leviticus 26:3-27:34, bechukotai, “by my decrees” chiastic structure

Read Leviticus 26:3-27:34 at Bible Gateway.

lev 25:1-27:34, behar + bechukotai paragraph divisions /chiastic structure 2012 may 19
lev 26-27, what the soul abhors (not) 2011 feb 28
teaching tools of scripture

I could not see the single chiastic structure formed by bechukotai this year. The entire parashah forms a chiastic structure with a portion of behar (posted above). Lev 27, the chapter on valuation and redemption, is a loose end. It is interesting to me, because I am thinking ahead to the single chiastic structure formed by Leviticus, if there is one. The book opens with the law of the sacrifices, and closes with the valuation and redemption of persons, animals, and property consecrated to the Lord.

It puts me in mind of the valuation of the Sacrifice which the Lord provided for Himself to redeem us from sin, death, and all the power of the devil. That is our value to the Lord, in His estimation. It blows my mind!

Lev 26:3-46 does form a complex chiastic structure (there are numerous smaller and overlapping structures within this one, besides the ones which are mapped below):

Lev 26:3-46 [p+s+p}
1a) Lev 26:3-13 {p} If you walk in My statutes, My soul shall not abhor you/ I will establish My covenant with you;

1a) Lev 26:3a, If you walk in My statutes;
1b) Lev 26:3b, If you keep My commandments and do them (if you respect Me);
central axis) Lev 26:4-8, Then these blessings of obedience will come upon you;
2b) Lev 26:9-11, Then I will respect you/ My soul shall not abhor you;

1a) Lev 26:9a, For I will have respect unto you;
1b) Lev 26:9b, I will make you fruitful and multiply you;
central axis) Lev 26:9c, I will establish My covenant with you;
2b) Lev 26:10, You shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new;
2a) Lev 26:11, I will set My tabernacle among you; My soul shall not abhor you;

2a) Lev 26:12-13 {p} I will walk among you;

1a) Lev 26:12a, I will walk among you;
1b) Lev 26:12b, I will be your God + you shall be My people;
central axis) Lev 26:13a, I am the Lord your God who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt;
2b) Lev 26:13b, That you should not be their slaves + I have broken the bands of your yoke;
2a) Lev 26:13c {p] I made you walk upright.

1b) Lev 26:14-26 {s} If your soul abhors My judgments;

1a) Lev 26:14-17, If you will not hearken to Me + soul abhors My judgments + breaks My covenant: curses of disobedience;
1b) Lev 26:18-20, If for all this you will not yet hearken unto Me, I will punish you seven times more for your sins;
2b) Lev 26:21-22, If for all this you will not yet hearken unto Me, I will bring seven times more plagues because of your sins;
2a) Lev 26:23-26 {s} If you will not repent, I will avenge My covenant: curses for disobedience;

central axis) Lev 26:27-33, My soul shall abhor you;

1a) Lev 26:27-30a, If for all this you walk contrary to Me: you shall devour your children/ I will destroy your high places + idols;
central axis) Lev 26:30b, And My soul shall abhor you;
2a) Lev 26:31-33, I will make your cities + your land desolate;

1a) Lev 26:31a, And I will make your cities waste;
1b) Lev 26:31b, I will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation;
central axis) Lev 26:31c, I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors;
2b) Lev 26:32, I will bring your land unto desolation;

1a) Lev 26:32, I will bring the land into desolation, so that your enemies will be astonished at it;
central axis) Lev 26:33a, I will scatter you among the heathen + draw out a sword after you;
2a) Lev 26:33b, And your land shall be desolate;

2a) Lev 26:33c, And your cities waste;

2b) Lev 26:34-43, Because their soul abhorred My statutes;

1a) Lev 26:34-38, The land shall enjoy her Sabbaths while it lies desolate/ you are suffering the punishment of your iniquity in your enemies’ land;
1b) Lev 26:39-41a, If you pine away in your inquity/ confess you have walked contrary to Me therefore you are in the land of your enemies;
central axis) Lev 26:41b, If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled + they accept the punishment of their iniquity;
2b) Lev 26:42, Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob + Isaac + Abraham;
2a) Lev 26:43, The land shall enjoy her Sabbaths while it lies desolate/ they shall accept the punishment of their iniquity because their soul abhorred My statutes;

2a) Lev 26:44-46 {p} And yet for all that, neither shall I abhor them/ I will remember My covenant.

The central axis: the soul of the Lord shall abhor us, if we abhor His statutes and judgments. Listen, the Lord takes His own Word seriously, and we should also. Please remember that. Stop trusting in the word of man! Listen to the message of the Lord’s own Word. The gospel of grace is embedded within this message if we will open our eyes to see it!