Leviticus 18

CHAPTER 18

Unlawful Sexual Relations (18:1–30)

1–4 In Chapters 18 and 19, various laws are given governing the Israelites’ moral and social behavior. These laws are different from the ceremonial laws about cleanness recorded in Chapters 11–15; the laws recorded here involve moral conduct and they are largely followed by Christians today. In this chapter, most of the laws concern sexual behavior and family relationships.

As with all the other laws given by God to Israel, these laws also were meant to set the Israelites apart from the ungodly nations around them. Most of the laws in this chapter prohibit practices that were prevalent among the surrounding peoples: incest, homosexuality, bestiality and child sacrifice. God had chosen Israel not only to be “set apart”—that is, to be “holy”—but He also intended that Israel be an example of holy living to those other nations. And He expects the same of Christians today (Matthew 5:13–16; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; Ephesians 4:17–24).

These laws, then, apply to all people everywhere. They are based on God’s absolute lordship and RIGHTEOUSNESS; by following these laws the Israelites would reflect that righteousness. They would fulfill God’s command: . . . be holy, because I am holy (Leviticus: 11:45; 19:2).

I am the LORD your God (verses 2,4). This statement occurs over forty times in the remaining chapters of Leviticus. It was not a mantra or a meaningless formality. Every time God spoke these words the Israelites were reminded that He indeed was the God who had redeemed them from bondage in Egypt; He was the God who had made a covenant with them at Sinai, promising to be their God if they would but obey His laws (see Exodus 19:1–6 and comment). God was keeping His part of the covenant; it was up to the Israelites to keep their part—to obey.

5 Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. What is meant by the words “will live by them”? The words mean that anyone who obeys these laws will fully enjoy the blessings of a covenant relationship with God. The person who obeys will live life to the full (John 10:10).

This verse does not mean that one will be saved by obeying the law. The Israelites were already “saved,” already redeemed by God’s gracious deliverance. But that REDEMPTION was but the first stage of Israel’s continuing relationship with God. If the Israelites wanted to continue to enjoy God’s fellowship and other blessings, they needed to continue to obey His decrees and laws. Then they would “live” indeed (Luke 10:25–28). And the “living” would not be limited to life on earth but would continue on as ETERNAL LIFE in heaven.⁶¹

It is important to emphasize once more that no one—whether Israelite or Christian—is saved (justified) by obeying the law; people are saved by faith alone (see Genesis 15:6 and comment). The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:11: Clearly no one is justified before God by the law. No one is saved by the law because no one can obey the law perfectly. The law provides a way of life for those already saved—not a way of salvation for those who are lost.

Therefore, we must understand verse 5 in the context of faith. By faith we (and the Israelites) were saved (redeemed, justified). By that same faith we obey God’s laws. It is our faith expressing itself in obedience that gives us abundant life on earth and everlasting life in heaven.

For further discussion of this important subject of faith and law, see comment on Exodus 20:1; General Article: The Purpose of the Mosaic Law.

6–18 The laws listed in these verses deal with incestuous relationships (sexual relations between close relatives) and also sexual relations between close relatives by marriage. The laws of incest mentioned here are recognized in most civilized societies today; intermarriage between close blood relatives results in a high incidence of abnormal off spring. But note that marriage between first cousins is not forbidden.

These laws not only reduced the incidence of birth defects but they also protected the relationships within the large extended families of biblical times. In particular, the laws protected the women in a family from being exploited or sexually abused by the family’s dominant males. The laws also protected children from being sexually abused by parents or older siblings. Thus these laws helped to ensure that family members could remain loving and close knit without falling into sexual sin.

Several of the laws require brief explanation. In verse 8, your father’s wife would be a stepmother; having multiple wives was not uncommon in Israel.

In verse 11, the daughter of your father’s wife would be a half sister (daughter of a stepmother).

In verse 14, it is assumed that the father’s brother is dead; otherwise, having sexual relations with his wife would constitute adultery.

In verse 16, sexual relations with your brother’s wife are forbidden. However, there was an exception to this: when a man died and left no offspring, his younger brother was supposed to marry the widow in order to raise up a descendant for the dead brother and thus preserve his inheritance (Deuteronomy 25:5–6).

In verse 18, the law against marrying your wife’s sister would have prevented Jacob from marrying both Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:23–30); but, of course, the law had not yet been given in Jacob’s time.

19–23 These verses list additional laws. Inverse19,the law prohibits knowingly having intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period (see Leviticus 15:24 and comment).

In verse 20, adultery is prohibited (see Exodus 20:14).

In verse 21, sacrificing children to Molech is prohibited (see Leviticus 20:15 and comment).

In verse 22, male homosexual acts are prohibited. The penalty for such acts was death (Leviticus 20:13). All homosexual acts, both by males and females, are condemned in Scripture (see Romans 1:2627). The homosexual behavior of the men of Sodom was one cause of God’s terrible judgment on that city (Genesis 19:1–11).

It should be emphasized, however, that only homosexual acts are condemned. To have a homosexual orientation or tendency is not, in itself, a sin. Christians must befriend and respect homosexuals as persons, while at the same time disapproving of homosexual acts.

In verse 23, bestiality (sexual relations with animals) is prohibited; the penalty was death (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15–16).

24–30 In these verses we are reminded that when sin in a nation becomes widespread, God will judge that nation. The nations that lived in the land of Canaan had so defiled themselves with the sins described in this chapter that God was determined to punish them; He would cause the land to “vomit” them out (verse 25). Some people think that God was being “unfair” when He drove out and destroyed the inhabitants of Canaan to make room for the Israelites, but that is not so; the Canaanites had brought JUDGMENT upon themselves by their idolatrous and sinful practices.

But let the Israelites take warning: they too would be “vomited” out if they refused to obey God and instead adopted the evil practices of the Canaanites (verse 28). And, of course, as we shall see later on in our Old Testament study, that is exactly what happened: the Israelites forsook their God and worshiped the gods of the Canaanites and, as a result, they were driven out of the land and into exile. God is never “unfair”; He holds His own people to the same standards He demands of everyone else.

Christians today must beware of making the same error Israel did. Let us not be complacent and self satisfied, thinking that because we are Christians God will never deal with us as He dealt with Israel. He will—if we behave as the Israelites did. The things that happened to Israel are written down as warnings for us (1 Corinthians 10:1–12). Let us never think that the Old Testament is irrelevant and has nothing to say to us today.