The Bible in a Year – 7 February

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

7 February. Leviticus chapters 19-21

Despite what some more fundamentalist Christians will tell you (including the people at Bible Gateway whose plan I am following) the whole of the first 5 chapters of the Bible (the Torah) was not written all at one go before any of the rest of it.  Most modern commentaries reckon there are at least four sources for this material from various times in Israel’s history.

 

That this section (from here to the end of Leviticus) was written well after the time of Moses is evidenced by many references to a settled agricultural life rather than a nomadic desert existence.  For example chapter 19 has rules for harvesting crops in a way that the very poorest can get a share of them, paying hired workers fairly, and planting of orchards.

 

Sadly, many agricultural workers (or even farm owners) don’t get a fair share even now. Not only in developing countries where  the Fairtrade system and similar ‘trade marks’ are needed to evidence that workers are paid well and able to improve their standards of living, but also in the UK where gangs of overseas workers live in inhumane conditions, and dairy and sheep farmers can hardly make a living for themselves, let alone a profitable business.

 

Turning from one still very relevant issue to another, chapter 20 refers to the sacrifice of children to Molech. Not that I’m suggesting there is child sacrifice in Britain, but the injunction not to ignore any suspected child abuse is still a message that needs teaching in safeguarding courses..