The Sacred (Leviticus 24)

How sacred do we treat things which are dedicated to God? How sacred do we treat God’s name? Do we live the prayer, hallowed be your name? Let’s look at Leviticus 24.

Should the ancient Israelites treat the oil for the lamps in the tabernacle as sacred?

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly. Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall arrange it from evening to morning before the Lord regularly. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. He shall arrange the lamps on the lampstand of pure gold before the Lord regularly.” (Leviticus 24:1-4 ESV)

Should the ancient Israelites treat the showbread in the tabernacle as sacred?

Take fine flour and bake it into 12 loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts. Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a fire offering to the Lord. The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a perpetual covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites. It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the fire offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule. (Leviticus 24:5-9 HCSB)

What happened when someone did not treat God’s name as sacred?

Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) And they put him in custody so that the command of Yahweh might be made clear to them. (Leviticus 24:10-12 LSB)

Should the ancient Israelites treat the Name of the Lord as sacred?

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have all the congregation stone him. You shall also speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear the responsibility for his sin. Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The stranger as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. (Leviticus 24:13-16 NASB)

How was compensation for any injury to another person to be measured?

Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 24:17-22 NIV)

What did they do to the person who carelessly did not treat God’s name as sacred?

Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 24:23 NKJV)

What did Jesus teach us about honoring God’s name as holy?

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9 NKJV)

How sacred do we treat things which are dedicated to God? How sacred do we treat God’s name? Do we live the prayer, hallowed be your name? You decide!