And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
Leviticus 20 concerns the law of immorality. It’s as if God in these few chapters has addressed all the immorality of Genesis and Exodus. We read all this sometimes wondering if God was okay with it. Honestly, it’s very troubling to read, especially out loud with your kids. Did God let people get away with that stuff? If you read your bible, you know what I’m talking about.
The first books of the Bible is plagued with immorality. There was problem with the marrying that was going on before the flood. The Bible says “The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.” (Genesis 6:2,3) …And the Lord Said! There was something about their marrying and giving away in marriage that God didn’t like. There was something wicked happening when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men. (Genesis 6:4,5)
“Cursed be Canaan” (Genesis 9:25) because his father Ham saw the nakedness of his father Noah. Milcah, Terah’s daughter, married her Father’s brother, Nahor. Abraham married his sister, “And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.” (Genesis 20:12) There’s just something wrong with that.
When Abraham and Sarai came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was fair, and Pharoah just took the woman into his house. Today that’s called kidnapping, human-trafficking, and rape. When Abraham and Sarai apparently couldn’t conceive a child, they take things into their own hands, and “Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” (Genesis 16:2) That’s just not right.
And then there is Sodom, where the angels of God and Lot are threatened by a militant, violent, dangerous crowd of queers. They compassed Lot’s house and demanded, “Bring them unto us, that we my know them!” (Genesis 19:5) And if that’s not bad enough, Lot, to save his neck, offers his two daughters to this crowd. “Let me bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes.” (Genesis 19:8) That is sick. And so are the things that Lot’s daughters did with him while he was drunk to preserve seed. (Genesis 19:32)
Then Jacob got the wrong wife? Then he got the right wife? Then he got the wrong wife’s handmaid? And the right wife’s handmaid? There’s laws against this in most states nowadays! And of all those children that those women had: Dinah, Leah’s daughter, was taken and defiled by Shechem (Genesis 34:2); Reuben and his father’s concubine were not doing right (Gen 35:22); Judah, came in unto who he though was a harlot, but was his daughter-in-law, Tamar (Genesis 38:16); Joseph landed in prison after he turned down the proposition from the wife of his boss, “Lie with me.” (Genesis 39:7)
God only knows what they did in Egypt. They had one worship service go long and they all bailed on Moses and started dancing naked around a golden calf. And the associate pastor, Aaron, led the way! It’s somewhat difficult to explain these things to your children when you’re trying to read to them the Word of God. It’s just weird.
But then we come to Leviticus 18,19, and 20, and God lays down the law. Things seem to be cleared up concerning these matters. God gives us the dos and the don’ts in all this. Really, he gives us all the don’ts. And concerning these don’ts, the Lord says, “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.” They’re still committing all these things. And God still abhors them.
I say all this to say this: Sexual immorality is prevalent throughout the scriptures, and God spends three whole chapters in his law dealing with this sort of thing. It’s a serious thing. Don’t ever think that you are above this sort of thing or immune to it. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, was taken in by this sin. If you’re married, cleave to that husband or wife; and hold on until death do you part. If you’re not married, then cleave unto your mother and father until God gives you a husband or a wife. God’s way is a safe way and a good way.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
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