◄ Leviticus 18:5 ►
Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.
Study Bible
Keep My statutes and My judgments
This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's laws. The Hebrew word for "keep" is "shamar," which means to guard, observe, or give heed. It implies a vigilant and careful attention to God's commands. The statutes ("chuqqim") and judgments ("mishpatim") refer to the decrees and ordinances given by God. Historically, these laws were given to the Israelites as a covenantal guide for living a life that is pleasing to God. In a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the belief that God's laws are timeless and applicable, serving as a moral compass for believers today.

for the man who does these things
This phrase highlights the personal responsibility and individual accountability in following God's commands. The Hebrew word for "man" here is "adam," which can refer to mankind in general, indicating that these instructions are not limited to a specific group but are universal. The phrase suggests that there is an active participation required from each person, emphasizing that faith is demonstrated through action. In the broader scriptural context, this aligns with the New Testament teaching that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).

will live by them
The promise of life is central to this phrase. The Hebrew word for "live" is "chayah," which means to live, have life, or remain alive. This is not merely a promise of physical life but encompasses a holistic sense of well-being, prosperity, and spiritual vitality. In the historical context of Israel, obedience to God's laws was directly linked to the nation's prosperity and survival in the Promised Land. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this is seen as a foreshadowing of the eternal life promised through faith in Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law on behalf of humanity.

I am the LORD
This declaration serves as the divine authority behind the command. The use of "LORD" in all caps represents the Hebrew name "YHWH," the covenant name of God, which signifies His eternal, self-existent nature. This phrase is a reminder of God's sovereignty and His right to command His creation. It also reassures believers of God's faithfulness and unchanging character. In the conservative Christian tradition, this underscores the belief in the authority of Scripture as God's revealed word, which is to be revered and obeyed.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the laws from God on Mount Sinai, including the statutes and judgments mentioned in Leviticus.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God to whom the laws were given. They were to live by these statutes as a sign of their covenant relationship with God.

3. Mount Sinai
The place where God delivered the Law to Moses, including the statutes and judgments that the Israelites were to follow.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His authority and the divine origin of the laws given to Israel.

5. Canaan
The land promised to the Israelites, where they were to live out these statutes and judgments as a testimony to the nations around them.
Teaching Points
Obedience as a Path to Life
The verse emphasizes that obedience to God's statutes is not merely a legalistic requirement but a path to true life and fulfillment.

The Authority of God’s Law
The phrase "I am the LORD" underscores the divine authority behind the statutes, reminding believers of the importance of submitting to God's will.

Covenant Relationship
The laws were given within the context of a covenant relationship, highlighting the relational aspect of obedience as an expression of love and commitment to God.

Moral and Ethical Living
The statutes and judgments provide a framework for moral and ethical living, guiding believers in how to reflect God's character in their daily lives.

The Role of Faith and Works
While the law points to the necessity of obedience, it also reveals the need for faith in Christ, who fulfills the law and empowers believers to live righteously.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the context of Leviticus 18:5 enhance our appreciation of the importance of obedience in the life of a believer?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of "living by God's statutes" in our modern context, especially when faced with moral and ethical dilemmas?

3. How do the New Testament references to Leviticus 18:5 in Romans and Galatians help us understand the relationship between the law and faith in Christ?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that our obedience to God is motivated by love and not merely by obligation?

5. How can we, as a community of believers, support one another in living out the principles found in God's statutes and judgments?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
This passage echoes the theme of choosing life by obeying God's commandments, emphasizing the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience.

Ezekiel 20:11
Reinforces the idea that living by God's statutes leads to life, highlighting the continuity of this principle throughout the Old Testament.

Romans 10:5
Paul references Leviticus 18:5 to contrast the righteousness based on the law with the righteousness based on faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:12
Paul again cites this verse to discuss the limitations of the law in providing life, pointing to faith in Christ as the true source of life.
Sermons
General Character of ChristiansAndrew Lee et al Leviticus 18:5
Life in ObedienceW. Clarkson Leviticus 18:5
Obedience EnjoinedS.R. Aldridge Leviticus 18:1-5
Safety in the Observance of God's LawsBp. Babington.Leviticus 18:1-5
Abominable DoingsJ.A. Macdonal Leviticus 18:1-30
The True Morality is Based Upon the True ReligionR.A. Redford Leviticus 18:1-30
UnworldlinessR.M. Edgar Leviticus 18:1-30
People
Israelites, Molech, Moses
Places
Canaan, Egypt, Teman
Topics
Decisions, Judgments, Kept, Laws, Obeys, Observe, Ordinances, Rules, Statutes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 18:1-5

     1235   God, the LORD
     7258   promised land, early history

Leviticus 18:1-22

     5714   men

Leviticus 18:1-24

     8273   holiness, ethical aspects

Leviticus 18:4-5

     8402   claims

Library
General Character of Christians.
"And they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh, with the Affections and Lusts." St. Paul is supposed to have been the first herald of gospel grace to the Galatians; and they appear to have rejoiced at the glad tidings, and to have received the bearer with much respect. But after his departure, certain judaizing teachers went among them, and labored but too successfully, to alienate their affections from him, and turn them form the simplicity of the gospel. The malice and errors of those deceitful …
Andrew Lee et al—Sermons on Various Important Subjects

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Doctrine of Arbitrary Scriptural Accommodation Considered.
"But the Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise,--Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep?' (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth; and in thine heart:' that is, the word of Faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from …
John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation

Epistle Lxiv. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [174] . Here begins the epistle of the blessed Gregory pope of the city of Rome, in exposition of various matters, which he sent into transmarine Saxony to Augustine, whom he had himself sent in his own stead to preach. Preface.--Through my most beloved son Laurentius, the presbyter, and Peter the monk, I received thy Fraternity's letter, in which thou hast been at pains to question me on many points. But, inasmuch as my aforesaid sons found me afflicted with the …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Two Sabbath-Controversies - the Plucking of the Ears of Corn by the Disciples, and the Healing of the Man with the Withered Hand
IN grouping together the three miracles of healing described in the last chapter, we do not wish to convey that it is certain they had taken place in precisely that order. Nor do we feel sure, that they preceded what is about to be related. In the absence of exact data, the succession of events and their location must be matter of combination. From their position in the Evangelic narratives, and the manner in which all concerned speak and act, we inferred, that they took place at that particular …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
Ver. 20. "And Noah began and became an husbandman, and planted vineyards."--This does not imply that Noah was the first who began to till the ground, and, more especially, to cultivate the vine; for Cain, too, was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 2. The sense rather is, that Noah, after the flood, again took up this calling. Moreover, the remark has not an independent import; it serves only to prepare the way for the communication of the subsequent account of Noah's drunkenness. By this remark, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Meditations for Household Piety.
1. If thou be called to the government of a family, thou must not hold it sufficient to serve God and live uprightly in thy own person, unless thou cause all under thy charge to do the same with thee. For the performance of this duty God was so well pleased with Abraham, that he would not hide from him his counsel: "For," saith God, "I know him that he will command his sons and his household after him that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Appendix ii. Philo of Alexandria and Rabbinic Theology.
(Ad. vol. i. p. 42, note 4.) In comparing the allegorical Canons of Philo with those of Jewish traditionalism, we think first of all of the seven exegetical canons which are ascribed to Hillel. These bear chiefly the character of logical deductions, and as such were largely applied in the Halakhah. These seven canons were next expanded by R. Ishmael (in the first century) into thirteen, by the analysis of one of them (the 5th) into six, and the addition of this sound exegetical rule, that where two …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

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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