Page 366 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

LEGION - LEVIATHAN

and who desire to maintain holy standards of living in Mk. 1:40-42; 14:3; Lk. 5:12, 13; 7:22; 17:12). Bible
this wicked hour. This “free thinking” attitude was leprosy signifies sin. (1) Sin makes us an outcast from
expressed at a “Christian” rock concert called Greenbelt God’s presence. (2) Sin deforms and destroys. (3) Sin is
‘83: “We don’t believe in a fundamentalist approach. We incurable apart from divine intervention. (4) God can
don’t set ground rules. Our teaching is non-directive. We cure the sin problem. God’s salvation for sin was
want to encourage people to make their own choices.” typified in Le. 13 by the sacrifices that were offered for
Those who have this type of unscriptural mindset label the cleansing of the leper. Through the blood and death
the old-fashioned Bible Christian as a “legalist” or a of a substitute, the sinner can be made clean and whole.
“Pharisee.” Note that the Pharisee’s error was not his LESHEM (tranquility). Jos. 19:47.
love for the truth and his zeal for Bible righteousness. LESSER. Smaller (Ge. 1:16; Is. 7:25).
The Pharisee did not love the truth; he loved tradition
(Mt. 15:1-9). If the Pharisee had loved the truth, he LET. (1) To allow (Ex. 3:19; Mt. 7:4). (2) To hinder;
would have loved Jesus Christ (Jn. 8:47)! The Pharisee to restrain (Ro. 1:13; 2 Th. 2:7).
did not love Bible righteousness; he loved his own self- LET ALONE. Leave it alone; wait and see (Mk.
righteousness (Lk. 18:9-14). The Pharisee did not have 15:36).
a zeal for God; he had a zeal for his own false religion LETUSHIM (bruises, oppressed). Ge. 25:3.
(Mt. 23:15). To call the fundamental Bible-believing LEUMMIM (many peoples). Ge. 25:3.
Christian who is saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and LEVI (my joining). Jacob’s third son by Leah (Ge.
who loves the precious Word of God a Pharisee is a 29:34; 35:23). Levi was cruel and evil (Ge. 49:5-7;
wicked and untrue slander. 34:25-30), but his sons chose to follow God during one
Contrast the modernistic thinking with what the of the rebellions in the wilderness (Ex. 32:26-29; Mal.
Bible says about true Bible holiness in Titus 2:11-15— 2:5-6). [See Levites.]
(1) Bible holiness is the outworking of grace. Grace LEVIATHAN. The leviathan is described in great
doesn’t mean lawlessness or license to do whatever we detail by God in Job 41, and we believe this sea creature
want to do. (2) Bible holiness is extreme (v. 14 “all is the fearsome fire-breathing dragon of ancient lore
iniquity”). Consider other verses: Titus 2:7, 10 “in all (Job 41; Ps. 74:13-14; 104:26; Is. 27:1). Henry Morris,
things shewing thyself a pattern of good works.” 2 Co. respected scientist and Christian author, head of the
7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the Creation Research Institute, made the following
flesh and spirit.” Ep. 5:3 “But fornication, and all comment on Job 41: “As the behemoth was the greatest
uncleanness ... let it not be once named among you.” terrestrial animal (Job 40), the leviathan was the
Col. 3:8 “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, greatest aquatic animal. Like the behemoth, it seems to
malice, blasphemy, filthy communication.” 1 Th. 5:22 be extinct ... Most commentators, once again limiting
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (3) Bible holiness their thinking to existing animals, insist on calling the
prepares us for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:13). (4) Bible leviathan a crocodile. Once again, however, the
holiness is by God’s power not by man’s (Tit. 2:14). (5) awesome description in Job 41 does not fit at all.
Bible holiness is to be authoritatively preached (Tit. 2:15). Whatever the leviathan may have been, it was not a
[See False Teaching, Moderation, Modesty, Pharisee, crocodile! Neither was it a whale, as some have
Separation, Tares.] suggested ... And what about the following description?
LEGION. This was the largest unit in the Roman ‘By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like
army, consisting of about 6,000 soldiers (Mt. 26:53). the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning
LEHABIM (flames). Ge. 10:13. lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils
LEHI (cheek-bone). Ju. 15:9. goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His
LEMUEL (dedicated to God). This was probably the breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his
name given to Solomon by his mother (Pr. 31:4). mouth’ (Job 41:18-21). This is surely not a crocodile! To
the possible objection that not even dinosaurs breathed
LENTILES. The seed from the pod of a lentil plant; a fire, we could answer that no one knows what dinosaurs
pea-like vegetable (Ge. 25:34; 2 Sa. 17:28; 23:11; Eze. could do. Dragons of various kinds were capable of
4:9). breathing out fire—at least according to traditions from
LEPROSY. There are many varieties of leprosy. The all parts of the world. ... dinosaur fossils have been
variety described in the Bible was characterized by excavated that show a strange protuberance, with
white skin and sores (Ex. 4:6; Le. 13; Nu. 12:10; 2 Sa. internal cavity, on the top of the head. It is conceivable
3:29). It was a dreaded disease, because the leper was that this could have served as a sort of mixing chamber
an outcast (Le. 13:44-46; Nu. 5:2; 2 Ch. 26:21-23). for combustible gases that would ignite when exhaled
Christ healed many lepers (Mt. 8:2, 3; 10:8; 11:5; 26:6; into the outside oxygen. In any case, it seems unlikely

366 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity