INTERESTING FACTS : Compared to other ancient manuscripts, the Bible is accepted as being the most accurately preserved text. The Jewish people preserved the Old Testament manuscripts as no other ancient written documents have been preserved. In fact, most of the other writings from Bible times have been found only in the past few hundred years on clay tablets.[1]

DAILY READING : [LEVITICUS 19 - 21]

TEXT : Lev 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. Lev 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

THEME : LOVE

As we read Leviticus, we continue to see law after law. Detailed and intricate, God tells Moses His Law, who in turn tells Aaron and the Levites what the commandments are and how to perform them. If you notice, four of the Ten Commandments have to do with Israel's relation to God. The other six covers Israel's relation to each other. Therefore, more than half of the Ten Commandments concern how one Jew should treat his or her fellow Jew. This is the Law of love.

Of the multitude of commands given to Israel, two summarize all of them. Jesus taught us that love to God and love to others are the hinges on which the door of all God requires hang.

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Mat 22:34 - 40]

TRUTH FOR TODAY: THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IS LOVE!

Notice how love behaves itself from the text above. It does not go around as a talebearer. More Churches have been ruined by gossip and backbiting than any other sin. The Bible tells us the tongue is an unruly evil and full of deadly poison. That is, if the tongue is not employed in the fear of God and the love of neighbor. However, the tongue can bring life as well, since death and life are in the power of the tongue. Anyway, true love of neighbor does not "tell tales out of school" making others look bad.

In addition, true love does not enable sin or bad behavior by ignoring it or not addressing it. We see this in the text above as well. Rebuke of wrongdoing is part of loving a person. Of course, the truth is not always negative, but at times, it is. The person who loves does not ignore it, but rather, addresses it. This is true love. Love is the willingness to speak the truth - good or bad - because of our concern for others. Only the truth can make people free, and God's Word - all of it, is truth.

In Leviticus 19:18 we have the crux of the Gospel, and the second of the two great commandments - love to neighbor. Jesus said all men would know we are His disciples by our love one to another. It is strange how the Church can substitute so many programs projects, doctrines etc. instead of obeying Christ and His Word. The greatest proof that a person is saved is their growing in love - both to God and toward their neighbor.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. [1 Jn 3:10 - 14]