Leviticus 19:15 says “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.”
This verse is both an anti-Marxist and anti-Capitalist attack. We should not hold up the powerful, wealthy titans of industry as though they deserve our respect simply because of their accomplishments. We also should not concern ourselves with the plight of the poor. Income inequality is not something we should care about. The issue is not economic, but spiritual. Are they followers of God (Old Testament Hebrews or New Testament Christians)? Are they righteous, or are they unrepentant sinners?
Imagine how many conditions in our world today would be improved if we were more concerned with morality than bank accounts. I believe one of the biggest issues in our churches today is that pastors are more worried about paying the bills than making sure the congregation is following God’s Words.
This is one reason why all our churches have become so formulaic and watered down. They believe that young, successful (at least economically) Christians need fancy architecture and a rock concert-like experience. Sermons are preached toward appeasing millennial generation Christians while ignoring older, wiser ones. Those of us who have been Christians for decades need meat, but all we get is milk from a bottle.
Our pastors think the King James Version is too difficult to understand. They believe that explaining deep theology might turn people away. They fear discussing “controversial” issues like homosexuality, transgenderism, racism (at least white pastors, anyway), tattoos, posting half-naked pictures on Instagram, etc., because they do not think the congregation can handle it.
What we NEED is to be challenged, but our pastors believe their congregations are vapid, weak, or shallow. Thus, the sermons have become vapid, weak, and shallow. We are not being judged on our RIGHTEOUSNESS, but by how much money flows in through offerings. I’d rather be at a small, but strong church than a large, weak one.
Speaking of tattoos, check out Lev. 19:28, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you.” Print any marks, hmm. Of course, this does not mean that a tattoo placed on your body before coming to Christ is now a sin, but Christians should not be getting new ones. Before any tattoo enthusiast pulls the “yeah, but this is Old Testament!” remember that 1 Cor. 6:19-20 says that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. If you wouldn’t spray paint graffiti on the doors of your local church, you probably shouldn’t print any marks on your body.
Chapter 20 is essentially a rehashing of chapters 16-18 (see my Notes on Leviticus…) dealing with sacrificing children to Molech and various sexual sins (incest, bestiality, STDs). One addition is the mention of “familiar spirits” and “wizards.”
We know that magic or some sort of supernatural power outside of God’s existed during this time. Pharaoh’s magicians were able to mimic several of God’s miracles and plagues. However, what is a “familiar spirit”?
Like the “devils” I wrote about in my Notes on Leviticus 16-18, familiar spirits are not entirely known to us. They appear to be a supernatural force (or being) that assists witches, necromancers, sorcerers, and wizards (Deut. 18:9-14). Whatever they are, they are not human nor appear to be angelic. It is possible that they are another type of devil, unclean spirit, or demon that has supernatural power used for wickedness. These familiar spirits are so wicked that consulting with one brings about a death sentence from God (Lev. 20:27).
Leviticus 21 gives us some requirements for what it takes to be a Levite priest. Thank the good Lord that these are not applied to Christian pastors, or we would lose anyone who has a sister who isn’t a virgin, who is bald, clean shaven, marries a woman who is sexually impure, divorced, or widowed, is mixing races with his wife (that is the Semitic, Hamitic, Japhetic lines), or have any physical infirmity (blindness, lame, flat nose, ugly, broken handed, bad back, dwarven, impotent, etc.).
We are to judge a man based on just his righteousness instead. Is that really better though? I think I’d rather be judged on my ugly mug than my actions.
Simmons' Opinions 