LEVITICUS 18

I.   Verse 1-5 - Introduction.

A.     Verse 2 - This is a message from God, who is the Lord your  God.

B.     Verse 3 - Do not do like Egypt.  It is appropriate that  Israel forget all the things they saw practiced in Egypt as  religion.

C.     Verse 3 - Do not do like the Canaanites.  These are the  things they shall see done as religious activities. It is hard to believe that these things would be  practiced by anybody as a part of their religion.  But they  are.  The only thing that will protect us is a holy  reverence for our God and His laws for us.

D.     Verse 4 - Keep my judgments and ordinances - This is in  opposition to keeping the ordinances of the pagans.

1.       We should walk in God's laws.  They should be a  definite part of our daily lives and the principles  upon which our lives are based.

2.       If the Lord is our God, it won't bother us to walk in  these laws.

E.      If we do what God said, He shall give us life.

F.      Note: "I am the Lord".

1.       Verse 2

2.       Verse 4

3.       Verse 5

4.       Verse 6

5.       Verse 21

6.       Verse 30.

7.       It is because we know that God is Lord of our lives  that we submit to Him.  If we do not know (or are  unsure) of His Lordship, we will disobey and go the way  of the world, following our own thoughts and desires.

II.   Verse 6-23 - The detail of the chapter.

A.     Verse 6-18 - The proper marriage partners. (uncover nakedness means sexual intercourse).

1.       Verse 6 - Gives us a general statement not to marry  near of kin.  Many people in a place of leadership or  authority would follow their own sinful desires and  marry brother or sister or near kin.  This would result  in the children being deformed or lacking in mental  discernment.  This would eventually lead to the  downfall of those nations when that person came to the  throne.  These laws given by God does not hinder  Israel, but sets them free from this kind of short-run  kingdom.  God desires Israel to rule the world forever.      Following these laws will avoid many pitfalls.

2.       Do not uncover the nakedness of:

a.      Verse 7 - Thy natural father or mother.

b.      Verse 8 - Your step-mother.

c.      Verse 9 - A sister or step-sister or half-sister.

1)      Cain and Abel probably married their sister.      There was no one else to marry!  This broke  the law of God, but by the grace of God they  were accepted.

2)      Gen. 20:12 - Abraham married his half-sister.

a)      More than likely, Abraham was worshipping  idols with his father when he married Sarai.

b)      It was by the grace of God that Abraham and  Sarai were accepted by God and blessed by  being the father of Israel.  Nobody can keep  the law, all is by grace.  God protects us by  grace when we don't realize what He is doing.

d.      Verse 10 - Your granddaughter.  It's your own  nakedness.

e.      Verse 11 - your whole sister.

f.       Verse 12 - Your fathers sister, your aunt.

g.      Verse 13 - Your mothers sister, your aunt.

h.      Verse 14 - Your father's brothers' wife, your  aunt.

i.        Verse 15 - Your daughter-in-law.

j.        Verse 16 - Your sister-in-law, this is your  brothers nakedness.

k.      Verse 17 - A woman and her daughter, or granddaughter.

1)      Verse 17 seems to refer to having two wives  (polygamy), but does not approve of it or  condemn it.  God accepts many things that is  not His perfect will.

2)      The exception to this rule is the "Law of  Kinsman Redeemer", Deut. 25:5-10.  This law  is seen with Ruth and Boaz.  Ruth was the  daughter-in-law of Naomi.

a)      Ruth 3:2 - Boaz is called our kinsman.

b)      Ruth 4:3 - Boaz calls Elimelech (Naomi's husband) his brother.

c)      Ruth 4:10 - Boaz takes Ruth for his wife.

d)      Ruth 4:17 - There was a son born to Naomi.  Naomi didn't actually bear the child, Ruth did.  But the law of the Kinsman Redeemer placed the child of Ruth in the inheritance of Elimelech and Naomi. l.Verse 18 - Don't marry two sisters, or have two  wives.  See I Samuel 1:1-8, Samuel's dad had two  wives.

l.        Verse 18 alludes to a man having two wives,  but does not approve of it or condemn it.            God allowed many things because of the  hardness of the peoples heart.

1)      Jacob and Leah and Rachel.  See Genesis  30:14-16 for an example of the jealousy and  problems caused by having more than one wife.

2)      The exception - remarriage is allowed when  the spouse dies.

B.     Verse 19-23 - Examples of wicked lewdness to avoid.

1.       Verse 19 - Come not at a woman sexually during her  monthly cycle.

2.       Verse 20 - Avoid thy neighbors wife.  (in adultery)

3.       Verse 21 - Do not pass your children through the fire  to Molech.

a.      Molech is a pagan god.

b.      The children pass through the fire in two ways.

1)      By burning them in a fire as a burnt  offering.  It a parent would burn one child  to Molech, they were supposedly protecting  their other children.

2)      By passing them between two fires.  This was  the method of dedicating them to the services  of Molech.

4.       Verse 22 - Homosexuality is an abomination.

5.       Verse 23 - Beastalogy by man or woman is condemned.  It  is confusion, and God is not the author of confusion.

III.   Verse 24-30 - The judgment of God upon those that do this  wickedness.

A.     God will judge pagan nations.

1.       Verse 24 - The land is defiled.

2.       Verse 24 - The people are defiled.

3.       Verse 24 - The people are cast out of their land  because of their sin.

4.       Verse 25 - The land itself vomits out her inhabitants.

B.     God will judge His own people.

1.       Verse 26-28 - God will judge Israel even if the sins  were committed by strangers dwelling (not visiting) in  the land.

2.       God will judge his own people just like He judges the  pagan nations, for He does not change.

C.     Verse 30 - If we desire the blessings of God, we must do  exactly what He commands.  This is for anybody in this  entire world.

D.     NOTE - There are those people today that say we live under  grace and are not accountable to God through the law given  to Moses.  They believe this because Jesus died on the cross  to redeem us from the curse of the law.  I believe Jesus  died on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law,  but; does this mean we are free to chose our activities even  if God's Word speaks against it?  Many people say "yes".  If  this is so, why did God judge the people of the world before  the law was given?  Why did God judge the people of Canaan,  who did not have the law of God or knew anything about it?            Why will God judge the world by the Word of God when much of  the world knows nothing about His Word?  Why will God send  many people to hell who have never heard the Word of God, or  about Jesus who died for our sinfulness?  He will judge the  world because He is God and all the world must meet His  standard whether they realize it or not.  Didn't God judge  Egypt who did not know God?  Didn't God judge the inhabitants of Canaan who didn't know God?  Won't God judge us even though we are ignorant of His Word?  Will all the world not become guilty before God??!! Even though we live under the grace (every person from  the creation of the world has lived under the grace of God)  we are accountable to God under the law because that is  God's standard of righteousness revealed to mankind.  No man  can live up to the law, but by God's grace we will be  accepted.  Not on the merits of our works (righteousness),  but on the merits of God's grace.