Leviticus 20:1-27
Q.1. How did the severe punishment for violating God’s laws reflect God’s character? –(Lev.20:1-21)
Israel was not to follow the evil practices of the Canaanites. The reason that God gave the laws, was to promote godly, clean, and healthy living, and to reflect Israel’s relationship with Him – 7 You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you … 26 Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine (Lev.20:7-8, 26). The severe punishment was to stop the spread of evil in the midst of His people. Anything that undermined the solidarity of the family, and brought jealousy into marriage, was to be shunned. The sacrificing of their children to Molech was punishable by death. God would judge Israel if they failed to apply capital punishment to evil doers (Lev.20:2-5). Mediums and spiritists were also banned (Lev.20:6 & 27). Details were given in order to preserve the sanctity of marriage. All other practices of adultery, fornication, incest (literally ‘confusion’), homosexuality, bestiality, and lustful practices were outlawed in Israel (Lev.20:9-21).
Q.2. Why had God removed the previous inhabitants from Canaan? How did God protect His people from being removed from the Promised Land? – (Lev.20:22-26)
God made it abundantly clear that Israel was not to follow the ways of the nations whom they had displaced – 22 ‘You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. 23 Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them (Lev.20:22-23). By identifying the reason for the removal of the nations, God also identified the sins they were to avoid. By making the rite of circumcision the sign of His Covenant with Israel, this would make them different. Since He was the uniquely holy God – I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine (Lev.20:26). God always knew, that to marry close relatives or to eat unclean animals, increases the risk of defects and diseases.