Bro. Bruce's commentary for the book of Genesis is
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LEVITICUS
CHAPTER 26

1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Here God reiterates the first two commandments. God is "a jealous God" (Exodus 20:5).
If we keep HIS holy days, and attend to HIS sanctuary we won't have time for
idle worship or idol worship.
Remember, God is not "wordy." What He says, He says in concise terms. Therefore,
if God reiterates, we should consider it IMPORTANT~!

3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9 For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. 10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. 11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

These are blessings that are enumerated IF we keep God's Word.
Verse 4 - the right amount of rain for crops to produce.
Verse 5 - an over-abundance of crops, leaving surplus for sale.
Verse 5 - Safety in the land.
Verse 6 - Peace in the land. Using God's laws produce a low crime rate.
Verses 7-8 - When war is necessary, the people of God are promised dominance.
Verse 9 - Again, the REASON for these blessings is because God will have "respect"
toward them if they keep His Word.
Verse 10 - (see verse 5)
Verse 11-12 - God's presence is SUPPORT. (See James 4:8)
God is always present; but His promise to uphold, provide and
protect is in this statement.

Remember, these are conditional promises to God's people. They are based on
IF Israel keeps God's Word.
Do you suppose God extends the same promises to His CHURCH today? (See John 15:16)

13 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.

God's promises are also based on the fact that HE is GOD, therefore He
can deliver what He promises. He has already proven that to this nation.

14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: 16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. 18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate. 23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; 24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; 28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. 31 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. 32 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. 36 And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. 37 And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

Just as God promises blessings for knowing and doing His will, He also promises discipline
for disobedience.
I believe God is a LOVING GOD. His love is extended to lost people by His grace. And once a person
is saved, God continues to extend His grace by telling us what is acceptable and unacceptable to Him.
Verses 14-16 - "IF" they do not "hearken" and "do" His commandments God will allow disease and sorrow.
("Hearken" means to willingly hear and learn; "do" means to be obedient.)
Verses 17-18 - Outside nations will begin to hold dominance. Notice that "seven times more for your sins" is
promised because of not listening and obeying after having received God's Word.
"Seven" is a word used to imply COMPLETE. I believe that any person who is really a
born-again Christian, will experience such discipline that will bring him to full repentance
when he is disobedient to God's will.
God's purpose for discipline is to bring them (and us) to repentance.
He will COMPLETE it in those who are really His!
Verses 19-20 - Power is a source of pride. Both will be broken when God allows enemies to rule over
them. Question: is the power of the church broken in the U.S.A. today?
Think about it. Power is also broken when "heaven" doesn't yield the rain, and "earth"
is "as brass," because agriculture cannot have crop increases.
Verse 21 - The promise of "seven times more plagues." Why is it that just as we find a cure for a
deadly disease, another one (and worse) comes in its place?
Verse 22 - What is the "wild beast" of today that destroys our children? Abortion - which comes by
pride and selfishness. Also government sponsored education which sends mixed signals
teaching that we should be honest and have integrity; but it's ok to have an
"alternate lifestyle," and that one simply CANNOT abstain from sex, so therefore
"here are some condoms."
Verses 23-24 - Still God tells the reason for the chastisement: "reformation."
Verse 25 - War and pestilence is enought to ruin any nation.
Verse 26 - From the war and pestilence, the economy will be broken. It would be SO broken
that ten families (women) would bake bread for their families in ONE oven.
That would not be enough food!
Verses 27-28 - Again, God states his purpose for the chastisment. He is "longsuffering" toward us and
does not desire that any perish (2Pet. 3:9). But God is also JUST, and will not
suffer vain encroachment of His Word.
Verse 29 - Now God promises fury. What a horrid thought! Can anyone ever be so broken?
Yes! See 2Kings 6:24-29.
Verses 30-32 - If God's reprimands did not cause them to break down their idols, then He would cause
it to be done by WAR.
Verses 33-35 - This is the promise of being "scattered" among Gentiles which God eventually did.
At least after that, the land observed the "Sabbaths" because it was desolate!
Verses 36-39 - Fear, timidity and weakness will characterise the people who refuse to listen to God.
Verses 40-42 - There is HOPE here. God is ALWAYS listening. And if He hears repentance
He will restore!!
Verses 43-45 - And if repentance doesn't come until after they are broken and scattered, God will still
not destroy them totally. He will save a "remnant" because he remembers His covenant
promise. VVerse 46 - This chapter represents a solemn oath God has set before his people through Moses.

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