Verse 19 teaches us to respect the ceremonial differences that God instilled in animal, plant, and fibers. God who is holy wanted them to keep other things pure and holy. Verses 23-25 teach them to protect the fruit until the trees have passed a stage of cultivation for the first four years.

Verses 20-37 emphasize staying separate from unholy, pagan cultures around them. They should protect the innocence of slave women, and if a man takes advantage of a slave woman, he must bring a guilt offering and repent of his sin. This high level of justice protects the most vulnerable in society.

Verses 26-31 are laws that guide them to abstain from the idol worship and witchcraft practices in the land. Verses 32 instructs them to show basic respect for elders. Verses 33-34 emphasize to be kind, just, and fair in their relationships with foreigners, remembering they once suffered as foreigners in Egypt. They should resist the temptation to take advantage of them since the weights differed from each nation. We must love foreigners, no matter how strange or different they may be. We all need the grace of Jesus through the Holy Spirit to love our neighbors as ourselves and to keep God's laws, remembering he is the Lord.


Application: Father, fill us with your grace and Holy Spirit to love our neighbors and keep your commands faultlessly.
One Word: Keep all the Lord's decrees