Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20080319.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Leviticus: Fellowship With A Holy God
Part III: Acceptable Living Before A Holy God, Leviticus 11:1-27:34
G. The Believer's Need For Holiness From Deviant Intimacy
(Leviticus 18:1-30)
  1. Introduction
    1. A popular radio talk show host has recently declared how much of what used to be viewed as upright has now become defined as evil, and much of what was once perverted has now been redefined as upright.
    2. Perhaps the most important realm of this change is the realm of physical intimacy, and God admonished Israel about deviant forms of physical intimacy that His people might live holy lives before Him:
  2. The Believer's Need For Holiness From Deviant Intimacy, Leviticus 18:1-30.
    1. In addressing the need for the people of Israel to be holy in the realm of physical intimacy, God directed that they were to separate from the deviant intimacy practices of both the Egyptians they had left behind and of the Canaanites in the land to where they were headed, Leviticus 18:1-3.
    2. Rather, they were to heed the Lord's directives so that they might enjoy long lives, Leviticus 18:4-5.
    3. God then specified the deviant forms of physical intimacy that Israel was to avoid, 18:6-23 [these divine directives are given to men in particular because God is addressing people in a patristic culture; however, by way of application in today's differing cultures, we can broaden these directives to both genders]:
      1. God condemned physical intimacy between a child and either parent, Leviticus 18:6-7.
      2. God condemned physical intimacy between a child and either stepparent, Leviticus 18:8.
      3. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his brother or sister, Lev. 18:9.
      4. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his grandchild, Leviticus 18:10.
      5. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his half brother or half sister, Lev. 18:11.
      6. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his uncle or aunt by birth, Leviticus 18:12-13.
      7. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his uncle or aunt by marriage, Lev. 18:14.
      8. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his daughter-in-law or son-in-law, 18:15.
      9. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and his brother-in-law or sister-in-law, 18:16.
      10. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and any two others of the opposite gender who were related as kinfolk to one another (in cases of Old Testament bigamy), Leviticus 18:17-18.
      11. God condemned physical intimacy between a man and his wife when she was on her period, 18:19.
      12. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and a spouse of another party, Lev. 18:20.
      13. God condemned the human sacrifice of infants to Molech, a form of spiritual immorality, Lev. 18:21.
      14. God condemned physical intimacy between any persons of the same gender, Leviticus 18:22.
      15. God condemned physical intimacy between a person and an animal, Leviticus 18:23.
    4. The Lord then revealed that these deviant forms of physical intimacy were practiced by the Canaanites whom God was displacing before Israel; these activities in particular defiled the land, and figuratively caused the land to "vomit out" its inhabitants, a very strong figure for revulsion by God, Lev. 18:24-25.
    5. Thus, no one in Israel's midst, be he native or foreign, would be allowed to engage in such deviant activities lest the land vomit them out as it had the Canaanites, Leviticus 18:26-28. Indeed, were any person in Israel to commit any single one of these deviant physical intimacy acts, he was to be removed from the fellowship of the people of Israel, Leviticus 18:29.
    6. To emphasize how important these directives were, God summed up His directive: not a single one of these deviant physical intimacy actions were to be performed by anyone in Israel lest they defile a person, making him abominable before the Lord, Leviticus 18:30. This is especially strong language by God, showing how destructive these aberrant activities were to society and to one's relationship with God!
Lesson: To be holy in the realm of personal physical intimacy, one is to abstain from all such intimacy until marriage, and then to practice it only within the confines of Biblical marriage!

Application: May we (1) RESIST ADOPTING the LOWERED STANDARDS of physical intimacy of the world around us as Israel was to do, and (2) may we CLEAVE to UPRIGHT unions in marriage!