Scripture: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. 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. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD… And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
“You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness. And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 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. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 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.
“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, and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 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 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 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.”
Leviticus 18:1-6, 18-30 ESV
[Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Yahweh declares the principle behind prohibiting the consumption of blood, which is sacred. In particular, it is the lifeline to all animals and atones for Israel’s souls when presented on the altar to Yahweh. Specific stipulations include:
- Hunting: The game’s blood must be poured on the ground and covered. The violator will face excommunication.
- Gathering: Any who eats the meat from an animal that dies from natural causes or from another animal tearing its flesh must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. The violator will bear their iniquity.
Today’s reading addresses the laws involving inappropriate sexual relations. To separate God’s people from the godless of Egypt and Canaan (vv.2-3) who crossed moral boundaries in sexual activity (as part of their pagan worship), the Lord prohibited:
- incest (vv.6-17),
- intercourse during the wife’s menstruation (v.19),
- adultery (v.20),
- sacrificing children to foreign fertility gods (v.21),
- same-sex intercourse (v.22), and
- bestiality (v.23).
As verse 30 sums this segment of laws, to practice these abominable customs would defile Yahweh’s cherished, chosen people.
Takeaway: When on the brink of a schism over whether Gentile converts should uphold the Mosaic law, the Jerusalem Council saved the day by paring observance to three prohibitions (Acts 15):
- eating meat sacrificed to idols,
- consuming blood or strangled meat, and
- sexual immorality
The similarities are striking for this span of thirteen centuries from Moses to the Jerusalem Council. Not surprisingly, the elders’ directive to the Gentiles echoes God’s command to Israel that addresses life’s sanctity— the heartbeat of God’s holiness code.
Our takeaway? What are the challenges we face today in upholding the sanctity of life? The application is straightforward but culturally and politically charged. Indeed, we may even face persecution and imprisonment when defending God’s holiness code as it pertains to the unborn child and monogamous heterosexual marriages. But if we don’t, sin’s path of destruction will continue to weigh down the weary and brokenhearted and shipwreck their souls.
Our part? As ambassadors of Christ, how do we navigate these uncertain times without capitulating to our cancel culture? By being the Lord’s vessels of life support, making choices within our realms of influence that preserve the sanctity of life under God’s commands while loving those who see things differently. It’s a tricky balance that requires the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit and the support of fellow believers committed to the cause. And if we stay on course, his grace will grant us abundant life here and now (John 10:10), regardless of the backlash, and his Holy Spirit will guide us, heavenly bound, to the place he has prepared for us (John 14:2).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, who transferred our sins into his body and eternal life into ours by his blood. And we thank you for your Holy Spirit, who guides us and gives us the words to say when facing persecution (Luke 12:11-12). So please grant us the strength, courage, and guidance of your Holy Spirit to be vessels of life support for the unborn and Christ-centered heterosexual marriages. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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