In our study of Leviticus chapter eighteen, we look at the detestable sexual practices of the world and their effect on the person as well as on the land itself.
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ADONAI said to Moshe, "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'I am ADONAI your God. You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws. You are to obey my rulings and laws and live accordingly; I am ADONAI your God. You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI.
We begin with the call of God for the people of Israel to be different than the world around them and this happens through obedience to the commands of God.
"'None of you is to approach anyone who is a close relative in order to have sexual relations; I am ADONAI. You are not to have sexual relations with your father, and you are not to have sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother - do not have sexual relations with her. You are not to have sexual relations with your father's wife; that is your father's prerogative. You are not to have sexual relations with your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere. Do not have sexual relations with them. You are not to have sexual relations with your son's daughter or with your daughter's daughter. Do not have sexual relations with them, because their sexual disgrace will be your own. You are not to have sexual relations with your father's wife's daughter, born to your father, because she is your sister; do not have sexual relations with her. You are not to have sexual relations with your father's sister, because she is your father's close relative. You are not to have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. You are not to disgrace your father's brother by having sexual relations with his wife, because she is your aunt. You are not to have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; because she is your son's wife. Do not have sexual relations with her. You are not to have sexual relations with your brother's wife, because this is your brother's prerogative. "'You are not to have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter, nor are you to have sexual relations with her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are close relatives of hers, and it would be shameful.
Now, we see that sexual relations with any family member is an abomination and that includes blood relatives as well as relatives through marriage. We see all kinds of examples of this behavior and are reminded that even thinking about these acts is shameful.
You are not to take a woman to be a rival with her sister and have sexual relations with her while her sister is still alive. You are not to approach a woman in order to have sexual relations with her when she is unclean from her time of niddah. You are not to go to bed with your neighbor's wife and thus become unclean with her.
We see additional restrictions involving having relations with a woman and her sister as well as a woman during the time of her period as well as a neighbor's wife. We see that, as we saw in chapter 15, such relations result in the person becoming unclean and this speaks of the inability to properly worship God and to receive the blessings from that worship.
"'You are not to let any of your children be sacrificed to Molekh, thereby profaning the name of your God; I am ADONAI. "'You are not to go to bed with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination. "'You are not to have sexual relations with any kind of animal and thus become unclean with it; nor is any woman to present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is perversion. "'Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, because all the nations which I am expelling ahead of you are defiled with them. The land has become unclean, and this is why I am punishing it - the land itself will vomit out its inhabitants.
Now, we see that relations of this kind can result in unwanted children which leads to the killing of these children or what we call abortion today. We also see that unnatural relations between the same sex and between people and animals, brings about the same result of uncleanness and will lead to God's punishment.
But you are to keep my laws and rulings and not engage in any of these disgusting practices, neither the citizen nor the foreigner living with you; for the people of the land have committed all these abominations, and the land is now defiled. If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out too, just as it is vomiting out the nation that was there before you. For those who engage in any of these disgusting practices, whoever they may be, will be cut off from their people. So keep my charge not to follow any of these abominable customs that others before you have followed and thus defile yourselves by doing them. I am ADONAI your God.'"
We see that this call to be different applies not only to the community of witnesses which is Israel but also to anyone that is living in the midst of that community which speaks of us as believers in Yeshua Messiah. These things not only defile the individual but also the land itself and the result for the individual is being excluded from the people of God.
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