Through LeviticusSample

Individual vs Community Rights 

Whole book reading: Leviticus 17-20

Leviticus 17- 20 shows various rules which God had given the Israelites. Many of the laws here have become accepted in the world today. Those who wish to follow these rules are generally considered old fashioned and conservative. These passages emphasize that many of the issues we face today were there even in those days and God gave laws to protect the purity of the Israelites. 

To consider God as old fashioned or harsh shows our ignorance in knowing God. The laws here talk about the various inter-personal relationships and how God is concerned about everyone and their needs and rights. The drive to follow these rules today should be the command of Jesus which encourages us to love our neighbor as our self. These are some of the ways of achieving it.

Many of the punishments may look harsh but it saved a lot of trouble for the Israelites. These rules are given with the intention of the rights of a society compared to the rights of an individual. In today’s world we are so caught up with our own rights that we fail to see the responsibility towards society. If these rules were followed wholeheartedly, the world would be a better place to live in.

Life is about the balance between my right vs my responsibility to society.