Handling Life
Read Leviticus 17:5,7
Today’s Truth
The object of this whole requirement is to teach that all life belongs to God and that he alone is capable of handling it rightly. Only God understands life. That is the basis for all proper behavior. If you don't understand this fact, you are not going to behave properly. You can't. You must understand that your life belongs to God, and that all other life around you, even animal life, must be brought before God and related to him, with the understanding that life is a mystery which we cannot handle ourselves, in which man is incapable of properly directing his own affairs.
Discussion Questions
- What does the command against unauthorized slaughtering reveal about the sanctity of life according to the biblical context?
- Why do you think the Lord emphasizes that both Israelites and foreigners should follow these rules?
- What does this passage reveal about God's expectations for the moral conduct of his followers?
Application
Do we fail to trust the power and wisdom of our Sovereign Lord to guard and guide our lives? What is the alternative? Do we need to relinquish control of both our lives and others'?
