How To Treat Others According to Leviticus 19:9-18

As usual I found myself reading Our Daily Bread and read this passage this morning.  It offers common sense ideas on how to treat others.  Scripture is in italics and is from the New International Version of the Bible.

9“ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

This verse talks about gleaning.  I wrote about gleaning in my story of Ruth. (See https://northwoodsgirlblogging.com/lessons-learned-ruth-a-love-story/)  Yet this verse is a direct command to help the poor.  A modern-day example would be when you go to the grocery store to buy canned goods buy extra and donate it to the local food pantry.  I understand what it is like to be poor and had to depend on the food pantry to feed my kids.  I also understand what it is like to have plenty. 

11“ ‘Do not steal.

“ ‘Do not lie.

“ ‘Do not deceive one another.

12“ ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

13“ ‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

These are common sense actions which most people follow.  They are all apart of treating others, especially those we want a relationship with or live near. 

“ ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

Employers this one is for you.  I struggle with this today as Walmart has announced they are giving raises to some of their associates but not all.  While everyone works hard, Walmart seems to forget about the people who interact most closely with the customers-the front end.  This includes the service desk, cashiers and self-check hosts, maintenance, and cart pushers.  They are the ones who put up with rude customers.  I am angry at Walmart right now.  God forgive me because I need to work there part time right now.  You say we are family, but you do not treat us all like family.  Rant over.

14“ ‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the

blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

This hits home as I am hard of hearing.  But the real reason, I think, God put this in here is to respect those with disabilities.  This includes the unseen disabilities too.  Modern day example would be if you see someone without a mask on try and understand there may be medical or mental health issues preventing a person from wearing a mask.  I know of one person who confided she struggles with masks on her face because as a child she was kidnapped, and the kidnapper put his hand over her face to keep her quiet.  You just never know what someone is going through.

15“ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great but judge your neighbor fairly.

Be just as kind to the one who cleans the bathrooms at Walmart as you are the CEO.

16“ ‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

Gossip is so easy to do.  I am guilty of this.  We must ask ourselves “how would the person you are talking about feel if you said it in their presence”?  

“ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

More common sense.  An example would be not to speed or drive when you are very tired and certainly not if you have been drinking.

17“ ‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.

I do not understand how someone could hate another person.  I hate what child molesters do but I do not hate them.  There is so much hate in this world.  Would it be nice if there was more love?

Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

I think this is talking about if your neighbor does you wrong tell them.  However, be careful how you tell them.  Telling them when you are too angry to think straight will not help the situation.  Calm yourself down then think through what you are going to say before confronting your neighbor.  Yeah, I struggle with getting angry at my neighbor and really need to remember this.

18“ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Think about it.  Where does revenge lead?  Does it help?  No!  Nor does holding onto a grudge.  If you do you will develop hate in your heart which could lead to several mental health issues.  Just let it go and you will feel better.

The last phrase sums everything up.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Be other-focused as you go through your day.  You will treat others better.

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