Revenge

Leviticus 19:18 reminds me of several New Testament verses. See the sense of revelation really does not change that much from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Paraphrased this verse says "Do not take vengeance or bear any grudge against any of your people but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy 32:35 expands on the first part of this. "Vengeance is mine, says God, I will repay." This is a moral imperative we should all understand. Vengeance is too great for us. If we take vengeance into our own hands it will ruin us. I have only watched snippets of the new TV show Revenge. The main heroine has been working all season to take vengeance. Does it show emotional destruction? It should.

The second part of Leviticus is the golden rule, the opposite of revenge. This part is quoted by Jesus (Matthew 19:19). It is echoed in a different context in Mark 12:29-31. When Jesus summarizes the law, boiling it down to two principles, the second one is a quote of this part, "Love you neighbor as yourself." Leviticus 19:18 ends by stating "I am the LORD." Jesus begins this summary by proclaiming "The LORD our God is one Lord!" This is the "schema" to the Jews. It is the same affirmation implied by Leviticus - "I am the LORD."

These rules tell us a lot about the character of God. He will do the revenging. We can trust him to do what is necessary. To take it upon ourselves is to take on God's job. That's what got us into trouble in the first place in Eden, trying to be like God.

So let us remember the advice from Leviticus: 1) Do not take it upon ourselves to get revenge, and 2) Let's us love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Good advice.