Leviticus 20:1-22:16

Leviticus 20:1-22:16

In our culture, child sacrifices are probably not something people are ever faced with, but during the time of the Israelites, it was apparently something that happened for God gave them commands against it. It would be easy to toss this passage aside, viewing it as irrelevant for today. Yet within this passage God says that He will also punish anyone who views such a practice and does nothing about it. I recently wrote a paper on church discipline, which deals with one believer correcting a fellow brother or sister for their wrong doing. It is not in a judgmental way, realizing that they are just as sinful. Rather it is to be done in a loving way, so that their brother or sister can be restored into their fellowship. In both instances, God finds it important for us to look out for one another, not allowing a brother or sister to live in a continual state of sin. If we see someone sinning, it is our responsibility to go to them in love. In Leviticus 20, failure to not follow this command received the same punishment for actually living in that particular sin.

The next section of Leviticus 20 is pretty much a repeat of Leviticus 18, describing unlawful sexual relations. It is a reminder that God intended for one man to be with one woman, and any other relation is wrong. Adam and Eve were set forth as the example, and God actually lays out the laws behind that relationship in these two chapters. The rest of the chapter once again reminds the Israelites why they should keep these commands, much like Leviticus 19. God declares Himself as holy and tells the Israelites that they too should be holy.

The focus shifts in Leviticus 21, going back to the priests. God begins a long discussion on how the priests, those set apart from the rest of the Israelites, are to live. They too are expected to live a holy life, and there is in a sense more responsibility on them since they are the spiritual leaders of the nation. They set the example for the rest of the nation, and if they break God’s commands, what example would they be setting? The laws that God outlines cover many different areas of life, ranging from uncleanliness to how they should act in the holy place to what they are allowed to eat. God chose Aaron and his family in particular to serve Him in this role. As a result, He expected Aaron to respect that calling by remaining obedient. Although we do not have priests in this fashion today, we can learn something from their lifestyle. The world looks to us, the Christians, seeing how we act each day. When we neglect to obey God’s commands, we are setting a bad example before them which might turn them away from Christianity altogether. It is our responsibility to live a holy life in obedience to God, showing the world who we believe in and living out that confession.

Matt