How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your Word… Your Word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you. Psalm 119:9&11
Throughout the book of Leviticus we will see three different categories of God’s law, ceremonial, civil, and, moral.
First, thus far we have seen that the ceremonial laws are the laws that prefigure the sacrifice of Christ. Leviticus has described the sacrifices, the priests who administer the sacrifices, and the yearly Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 23-25 we will learn of the seven yearly feasts ordained by God so that the people would remember and celebrate God’s love and mighty wonders and works throughout the year.
Second, the civil laws are the laws that God gave to Israel so that they could govern themselves as a nation. These include the laws concerning social welfare, criminal justice, inheritance, taxes, etc. While many of these specific laws may not be transferable to other nations in the world today, nevertheless the principles behind these laws must never be discarded. Because these laws are from God, their principles are to guide our conduct. These laws are described by the Westminster Confession of Faith as applying to our general equity. (WCF, Chapter 19, Of the Law of God) In other words while national and international circumstances have changed, God’s principles remain intact.
Third, the moral laws include the Ten Commandments along with the case laws teaching how the Ten Commandments are to be applied in everyday life. This next section of Leviticus focuses primarily on God’s moral law.
Leviticus 17:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded: 3 Whatever man there is of the house of Israel who kills a bull, or lamb, or goat in the camp, or who kills it outside the camp, 4 and hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to Yahweh before Yahweh’s tabernacle: blood shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood. That man shall be cut off from among his people. 5 This is to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, to the priest, and sacrifice them for sacrifices of peace offerings to Yahweh. 6 The priest shall sprinkle the blood on Yahweh’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 7 They shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to the goat idols, after which they play the prostitute. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations.’
8 “You shall say to them, ‘Any man there is of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, 9 and doesn’t bring it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to sacrifice it to Yahweh, that man shall be cut off from his people.
10 “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 12 Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you may eat blood, nor may any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”
13 “‘Whatever man there is of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. 14 For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, “You shall not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.”
15 “‘Every person that eats what dies of itself, or that which is torn by animals, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. Then he shall be clean. 16 But if he doesn’t wash them, or bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.’”
In the first two of the Ten Commandments God states:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.” Exodus 20:2-5
However, throughout the Old Covenant God’s people frequently violated these first two Commandments. Forgetting the God who gave them both life and freedom, they instead conformed to the evil practices of their unbelieving neighbors by giving their allegiance to and bowing down to demons, Psalm 96:5, which were represented by idols. To prevent this idolatry God forbid any sacrifices outside the camp, on unholy ground.In other words, they were forbidden from sacrificing on the sacred high places of the pagans. Instead, as we have seen, it was required that all sacrifices were to be brought to the priest of God at the door of the Tent of Meeting. All sacrifices were to be offered on God’s holy ground.
If any of the people living in Israel, including foreigners, were disobedient and offered sacrifice to demons (They sacrificed to demons, which are not gods – gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared… You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. Deuteronomy 32:17-18) God warned that they would be cut off, exiled from God’s land. And jumping way ahead in the Biblical story God kept his word. As Micah had prophesied when the Northern Kingdom of Israel sacrificed to the demon fertility idols such as Molech, God had the Assyrians attack and ransack and the nation, carrying them off into exile. And, not learning the lesson from their countrymen, about one hundred years later, refusing to heed the warnings of the prophet Zephaniah, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was exiled to Babylon.
Going hand in hand with not sacrificing outside the camp is the prohibition against eating any kind of blood. Why? God guards the sanctity of blood because life is in the blood. God had designated blood solely for use on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. In the New Covenant Christ revealed the reasoning behind this prohibition by explaining, He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. John 6:54. Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:27-28
In addition to not sacrificing to the demon gods of their neighbors, Israel was not to follow the sexual statutes, customs, and practices of their pagan neighbors.
Leviticus 18:1 Yahweh said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am Yahweh your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived. You shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 You shall do my ordinances. You shall keep my statutes and walk in them. I am Yahweh your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am Yahweh.
7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
8 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife. It is your father’s nakedness.
9 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
10 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness; for theirs is your own nakedness.
11 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, conceived by your father, since she is your sister.
12 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister. She is your father’s near kinswoman.
13 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s near kinswoman.
14 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt.
15 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
16 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.
17 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near kinswomen. It is wickedness.
18 “‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.
19 “‘You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.
20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her.
21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
22 “‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman. That is detestable.
23 “‘You shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it. No woman may give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
24 “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. 25 The land was defiled. Therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you 27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled), 28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
29 “‘For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them. I am Yahweh your God.’”
In all of the ancient religions, sex, in all of its forms, heterosexual, homosexual, transgender, pedophilia, was believed to be necessary to enhance spirituality making possible communion with the gods. Sexual “worship” of the gods, with temple priests and priestesses, believed it necessary to bring prosperity and fertility, was practiced throughout the ancient world. The one exception to this practice was Judaism.
God created sex and called it good. God created the sexes, male and female, Genesis 1:27, and bid them be fruitful and multiply, Genesis 1:28, but unlike all of the other world religions, sexual ecstasy in the temple was not seen as the pathway to God. Rather, as Leviticus has explained, the path back to a relationship with God comes only through repentance, confession, and the sacrifice of the substitute who bears the guilt and shame of your sin, the Lamb of God. The only blood allowed in the temple was the blood of the sacrifice that was shed for the forgiveness of sins.
God expects his people to be holy: set apart. God laments that men constantly invent ways of doing evil. Romans 1:30. In Leviticus 18, God, make reference to sexual anarchy. Similarly, Paul wrote – Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more, Ephesians 4:19-20 – forbidding adultery, fornication, incest, and all of what we today refer to as LGBTQIA+ behaviors, such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, pedophilia, transgenderism, and bestiality. Deuteronomy 22:5
When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into marriage, it changed the world. The Torah’s prohibition of non-marital sex quite simply made the creation of Western civilization possible. Societies that did not place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development… Forcing the sexual genie into the marital bottle ensured that sex no longer dominated society, heightened male-female love, and began the arduous task of elevating the status of women. (Dennis Prager, Why Judaism and then Christianity Rejected Homosexuality, Crisis magazine, 2/1/18)
Because in the ancient religions the gods created the cosmos through intercourse, worshipers were instructed to commune with the gods by having intercourse with young boys, girls and temple prostitutes. While we may no longer have fertility cults, today we are relentlessly taught that “love is love.” This saying is used to promote adultery, fornication, same sex marriage, transgender transitions, and MAPs (Minor Attracted Persons), in short all of the lustful actions that Leviticus 18 lists as destructive.
Those without the knowledge of God, Romans 1:28 ask, “In a world filled with hate and strife how can promoting any kind of love be wrong? Doesn’t the Bible say that God is love?”
It comes as a shock to many reading Leviticus that there are behaviors that our culture defines as love that God clearly forbids. In fact, in 1 John 2:15, God actually commands his children… do not love! How can this be? God explains by listing three things in the world that his children are not to love, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. 1 John 2:16
In short, God has set boundaries – guardrails – to reign in the destructive lusts of men. By following these lusts we are trying to satisfy legitimate physical needs in illegitimate ways. After all, our sexual desires were created by God. However when we seek to satisfy ourselves outside of the limits that God created in our nature our lusts morph into idols that consume us.
Leviticus 18 also includes the prohibition against child sacrifice –You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. Child sacrifice conveniently makes sexual anarchy possible by spiritualizing sexual perversions behind the veneer of theological rationalization; the sacrifice of unwanted children to the gods.
Satan’s sacrament has, from the beginning, been death. Why? Because the death of unbelievers adds souls to Satan’s kingdom. As Christ taught, Satan’s goal is to kill, steal, and destroy everything that the Creator has designed. John 10:10. Satan is focused particularly on destroying God’s image-bearers.
In ancient times child sacrifice was practiced to satisfy the gods and bring the community blessing. Though we imagine ourselves as more enlightened and sophisticated, today is no different. The sacrifice of abortion is practiced offering millions of innocents to satisfy the gods, including the gods of self. Abortion is also celebrated as a means of bringing the community the blessing of population control, appeasing the false gods of climate change through reduced population.
Our theological reasoning may have changed over the years but the devouring gods have remained the same. In opposition to God’s command for husbands and wives within the bond of marriage to be fruitful, mankind has always been willing to sacrifice the blessings of the Creator God, including their precious children, to the god’s of chaos and death.
As a lasting object lesson to his people, God reminds them that because the former residents of the land practiced sexual perversions, defiling the land, he had vomited out the nation that was before [them]. God warned Israel to pay close attention, For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs which were practiced before you.
Do you think that the nations and people who practice these same abominations are in danger of facing the judgment of God today? Does God change? Because Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, just like the Old Testament records, those nations who practice abominations can expect the judgment of God. Amos 1:3-15. The fact that God is patient does not mean that he will never judge those who oppose him. Psalm 103:8
Many are operating under the comforting delusion that the Lord does not see. Psalm 94:7. In fact Jude, the brother of Christ, gives three examples so that the church will understand that God does, indeed, see.
The Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling – these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on that great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Jude 1:5-7
With these three examples Jude wants the church to understand that there are real consequences for rebellion. God judges both the Church and nations. First, although liberated from slavery, Israel refused to trust God, constantly falling into lust and rebellion. Numbers 25:1-3. Second, angels were willing to give up their angelic positions in their lust after human women. Genesis 6:1-5, 2 Peter 2:4-5. Third, the men in Sodom abandoned the natural order to engage their homosexual lusts. Genesis 19:4-5. God left these lasting demonstrations long ago so that the nations of the world would not forget that sexual anarchy, by whatever name, carries with it dire consequences.
Rather than following the false religious practices and worship or the debased sexual practices of the unbelievers in the world, God’s children are to be set apart and holy because their God is holy. Leviticus 19 continues by laying out, in practical terms, how God’s children are to follow his Ten Commandments.
Leviticus 19:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.’”
How are God’s people to be holy?
God explains by reviewing the Ten Commandments.
- What is the fifth commandment?
Leviticus 19:3 Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father.
Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12
All legitimate human authority is God-given. It is because God has put it there. And the duty to respect this authority ultimately is a duty unto the Lord! When God created man the family was the only divine institution of communal life. After the fall of man, however, two other important institutions were given. These are the Church and the state. God gave the Church for the work of teaching the gospel and exercising spiritual government over those who profess faith in Christ. The state was given in order to restrain lawlessness and evil in the world. (G.I.Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R Publishing)
God designed the family to be the foundation of a strong society. A society in which children are taught to honor their parents will be lasting, long upon the land. On the other hand, a society in which children do not honor their parents, rejecting the accumulated wisdom of their elders, will inevitably self-destruct. Such dishonor can occur in a variety of ways. Children, seduced by the world, can dishonor their parents. Parents can neglect their duty to teach their children about God’s truth, the ways and wonders of God as God commanded. Deuteronomy 6:20-25. Parents can neglect to love their children by refusing to properly discipline them. Proverbs 29:17. Parents can allow governments and schools to usurp their role, acquiescing as unbelievers instruct their children in the lies of the world.
See also Leviticus 19:32 below…
- What is the fourth commandment?
Leviticus 19:3 You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11
Have you ever wondered why the calendar universally used throughout the entire world observes the seven-day week? The reason is because that is how God created the world. We are divinely engineered to observe one day in seven to rest and to worship our Creator.
The word sabbath means rest. It means a cessation of the activities proper to the other six days of the week, in order to sanctify – or set apart one day to the Lord… We are to spend one day in a different kind of activity… worship of the Lord our God…It also reminds us that we are to work six days as servants of the Lord. This aspect of the commandment needs greater emphasis today, when so many people want something for nothing, and when getting out of work seems to be the desirable goal. The Bible says, if any would not work, neither should he eat, Thessalonians 3:10. We who are Christians ought, of all people, to be most diligent in work. For to when we do our work faithfully, we also glorify God. (G.I.Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
See also Leviticus 19:30 below…
- What are the first and second commandments?
Leviticus 19:4 Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Nothing is more common than the idea that it doesn’t matter what particular religion one may have, or what denomination one belongs to, since it is taken for granted by most people that those different religions have the same object in view… just different ways of knowing one and the same God… but there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. I Corinthians 8:5-6 (G.I. Williamson, Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:4-6
This is the great principle contained in the second commandment: the duty to worship God as He himself commands. God may not be worshipped properly in any way invented by men. When this commandment is violated it is the children who suffer the most… When we bring in these things that God has not commanded, our children do not understand that they are learning to worship God in a wrong way. They do not realize that they are being influenced by things that have a human origin rather than a divine origin. This becomes a barrier to the power of the gospel and the working of the Spirit. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Mankind, being made in the image of God, is innately religious. Men will always worship and revere something. When men reject God the resulting void is always filled with some other object of worship. Perhaps other false gods, perhaps gods of self, perhaps demons, or as in the case of modern day secularists, perhaps scientism, but something will always be worshipped and served. There is no neutral ground.
Leviticus 19:5 When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. 6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted; 8 but everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy thing of Yahweh, and that soul shall be cut off from his people.
What God has done is to give us a simple principle. And by this principle we know that what He commands is sufficient, and that what He does not command is therefore forbidden…Thus there will be the reading and preaching of the Scriptures, singing of Psalms, administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
- What is the eighth commandment?
Thou shalt not steal. Exodus 20:15
Leviticus 19:9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.
God designed an economy that had compassion for the impoverished providing a way for them to learn and to accept responsibility for themselves by working for their food. This principle is illustrated in the book of Ruth. Land owners and farmers were instructed to leave the produce on the margins of their fields and leave fallen grapes for those in need even though the practice cut into the profit that they were able to make. Now we don’t follow that practice today, but, again, this principle falls under the umbrella of the Westminster Confession’s idea of “general equity” or principles of God that are established for all men. To function within the laws of creation, any welfare system should be designed to teach the responsibility and rewards of work while at the same time teaching the skills necessary to help people overcome poverty.
It is stealing when we take… without working in an honest and diligent way. This is becoming a great problem for our country today. There are even some people who will not work, though they could. They simply demand money from the government. Yet the Bible says, If any would not work, neither should he eat. II Thessalonians 3:10 (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Leviticus 19:11 You shall not steal.
The right of private property is an ordinance of God. If it were not so the law would not say, Thou shalt not steal. You cannot steal something from a person unless that thing rightfully belongs to that person. It is for this reason that the Christian must oppose communism and socialism. Basic to socialism and communism is the idea that private ownership should give way to collective ownership.
Another form of stealing is waste. The Bible says that a person who wastes is like a slothful person. Proverbs 18:9. Some workers treat the property of their employers with utmost carelessness… and as a result this costs the employer a great sum of money. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Of course today the Critical Theory concept of equity is nothing more than theft, taking from those who have invested time and labor and giving to those who have less in order that everyone will have the same outcome. Equity is the hallmark of the World Economic Forum’s motto, “You will own nothing and you will be happy.” When those who refuse to contribute to society are to be provided for by those who are willing to provide for themselves, history has shown that such societies are on the road to destruction. Again, when our created nature is ignored and violated unwanted consequences are inevitable.
See also Leviticus 19:13-15 below…
- What is the ninth commandment?
Leviticus 19:11 You shall not lie.
You shall not deceive one another.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Exodus 20:16
God’s children are commanded to be different from the unbelievers that live among them. For example, today the culture teaches that men who wish to may change their gender. But neither wishing, nor clicking their high heels, nor any amount of fairy dust can magically bend the fabric of God’s reality that has been inextricably woven into their genetic sequences. When transgenders and their allies demand that we play along with their delusions by using nonsensical pronouns or by allowing them to shower with our daughters we must instead tell the truth. As our Creator has instructed, God made them male and female. Genesis 1:27
Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. Proverbs 12:17 A dishonest man spreads strife. Proverbs 16:28 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self and its practices. Colossians 3:9
In order to speak the truth two things are essential. First, it is necessary that we speak what we sincerely believe to be the truth. But it is also necessary that we speak what actually is… So much of what we say is really calculated to please people. We want to win their approval or gain some advantage… But when a man realizes that nothing really matters except to please God, then his speech will change radically. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
See also Leviticus 19:16 below…
- What is the third commandment?
Leviticus 19:12 You shall not swear by my name falsely, and profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7
The literal translation of the Hebrew states: Do not carry the name of the Lord your God in vain. In other words, we must never justify our evil actions by attributing them to God. This dishonors the name of God and misrepresents God as evil in the eyes of the world.
People who murder in the name of God not only kill their victims, they also kill God. That’s why the greatest sin is religious evil… In fact, the most frequent argument against God and religion concerns evil committed in God’s name – whether it is done in the name of Allah today or was done in the past in the name of Christ. (Dennis Prager, The Ten Commandments Still the Best Moral Code, Regnery)
We must be certain when we confess our faith that we really mean it… It is easy to go through the motions and say the words without deep sincerity of heart. It is easy to have a form of godliness’s while denying the power thereof… Think of Judas Iscariot. He progressed to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ… But since he did not have a sincere and believing heart, the Lord knew that his worship was in vain. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Leviticus 19:13 You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him.
The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
14 You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
15 You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.
Today there is much talk about social justice however God’s Word never mentions social justice. Envy was formerly known as one of the seven deadly sins until it was repackaged under a new name, social justice. In fact, social justice is a Marxist concept intentionally designed to arouse envy, suspicion and the resentment necessary for destroying a society from within so that a Marxist/socialist society may be built in its place. Instead, God’s Word commands justice, which means the law must be applied equally to the poor and to the great.
The Lord is a God of social justice. That’s the message in many – maybe most – churches… But here’s the problem. The Bible doesn’t actually say that. It says, “The Lord is a God of justice.” You’ll find a lot of references to justice but you’ll never find it preceded by the word social. What’s the difference? Isn’t God the God of justice and social justice? Not if He’s consistent. God cannot be the God of justice and social justice because social justice is not just. Justice is getting what you deserve without favor. Social justice is getting what you don’t deserve because you are favored. Justice is blind. Social justice is not. Justice demands that everyone be equal under the law. Social justice demands that everyone be equal. Period. Economically, socially, and in every other possible way. Lost in all social justice considerations is the individual’s own responsibility. (Allie Beth Stuckey, Social Justice isn’t Justice, Prager University)
Leviticus 19:16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people.”
- What is the sixth commandment?
Leviticus 19:16 You shall not endanger the life of your neighbor. I am Yahweh.
17 You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
Thou shalt not murder. Exodus 20:13
Referring to Leviticus 19:17, Jesus taught, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who hates his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool! will be in danger of the fire of hell.’” Matthew 5:21-22
We can only understand the sixth commandment when we realize that man was made in God’s image. It is because man is God’s image that we may not murder any man… However there are times when it may be necessary to kill a human being in order to keep this commandment… I have the duty to protect my family from harm. Exodus 22:2… Capital punishment simply means the execution of those who are guilty of murder. Capital punishment is right simply because God commands it in the Bible. Genesis 9:6 (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
- What did Christ teach was the second greatest commandment?
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he quoted from Leviticus 19:18:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
In the gospel of Luke, referring to Leviticus 19:17, Christ teaches that our reaction should never be hate.
But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other cheek; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. Luke 6:27-30
How are Christians to respond to the hatred and mocking that they will inevitably encounter?
As Leviticus 19:18 teaches: You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I AM Jehovah.
No one had ever heard of such a thing. When Christ first said this the people were, no doubt asking themselves; Do you mean that we are to love the occupying Roman army and their dishonest tax collectors that rob us? How are we supposed to do that?
Jesus clarifies his statement with even more outrageous commands. You are to Love your enemies by:
Instead of hating those who hate you, Do good to those who hate you…
Instead of cursing those who curse you, Bless those who curse you…
Instead of plotting revenge against those who mistreat you, Pray for those who mistreat you…
When insulted, instead of retaliating, Offer the other cheek.
If someone asks to borrow something, don’t withhold it.
If someone steals something from you, don’t ask them to give it back.
These commands are out of line and the opposite of our natural inclination to feel resentment, plot retaliation, demand reparations, curse, and, in other words, assume the role of the victim. But Christ teaches that our reaction should never be hate. Leviticus 19:17. Instead our reaction should always to be to love and treat our neighbor, that is everyone we come in contact with, exactly as we would like to be treated. Do you want your neighbor to be generous, Leviticus 19:9-10, truthful, Leviticus 19:11, honest, Leviticus 19:13, just, Leviticus 19:14, and in all ways loving, Leviticus 19:18? That is how we are instructed to treat everyone:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9-10
- What is the tenth commandment?
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17
The sin of covetousness is the root from which all of the other sins grow: false worship, misusing God’s name, neglecting the Sabbath, dishonoring parents, murder, adultery, theft, and lying.
Covetousness begins with a dissatisfied heart. It begins when we compare our own situation with that of another who appears to have more than we do. Take heed, said Jesus, for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, Luke 12:15. Let a man once become dissatisfied with the portion God has given him, and he will then be tempted with a thousand other sins. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
Leviticus 19:19 You shall keep my statutes.
You shall not cross-breed different kinds of animals.
You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed;
Don’t wear a garment made of two kinds of material.
Genesis 1 explains how God made different kinds of animals. Today we use the term species instead of the term kinds to differentiate between animals. God also made different kinds, or species, of plants. And God made the crown of creation, mankind, man and women as two distinct sexes, and called all that he created good, just the way he designed it. But evil always seeks to introduce chaos into God’s order. As we recently witnessed with the COVID-19 debacle, because mankind is not omniscient, using CRISPR gene editing to genetically modify the RNA of God’s perfect design can result in devastating unintended consequences.
You have, in verse 19, a strange command – You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. That means with a different species of animal. You shall not sow your seed with two kinds of seed nor wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material. What’s this about? The underlying principle is that God does not want us to mix together what He created to be distinct. This is actually the underlying principle when we come to matters of sexuality, and to use a modern term, “gender identity.” What God has created distinct, male and female, He doesn’t mean for us to confuse. Men are men and should look like men and women are women and should like women, and men and women were meant to come together in marriage, one man and one woman. The principle is what God, as designed in His divine order to be distinct, should remain distinct. That’s the principle here, but here it has to do with two kinds of animals, so don’t breed a sheep and a goat. It’s not talking about kinds of cattle, different kinds of sheep, but you don’t breed a sheep and goat because God wanted those two separate. You don’t breed two kinds of seeds. (Kevin DeYoung, clearly reformed.org, The Levitical Law of Love, 4-30-2023)
Transhumanism stands in direct rebellion against God’s created design and intent for his creation stating. According to the Transhumanist Bill of Rights, sentient beings agree to uphold morphological freedom – the right to do with one’s physical attributes or intelligence whatever one wants. (Transhumanist Bill of Rights, Article X) Although transhumanism is now in its infancy, we see this principle being put into practice by the transgender movement in which men attempt to transform into women and women attempt to transform into men. But the long-term goal of transhumanism is found in the transformative powers of computer science, biotechnology, and medicine to create a post-human species… Merging your brain with AI intelligence to achieve immortality in cyberspace. (Evolution News, We’re Seeing the First Wave of Applied Transhumanism, 05.08.23)
Leviticus 19:20 If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 The priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before Yahweh for his sin which he has committed; and the sin which he has committed shall be forgiven him.
23 When you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden. For three years it shall be forbidden to you. It shall not be eaten. 24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh. 25 In the fifth year you shall eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase to you. I am Yahweh your God.
26 You shall not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You shall not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.
27 You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edge of your beard.
28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Yahweh.
- What is the seventh commandment?
Leviticus 19:29 Don’t profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14
Sexual desire and the proper satisfaction of it is not wrong. This is evident from the account of creation… What the Bible condemns is simply the unlawful satisfaction of the sex urge. This means any sex relations outside the God-ordained state of marriage… And though it is unpleasant to discuss the way in which the sex desire has become perverted and corrupted by sinful men, this we must do because the Bible itself does so. (G.I. Williamson, The Shorter Catechism, P&R)
After reviewing the Ten Commandments this chapter closes by reminding the people that because they have been set apart by God their lives are to be lived differently than their unbelieving neighbors.
Leviticus 19:30 You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am Yahweh.
31 Don’t turn to those who are mediums, nor to the wizards. Don’t seek them out, to be defiled by them. I am Yahweh your God.
32 You shall rise up before the gray head and honor the face of the elderly; and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
33 If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
35 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 You shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.’”
First, God’s people are to strive to follow the commandments of God because the commands were designed for their thriving.
Second, they are not to follow the pagan customs. Everyday cultural practices, how they breed their flocks, how they sow their fields, how they dress, how they cut their hair, how they adorn their bodies, how they seek God, how they worship, how they honor their elders, how they treat the foreigner, how they follow honest business practices, are all to reflect how God has set them apart.
Because God has set them apart, God’s children should not try to fit in with the cool kids. Some of the ways modern church pastors try to fit in include rainbow pride robes, or skinny jeans, tattoos, multicolored hair, smoke machines, light shows, mindless emotion evoking “praise” mantras, and prosperity gospel. But God warns against such things because believers have been set apart with the Word of God. Applying this principle, speaking to Christian women Peter wrote, It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that made you beautiful. Your beauty should come from within you – the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God. 1 Peter 3:3-4
Instead of imitating the cool kids of the world who seek the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride, 1 John 2:16, we must realize that God chose what the world has considered foolish, the preaching of his Word, to draw the unbelievers into his kingdom. God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27
Your presumption should be this when reading the Old Testament, even when you find things that deal with an agrarian society we don’t live in anymore, even things that have to do with the sacrificial system that’s fulfilled in Christ… everything you read in the Old Testament, your first instinct should be this has something to teach me about how I am to follow God… You have some commands that you can see clearly are reaffirmed simply in the New Testament. Commands about stealing, lying, adultery. Then you have some that are culturally conditioned, meaning they deal with weights and measurements that we no longer use, or they’re with the world of fields and animals and slaves and day laborers, which is not the world that most of us inhabit. But it doesn’t mean that they’re worthless. The Westminster Confession of Faith talks about the general equity, that is each of these commandments has certain principles, a general equity, something to teach us. They are underlying principles for our own day. (Kevin DeYoung, clearlyreformed.org, 4-30-2023)
Leviticus 20:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones. 3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people
6”’The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
“‘7 “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God. 8 You shall keep my statutes, and do them. I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.
9 “‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon himself.
10 “‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
11 “‘The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
12 “‘If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed a perversion. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
13 “‘If a man lies with a male, as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
14 “‘If a man takes a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.
15 “‘If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; and you shall kill the animal.
16 “‘If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.
17 “‘If a man takes his sister—his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter—and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a shameful thing. They shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his iniquity.
18 “‘If a man lies with a woman having her monthly period, and uncovers her nakedness, he has made her fountain naked, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
19 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s sister, for he has made his close relative naked. They shall bear their iniquity. 20 If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless.
21 “‘If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an impurity. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
22 “‘You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23 You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
25 “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean. You shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. 26 You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine.
27 “‘A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.’”
This chapter begins by again warning against human sacrifice to Molech. The false and devouring gods are demons promoting all manner of anarchy against the One True God and his created order. But defying reality always leads to disappointment, God’s judgment, and ultimately death. This is such a serious offense that God even condemns those in the community who turn a blind eye and allow these practices to go on unchallenged.
If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off…
Adam and Eve were commanded by God to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28. Children are a blessing of God, made in his image, loved by God, and are to be protected. God holds entire communities responsible for allowing children to be sacrificed to Molech, or to update God’s warning in modern terms, allowing children to be aborted or sold as sex slaves.
God goes on to again condemn all manner of sexual immorality. God created two humans in his image, male and female, so that the two could become one and together fulfill their God given mandate to fill the earth with image bearers, cultivating, exploring, discovering, guarding, and bringing order to the newly created world. As Christ confirmed, God made them male and female. Though this should be obvious, unfortunately because of the wide acceptance of Satan’s twisted teachings in today’s world of sexual anarchy it bears repeating, God did not create two men both with XY chromosomes, ruling out homosexuality, God did not create two women both with XX chromosomes, ruling out lesbianism, God did not create man and offer him a partner from the animal kingdom, ruling out bestiality. None of these options could have produced offspring to fill and cultivate the earth and as such are condemned by God throughout the remainder of the Bible as unfruitful perversions of his created order.
In fact, because the imagination of a man’s heart is evil, Genesis 8:21, always inventing ways of doing evil, Romans 1:30, to not only his own detriment but to the detriment of society, God explicitly spelled out prohibitions against adultery, transgender cross-dressing, Deuteronomy 22:5, transgenderism, homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and more. Changing your clothes, or changing your pronouns, or even surgically changing your appearance cannot change your immutable God-created nature. God, the creator, loves those he made in his image and wanting only the best for them, desires for them to live fully within their created nature. Those trying to deny their nature are on a tragic path to ruin.
Marriage was designed to be a faithful relationship between one man and one woman, establishing the family as the Creator’s Covenant with all of mankind. As Christ would reiterate many millennia later, what God has joined together let no one separate. Matthew 19:6. The monogamous paring of two people, male and female, working together as a unit, form the stable building block on which all successful societies rest.
Unfortunately, more and more today, to their shame, marriage is being redefined, even within some church denominations, without regard for the Creator’s design to include almost paring imaginable, men marrying men, women marrying women, polygamy, polyamory, and the ultimate narcissistic expression, people marrying themselves, just to name a few.
What is God’s response to those who ignore his design and attempt to live contrary to their nature?
Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain, saying…“Let us break the chains and throw off the shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Psalm 2:1-4
God laughs. Ignoring your nature as designed by God and living contrary to that perfect design can only bring heartache, futility, angst, and ultimately, as God allows men and women to follow without restraint their wicked ways, destruction. Romans 1:24
After again reiterating, for emphasis, all of the injunctions against sacrificing to demons and the consequences for all manner of sexual impurity God adds one final command.
The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.
Satan has been a liar from the beginning. John 8:44. He and his fallen angelic followers have one goal, to tear down, destroy, and usurp God’s creation. That is why God’s people are to have no communication whatsoever with demons. In fact, those who facilitate that communication, exposing God’s people to the seductive lies of Satan, were to be put to death. A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.
Today it is a common practice among many, including Christians, to consult mediums so that they may speak to their deceased loved ones for comfort, advice, or peace of mind. But such practices, even if done in jest, are nothing more than idolatry and are strictly forbidden.
Another increasing common practice in some Christian circles and, sadly, even promoted by Christian publishing houses, is the use of the demonic inspired Enneagram as a personality test. Some undiscerning Christians use the Enneagram not realizing that it found its origin in an occultist’s dream. Oscar Ichazo stated that he received this revelation through a demon. He went into a seven-day coma. It was essentially an hallucinogenic prayer. (Chris Heuertz, The Sacred Enneagram, Zondervan) Further, Claudio Naranjo explained that a demon actually physically guided his hand in a process called automatic writing, as he wrote down the Enneagram personality test. (Enneagram Solutions, integrative9.com) Why would Christians prefer the revelations of demons over the Revelation of their Creator?
Christ warned in Matthew 24:24 that false messiah’s and false prophets would arise to deceive even believers [causing] some to depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1. In fact, Jesus’ brother Jude, warned of a theological crisis in the early church caused by false teachers. Jude 3-4. Because Jude was confident that the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, Jude 14, he warned that those who ignore the commands of God and associate with demons should be called to account. We are to warn those who commune with demons to repent and flee from such practices. Their souls are in mortal danger.
What are you to do if you were deceived?
Be honest, like Adam you rebelled against God and pursued self-interests and in the process hurt those who love you: parents, spouse, children, and most of all, God. You have deceived others. And you may have even used God’s Holy Name to emphasize your point. You have not loved your neighbor and, in fact have stolen from him. Perhaps you have pursued perverse lusts and sexual desires or even confused your sexual identity. You have looked at others with envy and wished that you had their lives or jobs or education or possessions. In short you have violated all of the commands of your Creator. And yet you still lack the peace, contentment, purpose and joy that you have been pursuing.
What are you to do if you were deceived?
The answer, the kernel that is woven throughout the Old Covenant in Leviticus, came to full blossom in the New Covenant. The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, died on the cross and rose from the dead so that you can be cleansed and forgiven from all of your sins no matter what those sins are. When you accept the free gift of forgiveness, when you accept the sacrifice of the Lamb, you are welcomed, adopted into the family of God and given the Holy Spirit. And with the Spirit’s help the old way of living that failed you, habits, pursuits, idols, and rationalizations begin to fall away. The chains that enslaved you to futility begin to fall away. You discover freedom. 1 Corinthians 6:11
The Hebrew Bible, in particular the Torah, has done more to civilize the world than any other book or idea in history. It is the Bible that gave humanity such ideas as a universal, moral, loving God; ethical obligations to this God; the need for history to move forward to moral and spiritual redemption; the belief that history has meaning; the notion that human freedom and social justice are the divinely desired states for all people. It gave the world the Ten Commandments, ethical monotheism, and the concept of holiness, the goal of raising human beings from the animal-like to the God-like. Therefore, when this Bible makes strong moral proclamations, I listen with great respect. (Dennis Prager, Why Judaism and then Christianity Rejected Homosexuality, Crisis Magazine, 2/1/18)
The moral law does forever bind all… to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, the Creator, who gave it. Neither does Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation. (Westminster Confession of Faith, XIX)