From Leviticus 16-18
In today’s chapter we have a look at how the bible defines sexual immorality. In the scriptures adultery is the most common sexual sin. In this chapter we learn about incest, sex during menstruation, adultery, homosexual sex and bestiality. In the gospel, Jesus raises the bar up a notch on adultery, we need to guard against even the thought of it.
This post is part of my bible in a year series.
Passage and Comments
Moses is concerned that when the Israelites enter the promised land they will adopt the customs and beliefs of the nations they live around. Today’s passage has this in mind.
[1] And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [2] “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God.
[3] You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.
[4] You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. [5] You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (Lev 18.1-5)
The statement ‘if a person does them, he shall live by them’ (Lev 18.5) is set in the context of warning against foreign abominations and worship.
[6] “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD.
[7] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
[8] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
[9] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
[10] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.
[11] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister.
[12] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative.
[13] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.
[14] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
[15] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
[16] You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. (Lev 18.6-16)
Moses uses the expression ‘uncover the nakedness’ as a euphemism for sexual relations.
The typical household in Israel included up to three or four generations.
The passage assumes men occasionally had multiple wives (Lev 18.8,11 ‘father’s wife’ is not called your mother; Lev 18.9 ‘Father’s daughter’, sister is not only defined as of the same father and mother).
Marriage in the Old Testament was open to polygamy (cf. Ex 21.7-11; Dt 21.15-17; 17.17). For example God gave David multiple wives (2 Sam 12.8; cf. 2 Sam 5.10,13) and in Ezekiel the LORD married Samaria and Jerusalem, bearing sons and daughters through them (Eze 23.4).
Intercourse with a brothers wife in some cases is commanded (Dt 25.5-10; cf. Gen 38.8-9). Having children with a brothers wife was only applicable when the brother had died and he had no heirs.
[17] You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity.
[18] And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive. (Lev 18.17-18)
This section highlights the unusual nature of Jacob’s marriages with Rachel and Leah.
[19] “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.
[20] And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.
[21] You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
[22] You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
[23] And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion. (Lev 18.19-23)
‘Molech’. One of the pagan religions of the time included the practice of sacrificing infants to the false god. Bear in mind, Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord.
‘Lie with a male’. Moses prohibits men having sex with one another. This prohibition will continue into the NT.
[24] “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, [25] and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
[26] But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you
[27] (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean),
[28] lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. [29] For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. [30] So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.” (Lev 18.24-30)
The people of Israel are warned again of the dangers in adopting these practices. The inhabitants of the land before them did so, became unclean and were ‘vomited’ (Lev 18.25,28) out of the land because of it.
Story of Israel
Leviticus 18 is the primary chapter in the scriptures which defines the boundaries of sexual sin.
In addition, there is
- adultery (Ex 20.14; Dt 22.22-24),
- forcing daughters into prostitution (Lev 19.29),
- being part of cultic prostitution (Dt 23.17-18),
- rape (Gen 34.7; Dt 22.25-29; 2 Sam 13.21-22),
- homosexual intercourse (Lev 18.22; 20.13),
- bestiality (Ex 18.22; Lev 20.15-16; Dt 27.21),
- incest (Lev 18.6-18) and
- intercourse during menstruation (Lev 18.19; 20.18).
When the bible speaks of sexual immorality, these are the sexual sins in mind.
The chapter ends with the warning to Israel, that if they participated in these sins, then they to would be vomited out from the land.
Story of Jesus
In the gospel, Jesus amplifies and extends the law of Moses rule about adultery.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman [another man’s wife] with lustful intent [covets her for himself] has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mt 5:27–30)
Jesus’ command goes beyond the very act of committing adultery. He extends it to fantasizing about it as well.
Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2015. All Rights Reserved.
