EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers are to physically help those in need.
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edge of your field
or gather the gleanings of your harvest.
10 Do not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes.
Leave them for the poor and the resident alien;
I am the Lord your God.”
Holiness
Scholars often refer to Leviticus 17-26 as “the Holiness Code.”
Holiness involves qualities such as uniqueness, separateness, purity, and devotion.
It represents a major theme in the book of Leviticus.
God calls His people to be holy because He is holy (Lev. 19:2).
While God is the ultimate standard of holiness,
His holiness can be reflected in people who partake of His nature by faith (2 Pet. 1:4).
Places (like the burning bush, Mount Sinai, and the tabernacle/temple)
and times (like Sabbaths and festivals)
are called holy since they represent God’s presence and offer His people the opportunity to worship Him.
Items and persons can be holy because they are devoted to His service.
Leviticus 19:9-10 emphasizes the practical side of holiness.
Offering dignity to the helpless and defending the sanctity of human life are prime examples of holiness in a fallen world.
verses 9-10 (PSG, pp. 79-80).
Briefly discuss harvesting and gleaning.
Remind the group that this was all carried out without machinery.
Share the following statement:
God was not simply passing along information about farming.
He was instructing His people how to care for the poor and needy.
God called the Israelites to show love for Him and others.
God’s people today must have the same concern, including caring for vulnerable people around us.
Prior to the session, gather information about a ministry in your area that helps feed the poor or provides another service focused on the sanctity of human life. Work with the group to plan a day when they can serve at that ministry. Remind them that this is not for personal satisfaction, but an effort to fulfill God’s command to care for others and to honor the sanctity of human life.
-->Review these points from Apply the Text on page 81 of the Personal Study Guide:
Encourage the group to discuss if it is possible to fulfill any of the summary statements without also fulfilling the others. Note that from a biblical perspective, God’s love and example are the common threads that connect each of these statements and help us maintain proper motives in serving others.
Call attention to Pack Item 5 (Poster: The Sanctity of Human Life). Read the contents related to the sanctity of human life. Encourage adults to respond to both sets of questions on page 81 of the PSG.
Distribute copies of Pack Item 9 (Handout: Praying Scripture in Exodus and Leviticus). Lead adults to continue reflecting on Exodus 22:23-24 using the prompts on the handout. Close the session in prayer, asking God to help adults be sensitive to opportunities He provides to affirming the sanctity of all human life by meeting the needs of vulnerable people, from conception to the grave.
Reinforce the session this week by sharing the summary statements through a text or email to the group. Encourage adults to continue praying through Exodus 22:23-24 during the week and to be sensitive to where God is leading them to be His hands and feet toward a vulnerable population in your community. If you choose to schedule the ministry project as suggested in the Group Activity Option, urge adults to be in prayer for that event as they plan and prepare.
The Christian and the Social Order
All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. (See Micah 6:8; James 1:27.)
Dig deeper into the background and usage of key words or phrases.
Note the terms “widow” and “fatherless” in Exodus 22:22. Consult a concordance to locate other uses of these two terms in the Bible. If available, read the articles on “orphans” and “widows” in a Bible dictionary. Then write one or two sentences summarizing God’s concern for orphans and widows and the implications for God’s people.