9.24.26 – A Beautiful Dwelling Place
I have been meditating on one passage in Leviticus chapter 26 for nearly six months. With the fall season two-thirds of the way done, the reality of these thoughts is more relevant than ever before. It is the promise in Leviticus 26 where Moses instructs obedient Israelites who gather in unity around Yahweh's Sabbaths (Lev. 26:2) that they will be able to, with only five individuals, chase away a hundred of their enemies, and a hundred will send ten thousand to flight (Lev. 26:7–8). They also know the odds can be even greater: one faithful individual can cause a thousand to flee (Josh. 23:10). For those who choose disobedience, the opposite will happen. They will flee when no one pursues (Lev. 26:37), and when one of the enemies does pursue, they will put ten thousand to flight (Deut. 32:30). Hmmm… I wonder which side of the fleeing I would rather be on? This is the power of unity! This is the power of a common vision. We see it in the world everywhere. When large businesses merge,...