In Leviticus 26–27, God bottom-lines His love and justice through Moses. He shares both the blessings of obedience and the consequences of disobedience. When the people walk in His ways, they are blessed—the rains fall, the land produces abundantly, and they experience His provision and protection. But when they reject His statutes, they face discipline. The longer they stubbornly resist Him, the more severe the consequences become—even to the point of the unimaginable.
In Leviticus 26:29, God warns,
“You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.”
To modern ears, this is shocking. And yet, we see this prophecy fulfilled in 2 Kings 6:24–29, when the Syrian army besieged the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The people were so desperate in hunger that they resorted to cannibalism.
It’s easy to read accounts like these in the Old Testament and think, “How foolish these people. were” But before we judge too quickly, let’s consider our own time. Through Christ, we have been given grace, our hearts have been transformed from stone to flesh, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. Yet, for those people who reject God, the consequences are just as unimaginable to us today.
Paul speaks to this in Romans 1, describing what happens when people persistently suppress God’s truth:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth... For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another…” (Romans 1:18, 26–27).
For those who are fully surrendered to Christ, this type of spiritual and moral decline is just as incomprehensible as the scene in 2nd Kings. Both result from the same root issue—the people refused to recognize God’s authority and surrendering to Him.
Yet, hope is never lost for anyone who still draws breath. In Leviticus 26:40, 42, God declares,
“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers… then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.”
This same unchanging truth applies today:
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Takeaway: If you’ve been holding back from God—you might even have been offended by parts of this blog—know that He still loves you. No matter how far you have strayed or how rebellious you have been, His desire is not to rush to judgment, but to give you every opportunity to turn to Him. Don’t wait—surrender to Him today.