What’s behind the LORD’s commands?

Loving one’s neighbor and oneself in Leviticus

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don’t know anything about it. Let’s see where this takes us!

I’m reading Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Leviticus 19

This is striking (quoting the NRSV):

5 “When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it or on the next day, and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. 8 All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord, and any such person shall be cut off from the people.

We found out in previous chapters that a “sacrifice of well-being” is more like a fellowship dinner. Perhaps the LORD didn’t like people getting sick; would YOU eat meat that hasn’t been refrigerated for two whole days?

After a few verses of emphasizing fair dealing, we get this: