The Law-12

Why are the clean food laws the only ones ever mentioned in any preaching or teaching. We don’t argue over mold in homes, or skin diseases. We will now address another Law that is almost totally ignored today, that is the one that relates to sinful sexual acts.

Leviticus 18:1  Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  18:2  "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'I am the LORD your God. 18:3  'You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes. 18:4  'You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 18:5  'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. 

It is apparent in these few verses, that all of these sinful practices were apparent in Egypt and Canaan. Just like the whole world around us, we are inundated with sinful images and seductive relationships. This has led us to the pornographic industry and the relaxation of what used to be social norms. God created sex for a few very specific reasons and applications. Satan created a myriad of temptations that draw men and women to sin before a holy God.

18:6  'None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to uncover nakedness; I am the LORD. 18:7  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 18:8  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. 18:9  'The nakedness of your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born at home or born outside, their nakedness you shall not uncover. 18:10  'The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for their nakedness is yours. 18:11  'The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, born to your father, she is your sister, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 18:12  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's blood relative. 18:13  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's blood relative. 18:14  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother; you shall not approach his wife, she is your aunt. 18:15  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 18:16  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. 18:17  'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they are blood relatives. It is lewdness. 18:18  'You shall not marry a woman in addition to her sister as a rival while she is alive, to uncover her nakedness. 

To uncover anyone’s nakedness is a term relating to having sex with them. This is a long list of do nots and should bring us concern. Some of these today would be considered incest. The sad reality is that they were all practiced by the nations around them. Sexual boundaries are a very special consideration for many reasons, but God doesn’t need a lot of worldly reasons to warn us these sins.

Exodus 20:14  "You shall not commit adultery. 

Exodus 20:17  "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; Exodus 20:17  "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."  or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 

Matthew 5:31  "It was said, 'WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE'; 5:32  but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

Mark 10:2  Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. 10:3  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" 10:4  They said, "Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY." 10:5  But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 

10:6  "But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE. 10:7  "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 10:8  AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.  10:9  "What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.

There are numerous verses that warn us of these types of sins. Sadly, divorce is common even within the ‘church’.

18:19  'Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness during her menstrual impurity. 18:20  'You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her. 

18:21  'You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. 

18:22 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. 

Romans 1:26  For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 1:27  and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 

1:28  And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 1:29  being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 1:30  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 1:31  without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;  1:32  and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. 

We now celebrate sin in the open.

18:23  'Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. 18:24  'Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. 18:25  'For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. 

God wanted His people to be saved from this sinful way of life. But, Satan deceived them, just as he continues to deceive us by creating all sorts of abominations and calling them normal and acceptable.

18:26  'But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you 18:27  (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); 18:28  so that the land will not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. 

Lev 18:29  'For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. 

Lev 18:30  'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'" 

These same sins are not only practiced before us, but are promoted continually to us. This is a very observable and measurable sin. This is a sin that is also defended by Christians who practice them. God just wants me to be happy is a poor excuse and false excuse to disobey God.

More next Saturday.