Original Entry: November 19, 2008
McMinnville, OR
Do
no curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your
God. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:14
Do
not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 25:17
Do
not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your
countryman may continue to live among you. Leviticus 25:36
Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear
your God. Leviticus 25:43
My dad
used to hunt me with a BB gun. He only
did it a few times but he was a good shot and I remember. When dad’s friends
were over they would grab the BB guns, smirk as they cocked the actions, and simply
say, “Run!”
And we
obeyed!
On one occasion
my dad shot me in the pressure point behind the ear and I went down for the
count. Thankfully, I was okay!
Today’s
passages address how men handle those he has power over. Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you want to test a man’s character,
give him power.” How does the lender handle the one who
owes him money? How does the boss handle
the employee? How does the shepherd
handle the sheep? How do the rich handle
the poor? How do the strong handle the
weak? How does a man handle his
children?
In each of
these situations it would be easy enough to “curse” or “put a stumbling
block in front of” or “rule over
them ruthlessly”, but how should a man respond to the powerless?
The common
denominator of character when a man deals with those powerless over him is
found in the powerful words, “but fear
you God.” The response to the
powerless is simply to fear God and act accordingly.
The fear
of God reaches out to the drowning. It treats
all people with equal dignity. It loans to
the poor without interest. It leads justly. It compels the man of God to be
more than he, being aware that His God is watching and listening.
