Leviticus is full of rules, and this is especially clear in Leviticus 19. Various laws are given (some re-given) concerning sacrificial offerings, sowing and harvesting, garment-making, sabbaths (twice in this chapter alone), eating blood, honesty in business practices, witchcraft, and tattoos, among other areas. Why all the rules? I thought this was a covenant relationship?
The Judeo-Christian faith is indeed more about a relationship with God than blindly following rules. (Jesus made that point with the Pharisees on more than one occasion.) Our relationship with God is defined by love: His love for us and our love for Him. Our love for God is given to us as the greatest commandment (which is itself a rule) and His love for us is given to us as the greatest blessing.
A love relationship is at the heart of our faith, but that does not mean that there is no room for rules. Rules give shape and structure, and are a sign of our obedience (and, as Jesus said, if we love Him, then we will obey His commands).
Perhaps an analogy would help. There are noisy young people who keep living in my house. I call them my children. They eat my food, borrow my car, and use up all my hot water. But I let them stay because I love them.
However, there are "house rules" that they are expected to follow. There is a shape and structure to my love relationship with them. They are expected to respect me. They have chores that they are supposed to do - not just because I want them to work and not enjoy any free time, but because there are tasks that need done if our house is to function smoothly. They are to treat each other with kindness. If they go out, I need to know who they are going with and they need to be back by a certain time.
If you were to ask them, they might say that there are a lot of rules to follow. But they know that those rules, though important, are merely a derivative of a healthy relationship, not the heart of it.
While we might quibble with a rule here or there and fail to understand the intention behind it (why not round off the hair on our temples [vs. 27], or sow our fields with two different kinds of seed [vs. 19]?) most of God's directions are manifestly important and for our own good. Seeking after anything other than God, such as witchcraft, can be to our spiritual detriment. Leaving some of the harvest for the poor is a generous act of mercy. And loving our neighbor as ourselves (vs. 18)? Jesus frequently incorporated that essential rule into His teaching.
Not all of the rules in Leviticus are still operative in the New Testament sense. They were given as part of the covenant establishing Israel as a nation. The heart of the law, and God's moral character, are timeless and changeless, but not all of the cultural specifics of that day and age remain in effect today.
Do you find yourself arguing with God about His rules, or obediently following them?
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