Read Leviticus
18-19 & Matthew
27:32-66
To discover:
As you read consider why God requires these things.
To ponder:
We commonly hear that Christians pick and choose from the OT
law. Why affirm the laws on homosexuality but not food? Chapter 18 gives a response.
It begins and ends with an affirmation that its commands are not specific to Israel
in that time, but were wrong for the wider world before Israel
even existed. Indeed, these things were so wrong that they polluted the land,
bringing down God’s judgement and so the loss of the land to its previous
inhabitants. This alludes to the tight relationship between humanity and the
creation. Serious and persistent sin, even by unbelievers, may bring a
judgement that impacts their enjoyment of their portion of the creation.
This also explains God’s
affirmation that those who obey his laws “will live by them” (18v5). Obedience
not only means wholeness in living rightly. Without it, God will bring the
nations against Israel,
who will then loose the land themselves. The primary motivation however is the
repeated “I am the LORD.” They should obey because of the special covenant
relationship God lovingly brought them into by redeeming them from Egypt.
We obey because we have this in Christ.
The essence
of v6-18 is that a man may not have sex with close relatives or any who have
become close relative through a previous marriage to one of the man’s close
relatives. This probably reflects the fact that in making the couple one-flesh,
those marrying close relatives essentially become close relatives themselves. So
sex with a female relative dishonours her husband, father or grandfather
(18v14, 17, 10), because she and they are one-flesh. It is striking that
Abraham broke v11 and Jacob v18. They were not as culpable without these laws,
but v24-28 suggests their actions were wrong.
All these
sins warrant being “cut off.” This might be to be put to death by the people,
or perhaps directly by God (18v29). However, specific sins are marked out,
perhaps emphasizing seriousness: Sex with a woman and her daughter is “wicked.”
Adultery “defiles,” ie. pollutes the adulterer. Sacrificing children to the god
Molech “profanes” God’s name, ie. portrays him as unholy. (As the chapter is
about forbidden sex, v21 may include a sexual element). Homosexuality is
“detestable,” ie. hateful to God (v22, 26, 29, 30). Beastiality “defiles” and
is a “perversion,” in contravening God’s distinction between creatures.
The call of chapter 19 is to “be
holy” as God is holy. These instructions reflect his character, setting the
nation apart not just in universal morality (as chapter 18), but in ways unique
to Israel. The
principles of the Ten Commandments are reaffirmed, but also rules regarding the
fellowship offering. Concern for the poor is affirmed in leaving part of the
harvest for them, honesty in prompt payment of wages and the use of standards
and scales in business, uprightness in not taking advantage of those who can’t
defend themselves (19v14), respect in rising for the elderly, and justice in
not showing partiality. In short, Israel
are to love their neighbours as themselves (19v18, 34). So they mustn’t
endanger others’ lives, nor hate them, or bear a grudge against them, but be
prepared to turn them from doing wrong (19v16-18).
19v19 affirms again the need of a
greater perfection and order because of God’s presence, and 19v23-25 may be
intended to stress reliance on God for provision, echoing his purpose in
creation (Gen 1v29). The theme of pure worship in 19v26-31 suggests the
prohibitions on cutting hair, bodies and tattoos affirm the need to be
set-apart from the practices of false religion. 19v29 probably therefore refers
to the cult-prostitution that marked Canaanite religion.
Praying it home:
Praise God for his concern with the love in the details of
life. Pray home the qualities highlighted within these chapters.
Thinking further:
None today.
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