reach of mercy. 2. Have especial respect unto the covenant of grace. It is to that God looks, and to that should we look also. It is the only basis on which mercy and redemption are possible. (C. Simeon, M. A.) 1. It was the way of reflection. 2. It was the way of confession. 3. It was the way of humiliation.They were not to return proudly, feeling they had not been rewarded according to their iniquities. The way is still open for the vilest to return; for, the New Testament teaches that these are the steps in the ladder of life, out of sin to holiness, from earth to heaven, from self to God, viz.: Repentance, conversion, consecration. II. THAT IF THE REBELLIOUS RETURNED TO THE LORD IN HIS OWN APPOINTED WAY HE WOULD GRACIOUSLY RECEIVE THEM. 1. He would do so for the sake of their fathers. He would remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 2. He would do so for the sake of His name. "For I am the Lord." He had purposed, as well as promised, to deal mercifully with them. 3. He would do so for the sake of the land. He had selected Canaan as the arena where He would specially display His glory to men, and He would not allow it to lie waste for ever. 4. He would do it for the sake of His covenant. "I will remember My covenant." The Lord does not make a covenant and then tear it rashly to pieces; if broken by man He will speedily renew, nor allow the irregularities and irreligion of men to thwart His beneficent arrangements. Here, indeed, was a resplendent bow of many colours, beaming with the beautiful light of the mild and merciful countenance of the Most High. What encouragement for sinful men to return to the Lord, "for He will have mercy upon them, and abundantly pardon." The Levitical law closes with offers of mercy, the last words of the law are words of entreaty and promise. (W. H. Jellie.) I. THE VOWS AND PRAYERS OF A GOODLY PARENTAGE EXERCISE INFLUENCE UPON THE DIVINE PLANS. That "covenant "is thrice referred to as determining God's arrangements (vers. 42, 44, 45). Note Job's prayers for his children (Job 1:5; cf. with ver. 10), "Made a hedge about Job and about his house." II. OVER LONG INTERVALS THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL COVENANTS EXTEND. This "covenant" with Abraham was made 1900 years B.C. (Genesis 15:13, 14). It is now 1900 years A.D., yet the word stands, "They are beloved for the fathers sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance (Romans 11:28, 29). God is at work, though He seems to wait. "In due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." Praying soul, anxious heart, clinging to the promises — "Hope, and be undismayed; God hears thy cries, and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head." III. HOW GRAND THE LINK BETWEEN A PARENT'S PIETY AND THE CHILDREN'S DESTINY! 1. Live and pray for your descendants. 2. Value the sacred benefits even though as yet unrealised, of a godly ancestry. 3. Rest in the unfailing pledge of God to reward piety and prayer. (W. H. Jellie.) It is recorded of Edward I., that, being angry with a servant of his in the sport of hawking, he threatened him sharply. The gentleman answered, It was well there was a river between them. Hereat the king, more incensed, spurred his horse into the depth of the river, not without extreme danger of his life, the water being deep and the banks too steep and high for his ascending, Yet, at last recovering land, with his sword drawn, he pursued the servant, who rode as fast from him. But finding himself too ill-horsed to outride the angry king, he reined, lighted, and, on his knees, exposed his neck to the blow of the king's sword. The king no sooner saw this but he put up his sword and would not touch him. A dangerous water could not withhold him from violence; yet his servant's submission did soon pacify him. While man flies stubbornly from God, He that rides upon the wings of the wind posts after him with sword of vengeance drawn. But when in dust and ashes he humbles himself, and stands to His mercy, the wrath of God is soon appeased..People Egyptians, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, MosesPlaces Mount SinaiTopics Bread, Confidently, Continue, Crushing, Cutting, Dwell, Dwelt, Eat, Eaten, Full, Gathering, Grain, Grape, Grapes, Harvest, Indeed, Measure, Overtake, Planting, Reach, Reached, Safely, Safety, Satiety, Securely, Seed, Sowing, Sowing-time, Sowing-'time, Threshing, Thus, VintageOutline 1. Of idolatry2. Reverence 3. A blessing to those who keep the commandments 14. A curse to those who break them 40. God promises to remember those who repent Dictionary of Bible Themes Leviticus 26:5 4035 abundance Library Emancipated SlavesI am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.'--LEV. xxvi. 13. The history of Israel is a parable and a prophecy as well as a history. The great central word of the New Testament has been drawn from it, viz. 'redemption,' i.e. a buying out of bondage. The Hebrew slaves in Egypt were 'delivered.' The deliverance made them a nation. God acquired them for Himself, and … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Lii. Trust in God. A Reformer's Schooling a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet Repentance The Second Commandment Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant. Solomon's Temple Spiritualized Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied in Ancient Rabbinic Writings The Mercy of God Leviticus Links Leviticus 26:5 NIVLeviticus 26:5 NLT Leviticus 26:5 ESV Leviticus 26:5 NASB Leviticus 26:5 KJV Leviticus 26:5 Bible Apps Leviticus 26:5 Parallel Leviticus 26:5 Biblia Paralela Leviticus 26:5 Chinese Bible Leviticus 26:5 French Bible Leviticus 26:5 German Bible Leviticus 26:5 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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