◄ Leviticus 20:22 ►
You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.
Study Bible
You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances
This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's laws. The statutes and ordinances refer to the comprehensive set of laws given to the Israelites, which include moral, ceremonial, and civil laws. These laws were intended to set Israel apart as a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). The call to keep these laws is a recurring theme in the Pentateuch, highlighting the covenant relationship between God and His people. The emphasis on "all" underscores the completeness and non-selective nature of obedience required.

so that the land where I am bringing you to live
The land referred to is Canaan, the Promised Land, which God had sworn to give to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:7). This land was not just a physical territory but a place where God's people could live under His rule and blessing. The promise of the land is a central theme in the Old Testament, symbolizing God's faithfulness and the fulfillment of His promises. The land was to be a place of rest and prosperity, contingent upon Israel's faithfulness to God's commands.

will not vomit you out
This vivid imagery of the land "vomiting" out its inhabitants is a metaphor for divine judgment and expulsion due to sin and disobedience. It reflects the holiness of the land, which cannot tolerate impurity and idolatry. This concept is echoed in Leviticus 18:28, where the land is described as having "vomited out" the previous inhabitants due to their abominations. The warning serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the conditional nature of the covenant blessings. It also foreshadows the eventual exile of Israel due to their failure to uphold God's laws, as seen in 2 Kings 17:7-23.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The primary audience of Leviticus, the Israelites were God's chosen people, set apart to live according to His laws as they journeyed to the Promised Land.

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

3. The Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a land flowing with milk and honey, symbolizing God's provision and blessing.

4. God
The sovereign Lord who established the statutes and ordinances for His people, emphasizing holiness and obedience.

5. The Law
The collection of statutes and ordinances given by God to the Israelites, which included moral, ceremonial, and civil laws.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Commands
The importance of adhering to God's statutes and ordinances is emphasized as a means of maintaining a right relationship with Him and ensuring His blessings.

Holiness and Separation
God's call for His people to be holy and distinct from surrounding nations is a timeless principle, urging believers today to live set apart for God's purposes.

Consequences of Disobedience
The warning that the land would "vomit" out the disobedient serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences of turning away from God's commands.

Covenant Relationship
The statutes and ordinances are part of a covenant relationship, where obedience is a response to God's faithfulness and love.

Living in the Promised Land
The promise of dwelling in the land is contingent upon obedience, symbolizing the spiritual rest and blessings found in Christ for believers today.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of holiness in Leviticus 20:22 apply to Christians today, and what are some practical ways we can live out this call to holiness?

2. In what ways do the blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 relate to the warning given in Leviticus 20:22?

3. How can we, as modern believers, ensure that we are not "vomited out" of the spiritual blessings God has promised us?

4. What parallels can be drawn between the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land and our spiritual journey as Christians?

5. How does understanding the covenant relationship between God and Israel enhance our understanding of our relationship with God through Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, reinforcing the consequences mentioned in Leviticus 20:22.

Exodus 19:5-6
These verses highlight the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience to God's laws would make them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Romans 12:1-2
Paul urges believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices and to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, echoing the call to holiness found in Leviticus.

1 Peter 1:15-16
Peter calls Christians to be holy in all their conduct, as God is holy, directly linking to the holiness theme in Leviticus.
Sermons
Punishments Assigned to Presumptuous SinsR.A. Redford Leviticus 20:1-27
Sin unto DeathJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 20:1-27
LapidationM. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.Leviticus 20:2-27
Penal SanctionsS. H. Kellogg, D. D.Leviticus 20:2-27
People
Molech, Moses
Places
Teman
Topics
Bring, Bringing, Decisions, Decrees, Dwell, Follow, Giving, Judgments, Kept, Laws, Observe, Ordinances, Resting-place, Rules, Spew, Spue, Statutes, Therein, Violently, Vomit, Vomiteth, Whither
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 20:22-24

     4208   land, divine responsibility
     5602   vomit

Leviticus 20:22-26

     7340   clean and unclean

Library
Tenth Day. Holiness and Separation.
I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people that ye should be Mine.'--Lev. xx. 24, 26. 'Until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.... All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.'--Num. vi. 5, 8. 'Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Seventh Day. Holiness and Obedience.
Ye have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: ye shall be unto me an holy nation.'--Ex. xix. 4-6. Israel has reached Horeb. The law is to be given and the covenant made. Here are God's first words to the people; He speaks of redemption and its blessing, fellowship with Himself: 'Ye have seen how I brought …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^A Matt. I. 18-25. ^a 18 Now the birth [The birth of Jesus is to handled with reverential awe. We are not to probe into its mysteries with presumptuous curiosity. The birth of common persons is mysterious enough (Eccl. ix. 5; Ps. cxxxix. 13-16), and we do not well, therefore, if we seek to be wise above what is written as to the birth of the Son of God] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed [The Jews were usually betrothed ten or twelve months …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Self-Denial.
"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."--Matt. xvi. 24. Good works are not the saint's sanctification, any more than drops of water are the fountain; but they spring as crystal drops from the fountain of sanctification. They are good, not when the saint intends them to be good, but when they conform to the divine law and proceed from a true faith. Yet the intention is of great importance; the Church has always taught that a work could not be called …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

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

Eleventh Day. The Holy one of Israel.
I am the Lord that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. I the Lord which make you holy, am holy.'--Lev. xi. 45, xxi. 8. 'I am the Lord Thy God, the Holy One of Israel, Thy Saviour. Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.'--Isa. xliii. 3, 14, 15. In the book of Exodus we found God making provision for the Holiness of His people. In the holy …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic Theology as Regards the Doctrine of Forgiveness in Contrast to the Gospel of Christ
In two things chiefly does the fundamental difference appear between Christianity and all other religious systems, notably Rabbinism. And in these two things, therefore, lies the main characteristic of Christ's work; or, taking a wider view, the fundamental idea of all religions. Subjectively, they concern sin and the sinner; or, to put it objectively, the forgiveness of sin and the welcome to the sinner. But Rabbinism, and every other system down to modern humanitarianism - if it rises so high in …
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

Links
Leviticus 20:22 NIV
Leviticus 20:22 NLT
Leviticus 20:22 ESV
Leviticus 20:22 NASB
Leviticus 20:22 KJV

Leviticus 20:22 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Leviticus 20:21
Top of Page
Top of Page