“And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;”
My Notes
What Does Leviticus 26:23 Mean?
"If ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me." God escalates the covenant curses in stages, and this verse marks a transition: the previous discipline hasn't worked. The people haven't been reformed. The walking contrary continues despite the consequences. So the consequences intensify.
The word "reformed" (yasar — to discipline, to instruct, to correct) means the purpose of the previous curses was educational. They weren't random punishment. They were designed to reform — to produce change, to redirect behavior, to teach through consequence. The question isn't whether the discipline happened. It's whether the discipline worked.
The phrase "walk contrary" (halakh qeri — to walk in opposition, to go against) describes deliberate, sustained resistance. Not accidental sin. Not momentary failure. A chosen direction of walking — opposite to God's way. The contrariness is a lifestyle, not an incident.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which stage of God's discipline are you in?
- 2.Has the previous consequence reformed you, or are you walking contrary despite it?
- 3.What does the staged escalation teach about God's patience?
- 4.What lesson is the current discipline designed to teach you?
Devotional
If the discipline didn't reform you. If the consequences didn't produce change. If you keep walking contrary despite everything God has allowed you to experience. Then the next level begins.
The covenant curses in Leviticus 26 escalate in stages: verses 14-17, then 18-20, then 21-22, then 23-26, then 27-39. Each stage is introduced with 'if you will not be reformed.' The escalation isn't random — it's responsive. God increases the pressure when the previous pressure didn't produce the change the pressure was designed to produce.
The word 'reformed' means the discipline has a purpose: not punishment for punishment's sake but correction that produces transformation. The iron sky and brass earth (verse 19) weren't arbitrary cruelty. They were designed to teach: your provision comes from Me, not from your own power. If the lesson landed, the next stage is unnecessary. If it didn't, the next stage arrives.
The 'walking contrary' is the diagnosis: the person isn't just sinning occasionally. They're walking — moving, progressing, continuing — in a direction that opposes God. The contrariness is directional and sustained. It's a lifestyle of opposition, not a stumble.
The question God asks through the escalation is devastating in its patience: will this stage reform you? No? What about this one? Still no? How about this? The patience extends through five stages of increasing severity. Five opportunities to be reformed. Five chances to stop walking contrary. The escalation is patience's progressive expression.
Which stage of God's discipline are you in — and has the previous stage reformed you?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then I will also walk contrary unto you,.... Opposing himself unto them as their enemy, fighting against them in his…
As “the book of the covenant” Exo. 20:22–23:33 concludes with promises and warnings Exo 23:20-33, so does this…
After God had set the blessing before them (the life and good which would make them a happy people if they would be…
be reformed unto rather, be disciplined by. See mg.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture