20131110 Sunday, November 10 2013
Leviticus 19: Love Thy Neighbour As Thyself

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD"

One of the most famous teachings of Jesus Christ (see also The Forerunner Of Man and Of God) was to "love thy neighbour as thyself."

"22:37 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. 22:38 This is the first and great commandment. 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

The Messiah's "love thy neighbour as thyself" teaching originated, by Him, as the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ; see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God), long before He was born as a man. When He said it in the "New Testament," He was quoting Himself from the "Old Testament": "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD."

"19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. 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. 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. 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." (Leviticus 19:15-18 KJV)

The context of the "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (verse 18 in the chapter below) was not merely a state of mind, but a way of life.

"19:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God [see Why Observe The True Sabbath?; also Pentecost: The Christian Feast Of Firstfruits, The Christian Feast Of Trumpets: The First Day Of Salvation, Why Do Christians Observe The Messiah's Day Of Atonement?, Why Christians Observe The Messiah's Feast Of Tabernacles and The Eighth Day: Empty Cemeteries).

19:4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

19:5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will. 19:6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 19:7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 19:8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 19:10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God [see The Gleaner's Law].

19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD [see also Why Call Me, Lord, Lord, and Do Not The Things Which I Say?].

19:13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

19:14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

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.

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.

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.

19:19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

19:20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 19:21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. 19:22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

19:23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. 19:24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal. 19:25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

19:26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times [see What Is Sorcery?].

19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

19:29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

19:30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits [see also Satan's Masquerade], neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

19:33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

19:35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 19:36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

19:37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:1-37 KJV)

Fact Finder: What does "love your neighbour as yourself" have to do with the LORD's Ten Commandments?
See The Two Great Commandments