Leviticus 19:15

What Does Leviticus 19:15 Mean?

God gave this instruction to Israel as part of how they were to run their courts of law. The amazing thing is that God says don’t be biased toward the poor AND don’t be biased toward the powerful – fairness applies to everyone equally. Rich or poor, popular or overlooked, every person deserves to be treated with the same honest fairness. This is what it means to judge “in righteousness” – to make decisions based on what is true and right, not based on who has more influence or who is more pitiful.

Hero Challenge

This week, pay attention to the choices you make when deciding how to treat people. Do you treat the popular kid differently than the quiet kid? The teacher’s pet differently than the student who gets in trouble a lot? Challenge yourself to treat every single person with equal respect and fairness – just like God does.

Did You Know?

Leviticus 19 is sometimes called the “Holiness Code” – a collection of God’s instructions for how His people should live differently from the nations around them. Fairness in court was a big deal in the ancient world because bribery and favoritism were widespread. God’s call for impartial justice was genuinely revolutionary for its time, and it laid the foundation for ideas about equal justice that many nations build their legal systems on today.

Ages 4-6: Little Hero Question

Do you know what “fair” means? Can you think of a time when something wasn’t fair? How did it make you feel?

Ages 7-9: Growing Hero Question

God says we shouldn’t treat people differently just because they are rich or poor, popular or not. Why do you think it’s important to be fair to everyone?

Ages 10-13: Champion Question

It’s easy to want to help the underdog but it’s also easy to favor the popular kid. How does true fairness – treating every person impartially – challenge both of those instincts? What does this verse teach you about how God sees people?