Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Leviticus Chapter 19
Metaphysically Interpreting Leviticus 19:1-37
19:1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 19:2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy. 19:3Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God. 19:4Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.
19:5And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.19:6It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire. 19:7And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it shall not be accepted: 19:8but every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the holy thing of Jehovah: and that soul shall be cut off from his people.
19:9And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest. 19:10And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather the fallen fruit of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am Jehovah your God.
19:11Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. 19:12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.
19:13Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor, nor rob him: the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 19:14Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind; but thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.
19:15Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.19:16Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am Jehovah.
19:17Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 19:18Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Jehovah.
19:19Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed: neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together.
19:20And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 19:21And he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah, unto the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a trespass-offering. 19:22And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass-offering before Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned: and the sin which he hath sinned shall be forgiven him.
19:23And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as their uncircumcision: three years shall they be as uncircumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten. 19:24But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto Jehovah. 19:25And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am Jehovah your God.
19:26Ye shall not eat anything with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantments, nor practise augury. 19:27Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 19:28Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am Jehovah.
19:29Profane not thy daughter, to make her a harlot; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness. 19:30Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Jehovah.
19:31Turn ye not unto them that have familiar spirits, nor unto the wizards; seek them not out, to be defiled by them: I am Jehovah your God.
19:32Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God: I am Jehovah.
19:33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong. 19:34The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt: I am Jehovah your God.
19:35Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. 19:36Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 19:37And ye shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am Jehovah.
September 5, 1937: Leviticus 19:9-18
Why do we speak of the law of life as divine? That which is eternal, impersonal, and impartial in its application can be no less than divine. The divine law covers the whole range of our well-being, physical, mental, and spiritual. It is the law of the victorious spirit, and its requirements and effects transcend anything that human power or ingenuity can devise.
Explain the law in regard to gleaning. We are partakers of the universal substance insofar as we use it to good ends, but we cannot rightly claim anything as ours to the exclusion of those whose need seems more urgent than our own. Under the law others have a right to part of what seems to belong to us. As we discharge our responsibility to share what we have with others, we gain the liberal viewpoint that insures abundance.
Is gleaning a purely mechanical act? Gleaning is physical, mental, and spiritual. We glean the thoughts of others, whenever and wherever we find them. We glean inspiration and high resolve from beholding an unselfish or heroic act. Whatever others are harvesting of the substance of thought or the substance of life, we may with their permission glean.
“I am Jehovah.” Why is this statement so frequently placed after a commandment? The spiritual I AM within man is the power by means of which he proves his mastery of life and conditions. According to Moses, Jehovah means “I AM THAT I AM.” Divine Mind in us makes itself manifest as whatever we conceive and realize it to be. Our faith and understanding shape the manifestation of God in us. The spiritual I AM is our final authority, the divine law in us.
How does false swearing profane the name of God? When we make a statement, we stand by it as true in our I AM capacity. We know that affirmations are more conformable to law than emphatic overstatement, therefore we affirm instead of swearing. Whatever one truly is, one can claim through the I AM. To claim what is untrue profanes the I AM by connecting it with what is foreign to its nature.
How is consideration for others a part of divine law? To respect the rights of others, rather than to oppress or rob, shows consideration. It also develops an awareness of the one life. To pay promptly the small sums on which others are depending is to prove oneself capable of entering into their hopes and of doing one's part to help them realize their faith. Impartiality as between man and man allows us to judge rightly in regard to others, and inspires others with confidence in us. Refraining from tale-bearing shows tact and consideration for the feelings of others.
September 5, 1937: Leviticus 19:32-37
What high realization of divine law is revealed in this lesson? The commandment to love “the stranger that sojourneth with you ... as thyself” shows a very high, realization of the universal Spirit and of the unity of all life. It is virtually the same as the second great commandment stated by Jesus.
September 5, 1943: Leviticus 19:1-4
What is the highest call that can come to those in sense consciousness? The call to ascend to spiritual consciousness. The call comes to the faith faculty of those submerged in sense. To the Children of Israel, newly led out of slavery and still for the most part thinking as slaves, came the message “Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.”
Is “holiness” a practical aspiration? Wholly practical. It means wholeness or a “sound mind in a sound body,” and it is built up in everyday practical ways.
What is one of the first aspects of wholeness that the sense-conscious person should develop? Humility as made manifest in his relation to his parents. The filial respect that a son or a daughter owes to parents is wholesome and beneficial to both generations. To “fear” one’s father and mother is to respect authority, based on their longer experience of life, and to obey them willingly. Where this rule is observed, youthful self-conceit gains no foothold.
How is wholeness advanced by the keeping of the Sabbath? The “Sabbath” is a state of mind that we acquire, when we go into the silence of our own soul and there find peace and rest in meditation and prayer. The attitude toward life that wholeness defines is heightened and clarified by frequent intervals of such withdrawals of consciousness from the outer or sense realm to the contemplation of the things that make for quickened tempo of living.
Is the warning against idols and the making of “molten gods” of practical application, to us in our quest of whole-hearted expression of the ideal life? It applies to us now as fully as it did to those to whom it was first sounded. We have the same problem as they had; learning to keep our faith in All-Good undivided by devotion to material things or allegiance to lesser ideals. During their slavery in Egypt the Children of Israel had fallen into idolatry and forgotten Jehovah. In our preoccupation with the marvels of progress that present day civilization furnishes, we need to remember the spiritual causes that underlie them.
How can we remember this truth in time of need? By learning the function of the I AM and seeing to it that we exercise it in harmony with divine law instead of capriciously, sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly.
September 5, 1943: Leviticus 19:11-18
What are some of the occasions on which we may learn to use the I AM aright? When tempted to steal either material things or the thoughts and immaterial possessions of another, we should affirm: “I am honest. I take to myself only what I earn under the law.” The same affirmation applies to the coveting of possessions by many who could under no circumstances be tempted to steal. When tempted to deceive others by making a false impression we should affirm, “I am true, therefore I say only what is true, and my actions are true expressions of my intentions.” The temptation to lie can be overcome by this affirmation also. Paul affirmed: “I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not.”
Is holiness chiefly an individual state or does it have reference to the individual as a member of society? Holiness has broad social implications. It fits the individual to express himself modestly without the overemphasis of strong language; to treat others justly and charitably instead of robbing or oppressing them or withholding them their due; to be patient with handicaps whether apparent in others or himself, and to declare freedom for those who are under them; to be impartial in his dealings with others without regard to their rank or financial standing; either to speak wisely and helpfully or keep silent where others are under discussion.
Can we love our “neighbor” as ourselves, or our “brother,” when daily close association with them reveals in them unlovely and unlovable traits? We can solve this problem by holding those who “rub us the wrong way” in the same consciousness as we hold ourselves. We readily forgive ourselves our shortcomings, and we can learn to put others in the same place as ourselves in our thoughts. Perseverance in this practice removes all taint of hate or dislike of those with whom we must associate closely. It also changes their attitude toward us.
November 20, 1943: Leviticus 19:11,13
Why are the commandments against stealing and lying given together? Because they are closely associated and often one leads to the other.
How is the temptation to indulge in them overcome? By entering into the Christ consciousness and working for deliverance. The Christ sets us free from all negation and shortcomings, as we trust Truth to enter into us and possess us.
July 28, 1946: Leviticus 19:12
Is the I AM a means to the realization of spiritual power? It is when we identify ourselves only with what is constructive and upbuilding instead of negative. To use the I AM constructively at all times requires strength of purpose, faith, and loyalty of a high order.
October 17, 1948: Leviticus 19:9-14,17-18
If we must spend our time in taking thought for others, how can we realize our individual good? The good of all is the good of one, therefore in taking thought for others and serving mankind we realize our individual good, our divine destiny.
In what concrete fashion does taking thought for others affect us? It gives us dominion over the lower self. We demonstrate unselfishness by consistently thinking of the needs of others and providing for them along with providing for our own. This is leaving the “corners” of our field for those to glean who have no field of their own.
What is the proper method of educating youth? By precept and example. The trial and error method is not safe for those whose judgment is not well developed.
Is it wise to allow the child to entertain doubt concerning spiritual things? It is not. In the child imagination is active, making it easy for him to place faith in the unseen and to grasp spiritual ideas. If he is left to grow up in materialism, he misses the opportunity of establishing the fundamentals of character (recognition of spiritual truth), which he will not have when he needs it most.
“I am Jehovah your God.” What is the significance of the repetition of this affirmation? This is the affirmation of Being. We are to apply it to ourselves in our appropriation of Truth. I am uprightness. I delight to do what is right for right's sake. I cannot enter into falsehood, for I delight in Truth.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-26-2014
