Leviticus 18

We live in a sex-saturated society. It smiles at monogamous marriages, encourages abortion as a means of birth control, promotes and endorses kinky sex as a means of entertainment, claims that moral absolutes don’t exist, and really believes that people can violate moral standards and escape the consequences. Fulton J. Sheen was right when he said, “The Victorians pretended sex did not exist; the moderns pretend that nothing else exists.’’

Authority (vv. 1–5). There are several reasons why the Lord gives clear instructions concerning personal sexual hygiene, sexual morality, and marriage. For one thing, we’re created in the image of God, and the Creator knows what’s best for His creation. God certainly wants married couples to enjoy the beautiful gift of sex, but He also wants them to avoid the terrible consequences that come when His laws are violated.

God had chosen Israel to be the channel through which His Son would come into the world, and it was important that the channel be sanctified. The breakdown of marriage in the Jewish society and the adopting of pagan practices could threaten the plan of God for their redemption. This seems to be the emphasis of Malachi 2:15. The Lord was “seeking godly offspring’’ (niv) that can come only from godly marriages.

A Christian marriage should be a witness to the world of the love Christ has for His church (Eph. 5:25–33), but if that marriage isn’t pure and faithful, the witness is destroyed. If husbands and wives can’t love each other as Christ loves the church, why invite their unsaved friends to be saved and share in Christ’s love?

Three times in this passage God said, “I am the Lord’’ (Lev. 18:2, 4–5). The phrase is used forty-two times in Leviticus 18—26. That’s all the authority we need for the standards that we hold! The Lord warned Israel not to look back and imitate the sins they saw in Egypt, nor to look around and imitate the sins of the Gentile nations (18:3). When the Jews entered Canaan, they would discover that the people there were unspeakably immoral; Israel would have to maintain a position of separation in order to be pleasing to the Lord. The church today must maintain that same position (2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; Eph. 5:1–14; Col. 3:1–7).

Obedience to God’s commandments brings life (Lev. 18:5). Indeed, other biblical writers often quoted this verse (see Neh. 9:29; Luke 10:28; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12). If people could perfectly obey God’s law, their obedience would save them, but, of course, nobody can. Therefore, salvation is wholly by faith, totally apart from the works of the law (Rom. 3:19–31). However, after we’re saved, our obedience to the will of God, as revealed in the Word of God, is the basis for fellowshipping with God and enjoying the abundant life He wants us to have.

Standards (vv. 6–23). Since God invented sex and ordained marriage, He has every right to establish the regulations that control them, and our obedience will help protect these wonderful blessings from the defilements of the world. The laissez faire attitude of the humanistic world that says “anything goes’’ is not for the Christian. When it comes to moral standards, we’re becoming more and more of a persecuted remnant, but we dare not retreat.

The repeated phrase “uncover the nakedness’’ simply means “to have sexual relations with.’’ These laws would apply not only to marriage but also to casual contacts that were immoral. The prohibitions are listed in this chapter; the penalties are spelled out in chapter 20.

Leviticus 18:7–18 deal with incestuous relationships. These regulations are based on the fact that, in marriage, the man and woman are one flesh (Gen. 2:21–25; 1 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31). A person who had relations with his stepmother, for example, would be “uncovering the nakedness’’ of his father; for the father and stepmother would be one (Lev. 18:8; see 1 Cor. 5:1ff.). Most modern societies prohibit consanguineous marriages, not because of what the Bible says but because of the consequences of such unions. There is a tendency for their children to inherit the recessive detrimental genes and bring out the worst in the family tree rather than the best.

Leviticus 18: did not prohibit what is known as “levirate marriage.’’ (“Levir’’ is the Latin word for “husband’s brother.’’) This occurred when a deceased husband’s brother married the widow so as to beget sons who would continue the family name and protect the family inheritance (see Deut. 25:5–10). The law stated in Leviticus 18: prohibited only illicit relations between brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

The seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery’’ (Ex. 20: nkjv), is expressly stated in Leviticus 18: (see Deut. 5:18). A man might argue, “I can enjoy my neighbor’s wife because she isn’t a relative, so it’s legal.’’ But God said it was wrong, and that settled it. The Bible repeats the stern warnings against adultery (see Prov. 2:16–19; 7:5–22; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:19; James 2:11).

The warning about Molech (Lev. 18:21) will be dealt with when we study 20:1–5.

This section climaxes with prohibitions against homosexuality (18:22) and bestiality (v. 23; see Ex. 22:19; Deut. 27:21), with the warning that these sins are defiling, detestable (niv), and a perversion (niv). The best commentary is Romans 1:24–32 (see also Gen. 18:16—19:38; Judg. 19; Deut. 23:17–18, where a male cult prostitute is called a “dog’’).

That people who have committed any of these sins can be forgiven and become God’s children is clear from Matthew 12: and 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; that God expects them to repent and forsake their old lifestyle is clear from 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 5:1–10; and Colossians 3:1–7.

Consequences (vv. 24–30). The picture here isn’t a pretty one. Sexual perversions are like disease germs; they make a society and a nation sick. Then the land itself becomes sick and must vomit out its filthy people the way a human body vomits out poison. How tragic that people made in God’s image should end up as vomit! Please note that these were Gentile nations that were judged—peoples with whom God had not made any covenants, but He still held them accountable for their filthy deeds against nature (Rom. 1:18ff.).

If God so dealt with Gentile nations, to whom He’d never given His law, how much more will He hold accountable those who claim to know Him and possess His Word? There are dire consequences to sexual sins, and the judgment is greatest where the light has been the brightest. Alas, the nation of Israel disobeyed God, defiled their land, and were vomited out into captivity. Today, there are both secular and religious organizations that openly espouse an immoral lifestyle contrary to God’s Word; in God’s eyes, they’re making society sick.

The sanctity of law (Lev. 19:1–37) In chapter 19, the Ten Commandments are applied to various areas of life; in chapter 20, the penalties are stated that must be imposed on those who disobey His commandments. God expected His people to take His law seriously and to apply the penalties obediently and without favoritism.

The regulations given in chapter 19 aren’t arranged in any discernible order, but the one thing that ties them together is their relationship to the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1–17), which is the basis for all Jewish law and should be the basis for all moral law. Perhaps the easiest way to classify these laws is to see them in their relationship to God, to others, and to things.

Precepts relating to God. Since He is a holy God, we must be a holy people (Lev. 19:1–2). We’ve noted that the phrase “I am the Lord your God’’ is repeated over forty times in Leviticus 18—26 to remind us that we belong to Him. He warns us, “Fear your God: I am the Lord’’ (19: nkjv). Note that God calls these laws “my statutes’’ and “my ordinances’’ (v. 37), that the Sabbath is “my Sabbath’’ (vv. 3, 30) and the tabernacle is “my sanctuary’’ (v. 30). The law brings sinful people into the presence of a sovereign God who has every right to tell us what is right and wrong.

Honoring the Sabbath (vv. 3, 30) reminded them of the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8–11) and of the fact that the Sabbath was a special “sign’’ between God and Israel (31:13–17; Neh. 9:13–14). When we study Leviticus 23, we’ll discover that Jewish life was based on a system of sevens, beginning with the seventh day. Violating the Sabbath Day was a capital offense (Num. 15:32–36).

The law against idolatry (Lev. 19:4) focuses on both the first and second commandments (Ex. 20:2–6), and it carried the death penalty (Lev. 20:1–5). We could include here the prohibition against indulging in the occult (vv. 26, 31), a form of idolatry that Scripture clearly condemns (Deut. 13:1–5; 18:9–22).

Leviticus 19:5–8 emphasizes the importance of following God’s instructions for worship. He told them how to present the peace offering (3:1–17; 7:11–21), and He expected them to obey. We can also include 19:27–28, which are prohibitions against imitating the practices of unbelievers. Christians today may consider styles and fashions morally neutral, but this isn’t always the case. While Christians shouldn’t look like they came from “out of this world,’’ they certainly ought not to imitate the world. “Be not conformed to this world’’ (Rom. 12:2).

The name of the Lord (v. 12) is sacred and must never be used blasphemously or in an oath that the person has no intention of fulfilling. This is the import of the third commandment (Ex. 20:7). If we fear the Lord, we’ll respect His name and sincerely pray, “Hallowed be Thy name’’ (Matt. 6:9).

Precepts relating to others. These begin with respect for one’s parents (Lev. 19:3), which is the fifth commandment (Ex. 20:12; Matt. 15:3–6; Eph. 6:1–4). Related to this is respect for the aged (Lev. 19:32), for God is concerned about the elderly (Isa. 46:4; 1 Tim. 5:1–2, 4, 8; 1 Peter 5:5), and we should be too. God is also concerned for those with physical handicaps (Lev. 19:14). Jesus healed the blind and the deaf; we can’t do that, but we can help protect them and enable them to live better lives. God is also concerned for strangers in our midst (vv. 33–34), and He often reminded the Jews that they had been strangers in Egypt (Ex. 22:21; 23:9; Lev. 25:23; Deut. 10:19). When you consider the thousands of foreign students who attend our colleges and universities, a mission field at our doorstep, this admonition becomes even more significant.

God’s concern for the poor and needy is seen in the “harvest laws’’ (Lev. 19:9–10; see 23:22; Deut. 23:24–25; 24:19–22; Ruth 2). It is also seen in the regulation about wages (Lev. 19:13). Since workers were paid daily, any delay would cause hardship (Deut. 24:14–15; James 5:4), and employers must never take advantage of their employees. Rich and poor stand equal before God and the law, and justice must not be partial (Lev. 19:15; see Ex. 23:3), because God hears the cries of the poor when they are oppressed (Ps. 82:3–4). The nation must be careful to have just weights and measures, lest unscrupulous merchants rob innocent people (Lev. 19:35–36; see Prov. 11:1; 16:11; 20:10, 23; Amos 8:5; Mic. 6:10–11).

The eighth commandment says, “You shall not steal’’ (Ex. 20: nkjv); the ninth commandment warns against lying (v. 16), and both are included in Leviticus 19:11. Respect for truth and for property is the foundation for a just and orderly society. The liar and talebearer (v. 16) is a menace to public safety and peace, particularly if he or she is a lying witness in court.

Sexual morality is demanded in verses 20–22 and 29. The phrase “she shall be scourged’’ is translated “there must be due punishment’’ in the NIV, which could mean the offender had to pay the woman’s fiance an amount of money. It is difficult to understand why a Jewish father would want his daughter to become a prostitute in a pagan temple (v. 29; Deut. 23:17). Both of these laws apply to the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery’’ (Ex. 20: nkjv).

Getting along with people, especially our neighbors, isn’t a matter of obeying laws but of having love in our hearts (Lev. 19:18). “Love is the fulfilling of the law’’ (Rom. 13:10). The new commandment to love one another helps us handle human relationships and treat people the way God treats us (John 13:34–35).

Precepts relating to things. The strange regulation in Leviticus 19: seems to prohibit imitating practices related to heathen worship, or, it may simply be a reminder that Israel is a separated people. Hebrew scholar R. Laird Harris translates the first clause, “Do not make your animals fall down with an unequal yoke.’’ This would parallel Deuteronomy 22:10. It would be cruel to yoke to the same heavy load two animals of unequal stature and strength.

That God is concerned about ecology is seen in Leviticus 19:23–25, and note also Deuteronomy 20:19–20. Fruit, of course, can’t be “circumcised’’; the word simply means “forbidden.’’ By the fourth year, the fruit would be more mature, since it would be the third crop since planting; this belonged to God. The firstfruits should always be His (Prov. 3:9–10).