Commandments מִצְוָה

We are in chapter twenty-seven of Leviticus with our word for today which will be the last word we look at in the book of Leviticus. We have both the noun and verb forms of our word. מִצְוָה commission, commandment, set of all the commandments, right. This is the noun. It is used 181 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of command, an authoritative direction or instruction to do something through speech or writing. We see this of Abraham and David. Genesis 26:4-5 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, מִצְוֺתַ֖י my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 1 Kings 3:14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes וּמִצְוֺתַ֔י and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. 1 Kings 11:34, 38 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept מִצְוֺתַ֥י my commandments and my statutes … And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes וּמִצְוֺתַ֔י and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.  We also see God’s people fail to do our word. 1 Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the מִצְוַ֞ת command of the Lord your God, with which צִוָּ֔ךְ [this is the verb form of our word] he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 1 Kings 13:21-22 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept הַמִּצְוָ֔ה the command that the Lord your God צִוְּךָ֖[this is the verb form of our word] commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” As we have seen law or commandments are the quickest and most direct way to communicate one’s will. God doesn’t want us to miss who he is and what he expects. Throughout the book of Leviticus, we see God instructing the priests how to set up and carryout the tabernacle worship. The whole point was for people to connect with God. So it is fitting to conclude the book with our word. Leviticus 27:34 These are הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת the commandments that the Lord צִוָּ֧ה [this is the verb] commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. Our verb is in the Piel tense which is an intensive showing force behind it. So God is commanding in an intense way his commandments. God’s will for us is good. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. This is why it is to only hurts us and others around us when we ignore it or try to change it. I’ll close with these great passages. Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word that I מְצַוֶּ֣ה command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the מִצְוֺת֙ commandments of the Lord your God that I מְצַוֶּ֥ה command you. Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. Psalm 112:1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights בְּ֝מִצְוֺתָ֗יו in his commandments!