And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. (Leviticus 18:1-3 ESV)
Menu
I have a delightful friend who is annoying in one way. When eating out, he never seems to just choose from the menu. Perhaps it is ala carte, or perhaps it is adjusting the offerings, or perhaps he is merely very fussy.
But when he orders his meal, he stands out.
I imagine the servers, cooks, and managers asking, “Why can’t he just be like everyone else?”
But God’s people are like my friend, perhaps.
They were not like the other nations on the menu. They did not live like the Egyptians. They did not live like the Canaanites. They did not live like the Philistines. They did not live like the Assyrians. They did not live like the Babylonians. They did not live like the Romans.
They lived like God told them to live.
They stood out. They were different. They did not fit in.
And when done in love, in humility, in awareness that we only can live that way through God’s grace, mercy, and Son…
It turns the world upside down.