◄ Leviticus 26:24 ►
then I will act with hostility toward you, and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins.
Study Bible
then I will act with hostility toward you
This phrase indicates a direct response from God to the disobedience of the Israelites. In the context of Leviticus 26, God outlines the blessings for obedience and the consequences for disobedience. The use of "hostility" suggests a reversal of the protective and nurturing relationship God desires with His people. Historically, this reflects the covenant relationship established at Sinai, where blessings and curses were part of the agreement (Exodus 19-24). Theologically, it underscores the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God, who cannot tolerate rebellion. This concept is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as Deuteronomy 28 and the prophetic warnings in books like Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

and I will strike you sevenfold for your sins
The term "sevenfold" signifies completeness or fullness, a common biblical motif indicating totality. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the number seven often represented perfection or completion. This phrase suggests that the punishment will be thorough and complete, matching the severity of the people's sins. Theologically, it reflects the principle of divine justice, where the punishment corresponds to the offense. This idea is mirrored in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks of forgiveness "seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22), indicating the boundless nature of grace, contrasting with the completeness of judgment here. The concept of divine retribution is also seen in Revelation, where judgments are poured out in a complete and final manner.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Yahweh)
The speaker in this verse, expressing His response to the disobedience of the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The recipients of God's covenant and the ones being warned about the consequences of their disobedience.

3. Mount Sinai
The location where God delivered the laws and commandments to Moses, including the blessings and curses outlined in Leviticus 26.

4. Moses
The leader of the Israelites and the mediator of God's laws and commandments to the people.

5. Covenant
The agreement between God and the Israelites, which includes blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Sin
Sin is not just a personal failing but a breach of the covenant with God. Understanding the gravity of sin helps us appreciate the need for repentance and obedience.

God's Justice and Mercy
While God promises consequences for disobedience, His ultimate desire is for His people to return to Him. His justice is balanced with mercy, offering a path to restoration.

The Role of Discipline
God's discipline is a form of love, intended to bring His people back to righteousness. It is important to view challenges and corrections as opportunities for spiritual growth.

Covenant Relationship
The relationship between God and His people is based on a covenant that requires faithfulness. Reflecting on this relationship can deepen our commitment to living according to God's will.

Repentance and Restoration
The pathway to healing and restoration is through genuine repentance. Turning back to God can restore the blessings of the covenant and renew our spiritual lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the covenant relationship between God and the Israelites help us comprehend the consequences outlined in Leviticus 26:24?

2. In what ways can we see God's justice and mercy working together in the context of divine discipline?

3. How can the concept of "sevenfold" punishment in Leviticus 26:24 be understood in light of God's desire for repentance and restoration?

4. What parallels can we draw between the discipline described in Leviticus 26 and the teachings of Hebrews 12:6 on God's correction?

5. How can we apply the lessons of repentance and restoration from Leviticus 26 to our personal spiritual journey today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter parallels Leviticus 26, detailing the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, emphasizing the covenant relationship.

Hebrews 12:6
This New Testament passage discusses God's discipline, which can be seen as a form of correction similar to the consequences described in Leviticus 26.

2 Chronicles 7:14
This verse highlights the importance of repentance and turning back to God, which is a remedy for the consequences of disobedience.

Romans 1:18-32
Paul describes the wrath of God against ungodliness and unrighteousness, echoing the themes of divine retribution found in Leviticus 26.

Psalm 89:30-32
This passage speaks of God's discipline for disobedience, reinforcing the concept of divine correction.
Sermons
Temporal Rewards and PunishmentsR.M. Edgar Leviticus 26:1-46
Promises and ThreateningsR.A. Redford Leviticus 26:3-39
Divine RetributionW. Clarkson Leviticus 26:14-39
Prophetic MaledictionsJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 26:14-39
Our God and OurselvesW. Clarkson Leviticus 26:23, 24
People
Egyptians, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Act, Afflict, Contrary, Hostile, Hostility, Myself, Opposition, Punish, Punishment, Seven, Sevenfold, Sins, Smite, Smitten, Strike, Walk, Walked, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 26:14-39

     5827   curse
     6026   sin, judgment on

Leviticus 26:23-24

     5764   attitudes, negative to God

Leviticus 26:23-25

     5493   retribution

Leviticus 26:23-26

     4438   eating

Library
Emancipated Slaves
I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.'--LEV. xxvi. 13. The history of Israel is a parable and a prophecy as well as a history. The great central word of the New Testament has been drawn from it, viz. 'redemption,' i.e. a buying out of bondage. The Hebrew slaves in Egypt were 'delivered.' The deliverance made them a nation. God acquired them for Himself, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Lii. Trust in God.
15th Sunday after Trinity. S. Matt. vi. 31. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness." INTRODUCTION.--We read in ancient Roman history that a general named Aemilius Paulus was appointed to the Roman army in a time of war and great apprehension. He found in the army a sad condition of affairs, there were more officers than fighting men, and all these officers wanted to have their advice taken, and the war conducted in accordance with their several opinions. Then Aemilius Paulus …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

A Reformer's Schooling
'The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2. That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6. I. Thou shalt not …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
The duty of Covenanting is founded on the law of nature; but it also stands among the arrangements of Divine mercy made from everlasting. The promulgation of the law, enjoining it on man in innocence as a duty, was due to God's necessary dominion over the creatures of his power. The revelation of it as a service obligatory on men in a state of sin, arose from his unmerited grace. In the one display, we contemplate the authority of the righteous moral Governor of the universe; in the other, we see …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Appendix ix. List of Old Testament Passages Messianically Applied in Ancient Rabbinic Writings
THE following list contains the passages in the Old Testament applied to the Messiah or to Messianic times in the most ancient Jewish writings. They amount in all to 456, thus distributed: 75 from the Pentateuch, 243 from the Prophets, and 138 from the Hagiorgrapha, and supported by more than 558 separate quotations from Rabbinic writings. Despite all labour care, it can scarcely be hoped that the list is quite complete, although, it is hoped, no important passage has been omitted. The Rabbinic references …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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