Leviticus - Be Holy for I am Holy , Sarah Barry
KEEP ALL THE LORD’S DECREES
Passage: Leviticus 19:19~37  
Key verse: 37
19 “‘Keep my decrees.(A)
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.(B)
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.(C)
20 “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man(D) but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.[a] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21 The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the Lord.(E) 22 With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.(F)
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.[b] For three years you are to consider it forbidden[c]; it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy,(G) an offering of praise to the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.(H)
“‘Do not practice divination(I) or seek omens.(J)
27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.(K)
28 “‘Do not cut(L) your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute,(M) or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.(N)
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths(O) and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.(P)
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums(Q) or seek out spiritists,(R) for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect(S) for the elderly(T) and revere your God.(U) I am the Lord.(V)
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.(W) Love them as yourself,(X) for you were foreigners(Y) in Egypt.(Z) I am the Lord your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.(AA) 36 Use honest scales(AB) and honest weights, an honest ephah[d](AC) and an honest hin.[e](AD) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.(AE)
37 “‘Keep all my decrees(AF) and all my laws(AG) and follow them. I am the Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Leviticus 19:20 Or be an inquiry
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:23 Hebrew uncircumcised
- Leviticus 19:36 An ephah was a dry measure having the capacity of about 3/5 of a bushel or about 22 liters.
- Leviticus 19:36 A hin was a liquid measure having the capacity of about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters.
Cross references
- Leviticus 19:19 : S Ge 26:5
- Leviticus 19:19 : Dt 22:9
- Leviticus 19:19 : Dt 22:11
- Leviticus 19:20 : Dt 22:23-27
- Leviticus 19:21 : S Lev 5:15
- Leviticus 19:22 : S Lev 5:15
- Leviticus 19:24 : S Ex 22:29
- Leviticus 19:26 : S Ge 9:4
- Leviticus 19:26 : S Ge 30:27; S Isa 44:25
- Leviticus 19:26 : S Ex 22:18; 2Ki 17:17
- Leviticus 19:27 : Lev 21:5; Dt 14:1; 2Sa 10:4-5; Jer 41:5; 48:37; Eze 5:1-5
- Leviticus 19:28 : Lev 21:5; Dt 14:1; 1Ki 18:28; Jer 16:6; 41:5; 47:5
- Leviticus 19:29 : Lev 21:9; Dt 23:18
- Leviticus 19:29 : Ge 34:7; Lev 21:9
- Leviticus 19:30 : S Ex 20:8
- Leviticus 19:30 : Lev 26:2
- Leviticus 19:31 : S Ex 22:18; 1Sa 28:7-20; 1Ch 10:13
- Leviticus 19:31 : Lev 20:6; 2Ki 21:6; 23:24; Isa 8:19; 19:3; 29:4; 47:12; 65:4
- Leviticus 19:32 : 1Ki 12:8
- Leviticus 19:32 : Job 32:4; Pr 23:22; La 5:12; 1Ti 5:1
- Leviticus 19:32 : S ver 14; Job 29:8
- Leviticus 19:32 : Lev 11:44; 25:17
- Leviticus 19:34 : S Ex 12:48
- Leviticus 19:34 : S ver 18
- Leviticus 19:34 : S Ex 22:21
- Leviticus 19:34 : Ex 23:9; Dt 10:19; 23:7; Ps 146:9
- Leviticus 19:35 : Dt 25:13-16
- Leviticus 19:36 : Job 31:6; Pr 11:1; Hos 12:7; Mic 6:11
- Leviticus 19:36 : Jdg 6:19; Ru 2:17; 1Sa 1:24; 17:17; Eze 45:10
- Leviticus 19:36 : Dt 25:13-15; Pr 20:10; Eze 45:11
- Leviticus 19:36 : S Ex 12:17
- Leviticus 19:37 : 2Ki 17:37; 2Ch 7:17; Ps 119:5; Eze 18:9
- Leviticus 19:37 : S Ge 26:5
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
Verses 20-37 emphasize staying separate from unholy, pagan cultures around them. They should protect the innocence of slave women, and if a man takes advantage of a slave woman, he must bring a guilt offering and repent of his sin. This high level of justice protects the most vulnerable in society.
Verses 26-31 are laws that guide them to abstain from the idol worship and witchcraft practices in the land. Verses 32 instructs them to show basic respect for elders. Verses 33-34 emphasize to be kind, just, and fair in their relationships with foreigners, remembering they once suffered as foreigners in Egypt. They should resist the temptation to take advantage of them since the weights differed from each nation. We must love foreigners, no matter how strange or different they may be. We all need the grace of Jesus through the Holy Spirit to love our neighbors as ourselves and to keep God’s laws, remembering he is the Lord.
Prayer: Father, fill us with your grace and Holy Spirit to love our neighbors and keep your commands faultlessly.
One Word: Keep all the Lord’s decrees