Leviticus 26

26:1 Israel was to make no idols or carved images to worship (see Exod 20:4-6). Creating an image to worship would blaspheme God by confining him to time and space and by manufacturing a lifeless image to take the place of the living God. • Early in Israel’s history, stones were set on end as memorials to various events (Gen 28:18; Exod 24:4). However, pillars and sculptured stones were associated with pagan worship (2 Kgs 3:2; 10:26, 27), especially when the carved image of a god rested on them. Some sculpture was clearly allowed (e.g., 1 Kgs 7:25); the focus here is on objects that might be worshiped and thereby become idolatrous.

26:3-39 These blessings and curses resemble a key element of ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties. In such treaties, the suzerain king promised to defend the vassal king and his state, while the vassal took an oath of loyalty to his lord. Blessings and curses followed, with the curses generally being more lengthy (contrast 26:3-13 with 26:14-39; cp. Deut 27:15–28:68). Such treaties would call upon the gods as witnesses and enforcers. In God’s covenant with Israel, however, the Lord was one of the parties to the treaty (Israel being the other); since the Lord could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself (see Gen 22:16; Heb 6:13).26:3 Treaties and covenants had conditions attached to them. Israel’s blessings were conditioned on the people’s obedience to the terms revealed by God, to whom they had sworn obedience (Exod 24:7; Josh 24:21-22). The covenant itself, however, was irrevocable (Lev 26:44-45; see Rom 11:29); Israel could not cancel it. The people had only two choices: obedience, which brought blessing, or rebellion, which brought curse.

26:5 Israel’s restoration following captivity also promised a harvest so plentiful that it would run over into the time of planting (see Amos 9:13; Joel 3:18).

26:7 Success in warfare would result from obedience to God (cp. 26:17, 36-37; Deut 28:6, 19).

26:9 fulfill my covenant: The fulfillment is seen in the “rest” spoken of in Hebrews (Heb 3:11–4:11). The Promised Land should have brought a state of security and prosperity, a state of “rest” to the Israelites (Exod 33:14; Deut 12:10; 25:19; Josh 1:13, 15). Israel succeeded in entering the Promised Land, but their rebellion kept them from seeing the covenant fulfilled.

26:12 your God . . . my people: The covenant bound the parties to one another, making each belong to the other.

26:13 yoke of slavery: A yoke would fit over a slave’s shoulders and behind the base of the neck for carrying pairs of heavy items, such as pails of water. Cp. Rom 6:16-22.

26:14-39 The objective of God’s punishment of his people is to change behavior and restore relationship. God responds to his disobedient people as a perfectly righteous and loving parent would to a child. The punishments designed to curb rebellious behavior gradually increase, giving Israel the opportunity to repent at any time (26:18-28). Even when Israel was punished with exile from the land in 722 and 586 BC, God was working to restore his people (see, e.g., Isa 40–66; Jer 29:10; Amos 9:11-15).

26:18 seven times over: I.e., many times (see also 26:21, 24, 28; Gen 4:15).

26:19-20 If God withholds rain, the ground will be hard and unproductive.

26:29 Starvation would so pervade the land that when a child died of hunger, he or she would be eaten, in pagan fashion, by the others in the family (Deut 28:53-57; see 2 Kgs 6:24-31; Lam 2:20; cp. 2 Kgs 3:27).

26:30 The pagan shrines mentioned here were the infamous “high places” built on hilltops (see 2 Kgs 18:4). These shrines incorporated elements from pre-Israelite religions into Israel’s worship and challenged the Temple for religious authority. • places of worship (Hebrew khamman): Perhaps “incense altars.” Some of these altars were used in Baal worship (2 Chr 34:4).

26:34 With the people gone into captivity in a foreign land, there would be no one to work the land. It would at last have the “rest” of lying fallow that the people had denied it (see 25:1-7).

26:36-39 Disastrous defeat and captivity would later be the fate of both Israel and Judah (see study notes on 18:28; 26:14-39).

26:40-45 The chapter ends with a message of hope: Even after Israel violated the covenant and experienced judgment, reconciliation and restoration remained possible if the people confessed and repented (see study note on 4:20). God’s grace had not been taken away. God did not want to destroy his people; he would restore them if they would only humble themselves and repent (see also 2 Chr 7:14).

26:41 Physical circumcision of males was the mark of God’s covenant with Israel (Gen 17:9-14; Exod 4:25-26). Stubborn hearts (literally uncircumcised hearts) do not love God and demonstrate it by persistent disobedience. God promised to “circumcise” Israel’s uncircumcised hearts so that the people could love him (see also Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Ezek 36:25-27).

26:42 God had begun his covenant with Abraham (then called Abram, Gen 15:18) and continued it with Isaac (Gen 17:19) and Jacob (Exod 2:24). Jacob’s twelve sons were the ancestors of Israel’s twelve tribes. Israel’s liberation from Egypt and settlement in Canaan were based on God’s promises to their ancestors, not on the Israelites’ own virtues (Deut 9:4-5).