Leviticus Chapter 26
Blessings and Curses
A. Blessings on Obedient Israel
1. (Leviticus 26:1–2) Do not worship idols.
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God. Ye shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 26:1–2, KJV)
The Lord begins this section with a reminder of the first and most fundamental commandment: that He alone is to be worshipped. Before declaring the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience, God reaffirmed that idolatry in any form was utterly forbidden. Israel was not to imitate the nations around them by crafting idols, carved figures, or standing stones to represent deity. The Lord Himself was to be worshipped without the aid of images, for He is the living God, not a lifeless figure fashioned by human hands.
The chapter sets forth the principle that Israel’s relationship with God would determine her national destiny. Blessings or curses would not arise by chance, but would be direct consequences of Israel’s obedience or rebellion. Worshipping the Lord alone was the foundation for all the blessings that followed, for idolatry undermined every aspect of covenant faithfulness.
The carved image, sacred pillar, and engraved stone were common instruments of pagan worship. The carved image represented a false god, often modeled after beasts or humans. The sacred pillar stood upright as a symbol of fertility worship, connected with immoral Canaanite rituals. The engraved stone, though less certain in meaning, was likely an idol stone designed to be looked upon as an object of veneration. These practices were condemned in Israel because they distorted the truth of the one true God.
The Hebrew term for “idols” carries the idea of something worthless or empty, emphasizing the futility of trusting in anything other than the Creator. As Isaiah declared, “They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit” (Isaiah 44:9). The worship of idols is therefore the worship of nothing—an exchange of the glory of the incorruptible God for images resembling created things.
To prevent such corruption, the Lord commanded Israel to “keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary.” Observing the Sabbath was a visible expression of loyalty to God’s covenant, acknowledging His authority over time itself. Reverencing the sanctuary showed proper respect for His presence among His people. Together, these two commands emphasized the exclusivity of worship and the holiness required in approaching God.
2. (Leviticus 26:3–8) Blessings on obedient Israel: plentiful harvests, peace, and victory in battle.
“If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” (Leviticus 26:3–8, KJV)
The Lord promised extraordinary blessings to an obedient Israel. If the people would walk in His statutes and faithfully keep His commandments, the land would experience supernatural fruitfulness. Rain would come “in due season,” crops would flourish, and abundance would mark every season. This promise of provision pointed to God as the true source of prosperity, not the idols of rain or fertility that the pagan nations worshipped.
Israel’s obedience would not only secure material blessings but also national peace and security. The Lord assured them that they would “dwell in your land safely.” They would rest without fear, protected from both wild beasts and enemy invasions. Peace would prevail not because of superior armies or fortifications but because the Lord Himself would defend His people.
The promise that “five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight” illustrated the supernatural empowerment that accompanies divine favor. This ratio magnified the principle that victory does not depend on numbers but on God’s presence among His people. Similar truths were displayed in the history of Israel: Gideon’s three hundred men defeating the Midianite host of 135,000 (Judges 7), Jonathan and his armor bearer striking fear into the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:6–15), and the miraculous deliverance from the Syrians in the days of Elisha (2 Kings 7:6–7). In every case, the Lord demonstrated that obedience brings power and courage far beyond natural ability.
Leviticus 26 thus functions as a covenantal charter between God and Israel. The blessings were both spiritual and material, showing that Israel’s prosperity, peace, and preservation were tied directly to their faithfulness to the covenant. Obedience would make them a living testimony of God’s goodness, declaring to all nations that there is blessing in serving the Lord alone.
3. (Leviticus 26:9–13) Blessings on obedient Israel: abundance, the presence of God, and freedom.
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you. And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set My tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people. I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.” (Leviticus 26:9–13, KJV)
In this portion of Leviticus, the Lord concludes the blessings upon an obedient Israel with promises that surpass mere material prosperity. These blessings extend to fruitfulness, divine fellowship, and spiritual freedom. The imagery reflects covenantal intimacy and national restoration, portraying a people blessed not only in their land but also in their relationship with their Redeemer.
The Lord said, “I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.” The phrase “have respect unto you” reveals divine favor and watchful care. It signifies that God’s eye would continually rest upon Israel with blessing. The multiplication of the nation echoes the covenant made with Abraham, where God said, “And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly” (Genesis 17:2). Thus, obedience would result in God confirming His promises to their fathers.
The Lord further declared, “Ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.” This means Israel would have such abundance that the previous year’s harvest would still remain when the new crop arrived. They would need to clear out the old to make room for the new. Such a picture of overflowing plenty emphasizes that when God blesses, His blessings are full and abundant, never meager or uncertain. As Psalm 65:11 declares, “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness.”
The greatest of all blessings, however, is found in God’s promise of His presence: “I will set My tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people.” This expresses intimate fellowship between the Creator and His covenant people. The tabernacle was more than a tent of meeting; it symbolized God’s dwelling among His people. His promise that “My soul shall not abhor you” shows that their obedience would maintain a pure and holy relationship where God could delight to dwell.
The phrase “I will walk among you” recalls the fellowship of Eden, where God walked with Adam before sin broke that communion (Genesis 3:8). Here, the Lord promised to restore such fellowship with redeemed Israel. This promise was later echoed in the New Testament, where Paul applied it to the church: “For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). The covenantal language shows that the heart of true blessing is not prosperity but communion with God Himself.
Finally, the Lord reminded them of their redemption: “I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.” The freedom God granted Israel was both physical and spiritual. Having delivered them from Egypt’s slavery, He now called them to walk in dignity as His people. The imagery of broken yokes and upright walking portrays liberation and restored honor. They were no longer slaves bowed under oppression but a free nation standing tall under God’s covenant care.
Rooker insightfully notes that this verse paints “the image of a slave bowed by an enormous burden. He suddenly has the weight removed, which expresses the establishment of Israel’s special relationship with God.” The transformation from servitude to uprightness reveals the moral and spiritual elevation that comes from walking in covenant obedience.
Thus, the blessings of Leviticus 26:9–13 reach their climax in this: God’s people, living in abundance, under His favor, and in His presence, walking upright and free, redeemed from bondage and set apart as His own. Without this relationship, all material prosperity would be hollow. But with His presence, even the simplest provision becomes sacred and sufficient.
B. Curses on Disobedient Israel
1. (Leviticus 26:14–17) Disobedient Israel will be cursed with fear and weakness.
“But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise My statutes, or if your soul abhor My judgments, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but that ye break My covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.” (Leviticus 26:14–17, KJV)
The tone of Leviticus now turns from blessing to warning. Having outlined the abundant rewards of obedience, God now reveals the dreadful consequences of rebellion. This transition from blessing to curse is deliberate and sobering, underscoring the seriousness of covenant responsibility. Israel’s covenant with Yahweh was not merely ceremonial but relational. To reject His commandments was to despise His authority and break the covenant established at Sinai (Exodus 24:1–8).
The Lord declared, “But if ye will not hearken unto Me… but that ye break My covenant: I also will do this unto you.” The refusal to obey was not a neutral act but an active rejection of God’s word. The language grows increasingly personal: “if your soul abhor My judgments.” This describes a deep-seated contempt for divine authority, revealing not mere forgetfulness but willful rebellion. Disobedience was not ignorance—it was hatred for God’s ways.
The curses that follow are severe. God warned, “I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague.” “Terror” speaks of dread and panic, an inward torment that destroys peace and courage. The “consumption” and “burning ague” refer to wasting diseases and fever that would consume the body and drain vitality, producing sorrow of heart. The people would become physically weak, emotionally broken, and spiritually bankrupt.
The Lord continued, “Ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.” Even their labor would be futile. They would work the land, but others would reap the harvest. This reversal of blessing mirrors Deuteronomy 28:33, which says, “The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up.” When God removes His favor, effort and industry become fruitless.
Finally, the Lord said, “I will set My face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies.” The phrase “set My face against you” is the most dreadful part of all. It indicates divine opposition, not mere withdrawal. The countenance of God, which shines in favor upon the righteous, now burns in wrath against the rebellious. The result is defeat and humiliation—“they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.” Such irrational fear is the mark of a guilty conscience and a broken spirit. When the presence of God departs, courage departs with it.
The section of curses is intentionally longer than the blessings because fallen human nature is more often restrained by fear than drawn by promise. God, knowing the stubbornness of the human heart, used these vivid warnings to impress upon Israel the cost of rebellion. As Proverbs 1:29–31 warns, “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord… therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way.”
2. (Leviticus 26:18–20) Disobedient Israel will be cursed with poor harvests.
“And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: and your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.” (Leviticus 26:18–20, KJV)
The Lord warned that if Israel persisted in rebellion despite the first wave of judgments, the punishments would increase in severity: “I will punish you seven times more for your sins.” This phrase signifies completeness and intensity. The number seven represents divine fullness; therefore, God’s chastisement would match the depth of Israel’s defiance. Every act of stubbornness would bring a proportional increase in discipline.
At the heart of their rebellion was pride. The Lord declared, “I will break the pride of your power.” Pride is the root of all sin, the refusal to acknowledge dependence upon God. Israel’s pride lay in her self-sufficiency, her armies, her wealth, and her sense of national security. When men glory in their own power, God must break it. As Proverbs 16:18 declares, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
The imagery that follows is striking: “I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass.” This expresses drought and barrenness. The sky would be like iron—impenetrable and unyielding—refusing to give rain. The ground would be like bronze—hard, cracked, and infertile. The connection between heaven and earth, between rain and fruitfulness, would be severed. Just as obedience brought rain in its season (Leviticus 26:4), disobedience would bring drought and desolation.
Furthermore, “Your strength shall be spent in vain.” Every labor would end in frustration. No matter how much they worked the soil or cultivated the trees, there would be no yield. It is a fearful thing when God removes the fruitfulness from one’s labor. It means that His blessing, the invisible favor that makes all effort prosper, has been withdrawn. The curse turns productivity into futility, abundance into emptiness, and pride into humiliation.
This judgment was designed not merely as punishment but as correction. The increasing severity of these curses reveals God’s patience. Each wave of chastisement was a call to repentance. Yet, if Israel refused to humble herself, the Lord would continue to intensify His discipline, showing that rebellion against divine authority only multiplies misery.
3. (Leviticus 26:21–22) Disobedient Israel will be cursed by wild beasts.
“And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.” (Leviticus 26:21–22, KJV)
In this passage, the Lord warned that if Israel persisted in defiance after the earlier judgments, His discipline would intensify in proportion to their rebellion. The phrase “walk contrary unto Me” depicts a deliberate and hostile attitude toward God. It is not mere neglect, but a stubborn and conscious opposition to His authority. When men persist in such rebellion, God’s chastisement becomes increasingly severe, not out of cruelty but to awaken repentance.
The Lord declared, “I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.” The term “plagues” here refers more accurately to punishments or chastisements. Each new wave of rebellion would summon a greater measure of judgment. The repetition of “seven times” throughout this chapter conveys completeness—God’s discipline would be full and thorough until its purpose was accomplished. This demonstrates that divine judgment is not random; it is measured according to the weight of sin.
Then God warned, “I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number.” When a nation loses divine protection, even nature itself turns against it. The beasts that once were kept at bay by God’s providence would now roam freely, preying upon the people, their flocks, and their herds. Such a calamity would devastate family life, agriculture, and trade. The result would be depopulation—“your high ways shall be desolate.”
This judgment was not theoretical. A historical example appears in 2 Kings 17:25, where the Assyrians resettled foreigners in Samaria after the northern kingdom of Israel was taken captive: “And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them.” The wild beasts served as instruments of divine retribution, emphasizing that God’s hand controls even the natural order in executing His judgments.
Ultimately, the release of wild beasts symbolized the removal of divine restraint. When God withdraws His protective hand, chaos follows. What was once fruitful and safe becomes dangerous and desolate. These verses reveal the sobering reality that rebellion against God does not only invite moral decay but also the breakdown of creation’s harmony.
4. (Leviticus 26:23–26) Disobedient Israel will be cursed with pestilence and famine.
“And if ye will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will walk contrary unto Me; then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.” (Leviticus 26:23–26, KJV)
Here the Lord further declared that if Israel remained unrepentant after all prior chastisements, He would escalate His judgments. The phrase “if ye will not be reformed by Me by these things” is crucial—it shows that God’s judgments are not solely punitive but corrective. The intent of discipline is reformation, to turn the heart of the sinner back to obedience. But if the people persisted in walking “contrary unto Me,” God would in turn “walk contrary unto you.” The imagery is reciprocal: as they opposed Him, He would oppose them. The covenant relationship would be strained to its breaking point because of their continual rebellion.
The Lord declared, “I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant.” The “sword” represents foreign invasion and war. The expression “avenge the quarrel of My covenant” reveals that these calamities were not arbitrary. God viewed Israel’s disobedience as a betrayal of the covenant relationship, and the coming conflicts were His righteous response to their treachery. The land promised to be a place of peace would now become a battlefield.
When the people sought refuge in their cities, thinking safety lay in walls and gates, God said, “I will send the pestilence among you.” Disease would spread rapidly among the besieged, and the enemy would eventually triumph. This prophecy was vividly fulfilled during the sieges of Samaria, Jerusalem, and later under the Babylonian invasion, where famine and pestilence ravaged the people (cf. Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 5:12).
The Lord continued, “When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight.” The “staff of bread” signifies the sustenance that supports life, much like a staff supports a man’s body. When God “breaks” it, He removes the ability to find satisfaction in food. Bread would become so scarce that ten women could share a single oven to bake the meager rations available. The phrase “by weight” indicates strict rationing, as seen in Ezekiel 4:16–17: “Behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment.”
Even when they ate, they would not be satisfied—“ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.” This portrays both physical hunger and spiritual emptiness. The famine symbolized not only lack of food but also the loss of divine blessing, the satisfaction that only comes from God’s favor. Without Him, no abundance could fill the soul.
Thus, the sequence of judgments—terror, disease, beasts, pestilence, and famine—reveals a divine pattern of escalation meant to reform the nation. God’s desire was not their destruction but their repentance. Yet if they persisted in defiance, He would walk contrary to them until they acknowledged their guilt and returned to Him in humility.
5. (Leviticus 26:27–35) Disobedient Israel will be cursed by death, desolation, and exile.
“And if ye will not for all this hearken unto Me, but walk contrary unto Me; then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and My soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.” (Leviticus 26:27–35, KJV)
This portion of Leviticus presents the most severe stage of divine judgment. God’s words become deeply personal and emphatic: “I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.” This double emphasis—“I, even I”—reveals the direct involvement of the Lord Himself in executing these punishments. The intensity of His fury matches the depth of Israel’s rebellion. They had not merely disobeyed; they had walked contrary to Him, setting themselves in deliberate opposition to His will.
The Lord declared that He would respond “in fury.” This expression signifies that His wrath would no longer be restrained. Yet, even in fury, His purpose was not annihilation but chastisement—to discipline His covenant people until repentance was achieved. God did not say He would forsake Israel entirely; rather, He would bring them under the full weight of covenantal discipline.
The judgments now described are horrific in their extremity. The Lord said, “Ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.” This represents the deepest degradation of humanity, where famine drives a people to such desperation that they consume their own children. This prophecy was fulfilled during the siege of Samaria as recorded in 2 Kings 6:26–29, when women resorted to cannibalism during extreme famine. It also tragically reappeared centuries later in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, where the historian Josephus recorded the same horror—mothers killing and eating their infants (Wars of the Jews, 6.3.4). Such atrocities reveal the depths to which sin can drag a nation under divine judgment.
The Lord further declared, “I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and My soul shall abhor you.” The “high places” were the centers of idol worship, altars built upon elevated ground for the worship of false gods. These were the very symbols of spiritual rebellion, and God promised to destroy them utterly. The imagery of corpses being cast upon the lifeless forms of idols signifies both desecration and poetic justice—the idols would become as defiled as those who trusted in them.
Next, God said, “I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.” The cities that once thrived with life would become ruins. The sanctuaries, once filled with incense and offerings, would stand silent and abandoned. The Lord’s refusal to “smell” their sacrifices indicates total rejection of their worship. The sweet aroma that once symbolized fellowship with God (Exodus 29:18) would now be repulsive to Him.
Then came the solemn pronouncement of exile: “I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you.” This scattering was both punishment and purification. Israel would lose her land, her freedom, and her temple. The sword of foreign nations—Assyria, Babylon, and later Rome—would accomplish this judgment. The dispersion among the nations fulfilled this prophecy with chilling precision, marking centuries of exile and persecution for the Jewish people.
Yet even in this curse, there is an underlying theological truth: “Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths.” During Israel’s occupation of the land, they neglected the sabbatical years ordained by God (Leviticus 25:1–7). They refused to let the land rest every seventh year as commanded. Therefore, God would remove them so that the land could finally rest. This was fulfilled during the Babylonian exile, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:21: “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.”
Rooker observed a remarkable symmetry between the blessings and the curses in Leviticus 26, demonstrating the precise moral balance within God’s covenant with Israel. The blessings promised to the obedient stand in direct contrast to the curses pronounced upon the disobedient. When Israel obeyed, the land would be fertile and fruitful, as described in Leviticus 26:4–5 and 10, but when they rebelled, that same land would become barren and unproductive, as seen in Leviticus 26:16, 19–20, and 26. Obedience brought safety and security in the land (Leviticus 26:5), whereas disobedience resulted in exile and foreign domination (Leviticus 26:33). God’s favor in removing savage beasts from the land (Leviticus 26:6) would be reversed when rebellion caused those same beasts to devour and destroy (Leviticus 26:22). Likewise, when the nation walked in faithfulness, the sword of war would be removed and peace would prevail (Leviticus 26:6), but when they turned away, that sword would return to avenge the broken covenant (Leviticus 26:25). The obedient nation would experience victory over its enemies (Leviticus 26:7), while the disobedient would suffer humiliating defeat at their hands (Leviticus 26:17 and 25). Finally, God’s favor and presence rested upon the faithful (Leviticus 26:9), but His disfavor fell upon those who forsook His statutes (Leviticus 26:17). This symmetry underscores the covenantal justice of God: blessings flowed from obedience, but rebellion brought predictable and proportionate judgment.
C. The Promise of Restoration on Repentant Israel
1. (Leviticus 26:40–42) Restoration for a humble and repentant Israel.
“If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against Me, and that also they have walked contrary unto Me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.” (Leviticus 26:40–42, KJV)
After describing the terrible judgments that would come upon disobedient Israel, God concluded the chapter with a ray of divine hope. Even after Israel’s rebellion, exile, and suffering, restoration was possible—but only through repentance and humility. The phrase “If they shall confess their iniquity” reveals the essential condition for renewal: acknowledgment of sin before God. True repentance involves confession not only of personal wrongdoing but also of inherited national guilt—“and the iniquity of their fathers.” This was a recognition that their sins were not isolated but part of a generational pattern of rebellion against the Lord.
God declared that the people must also confess “that they have walked contrary unto Me, and that I also have walked contrary unto them.” Restoration begins when the sinner agrees with God’s verdict, acknowledging that His judgments were just and deserved. Only when Israel admitted that their suffering was the righteous consequence of covenant violation could healing begin.
The Lord required that “their uncircumcised hearts be humbled.” The “uncircumcised heart” was a metaphor for spiritual stubbornness and rebellion (Jeremiah 9:26). To be humbled meant to renounce pride, yield to divine authority, and accept guilt without excuse. When their hearts were softened through chastisement, God would be ready to restore them. As Scripture later declares in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The result of this repentance would be divine remembrance: “Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember.” The triple repetition underscores certainty and completeness. God’s covenant with the patriarchs was unconditional, grounded not in Israel’s merit but in His faithfulness. When Israel repented, God would honor the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, restoring both the people and the land.
The phrase “I will remember the land” implies more than mere recollection—it means active fulfillment of covenantal promises. God would not only restore His people but also revive the land that had lain desolate during their exile. This verse foreshadows the eventual regathering of Israel from dispersion, a truth reaffirmed throughout the prophets (Ezekiel 36:24–28; Amos 9:14–15).
Morgan insightfully observed, “It is most instructive in the giving of the law, to observe how the declension and wandering of the people was evidently known to the King, and that notwithstanding this fact, these promises of final restoration were made. Thus, while human responsibility is most solemnly enforced, it is done in such a way as to create the conviction that the love of God will prove itself finally victorious over all human failure.”
God’s covenant love would triumph where human faithfulness failed. Even after judgment, His mercy remained open to all who would humble themselves and return.
2. (Leviticus 26:43–45) The unbreakable nature of God’s covenant with Israel.
“The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised My judgments, and because their soul abhorred My statutes. And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God. But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 26:43–45, KJV)
These closing verses of Leviticus 26 stand as one of the most profound affirmations of God’s faithfulness in all of Scripture. Though Israel would experience exile and the land would lie desolate, God’s covenant with His people would remain unbroken. The Lord’s words reveal both justice and mercy—judgment for sin and unrelenting love for His chosen nation.
The statement “The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths” repeats the earlier declaration that the land itself would rest while the people were exiled. This was both a reminder of Israel’s failure to keep the sabbatical years and a sign that God’s commands cannot be ignored without consequence. The land belonged to the Lord, and even in judgment, it testified to His sovereignty.
Yet God added, “When they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly.” These words express the heart of divine mercy. Even at Israel’s lowest point, God’s covenant faithfulness would remain. Though He would discipline them severely, He would never annihilate them or revoke His covenant. His relationship with Israel was rooted in His own character: “for I am the Lord their God.”
This truth was demonstrated during the Babylonian exile, when the people repented and sought the Lord. Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:4–19 perfectly captures this spirit of confession and hope. Daniel acknowledged Israel’s guilt and appealed to God’s covenant mercy: “O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face… but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses.” In response to such repentance, God restored the remnant to their land under Cyrus, fulfilling the very promises outlined in Leviticus 26.
Rooker correctly notes that “Leviticus 26:32–45 should be understood as a preview of the history of Israel that includes the experiences of apostasy, exile, and restoration.” Indeed, this passage functions as both prophecy and assurance. It outlines the pattern of Israel’s entire history—sin, judgment, dispersion, and ultimate restoration.
Poole likewise observed, “From this place the Jews take great comfort, and assure themselves of deliverance out of their present servitude and misery. And from this, and such other places, St. Paul concludes that the Israelitish nation, though then rejected and ruined, should be gathered again and restored.” This aligns with Paul’s teaching in Romans 11:25–27, where he declared that “all Israel shall be saved,” affirming that God’s covenant with His people remains irrevocable.
Thus, even in judgment, God’s mercy shines through. He is both just and faithful—punishing sin yet preserving His people. The Lord who redeemed Israel from Egypt “in the sight of the heathen” will once again redeem them before the nations, proving His faithfulness to His covenant and His glory to the world. His final declaration, “I am the Lord,” seals this promise with divine authority.
3. (Leviticus 26:46) Conclusion to the blessings and curses upon Israel.
“These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made between Him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.” (Leviticus 26:46, KJV)
This final verse serves as the formal conclusion to the covenant section of Leviticus, bringing to a close the comprehensive list of commandments, promises, blessings, and warnings that the Lord delivered to Israel. The phrase “These are the statutes and judgments and laws” summarizes the entire covenantal framework between God and His people, encompassing both moral and ceremonial commandments, civil regulations, and the moral consequences attached to obedience or disobedience.
Leviticus 26 thus functions as the theological climax of the book. It reveals the heart of the covenant relationship between God and Israel—a relationship built upon both holiness and grace. The Lord promised abundant blessing for obedience and severe chastening for rebellion. Yet even in His warnings, His ultimate purpose was restoration through repentance.
The text states that these ordinances were those “which the Lord made between Him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.” This affirms that the covenant of Leviticus was made specifically with the nation of Israel at Sinai, as first established in Exodus 24:1–8, when Moses sprinkled the blood of the covenant upon the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” This covenant was distinct, binding Israel to God as His chosen nation under a theocratic law.
The question arises: do the principles of blessings and curses under the Mosaic Covenant apply to believers under the New Covenant today? The answer requires careful distinction between law and grace.
Some point to Galatians 6:7—“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”—as evidence that similar principles continue. Yet, as the context shows, Paul was not teaching a doctrine of spiritual karma, where good deeds automatically produce prosperity and bad deeds inevitably result in suffering. Instead, he spoke about stewardship and spiritual investment: “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8). The principle is moral and spiritual, not mechanical. It reflects the truth that our choices carry consequences, yet it does not bind believers under the conditional blessings and curses of the Mosaic Law.
The reason is that Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf. Galatians 3:13–14 declares: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” In His crucifixion, Jesus bore the full weight of the Law’s curse—dying the death of the accursed so that we might inherit the blessing of justification by faith. The curse fell upon Him, not upon us.
Therefore, under the New Covenant, believers are not blessed because of their obedience but because they are in Christ Jesus. Our standing before God is not rooted in performance but in union with the Son. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” The covenantal curse no longer applies to those redeemed by His blood.
Yet this truth does not nullify divine discipline. God still chastens His children—not in wrath but in love. Hebrews 12:7–11 explains, “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth… Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” The correction of a loving Father refines His children and draws them closer to holiness.
Nor does grace abolish the natural consequences of sin. Even though believers are free from God’s wrath, sin still brings corruption, pain, and loss into the world. The difference is that for those in Christ, these consequences are never judicial curses—they are disciplinary tools used by God for sanctification and growth.
Thus, while Leviticus 26 concludes the covenantal law with Israel, its moral and theological principles endure as timeless truths. It reveals that God’s favor rests upon obedience, His holiness demands righteousness, and His mercy always provides a path to restoration. The believer under grace, while freed from the curse, is still called to walk in holiness out of love for the Redeemer who bore that curse for us.
