My Face Against Man פָּנַי֙ בָּאִ֣ישׁ

We are in chapter twenty of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. פָּנַי֙ בָּאִ֣ישׁ my face against that man. It is used 3 times in the Old Testament, twice in our chapter. Let’s look at our 3 uses. Leviticus 20:3-6 I myself will set פָּנַי֙ בָּאִ֣ישׁ my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set פָּנַ֛י בָּאִ֥ישׁ my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech. “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set פָּנַי֙ בַּנֶּ֣פֶשׁ [this has a different word so instead of man it is soul so literally my face against that soul] my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. The reason God is taking this strong action against this person is because of their horrific evil. We have looked at this yesterday and on a few other occasions. Our third use of our phrase is also in the context of great evil. Ezekiel 14:6-8 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself. And I will set פָנַ֜י בָּאִ֣ישׁ my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Did you notice the specific reason God gives why he takes this action? Because they are the ones who have separated themselves from God because of their worship of idols. Notice how this is phrased “taking his idols into his heart.” God takes his relationship with us personally. This is why Jesus calls us to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Because our sin has separated us from God when Jesus died on the cross and took our sin on himself God had to turn his face against his own son. This is why Jesus cried out from the cross, “my God my God why have you forsaken me?!” The good news is that because of Christ God is for us when we turn from our sin and accept the salvation God offers us. I’ll close with this great passage. Romans 8:31-34 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.