Something To Think About?

“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. [Leviticus 18.24]

It is not even pleasant to consider all that "these ways" means in the verse above. Yet, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were doing all these things.

We might console ourselves today to say that we (personally or in our various groups) do not do these things even though the nation in which we live is increasingly embracing and even endorsing some of these actions (I speak as a citizen of the United States).

I will say this: if we allow any of these things, we are allowing all of these things. It is just a matter of time, left unchecked, that our society will embrace and endorse the worst of these practices.

But there is an interesting point made here in context of the verse above:

Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out. [Leviticus 18.25]

To the worldly mind, weather and "natural" disasters are the result of man's misuse and mistreatment of the earth. There is no lack for efforts to "correct" the problems associated with man's "abuse" of his natural environment. However, for those who abide by the teaching of the Bible, there is more... Perverse acts defile the land upon which we live and, according to the Bible, the land will "vomit out" its offenders.

Of course the worldly mind will console itself that the Bible is outdated and has nothing to do with the seemingly increasing natural problems the earth is experiencing. That mindset is to be expected. To all but the completely calloused mind however, the Bible plants a seed of reason to at least consider that not only our "natural" ways, but our spiritual ways adversely affect our environment!

When our environment is "adverse" it essentially eliminates its inhabitants.

Something to think about?

Father, the list of offenses found in Leviticus 18 contains offenses our modern society has embraced. Forgive all of us who know Your Word and yet are indifferent toward this impasse against You and the land upon which we live.