Stumbling blocks
"You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:14, ESV
We don't need to fear those who seek to harm us and block us by placing stumbling blocks in our way! We only need to remember that God will sort it, becasue what's meant for us from heaven cannot be taken away!
This verse comes from the 'Holiness Code' found in Leviticus chapters 17 to 26, which instructs God's children how to live as holy people.
But placing stumbling blocks before others and causing them to fail, well that's a grave sin that's born out of jealously and hatred! Anyone who acts out of jealously and hatred is essentially harming themselves first!
Ley's break it down, the command in v14 addresses two specific actions, but its implications are huge and far-reaching!
"You shall not curse the deaf"
This part forbids exploiting someone’s disability. Since a deaf person cannot hear a curse, the act reveals pure malice in the heart of the speaker! To do this is an offense against human dignity that's done without fear of earthly consequence! Because it attacks the vulnerable who are unable to defend themselves as they don't even know they've been attacked! Whispering lies behind backs falls into the same category!
"Put a stumbling block before the blind"
This part forbids actively causing harm or taking advantage of someone’s physical limitation. But it extends far beyond literal blindness to any act that trips someone up, the weak, the inexperienced, or the unaware. It condemns those who create traps or situations that lead others into harm, error, or sin. For example that extension can be seen in;
Leviticus 19:32
“ ‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 14:7
“ ‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself.
All of us are and will be judged before God for our actions. Therefore by deliberatly harming another through malace, lies, slander, character defamation etc. is a greavious sin. Which at it's very core means we don't love our neighbours as ourselves!
Lev 19L14 concludes with
"but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD"
Don't fool yourself by thinking God doesn't see, God sees what is done in secret! The deaf cannot hear the curse, and the blind cannot see who placed the stumbling block, but God sees everything!
Holiness isn't just about following religious rules but by having internal integrity, especially when no human eye is watching!
And our motivation for ethical behaviour must be reverence for God’s character and authority, not social pressure! Jesus echoes this principle in Matthew 18:6–7, where he warns against causing little ones to stumble!
“If anyone causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
Paul applies the concept spiritually in Romans 14:13, urging believers not to put a "stumbling block" in a brother’s way.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.
The command to protect the vulnerable is central to God’s heart, and we see what's close to his heart in Psalm 68:5; James 1:27.
'A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling'.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
So' how should we apply God's commant to our lives today?
1, Examine ourselves looking for hidden actions:
Are there ways I act unkindly or unfairly when I think no one is watching?
2, Protect the vulnerable:
How can I actively support those who are weak, marginalised, or easily misled?
3, Reverence over reputation:
Remember our ultimate accountability is to God, not human opinion. So let that shape our integrity both publicaly and privately.
Keep your blocks in the toy box where they belong!
God bless,
Trev.