38. Justice and Community (Leviticus 19:9-15)

• Jun, 23 2025

Chapter Thirty-Eight Summary: Justice and Community (Leviticus 19:9–15) Rushdoony on Law, Charity, and Impartial Righteousness in SocietyIn this rich and densely ethical passage, Rushdoony shows how Leviticus 19:9–15 sets forth a vision of holiness expressed through justice, honesty, and compassion—a blueprint for covenantal community life. Far from being a scattered list of rules, these verses display the integrated unity of God’s law, reflecting His sovereign and moral order in every area of life. 🔑 Key Themes and Insights 1. God’s Sovereign Ownership and AuthorityEach command is rooted in the recurring declaration: “I am the LORD your God.” This formula grounds ethical mandates in divine sovereignty, not human opinion.“The law cannot be man’s will or purpose, but only God’s word, the expression of His nature.” – Rushdoony2. Charity as Justice (vv. 9–10)Gleaning laws require landowners to leave produce for the poor and the stranger. This is not optional charity—it is commanded justice under God’s law.This protects the dignity of the poor, who must labor to glean.Boaz's care for Ruth is a beautiful, faithful application of this law (Ruth 2).“Since we and our possessions are the Lord’s, neither in business nor in charity can we steal or deal falsely.”Charity is not the poor's entitlement by humanistic standards; rather, it is God's portion assigned to them, and failure to obey is theft from God (cf. Mal. 3:8–12). 3. Honesty, Integrity, and Fairness (vv. 11–13)These commands forbid:StealingDeception and false dealingSwearing falsely by God’s nameDefrauding or withholding wages from workersThese are not “miscellaneous” commands, as liberal critics claim, but logical expansions of the Eighth and Ninth Commandments, reinforcing that all our economic, legal, and personal relationships must reflect God’s justice.“Helping the needy was and is a religious duty, according to the law.” – Rushdoony4. Protecting the Vulnerable (v. 14)The law specifically prohibits:Cursing the deafPlacing a stumbling block before the blindHistorically interpreted broadly, this includes any abuse of the weak, ignorant, or helpless, such as:Deceiving the unlearnedMisleading the spiritually blindAbusing or mocking those who cannot defend themselves“God sees and hears. Historically...this has been understood as including misdirecting the ignorant, or the false teaching of any.”5. No Class or Status Bias in Justice (v. 15)This verse powerfully condemns partiality—whether toward the rich or the poor. Justice is to be blind to status, race, or class.“Justice is not a class doctrine but God’s nature and His requirement of us.”This directly counters the modern idols of:Social justice (partiality to the poor)Cultural favoritism (partiality to the powerful)Class warfare and socialism (weaponizing injustice)“Class justice is an untenable doctrine, but it is now the basic doctrine of socialism in all forms, and always evil.” – Rushdoony📚 Broader Implications and CommentaryCase Law Foundation: Rushdoony points out that v. 13 is a case law illustrating the principle of honest labor relations—no delay in payment, no manipulation of the worker.Historical Application: Maimonides insisted on equal appearance and seating for rich and poor in court to ensure impartiality.Judgment Warning: Where this kind of law is rejected, judgment follows—as in Amos 8 and James 5.Against Legal Modernism: Rushdoony rebukes scholars like Martin Noth for trying to reduce biblical law to pagan leftovers or haphazard collections.“The Bible...is not a textbook...the context is life, not the laboratory dissecting table.”🔎 SEO Summary:Leviticus 19 commentary Rushdoonygleaning law and social justice in the Biblebiblical view of poverty and charityhonest wages in the Old Testamentno partiality in judgment LeviticusGod's law vs socialismblind justice in biblical lawcommunity life and justice in Leviticus🧭 Practical TakeawaysJustice and charity are not opposites—they are inseparable.We owe help to the poor not as sentiment, but as covenant obligation.Abusing the weak, even in words or misdirection, offends God.God requires impartiality in all dealings—favoritism is sin.God’s justice is the foundation of a true community.💬 Closing Quote:“If we are in communion with God, we are in community with His people, rich and poor. In Christ we receive grace, and the grace of God must manifest itself through us to all.” – RushdoonyBottom Line: Leviticus 19:9–15 offers a radical, God-centered vision for justice—where charity is duty, justice is impartial, power is restrained, and all of life is subject to God's law. For Rushdoony, this is not just ancient law—it’s the blueprint for Christian civilization.

Author

R.J. Rushdoony

Chalcedon Founder

Narrated by

Nathan F. Conkey

Narrator, teacher, missionary