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“Leviticus 17-20 constituted a legal code for the people of
Israel, touching on many areas of their personal and public life. The
emphasis is … on holiness … The motivation for Israel’s obedience had to
be more than fear of punishment. The people also
needed in their hearts a desire to please God and a determination
to be a holy people who would bring glory to His name,” my commentary
said.
The sanctity of blood was the focus of chapter 17, and it
was surprising to read, “The Jews didn’t eat a great deal of meat because it
was too costly to slaughter their animals. The law stated here prohibited
them from killing their animals for food anywhere inside or outside the
camp. Any animal used for food had to be brought to the altar and
presented as a fellowship offering to the Lord.”
Chapter 18 deals with the sanctity of sex.
While today many feel that how they choose to enjoy sex is a private matter of
their own choosing, we’re told here that we’re created in the image of God and
that the Creator knows what is best for His creation. We know
that no one can follow God’s laws perfectly, so our salvation is not
based on keeping them, but “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. Since God invented
sex and ordained marriage, He has every right to establish the
regulations that control them, and our obedience will help protect their
wonderful blessings from the defilements of the world.”
“The phrase ‘uncover the nakedness’ simply means ‘to have
sexual relations with’.” Since a husband and wife become one flesh
in marriage, anyone having sex with a married person other than their spouse
would be uncovering the nakedness of that person’s spouse – something
that God abhors. The seventh commandment clearly stated that we shall not
commit adultery, and it’s a wonder that these additional explanations of
that commandment’s prohibitions would even be necessary! “What part of
“thou shalt not commit adultery” do you not understand?” God seems to be
saying. And as for sex between unmarried people, God’s commands
regarding fornication take care of that. We don’t have the
authority to redefine what God has ordained.
God clearly says here that sexual sins cause the land
to be corrupted to the point that it has to vomit out the people from
it. How close are we to that point in America today?
Father, wake us up. It’s not about ourselves and our
supposed needs and desires for pleasure. It’s all about You and
Your holiness. Help us to see this and accept it. Purify our
thoughts and cause our hearts to seek after You!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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