“‘Do not steal.

“‘Do not lie.

“‘Do not deceive one another.

 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”” – Leviticus 19:11-18 NIV

Have you ever noticed that in Leviticus, as God teaches Israelites how they are to conduct themselves before the elders, parents, neighbors, the earth, and even how they treat the animals, He repeats the same phrase: “I am the Lord”?

It took me a while to finally understand that He was not just reminding the people of His sovereignty and Who they choose to follow as He taught them laws and decrees.

He was teaching them the key to successful relationships: love.

When we love God, it also changes how we see and care for others – and ultimately, how we conduct ourselves with others. Loving God leads to loving others. That is why Yeshua, in response to a Pharisee’s question about the greatest commandment, said:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” He did not end it there. Yeshua further adds: “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40).

All the laws that God commanded to be obeyed – not to steal, not to kill, not to covet (for all we do comes from the heart. Read Proverbs 4:23) to honor parents…for most of us, it seems pretty obvious that this type of conduct is an honorable way to live.

However, back in the ancient times, it was not seen that way. People believed in the old adage, “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.” If someone took out an eye of one person, it was believed that in revenge, in order to compensate for the lost eye, TWO must be taken. That cycle of violence and bloodshed needed to be curtailed somehow.

This exceeding wickedness of the human heart is why God began by placing limitations on the violent human behavior. All that rage, malice, desire for revenge, the cycle of bloodshed and violence … through the laws and prophets – God established how far they can go (Jeremiah 17:9; Deuteronomy 4-34). God did not just eliminate revenge. He knew there needs to be compensation for the wrong – a price to be paid.

This ultimate price of our sins was paid by God through Yeshua on the cross thousands of years later (Hebrews 12; Colossians 2:6-15).

God did so much more. In addition to setting boundaries (keep in mind that these are not God’s ideal standards for us. Rather, these laws were preparing us, the entire human race, for the perfect ideal, which was shown through Yeshua), He taught people how to love others. Love leads to respect. Respect leads to breaking the cycle of bloodshed and violence. Indeed, through Abraham, all nations are blessed (Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18).

This teaching of love begins and ends with the Lord.

Remember, He is the Lord.