Law and Life:Leviticus 18:5 in the Literary Framework of Ezekiel
Preston Sprinkle: Department of Divinity, University of Aberdeen, Kings College, Aberdeen AB24 3UB
Outline:
>Introduction
>Leviticus 18:5 in Ezekiel’s Literary Framework
>Statutes and Ordinances in H and Ezekiel
>Ezekiel 18
>Ezekiel 20
>Ezekiel 33
>Ezekiel 36:16-28; 37:24
>Ezekiel 37:1-14
>Conclusion
Review
This article about Law and Life, Leviticus 18:5 “’So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD.” NASB was written purposely in order to reveal the verse’s connection to the book of Ezekiel. The author shows that Leviticus 18:5 is “referred to Ezekiel 18, 20, 33, 36, and 37 regarding the “statutes and judgments” of Yahweh to Israel and the life as a result of it. “This suggests that the text of Lev. 18:5, was selected to highlight the conditional nature of these covenant stipulations, which amplifies divine agency in the program of restoration” (275).
The author here has a good research to the formulas about the similarities of Leviticus 18:5 and Ezekiel by comparing the verses or passages written on the former to the latter. And as being studied, in Ezekiel 5, 11, 18, 20, and 33, the “statutes and judgments” of Yahweh to the Israelites were unfulfilled but was fulfilled through divine enablement in Ezekiel 36:27 and 37:24. Also, the “blessing of life” is unfulfilled in Ezekiel 18:20, 33 but was fulfilled through causation in Ezekiel 37:1-14… making these passages being summarized in Leviticus 18:5.
For further explanations of the author regarding this matter, prophet Ezekiel is concern on the Israel’s responsibility as a nation to obey the statutes and judgments of Yahweh, and together with this is their repentance (Ezekiel 18:30). With these, it suggests that “Ezekiel 18 is alluding to Lev. 18:5 when employing a similar law-life matrix” (284). Ezekiel 33 connects to Lev. 18:5 with the point that “if the righteous lives in his own righteousness, he will surely die” (Ezekiel 33:13). Thus, saying that a righteous man can only live if he turns away from his sins. However, Ezekiel 36 is connected to Lev. 18:5 through the concept of “restoration” because “Yahweh’s concern for His Holy Name forces Him to relent from destroying the nation” (Ezekiel 36:14, 22). And lastly, Ezekiel 37 fulfills His promise to give life through His Spirit.
In the last part, the author concluded that if man (like the Israelites) would obey God’s statutes and judgment, he or she shall live. God will fulfill His divine promise, in spite of “the conditional nature of Lev. 18:5 which is replaced by divine intervention” (293).
Prinkle, Preston. “Law and Life: Leviticus 18:5 in the Literary Framework of Ezekiel:” In Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Vol. 31.3 (2007): 275-293. London: Sage Publications, 2007.
