Leviticus 26:18
And if after all this you will not obey Me, I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins.
And if after all this you will not obey Me
This phrase emphasizes the conditional nature of God's covenant with Israel. The context is a series of blessings and curses outlined in Leviticus 26, where obedience leads to blessings and disobedience to curses. The phrase "after all this" refers to the preceding warnings and punishments described earlier in the chapter. Historically, this reflects the covenantal relationship established at Sinai, where Israel agreed to follow God's laws. The call to obedience is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, seen in Deuteronomy 28 and echoed in the New Testament, such as in John 14:15, where Jesus says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

I will proceed to punish you sevenfold for your sins
The term "sevenfold" signifies completeness and intensity in biblical numerology, often associated with divine judgment or perfection. This reflects the seriousness of Israel's covenant violations and God's commitment to justice. The concept of sevenfold punishment is not only a warning but also a demonstration of God's patience and desire for repentance, as seen in the cyclical nature of Israel's history in the Book of Judges. Theologically, this can be connected to the ultimate judgment and redemption through Christ, who bore the full measure of sin's penalty, offering complete atonement. The idea of sevenfold punishment also appears in Revelation, where the number seven is frequently used to describe the fullness of God's plans and judgments.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Yahweh)
The covenant-keeping God of Israel, who is speaking to the Israelites through Moses, outlining the blessings for obedience and the consequences for disobedience.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are receiving the laws and commandments from God through Moses. They are the primary audience of this message.

3. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites, who is delivering God's laws and instructions to the people.

4. Mount Sinai
The place where God gave the laws to Moses, including the blessings and curses found in Leviticus 26.

5. Covenant
The agreement between God and the Israelites, which includes blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Teaching Points
The Seriousness of Disobedience
God's warning of a sevenfold punishment underscores the seriousness of disobedience. It serves as a reminder that sin has consequences, and God is just in His dealings with His people.

The Purpose of Discipline
God's discipline is not merely punitive but corrective. It is intended to bring His people back to a place of obedience and blessing.

The Call to Repentance
The escalation of punishment is a call to repentance. It shows God's desire for His people to return to Him and restore their relationship.

The Faithfulness of God
Even in discipline, God remains faithful to His covenant. His actions are consistent with His character and His promises.

The Importance of Obedience
Obedience to God's commands is crucial for experiencing His blessings. It reflects a heart aligned with His will and purposes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of a "sevenfold" punishment reflect the seriousness of disobedience in the context of the covenant between God and the Israelites?

2. In what ways can we see God's discipline as an act of love, and how does this understanding affect our response to His correction?

3. How can the warnings in Leviticus 26:18 motivate us to examine our own lives for areas of disobedience and prompt us to seek repentance?

4. What parallels can we draw between the consequences of disobedience in Leviticus 26 and the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament regarding sin and repentance?

5. How can we apply the principles of obedience and discipline found in Leviticus 26:18 to our daily walk with God, ensuring that we remain in His will and experience His blessings?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 28
This chapter also outlines blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing a parallel to Leviticus 26.

Hebrews 12
Discusses God's discipline as a sign of His love, which can be related to the concept of punishment for disobedience in Leviticus 26:18.

2 Chronicles 7:14
Emphasizes the importance of repentance and turning back to God, which is a key theme in the context of Leviticus 26.

Proverbs 3:11-12
Highlights the value of accepting God's discipline, which aligns with the purpose of the punishments described in Leviticus 26.
Temporal Rewards and PunishmentsR.M. Edgar Leviticus 26:1-46
Promises and ThreateningsR.A. Redford Leviticus 26:3-39
God Proceeds from Milder to Sharper CoursesJ. Spencer.Leviticus 26:14-19
God UnchangeableJ. Spencer.Leviticus 26:14-19
God's Presence a Source of Blessing to a NationJ. Spencer.Leviticus 26:14-19
God's Warning a BlessingA. F. Schauffler.Leviticus 26:14-19
God's Warning Against RebellionHenry, MatthewLeviticus 26:14-19
Imprecations Among the AncientsM. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.Leviticus 26:14-19
National Transgression and DisasterW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 26:14-19
Divine RetributionW. Clarkson Leviticus 26:14-39
Prophetic MaledictionsJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 26:14-39
People
Egyptians, Isaac, Israelites, Jacob, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Added, Chastise, Ear, Hearken, Listen, Obey, Punish, Punishment, Seven, Sevenfold, Sins, Spite, Yet
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 26:18

     1653   numbers, 6-10
     8231   discipline, divine

Leviticus 26:14-20

     8032   trust, lack of
     8833   threats

Leviticus 26:14-39

     5827   curse
     6026   sin, judgment on

Leviticus 26:15-20

     9210   judgment, God's

Leviticus 26:18-19

     4312   bronze
     4855   weather, God's judgment

Leviticus 26:18-20

     4510   sowing and reaping
     8845   unfruitfulness

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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